What is ESP?

In the world of circuit development boards, ESP generally refers to a series of WiFi and Bluetooth modules and chips produced by Espressif Systems, with ESP8266 and ESP32 being the most famous. These modules are widely used in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, favored for their low cost, ease of use, and powerful capabilities.

However, the official recommendation now is to not use ESP8266 for product development, but to upgrade to ESP32-C2 instead. ESP32-C2 has a smaller size and stronger performance compared to ESP8266.

Ease of use

Multiple Interfaces
ESP32 offers a rich set of interfaces, including SPI, SDIO, I2C, UART, etc., facilitating communication with other systems. This makes the ESP32 capable of operating as an independent system or serving as a slave device to provide Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities to a main MCU.
Development Environment and Community Support
ESP32 supports various development environments such as Arduino IDE, Espressif’s ESP-IDF, MicroPython, etc., allowing developers to choose the suitable development tools according to their needs. Furthermore, ESP32 boasts a vast developer community, providing a wealth of resources and technical support.

Powerful capabilities

High Integration
The ESP32 chip integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, incorporating an antenna switch, RF balun, power amplifier, low-noise receive amplifier, filter, and power management module. This high level of integration reduces the need for external components and simplifies hardware design.
Low Power Consumption
Optimized for mobile devices, wearable electronics, and Internet of Things applications, the ESP32 features ultra-low power consumption. It supports multiple power modes and dynamic power scaling, allowing for efficient power management across various application scenarios.

low cost

The prices of ESP series chips are relatively affordable on the market, with ESP8266 priced between $5 and $10, while ESP32 is priced between $10 and $20. Prices may vary based on models, features, and sales channels. Overall, these chips are very popular in IoT and embedded development due to their high cost-performance ratio and powerful features.

ESP Series Models

What can ESP32 do?

ESP-Drone

ESP-Drone is an open source solution based on Espressif ESP32/ESP32-S2/ESP32-S3 Wi-Fi chip, which can be controlled by a mobile APP or gamepad over Wi-Fi connection. ESP-Drone comes with simple hardware, clear and extensible code architecture, and therefore this project can be used in STEAM education and other fields. The main code is ported from Crazyflie open source project with GPL3.0 protocol.

https://github.com/espressif/esp-drone?tab=readme-ov-file

ESPlay Retro Emulation

Esplay-retro-emulation is a project that provides a collection of retro game emulators for ESPlay hardware (a gaming console based on ESP32).

https://github.com/pebri86/esplay-retro-emulation

Retro-Audio - DIY Retro Audio Player

Retro-Audio is a portable MP3 player project for playing music and audiobooks, based on the ESP32 microcontroller, designed to provide an easy-to-use audio playback solution.

https://github.com/CoretechR/Retro-Audio

X-Knob: A Smart Knob Based on LVGL UI Framework

X-Knob is a smart knob based on the LVGL UI framework, offering support for both smart home (MQTT) and Surface Dial (Bluetooth) functionalities. The project aims to create a versatile smart knob that can be utilized across various application scenarios, including smart home control and computer peripherals.