M5Stack Cardputer V1.1

Product Overview

The M5Stack Cardputer V1.1 is an open-source development board designed for IoT applications, featuring a compact form factor and a full QWERTY keyboard. It is a version that can be flashed with custom firmware and reprogrammed.

Important Note for New Users: Some users may encounter issues such as the device not booting or entering a systemless state due to incorrect operations or accidental deletion of system files. This is not a hardware defect. The solution is to re-flash the official factory firmware. Similar to how a computer can be restored by reinstalling the operating system, the hardware of the Cardputer is typically fine.

If the device has been flashed with third-party firmware and you encounter problems, please flash the official factory firmware back onto the device. Failure to do so may affect warranty claims.

M5Stack Cardputer V1.1 Device Description: The M5Stack Cardputer V1.1 is a compact, portable computer measuring 84x54x19.7mm. It features a 1.14-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 240x135 pixels. The device includes a 56-key keyboard, a speaker, a microphone (PDM-MIC@SPM1423), an IR emitter (IR G44), and a Micro SD card slot. It is powered by an ESP32-S3FN8 microcontroller. Connectivity options include Grove ports (G5V, G2, G1) and a USB port. The device has two batteries: a 120mAh internal battery and a 1400mAh external battery. Key components labeled are StampS3A, FPC8, and the M5Stack logo.

Factory Firmware and Troubleshooting

When the device encounters operational issues, such as a black screen or failure to boot, you can try re-flashing the factory firmware to check if there is any hardware malfunction. This process ensures the device is in a known good state.

Refer to the following tutorial and use the M5Burner firmware flashing tool to flash the factory firmware onto the device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is my Cardputer v1.1 black screen/won't boot?

Solution: Use M5Burner to burn the official Factory Firmware, specifically the "Cardputer User Demo" firmware.

Q2: Why is the working time only 3 hours? Why does it 100% charge in 1 minute, and then turn off when the charging cable is removed?

Solution: The firmware named "Bruce for Cardputer" is an unofficial firmware. Flashing unofficial firmware can void your warranty, cause instability, and expose your device to security risks. It is strongly recommended to proceed with caution and always burn the official factory firmware.

M5Burner Software Interface: The M5Burner software is used for flashing firmware. It allows users to select and download official firmware packages such as "UIFlow2.0 for Cardputer" and "Cardputer User Demo". The interface displays firmware version, publication date, and options to download or burn. A notice dialog warns about the risks associated with unofficial firmware.

Firmware Flashing Guide

1. Preparation

Refer to the M5Burner tutorial to complete the firmware flashing tool download. Then, download the corresponding firmware.

M5Burner Tutorial Link: https://docs.m5stack.com/en/uiflow/m5burner/intro

M5Burner Software for Firmware Download: The M5Burner application interface is shown, displaying a list of available firmware, including "UIFlow2.0 for Cardputer" and "Cardputer User Demo". A "Download successfully" message is visible, indicating a completed download.

2. USB Driver Installation

Driver Installation Tip: Click the link below to download the driver matching your operating system. The driver package for the CP34X (for the CH9102 version) can be downloaded and installed by selecting the installation package corresponding to your operating system. If you encounter issues with program download (such as timeout or "Failed to write to target RAM" errors), try reinstalling the device driver.

Windows Driver: CH9102_VCP_SER_Windows
Download Link: https://m5stack.oss-cn-shenzhen.aliyuncs.com/resource/drivers/CH9102_VCP_SER_Windows
MacOS Driver: CH9102_VCP_MacOS_v1.7.zip
Download Link: https://m5stack.oss-cn-shenzhen.aliyuncs.com/resource/drivers/CH9102_VCP_MacOS_v1.7.zip

Port Selection on MacOS: On MacOS, there may be two available ports. When using them, please select the port named wchmodem.

3. Port Selection

Connect the device to the computer via a USB cable. After the driver installation is complete, you can select the corresponding device port in M5Burner.

M5Burner Port Selection: The M5Burner software is shown with the "Burn Cardputer User Demo" dialog open. A COM port selection dropdown is visible, allowing the user to choose the correct port (e.g., COM3) and set the BaudRate before proceeding with the flashing process.

4. Burn

Click "Burn" to start the flashing process. The software will display the progress of writing and verifying the firmware.

M5Burner Firmware Burning Process: The M5Burner application displays a "Burning" progress window. It shows the writing status of different memory addresses, the total bytes written, and the time taken. A "Hash of data verified" message and "Hard resetting via RTS pin" indicate the successful completion of the firmware writing process.

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