{"id":10570,"date":"2024-01-21T09:42:41","date_gmt":"2024-01-21T14:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dronebotworkshop.com\/?p=10570"},"modified":"2024-01-22T08:17:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T13:17:41","slug":"esp32-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dronebotworkshop.com\/esp32-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"ESP32 Guide 2024 – Choosing and Using an ESP32"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Download<\/a> \"Parts<\/a> \"View<\/a><\/p>\n

The Espressif ESP32 has quickly become one of the most popular microcontrollers with hobbyists and developers worldwide.\u00a0 Its features include multiple digital and analog I\/O ports, integrated touch switch inputs, support for IIS digital audio, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.\u00a0 And that\u2019s just the tip of the iceberg!<\/span><\/p>\n

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The ESP32 family has grown since its introduction and now consists of several SoC (System on a Chip) devices, modules, and development boards. Most of us use development boards, with hundreds available (Digikey lists almost 250 development boards on their website).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of boards to choose from! This article will help you navigate this maze of specifications and features to select the best board for your project.<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction – History of the ESP32<\/span><\/h2>\n

Espressif Systems<\/a>, a Shanghai-based company, was founded in 2008 by Teo Swee Ann, a Singaporean entrepreneur and engineer. The company initially focused on producing wireless communication technology solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In its early years, Espressif primarily worked on providing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets for mainstream consumer electronics. Their first product was the ESP8089, a 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi system-on-chip (SoC) introduced in 2013.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Espressif chipsets were also used in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters for Arduino boards. These adapters acted as a modem, providing a data connection between the Arduino and the network.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t have any intelligence of their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that changed with the introduction of the ESP-01 module.<\/span><\/p>\n

2014 – The ESP8266<\/span><\/h3>\n

The ESP-01 was a module based around an Espressif chipset named the ESP8266. As with the other Espressif Wi-Fi modules, it was used in adapters for microcontrollers like Arduino Uno\u2019s. It was introduced in 2014 and became popular due to its low cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the ESP8266 also had a \u201chidden\u201d feature. It wasn\u2019t really hidden at all; it was simply ignored due to the lack of English-language documentation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The feature that made the ESP8266 so special was that it was not only a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modem, but it was also a microcontroller.\u00a0 And a capable one, powered by a Tensilica Xtensa L106 32-bit microcontroller.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once it was realized that the ESP8266 was a microcontroller in its own right, the maker community worked to provide development tools and documentation. Much of that early work was centered around a board made by a third-party manufacturer, AI-Thinker.<\/span><\/p>\n

Espressif also worked to provide English (and other) language documentation and a development environment called the ESP-IDF (IoT Development Framework).\u00a0 The advent of open-source firmware like NodeMCU and Arduino compatibility made the ESP8266 a popular choice for makers and experimenters.<\/span><\/p>\n

2016 – The ESP32<\/span><\/h3>\n

Espressif released the ESP32 in September 2016.\u00a0 This was an upgrade to the ESP8266, adding more I\/O ports, memory, processing power, and features. Along with the ESP32 release, Espressif also provided extensive, multilingual documentation, updated development tools, and a board manager for the Arduino IDE with an extensive collection of sample sketches.<\/span><\/p>\n

This support and low-cost development boards from Espressif and other manufacturers quickly made the ESP32 a favorite among makers and experimenters.<\/span><\/p>\n

ESP32 Features<\/span><\/h2>\n

Espressif Systems has made a number of updates to the ESP32 since its launch over seven years ago. The ESP32 is now four product lines, five if you include the still-available ESP8266. The result is dozens of ESP32 SoC devices and modules powering hundreds of development boards from Espressif and other manufacturers, most with slightly different features and specifications.<\/span><\/p>\n

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ESP32 SoCs, Modules and DevKits<\/span><\/h2>\n

Espressif Systems manufactures the ESP32 in three different formats:<\/span><\/p>\n