From Pain to Gain: CrowPanel TxtPort

No more painful typing on a tiny touch panel – just plug in, open the tool, and type anything straight from your PC. Configure Wi-Fi, send messages, or enter custom text effortlessly.

With this utility, you can:

• send Wi-Fi SSID and password,
• upload API keys or other data,
• simplify device provisioning and initial configuration,
• etc.

👉 This solution is not implemented anywhere else yet — you can be among the first to apply it in your own projects.

Why this matters

• Saves time — no more typing long strings manually.
• Reduces errors — built-in CRC32 integrity check.
• Fast — setup in ~10 seconds.
• Scalable — configure dozens of devices in minutes.
• Flexible — open source, easy to adapt for different workflows.

Comparison: Without vs With Utility

For OEMs & Developers

This utility is more than just a demo for CrowPanel.It’s a building block you can reuse:

• Embed it into your IoT product for a true plug-and-play setup.
• Reduce support costs by eliminating manual input errors.
• Deliver a premium onboarding experience your customers will love.

How to use

• Connect any ESP32 device to your PC via USB.
• Run the utility and enter Wi-Fi SSID, password, or API keys.
• Click “Send” → data is transferred and saved instantly.
• Done! Your device is ready, no hassle.

Adding to your projects

Installation

Follow these steps to install and run the application:

1. Download the application

Clone or download from GitHub: https://github.com/Grovety/crowpanel_settings

2. Launch the app

Run app.exe from the application folder.

How it works

Once you launch the application, you will see the settings window.

Fill in the input fields:

• SSID
• Password
• KEY (can be any secret, token, or config file

Select your device’s COM port (⟳ button refreshes the list)

Click Send — all values will be saved in settings.json
In the lower window, you’ll see messages from the ESP32-S3 if reception is successful.

💡 You can use this mechanism to transmit any JSON-structured configuration to the microcontroller, not just Wi-Fi credentials.

Fields can be added or removed directly in the application via the Add Field and Remove Field buttons.

The application supports multiple configuration files: use the Open button to load an existing file, and the Save As button to create a new one.

Updating the Firmware

Before flashing new firmware to the board, press Disconnect in the GUI — this releases the COM port for use by other tools.

Example Usage with ESP-IDF

To test the settings transmission, an example ESP-IDF project is provided.

Step 1. Install Visual Studio Code

Download it from the Microsoft Store

Step 2. Install the ESP-IDF Extension

👉 ESP-IDF Extension on Marketplace

Step 3. Select Target

Click the Target Selection button and choose ESP32-S3 (via built-in USB_JTAG)

Step 4. Select Flashing Method

Click the Flashing Method button and choose UART

Step 5. Connect the board

Use a USB cable to connect the ESP32-S3 device to your PC.

Step 6. Flash the firmware

Click the Build and Flash button.

Wait for upload to complete.

Step 7. Return to the Python app

Reopen the GUI and send the settings. You should see messages from the board like:

Param example=example(str)

Integrating Into Your Own ESP-IDF Projects

You can reuse the included files to support UART settings parsing in your own embedded apps.

1. Copy the files

Add uart.c and uart.h into your project folder.

2. Register the component

In CMakeLists.txt, add:

idf_component_register(SRCS "uart.c" INCLUDE_DIRS ".")

3. Initialize the parser

In your code:

uart_json_init();

After that, the settings will be saved into NVS

⚠ Note

Make sure the ESP-IDF Monitor or any serial terminal is closed before launching the Python app — the COM port must be free.

Ready to make setup effortless?

Download the USB provisioning utility today — or embed it into your own projects to give your users the fastest onboarding ever.