ESP32 Board Not Recognized by Host Computer

R2026b

Issue

Most of the Arduino^®-compatible ESP32 boards and ESP32-S3 boards use a Silicon Labs® CP2102 or CP210x chip as a USB-to-UART bridge for serial communication with the host computer. Windows^® does not include a built-in driver for this chip, and automatic driver installation through Windows Update does not always succeed.

After you connect the ESP32 board to the host computer and install the ESP32 core from the support package, Windows might not recognize the board if the required CP210x virtual COM port (VCP) driver is not installed. In Windows Device Manager, the board can appear under Other devices with a warning icon, such as: CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller

Without the driver, the host computer cannot communicate with the board. You cannot identify the board COM port, deploy Simulink^® models, or use serial communication features.

Troubleshooting Steps

Install the CP210x USB-to-UART Bridge VCP Driver

Download and install the CP210x VCP driver from Silicon Labs. This driver enables the host computer to recognize the ESP32 board and establish serial communication.

1. Close MATLAB^® and disconnect the ESP32 board from the host computer.

2. Download the CP210x VCP driver from the Silicon Labs website.

3. Extract the downloaded archive and run the installer appropriate for your operating system. For 64-bit Windows, run CP210xVCPInstaller_x64.exe.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

5. Reconnect the ESP32 board to the host computer.

6. Open Windows Device Manager and verify that the board now appears under Ports (COM & LPT) with an assigned COM port number, for example, Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM3).

7. Open MATLAB and verify that the assigned COM port is available for hardware configuration in the Simulink model.

After the driver is installed, the ESP32 board is recognized by the host computer and you can deploy Simulink models to the board.

Verify USB Cable Supports Data Transfer

If the CP210x driver is installed but the host computer still does not recognize the ESP32 board, use a USB cable that supports data transfer. Some USB cables support charging only and do not include data lines.

After you replace the cable, reconnect the ESP32 board and verify that Windows Device Manager lists the board under Ports (COM & LPT) with an assigned COM port.