Jeroen's Project Journals

Not everything was well with this design. After the relatively minor issue of the missing blower feedback signal I pressed ahead and wanted to test the thermocouple input by means of the MAX6675 chip. This required a little bit of software work, but unfortunately I quickly discovered that no matter what I did, after uploading the controller would not start normally. What followed was lots of headscratching and many runs with the logic analyzer and scope to understand what was happening. This actually took a couple of evenings, but eventually I figured out the controller was entering USB download bootmode. To understand why, first check this table from the ESP32-C3 datasheet describing the so-called bootstrapping pins:

So the PCB’s have arrived and I’ve started assembly of the first one. Here’s the progress after an hour or so of soldering:

Almost a year ago I (finally, after agonizing over the price for years!) bought a Kamado barbecue. Granted, it’s a display model and it’s not from one of the pricier, well-known brands (Big Green Egg, The Bastard or Kamado Joe), but it’s mine, and I enjoy using it. Apart from the usual burgers and steak it lets me cook delicious pulled pork (cooks VERY slowly at low temps) and the absolute best home-made pizza!