ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 N8R2 Development Board Dual-Core WiFi Bluetooth 5.0

Specifications

• Microcontroller Module: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1

• Memory Configuration: N8R2 (8MB Flash, 2MB PSRAM)

• USB Interfaces: 2x USB Type-C

• Serial Bridge Chip: CH343P

• Voltage Regulator: AMS1117 (3.3V)

• User Interfaces: RGB LED, BOOT Button, RST Button

• Status Indicators: PWR Lamp, TX Lamp, RX Light

• PCB Version: YD-ESP32-23 2022-V1.3

Key Applications and Projects

• Custom USB Peripherals: Utilizing the native USB-C OTG port to create a fully programmable, Wi-Fi-enabled macro keypad.

• Advanced Smart Home Dashboards: Leveraging the 8MB Flash and 2MB PSRAM to drive high-resolution touchscreen displays using the LVGL graphics library.

• Edge AI & Machine Learning: Running TensorFlow Lite models for local voice command recognition or sensor data analysis directly on the device.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The Wireless USB "Rubber Ducky" Emulator: Take full advantage of the dual USB-C ports! Connect the board to your PC using the Native OTG port. Program the ESP32-S3 to act as a standard USB Human Interface Device (HID). At the same time, spin up a lightweight web server via the onboard Wi-Fi. You can now use your smartphone to connect to the ESP32-S3 wirelessly, triggering it to instantly type out complex passwords, terminal commands, or text macros on the host PC!

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 N8R2 Development Board

• 2 x 20-Pin Gold-Plated Male Headers (Unsoldered)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What does N8R2 mean? The N8R2 designation on the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module indicates its memory configuration: it contains 8MB of Flash memory (N8) and 2MB of PSRAM (R2).

2. Why are there two USB Type-C ports? The board features two ports for different purposes. One is an "ESP32-S3 Straight Type-C USB&OTG" port wired directly to the chip's native USB hardware, and the other is a "USB to Serial Port" wired to a CH343P chip for standard programming.

3. Which USB port should I use to program the board? You can usually program the board via either port, but it is recommended to use the "USB to Serial Port" (COM port) for reliable flashing and accessing the serial monitor, especially if your code crashes the native USB stack.

4. What is the CH343P chip? The CH343P is a high-speed USB-to-Serial converter chip. You may need to download the CH343 drivers for your operating system if the COM port does not automatically appear when plugged in.

5. How do I put the board into bootloader mode manually? While the board is plugged in, hold down the BOOT button, press and release the RST (Reset) Key, and then release the BOOT button.

6. Are the header pins pre-soldered? No, the board includes two loose strips of gold-plated 20-pin male headers that you must solder yourself.

7. Does the board have an onboard voltage regulator? Yes, it features an AMS1117 power supply chip that steps down the 5V from the USB port to the 3.3V required by the ESP32-S3.

8. What logic voltage do the GPIO pins use? Like all ESP32 chips, the GPIO pins operate strictly on 3.3V logic. Connecting 5V logic signals directly to the pins will damage the processor.

9. Is there an onboard LED I can program? Yes, the board features a built-in RGB LED. It usually requires using a library like FastLED or Adafruit NeoPixel to control its color and brightness.

10. What do the other LEDs on the board do? In addition to the RGB LED, there is a PWR (Power) Lamp, a TX (Transmit) Lamp, and an RX (Receive) Light to indicate power status and serial data activity.

11. What is the board model printed on the back? The back of the PCB is labeled with "YD-ESP32-23 2022-V1.3".

12. Which pins provide 5V power? The 5V (or 5Vin) pins located near the bottom corners of the board provide access to the 5V rail.

13. Does this board support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth? Yes, the ESP32-S3 module provides native 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 (LE) connectivity.

14. What settings should I use in the Arduino IDE? Select the "ESP32S3 Dev Module". Ensure you set the Flash Size to 8MB, enable PSRAM (OPI PSRAM), and enable "USB CDC On Boot" if you are using the native USB port for serial output.

15. Can I power the board using the 5Vin pin instead of USB? Yes, you can supply a regulated 5V source to the 5Vin pin and GND to power the board without a USB connection.

16. Can I run MicroPython or CircuitPython on this board? Absolutely. The massive 8MB Flash and 2MB PSRAM make this board an exceptional candidate for running Python-based interpreters smoothly.

17. How do I utilize the 2MB of PSRAM in my code? Once enabled in your IDE settings, you can allocate memory to the PSRAM instead of the limited internal RAM by using specific commands like ps_malloc() in C++ when creating large arrays or frame buffers.

18. What kind of antenna does it use? The ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module features an onboard PCB trace antenna, located in the overhang section at the top of the board.

19. What do the numbers down the sides of the board indicate? These numbers directly correspond to the GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pin numbers mapped to the ESP32-S3 chip, making it easy to reference them in your code.

20. Can I connect a battery directly to this board? While you can supply power via the 5Vin or 3V3 pins, this specific development board does not have an integrated LiPo battery charging circuit or battery protection. You would need an external battery management module.