Week 1: M5StickC Plus Setup

M5StickC Plus setup guide. If your device is grey with a blue button (M5StickS3), go back and select the correct guide.

The M5StickC Plus connects to UIFlow 2.0 over USB.

English (YouTube) ~4 min

Bilibili ~4 min

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Step 2: Device Setup

3 steps — do them in this order. Do not plug in the device before step 2a is done.

2a. Install the FTDI USB Driver (Windows — do this first)

The M5StickC Plus uses an FTDI FT232R USB-serial chip. Install the driver before plugging in the device.

1. Go to ftdichip.com/drivers/vcp-drivers/
2. Download the setup executable for Windows (Desktop) — see the arrow in the screenshot below
3. Run the installer, then restart your computer

After restarting, plug in the StickC Plus with a data USB cable, then open Device Manager (right-click Start → Device Manager).

Checkpoint — do not continue to 2b until this is confirmed

Expand Ports (COM & LPT) and confirm you see USB Serial Port (COMx) with driver provider FTDI. If you see Unknown Device or a yellow warning icon, the driver did not install correctly — try again or ask your TA.

Installing the wrong driver causes Blue Screens

The M5StickC Plus uses FTDI — not CH9102, not CP210x. Forcing the wrong driver onto this hardware causes Windows to crash. If you are seeing Blue Screens when plugging in, ask your TA before doing anything else.

Mac: Setup on macOS has known complications that vary by hardware revision. Use a Windows laptop if available. If you only have a Mac, speak to your TA before the session — do not attempt driver installs during the lab.

2b. Burn UIFlow 2 Firmware with M5Burner

New devices need UIFlow 2 firmware before they can connect to the browser IDE. While M5Burner is downloading, get the session WiFi credentials from the instructor.

1. Download M5Burner from m5stack.com/pages/download
2. Install and open M5Burner
3. Log in to your M5Stack account
4. Plug in the StickC Plus — it should appear in M5Burner’s device list
5. Click Bind to link the device to your M5Stack account
6. In the WiFi settings, enter the session WiFi SSID and password
7. Search StickC Plus — select UIFlow2.0 StickC Plus (not StickC Plus2) → click Burn

Two firmware entries look almost identical — pick the right one

You will see UIFlow2.0 StickC Plus and UIFlow2.0 StickC Plus2 in the list. Select UIFlow2.0 StickC Plus (highlighted in the screenshot). Burning Plus2 firmware on a Plus device will break it.

8. Wait 2–3 minutes for the burn — do not unplug during this time

The device reboots automatically when the burn completes.

Device already has UIFlow 2 firmware

If the device powers on and immediately shows a UIFlow screen, firmware is already installed — no need to re-burn.

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Step 3: Connect in UIFlow 2.0

1. Open uiflow2.m5stack.com in Chrome or Edge
2. Log in with your team UIFlow 2.0 account
3. In the lower-right corner of UIFlow 2.0, find the connection mode selector
   • Default shows: Cloud Pair — click it
   • Change to: USB
4. Click Connect — your browser shows a serial port picker dialog
5. Select your COM port from the list:
   • Windows: COM3, COM4, etc.
   • Mac: /dev/tty.usbmodem...
6. Click Connect

You should see a green connected indicator and your device name in the IDE.

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Step 4: Run Your First Project

1. Download the starter project: StickCPlus-KnightRider.m5f2
2. In UIFlow 2.0, open the folder icon → Import project from local file → select the .m5f2 file

3. Click Run (▶ button)
4. Watch the LEDs animate on your device!

Once it’s running, explore the blocks: change LED colours, adjust speed, add conditions. You don’t need to understand everything yet — just start modifying and see what happens.

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What to Build Next

Smart Product Challenge Brief Hardware toolkit, project sparks, team roles, and deliverable — everything you need for Weeks 1–2

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Quick Fix
Device not in Device Manager / unknown device	FTDI driver not installed — download setup executable from ftdichip.com/drivers/vcp-drivers/
Blue Screen of Death when plugging in	Wrong driver installed (CH9102 or CP210x on FTDI hardware) — ask TA immediately
M5Burner does not see the device	Confirm FTDI driver installed and COM port visible in Device Manager before opening M5Burner
M5Burner says “Login required”	Create a free account at m5stack.com and log in
Burn fails partway through	Try a different USB port; confirm data cable (not charge-only)
Device stuck on loading screen after burn	WiFi credentials incorrect — re-open M5Burner and re-enter WiFi settings
API Key not showing on screen	Device has not connected to WiFi — check credentials in M5Burner
UIFlow shows “Disconnected”	API Key mismatch — check key on device screen matches what you entered
Mac + StickC Plus not detected	Known issue — speak to TA; use a Windows laptop if possible
Burned wrong firmware (StickC Plus2)	Device may be unresponsive — ask TA, do not attempt recovery alone

If nothing works after 20 minutes: Ask your TA to use their laptop. No penalty — some PCs have IT restrictions that block USB serial access.

See the full Troubleshooting Guide for detailed solutions.