ESP32-S3
Overview
The ESP32-S3 is a dual-core XTensa LX7 MCU designed for high-performance AIoT applications, featuring integrated 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE). It introduces native SIMD instructions to accelerate digital signal processing and machine learning workloads at the edge.
Why Choose This Part
The ESP32-S3 provides a significant performance boost over standard microcontrollers through its 240 MHz dual-core architecture and specialized AI acceleration instructions. It offers robust security features including flash encryption and digital signature peripherals to protect intellectual property and user data.
Applications
Getting Started
Development is primarily done using the ESP-IDF (Espressif IoT Development Framework) or the Arduino IDE with the ESP32 board manager. For hardware evaluation, the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 is the standard entry point, providing easy access to the QFN56 pins via breadboard-friendly headers.
Dev Boards
Development boards and breakout modules featuring the ESP32-S3 or compatible chips — ready to use for prototyping.
ESP32-S3 Family
Comparing specs that differ across variants. The current part is highlighted.
| Part Number | Memory | Protocol | Sensitivity | Antenna Type | RF Family/Standard | Utilized IC / Part | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-S3 (this part) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2,759 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U-N16R8 | 16MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -103.5dBm | Antenna Not Includ.. | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3R8-32 | 5,856 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N4 | 4MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -103.5dBm | PCB Trace | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3-32 | 4,431 |
| ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1U-N8R8 | — | — | — | — | — | S3-32 | 689 |
| ESP32-S3-BOX | — | — | — | — | — | S3-32 | 119 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U-N4 | 4MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -103.5dBm | Antenna Not Includ.. | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3-32 | 356 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N4R2 | 4MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -103.5dBm | PCB Trace | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3R2-32 | 566 |
| ESP32-S3-USB-OTG | — | — | — | — | — | S3-32 | 99 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 | 4MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -103.5dBm | PCB Trace | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3-32 | 4,206 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R2 (Espressif) | 8MB | 802.11a/b/g/n, Blu.. | — | PCB Trace | WiFi | S3-32 | 6,903 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R8 | 8MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -104.5dBm | PCB Trace | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3R8-32 | 6,215 |
| ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U-N4R2 | 4MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -103.5dBm | Antenna Not Includ.. | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3R2-32 | 603 |
| ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N8 (Espressif) | 8MB | 802.11b/g/n, Bluet.. | -104.5dBm | PCB Trace | Bluetooth, WiFi | S3R8-32 | 4,188 |
| ESP32-S3-KORVO-2 | — | — | — | — | — | S3-32 | 6 |
Also Consider
Espressif Systems
- A fully certified module version of the SoC that includes integrated flash and a PCB antenna for faster time-to-market.
STMicroelectronics
- An alternative dual-core wireless MCU featuring an ARM Cortex-M4 and M0+ for applications requiring Zigbee or Thread support.
Espressif Systems
- A cost-optimized RISC-V single-core alternative for simpler IoT tasks that do not require AI acceleration or dual-core performance.
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