MicroPython Helper Refresh ports and file upload commands failing on ESP32-S3

TECHNICAL SUPPORT NULA Development Boards
1

Customer:

I’m aware of the esptool address for ESP32-S3 firmware programming and have already automated this with batch files. I have over 60 files in my current project and don’t plan on using MicroPython Helper until I see the rest of it begin to work.

I tried running VS Code as administrator based on your published advice, and things got substantially better. The terminal window now works and shows output from my code. However the Refresh ports command still fails, as do commands for uploading files, etc.

Have you been able to use MicroPython Helper with an ESP32-S3 device? If not, would you like me to send you one?

I’m a highly experienced developer and EE and would like to contribute to the project, but am currently overloaded with work. Thonny wastes my time every day and MicroPython Helper provides a ray of hope.

Originally submitted via the contact form on soldered.com on 13 February 2026. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.

2

Soldered Support:

We have tested MicroPython Helper using an ESP32-S3 board (NULA DeepSleep) and had no problems running it. However, our board uses an onboard USB-UART converter instead of the USB interface, so that may be a source of your problems. We are working to improve the extension as quickly as possible. While we are a small team and a few projects currently have higher priority as the Helper is in its infancy stage, you can expect a much more polished extension with a better experience in the following months.