WLED won't start with logic shifter plugged in

When I turn on the power supply the ESP32 lights up but the LEDs won’t turn on and I can’t access wled (says its offline). But if I unplug my 3.3v-5v shifter from the 3.3v pin on my ESP and plug it right back in the ESP instantly comes online and everything lights up and works fine.
I have two ESPs both wired the same way and both have the same issue.

Additional info:
I’m using all four ports on the KeeYees 4 Channels IIC I2C Logic Level Converter
The ESP32s are Devkitv1

I would choose a different shifter. “I2C shifters are generally too slow for WLED, so don’t use them.”
https://kno.wled.ge/basics/compatible-hardware/#levelshifters

Thanks, I’ll look into getting a different chip.

But I still can’t figure out why the whole system works when I unplug the chip and then plug it back in. It seems like speed is fine when everything is in place.

Likely the shifter connection is pulling your GPIO pin Hi (or Lo) which is preventing proper power up.
Try and connect with a different GPIO.

1 Like

Thank you Divsys!
It was pin 12. It was pulling high like you said.

For the next person that happens to find this topic, I was having the identical issue.
ESP32 WROOM 32U, data connected to GPIO12
I2C level shifter
Chip would not start when everything was wired up.

I changed to a TSX0108E shifter. Same problem.

Changed to GPIO25, problem solved!

Which is exactly what the “Solved” section says - pick a GPIO other than 12.

No offense meant. I added to the discussion because, like me, some may have puzzled over which GPIO to use, if not 12. This wasn’t clear in the original solution. And I’m not suggesting that 25 is only other GPIO that will work.

NBD, current WLED code w/ ESP32 devices, uses a “default” of GPIO16 (partly to avoid issues like the GPIO12 thing).