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ESP32 / D1 Microcontrollers

ESP32 and ESP8266 (commonly called "D1" in variants like the D1 Mini) are low-cost, low-power system-on-chip (SoC) microcontrollers developed by Espressif Systems. They integrate WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, which makes them ideal for IoT applications, smart devices, and any wireless project.

Brief history​

The ESP8266 was released by Espressif in 2014 as a WiFi-enabled microcontroller. It changed IoT development overnight by making cheap WiFi connectivity feasible for embedded projects. In 2016, Espressif released the ESP32 - a more powerful successor with dual-core processing, Bluetooth, and a wider feature set. ESP8266-based boards like the D1 Mini (also released around 2016) became staples in the maker community; ESP32 boards offer more performance for demanding projects.

Key features​

  • WiFi connectivity - built-in 802.11 b/g/n for internet access and network communication.
  • Bluetooth - ESP32 includes Bluetooth Classic and BLE; ESP8266 is WiFi-only.
  • Microcontroller capabilities - GPIO, ADC, PWM, I2C, SPI, UART for interfacing with sensors and peripherals.
  • Low power consumption - sleep modes for battery-powered devices.
  • Programming flexibility - Arduino IDE, MicroPython, ESP-IDF, and other frameworks.
  • Integrated antennas - on-board antennas for wireless, with the option for external ones.
  • Community ecosystem - extensive libraries, tutorials, and community support.

The workshops in this section default to the ESP32-C3 - see the ESP32-C3 hardware page for the specific variant used and known quirks.

Resources​

Adapted from the CardanoThings project, originally produced under Project Catalyst Fund 11. Source: github.com/CardanoThings.