Quick Start (USB)

Plugging in

Please check that there is no bare metal (including your desk!) near the board when you plug it in, as it could short it out.

• Espruino Pico - the Pico is designed to plug right into you computer's USB type A connector, or a USB extension lead. The components (not the text) should usually be facing upwards (so the 4 gold strips are facing the plastic in the USB socket).
• Original Espruino, Espruino WiFi and Wio LTE - just plug the board in with a Micro USB cable and you're done.
• Puck.js - there is no plug! see the Bluetooth LE Quick Start Guide instead as the setup is slightly different.
• Pixl.js - the USB plug is only for power see the Bluetooth LE Quick Start Guide instead as the setup is slightly different.
• Other Boards - please see this page for more information.

Windows Users: Older versions of Windows won't automatically load the built-in driver for USB COM ports. You'll have to download ST's USB driver:

• Windows 10 users should need no drivers. The board will plug in and be recognised immediately.

• Non-Windows XP users download version 1.4.0 drivers. Unzip the file, run the executable, and then go to C:\Program Files (x86)\STMicroelectronics\Software\Virtual comport driver in Windows Explorer and double-click either dpinst_amd64.exe for 64 bit systems, or dpinst_x86.exe for 32 bit.

• Windows XP users download version 1.3.1 drivers. Unzip the file, run VCP_V1.3.1_Setup.exe, and then go to C:\Program Files\STMicroelectronics\Software\Virtual comport driver in Windows Explorer and double-click the executable.

Linux users to ensure that you have the correct permissions to connect as a normal user you'll need to copy the file 45-espruino.rules to /etc/udev/rules.d, reload rules with udevadm control --reload-rules, and ensure your user is in the plugdev group (you can check by typing groups). You add it by typing sudo adduser $USER plugdev and then logging out and back in. Arch Linux users need to add their user to uucp and lock groups instead.

Mac OS X and Chromebook Users: The board will just plug in and work, without drivers!

Set up a Terminal App

Note: We recommend that you use our Web IDE (it has a bunch of extra features, including firmware updates). However you can access Espruino from any terminal program. See Alternative Terminal Apps for some examples.

• Install the Chrome Web Browser
• Click here to run the Espruino Web IDE straight from the browser

Now, to use the IDE:

• Run Espruino Web IDE from Chrome's home screen (or the App Launcher)
• Click the orange Connect/Disconnect icon in the Top Left:
• Click Web Serial in the popup window (if you don't see this, click the status link for more information)
• In the window that pops up, make sure the correct serial port is chosen (Usually the highest COM# number on Windows, /dev/tty.usbmodem1234 on Mac, or ttyACM0/ttyUSB0 on Linux).
• If you don't see a port or can't get it working, please see Troubleshooting

Software Updates

Espruino is gaining features and improvements on an almost daily basis. If you've just got your Espruino Board, we highly recommend that you update the firmware before you start using it.

When you first use the Espruino Web IDE and connect (see above) you'll probably see a yellow warning marker in the top right saying that new firmware is available. Click on it (or click the Settings icon, then Flasher), click 'Flash Firmware' and follow the instructions. If you're given a drop-down list of different firmwares to choose from and you don't need network support, you can choose any firmware. There is no risk of damaging your Espruino board, however the firmware update process may take a few minutes to complete. If you have problems, check out the Troubleshooting guide.

Note: If you're not using the Web IDE, follow the instructions on the Download page to flash the latest version (however this is significantly more difficult).

Start writing code!

Please try the walkthrough to get started writing your first code for Espruino

Now you've got an idea how to use Espruino:

• Have a look at the Tutorials and Reference pages
• Check out Modules to see which libraries of code are available to use
• If you have a Pico, WiFi or Original Espruino board then click those links for more in-depth information about your board, as well as for links to tutorials that specifically use your board.
• See how to use the more advanced features of the Web IDE
• Check out other ways of Programming Espruino
• Instantly Search all the Espruino website's documentation (using the box in the top right)
• If you've got a question, please check out our Forum