Firmware Installation
Two ways to flash the RF-Hunter — pick the one that fits your level.
- ⚡ Easy — Browser Flash Tool
- 🔧 Arduino IDE
Flash without installing anything
esptool.spacehuhn.com lets you flash directly from Chrome or Edge. No drivers, no terminal.
What you need
- Chrome or Edge browser (Firefox won't work — no Web Serial support)
- USB-C cable
- The RF-Hunter
.binfirmware file — download from GitHub Releases
Steps
- Download the latest
RF-Hunter-firmware.binfrom the Releases page - Open esptool.spacehuhn.com in Chrome or Edge
- Click Connect and select the RF-Hunter from the port list
- Click Choose File and select the
.binyou downloaded - Set the flash address to
0x0 - Click Program
- Wait for it to finish, then unplug and replug the device
That's it. The device will boot straight into the launcher.
If your device doesn't show up in the port list, try holding the FLASH button while plugging in the USB cable, then release it. This puts the ESP8266 into bootloader mode.
Flash from Arduino IDE
Use this if you want to modify the firmware or build from source.
1. Install Arduino IDE
Download from arduino.cc/en/software. Version 1.8.x works best for this project.
2. Add the Deauther ESP8266 board package
Open Arduino IDE and go to File → Preferences.
Paste this URL into the Additional Boards Manager URLs field:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SpacehuhnTech/arduino/main/package_spacehuhn_index.json
Then go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager, search for deauther , and install the Deauther ESP8266 Boards by SpacehuhnTech package.
3. Install required libraries
Go to Tools → Manage Libraries and install each of these:
| Library | Version |
|---|---|
| RF24 | latest |
| ArduinoJson | 5.x (not version 6) |
The remaining libraries (SH1106Wire / ESP8266 OLED Driver, ADCButton) are included in the repo — no need to install them separately.
4. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/rdhrobotics/RF-Hunter.git
Or download the ZIP from GitHub and extract it.
5. Open the sketch
Open RF-Hunter/RF-Hunter.ino in Arduino IDE.
6. Select the board
Go to Tools → Board → Deauther ESP8266 Boards and select:
ESP8266 Generic (and not at ESP8266 Modules)!
Set the upload speed to 115200.
7. Flash
Connect the RF-Hunter via USB-C, select the correct port under Tools → Port, and click Upload (the right arrow button).
The device will reboot automatically when flashing finishes.
If you get an upload error, hold the BOOT button on the device while clicking Upload, then release it once the "Connecting..." message appears in the console.
Verify it worked
After flashing, the device should:
- Show the RDH Robotics logo
- Show the legal notice
- Land on the Main Menu with three options
If it boots but the display is blank, check that I2C_SDA and I2C_SCL match your hardware (GPIO4 and GPIO5 by default).
Resetting to defaults
If something goes wrong and the device gets stuck in a boot loop, it will auto-format its EEPROM and LittleFS on the next boot. You don't need to do anything — just wait for it to reboot cleanly.
To force a manual reset, define FORMAT_EEPROM or FORMAT_SPIFFS in A_config.h and reflash.