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The ESP32 is something many people may have heard of or used. If you have previously used an Arduino development board, you might have come across it as well. The ESP32 refers to a series of chips and modules produced by Shanghai Espressif Systems, rather than a specific chip, which is something to note. Today, I will introduce Espressif’s chips.

Espressif’s Chip Family

Espressif has five system products, namely: ESP32S series, ESP32C series, ESP32H series,ESP32, and ESP8266 (Yes, except for the ESP8266, all are called ESP32. It seems likely that the ESP8266 will be phased out by Espressif in a few years). The ESP32C and H series are based on the RISC-V architecture, while the others are based on the Xtensa architecture. Normally, the architecture they use doesn’t concern us much, as the manufacturers have already provided the necessary software, such as compilers, and programming is basically the same. Unless you are developing at a very low level.

Various modules and chips from Espressif

The ESP8266 is probably the first Espressif chip I encountered. Initially, it was mainly used as anexternal Wi-Fi chip for Arduino. Later, as software matured, a number of development boards based on the ESP8266 appeared, and its very low price convinced many to place orders, especially since its performance surpassed that of the still-popular Arduino UNO. However, in terms of ease of use, the UNO is still highly recommended.

WiFi modules based on the ESP8266

Arduino is probably the essential development board for many people to get started with open-source hardware. The ESP8266 is likely your second development board. However, I must complain about its pin naming, such as D2 and D4, which confuses those of us who have worked with the UNO. However, the subsequent ESP32-based development boards have directly used numbers for pin names, and you can easily look up the specific functions in the documentation.

Development boards based on the ESP8266

If the ESP8266 started as just an external chip, the ESP32 has truly emerged as a powerhouse. The rise of the ESP32, in my opinion, is closely related to STEAM education. Many manufacturers have begun using the ESP32 as the main control chip, and the reason is simple: it boasts one of the top ecosystems, supporting Arduino, MicroPython, and even the ability to simulate Micro:bit, making Arduino seem less appealing. Its performance is also impressive, with a dual-core 240MHz processor that still holds its own. Additionally, the price is very attractive, especially during the current chip shortage.

Control boards developed based on the ESP32

However, the ESP32 does have its pain points. If you are developing using Arduino and your program is relatively large, the exaggerated compilation time can be quite frustrating. Of course, if you are using Python, you won’t have this problem.

The Thonny editor used with MicroPython on the ESP32

ESP32+MicroPython is a perfect pairing for education. In China, most of the development boards suitable for education are based on the ESP32, and the variety of ESP32-compatible development board models in the Arduino IDE software is overwhelming; any company can produce a board, thanks to Espressif’s modules, which greatly lower the design threshold for circuit parts.

ESP32 models in the Arduino IDE, too many to fit on one page

Recently, Espressif launched a new series targeting the IoT market, which includes the ESP32C3, ESP32S2, ESP32S3, and the upcoming ESP32H2 (which supports Thread and Zigbee protocols, as well as Matter protocol).

Communication methods and protocols supported by the ESP32-H2

I personally feel that the ESP32S2 and ESP32S3 are the next-generation products that will replace the previous ESP32. These two have only slight performance upgrades, but they notably support USB1.1, allowing for direct use of CircuitPython, where programs can be dragged directly onto the device. Additionally, they have about 10 more pins, which is great for larger projects.

CircuitPython

The ESP32C3 is designed to replace the ESP8266, while the ESP32H2 is primarily aimed at the IoT field, intending to become a IoT node chip.

Everyone knows about the chip shortage, and the ESP32 has hardly increased in price, which directly led many to turn to the ESP32. More and more people are using the ESP32, and there are more and more projects based on it, thus establishing the ESP32 ecosystem. As for where the ESP32 goes next, I cannot predict, but its positioning is already very precise; at this price point, it has no competitors.

Development boards based on the ESP32

In the field of education, there are really not many that can surpass the ESP32. The RP2040? If its development board is cheaper than the ESP32’s, it might have a chance. Chips are also price-sensitive, and the demand is quite substantial. When developing products, it’s wise to consider these factors, which is much better than developing something and then being taken advantage of by foreign chip suppliers.

I have a strong attachment to the ESP32, having used it for many projects, all of which have been quite useful. Now, many development board manufacturers have also launched new boards based on the S2 chip, which essentially acts as a more powerful RP2040 with Wi-Fi, and is priced lower than RP2040 boards. Why not take a look?

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to open and place an order on Taobao

pyWiFi-ESP32-S2P

From 01Studio, the pyWiFi-ESP32-S2P

Developed based on the ESP32S2

For those interested in trying out the new S2 series, take a look

https://m.tb.cn/h.fl0OmO6?tk=JJ3i22e5hpn