Stuck in Bootloader

[JSquires2]

Hello,

I'm using an ESP32-WROOM-32E and have encountered a strange state during runtime.

Occasionally, the system will enter an unresponsive state. I get the following output, and the system stays unresponsive until it is reset.

Code: Select all

[2025-04-08 13:32:17.424] rst:0x7 (TG0WDT_SYS_RESET),boot:0x13 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.424] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.424] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.424] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.440] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] ets Jul 29 2019 12:21:46
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] 
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] rst:0x7 (TG0WDT_SYS_RESET),boot:0x13 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.456] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] ets Jul 29 2019 12:21:46
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] 
[2025-04-08 13:32:17.472] rst:0x7 (TG0WDT_SYS_RESET),boot:0x13 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
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[2025-04-08 13:32:45.690] rst:0x7 (TG0WDT_SYS_RESET),boot:0x13 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.712] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.764] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.809] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.849] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.897] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.933] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:45.996] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.028] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.075] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.121] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.171] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.219] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.252] invalid header: 0xffffffff
[2025-04-08 13:32:46.293] invalid header: 0xffffffff

After the system runs, it enters deep sleep and wakes up from the RTC or a GPIO. We are not sure whether this boot error occurs after exiting deep sleep or from a different issue like an application watchdog reset as we have not been able to capture the failure in the field.

Any pointers as to what could cause this?

[yangolan]

to clarify, this problem occurs randomly during runtime? and once you reset the esp it boots normally as expected? like, the problem disappears?

can you say what exactly the code does, and approximately what happens just before the esp goes into this state?