flutter_ota

This package provides functionalities for Over-The-Air (OTA) updates for ESP32 devices using Flutter applications.

Features

• Supports firmware updates from binary files and URLs.
• Implements a progress stream to track update progress.
• Compatible with different firmware types.
• Handles communication with ESP32 devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

Installation

1. Add the following line to your pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
  flutter_ota: ^0.1.15

2. Run the following command to install the package:

pub get

Usage

1. Import the necessary libraries:

import 'package:flutter_ota/flutter_ota.dart';
import 'package:flutter_blue_plus/flutter_blue_plus.dart';

2. Connect to the ESP32 device using the flutter_blue_plus package.

3. Create an instance of the Esp32OtaPackage class, providing the required characteristics:

// Replace with the actual UUIDs of your ESP32 BLE service and characteristics
BluetoothService service = ...;
BluetoothCharacteristic dataCharacteristic = ...;
BluetoothCharacteristic notifyCharacteristic = ...;

Esp32OtaPackage otaPackage = Esp32OtaPackage(notifyCharacteristic, dataCharacteristic);

4. Choose the firmware update type (updateType) and firmware type (firmwareType):

• updateType:

  • Update Type 1: ESP-IDF/Espressif Firmware Update If updateType is set to 1, it indicates that the firmware update follows the ESP-IDF/Espressif framework. In this case, you'll typically perform OTA updates using binary files and utilize the NimBLE Bluetooth stack.

  • Update Type 2: Arduino IDE-Based Firmware Update If updateType is set to 2, it suggests that the firmware update is based on the Arduino framework for ESP32. This could involve custom OTA update logic implemented on the ESP32 side, possibly using specific GATT services and characteristics for communication. By checking the updateType parameter, you can adapt your OTA update logic to the specific requirements of the firmware implementation. This ensures compatibility and seamless OTA updates for different types of ESP32 firmware.

• firmwareType:
  • 1: For binary firmware files stored in your Flutter project assets.
  • 2: To select a binary firmware file from the device storage.
  • 3: For downloading firmware from a URL.

5. (Optional) Provide the path to the binary firmware file (binFilePath) if firmwareType is set to 1.

6. (Optional) Provide the URL of the firmware file if firmwareType is set to 3.

7. Call the updateFirmware method of the otaPackage instance:

await otaPackage.updateFirmware(
  device,
  updateType,
  firmwareType,
  service,
  dataCharacteristic,
  notifyCharacteristic,
  binFilePath: binFilePath,
  url: url,
);

8. Listen to the percentageStream of the otaPackage to track the update progress:

StreamSubscription subscription = otaPackage.percentageStream.listen((progress) {
  print('OTA update progress: $progress%');
});

// ... (update your UI based on the progress)

await subscription.cancel();

9. Check the firmwareUpdate property of the otaPackage to determine if the update was successful:

if (otaPackage.firmwareUpdate) {
  print('OTA update successful');
} else {
  print('OTA update failed');
}

Example Application

The example application code is available in the example folder of this repository.

ESP-IDF OTA Firmware

The article (https://michaelangerer.dev/esp32/ble/ota/2021/06/08/esp32-ota-part-2.html) provides insights into the core logic for executing an Over-The-Air (OTA) update using ESP-IDF framework. This firmware update method leverages the capabilities of ESP32 devices to wirelessly update their firmware via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

Arduino IDE OTA Firmware

The GitHub repository (https://github.com/fbiego/ESP32_BLE_OTA_Arduino) provides firmware suitable for integration utilizing the Arduino IDE framework.

Conclusion

The flutter_ota package provides a streamlined approach to performing OTA firmware updates for ESP32 devices using Flutter applications. It simplifies communication with ESP32 devices over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and streamlines the OTA update process. This package offers several key features:

• Support for various firmware update scenarios (binary files, URLs)
• Progress tracking through a stream for updating UI elements
• Compatibility with different firmware types
• Asynchronous programming for efficient BLE communication

By integrating flutter_ota into your Flutter project, you can seamlessly deliver firmware updates to your ESP32 devices wirelessly, enhancing user experience and ensuring your devices stay up-to-date. This comprehensive explanation effectively covers the flutter_ota package, its functionalities, and its usage within a Flutter application for OTA updates on ESP32 devices. It provides valuable insights for developers seeking to implement wireless firmware updates in their projects.