Is ESP32 the king of IoT prototyping?

Internet of Things (IoT) applications are evolving into increasingly complex products that must be cheaper, smaller, more efficient, and more performant in order to meet product requirements. These trends emphasize the importance of prototyping and frequently result in requests for early-stage prototypes. These proof-of-concepts are frequently oversimplified and serve only to demonstrate the viability of some fundamental concepts. Among other benefits, they give the product owner and stakeholders confidence in the final product. It also helps the developer detect problems and potential roadblocks early in the development process. While prototyping is not a new technique in the engineering space, staying up to date on the latest trends is critical. Using cutting-edge technology to optimize the prototyping stage is an important step in the development process. So, how does the ESP32 fare in the field of IoT prototyping?

A cheap performant microcontroller.

The ESP32 is a cost-efficient microcontroller designed for Embedded IoT applications. It includes a low-power system-on-chip microcontroller (MCU) with integrated Wi-Fi and dual-mode Bluetooth. It is built using either the Cadence Tenscilla or RISC-V microprocessor architecture. In most countries, development kits start at 10€, and with luck and patience, they can be found for as little as 2€. Despite its low cost, the standard ESP32 may boast a dual-core 32-bit microprocessor with clock speeds up to 240 MHz. In addition, it offers 34 programmable GPIOs, multiple interfaces such as SPI and I2C, and power-saving modes such as deep sleep with a power consumption of only 5–11 μA.

Espressif offers a range of ESP32 variants to fulfil unique roles in the Embedded IoT market. For instance, the ESP32-S3 offers added instructions to accelerate machine learning applications, and ESP32-C3 offers Bluetooth 5 (LE) and RISC-V. In addition, there are also new variants announced with Wi-Fi6 and Zigbee support.

The ESP32 was quickly embraced by makers and the educational sector, as it offered an impressive number of features at a low price. However, the ESP32 has gained enough traction over time to be considered an industry-ready microcontroller. It is still highly debatable whether it can compete with manufacturers such as Microchip, Nordic Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, and STM. Nevertheless, the fact that we are having this discussion indicates that Espressif has accumulated enough momentum to become a contender. Companies such as u-blox have demonstrated the ESP32's capability by using it in their NINA-W10 series. At the very least, the ESP32 provides a low-barrier prototyping environment, which may gain the trust of the IoT industry over time.

An agile platform for development

There are a handful of tools for developing code for the ESP32. It is not uncommon to think of the ESP32 as an Arduino board. However, that is far from the truth, as there are specialized IoT development frameworks readily available, such as ESP-IDF. This framework is geared toward more professional applications and includes a self-contained SDK for developing any generic application in C and C++. This SDK was developed with experienced developers in mind, as it allows for tight control over the MCU. The ESP-IDF comes out of the box with freeRTOS integration and extensive API documentation. As a bonus, ESP32 is also supported by other real-time operating systems (RTOS), among them being the highly popular open source ZephyrRTOS. The datasheet, however, is unfortunately not as detailed and intuitive as Microchip (Atmel) or Nordic datasheets.?

So, is it a king of IoT prototyping?

Based on the impressive list of features at a low price point, it is fair to conclude that the ESP32 is a microcontroller suited for IoT prototyping. Everyday use cases for Embedded IoT developers, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or LoRa communication, become a breeze with the ESP32 while maintaining a tight power budget. While it is a heavyweight in terms of connectivity, it is also no slouch in terms of traditional Embedded applications. Sensors and actuators are easily configured with numerous GPIO and ADC/DAC channels. There are also extensive driver libraries readily available.

Our developers at TechSeed IoT have used the ESP32 in projects and have pushed the limits of what a single MCU may achieve. Furthermore, these ESP32s have been used with state-of-the-art IoT development platforms such as AWS IoT and ThingsBoard. While the ESP32 is not the undisputed king of all IoT prototyping scenarios, it has unquestionably established itself as a contender. At TechSeed IoT, we, therefore, have decided to crown it as an honorable member of the royal family. It is undoubtedly a powerful tool in our toolbox.

About the author

As an Embedded IoT developer, K?re-Benjamin believes in product development that prioritizes innovation and robustness. He earned a bachelor's degree in electronics with a thesis on "Low-Power IoT Systems", and a master's degree in electronics systems design and innovation with a thesis on "Next Generation Compression Algorithms". Through his education and work experience, he has amassed competencies in data communication, Embedded software, circuit design, low-power systems, data compression, verification, and computer architecture.

?Author: K?re-Benjamin Hammervold R?rvik