ESP8266

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ESP8266

AI-Thinker ESP8266 modules

Manufacturer Espressif

Type Microcontroller

CPU @ 80 MHz (default) or 160 MHz

Memory 64 KB instruction, 96 KB data

Input 16 GPIO pins

Power 3.3 VDC

The ESP8266 is a low-cost Wi-Fi chip with full TCP/IP stack and MCU (Micro Controller
Unit) capability produced by Shanghai-based Chinese manufacturer, Espressif Systems.[1]
The chip first came to the attention of western makers in August 2014 with the ESP-01 module,
made by a third-party manufacturer, AI-Thinker. This small module allows microcontrollers to
connect to a Wi-Fi network and make simple TCP/IP connections using Hayes-style commands.
However, at the time there was almost no English-language documentation on the chip and the
commands it accepted.[2] The very low price and the fact that there were very few external
components on the module which suggests that it could eventually be very inexpensive in volume,
attracted many hackers to explore the module, chip, and the software on it, as well as to translate
the Chinese documentation.[3]
The ESP8285 is an ESP8266 with 1 MB of built-in flash, allowing for single-chip devices capable of
connecting to Wi-Fi.[4]
The successor to these module(s) is ESP32.

Contents
[hide]

 1Features
 2SDKs
 3Espressif modules
 4AI-Thinker modules
 5Other boards
 6See also
 7References
 8External links

Features[edit]
 32-bit RISC CPU: Tensilica Xtensa LX106 running at 80 MHz*
 64 KB of instruction RAM, 96 KB of data RAM
 External QSPI flash - 512 KB to 4 MB* (up to 16 MB is supported)
 IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
 Integrated TR switch, balun, LNA, power amplifier and matching network
 WEP or WPA/WPA2 authentication, or open networks
 16 GPIO pins
 SPI, I²C,
 I²S interfaces with DMA (sharing pins with GPIO)
 UART on dedicated pins, plus a transmit-only UART can be enabled on GPIO2
 1 10-bit ADC
* Both the CPU and flash clock speeds can be doubled by overclocking on some devices. CPU can
be run at 160 MHz and flash can be sped up from 40 MHz to 80 MHz. Success varies chip to chip.

SDKs[edit]
In late October 2014, Espressif released a software development kit (SDK) that allowed the chip to
be programmed, removing the need for a separate microcontroller.[5] Since then, there have been
many official SDK releases from Espressif; Espressif maintains two versions of the SDK — one that
is based on FreeRTOS and the other based on callbacks.[6]
An alternative to Espressif's official SDK is the open source esp-open-sdk [7] that is based on
the GCC toolchain. ESP8266 uses the Cadence Tensilica LX106 microcontroller and the GCC
toolchain is open-sourced and maintained by Max Filippov.[8] Another alternative is "Unofficial
Development Kit" by Mikhail Grigorev.[9][10]
Other open source SDKs include:

 NodeMCU: a Lua-based firmware.

 Arduino: a C++ based firmware. This core enables the ESP8266 CPU and its Wi-Fi components
to be programmed like any other Arduino device. The ESP8266 Arduino Core is available
through GitHub.
 MicroPython: a port of MicroPython (an implementation of Python for embedded devices) to the
ESP8266 platform.
 ESP8266 BASIC: An open source basic interpreter specifically tailored for the internet of things.
Self hosting browser based development environment.
 Zbasic for ESP8266: A subset of Microsoft's widely used Visual Basic 6 which has been adapted
as a control language for the ZX microcontroller family and the ESP8266.
 Espruino An actively maintained javascript SDK and firmware -- closely emulating node.js.
Supports a few MCUs, including the ESP8266.
 Mongoose Firmware: An open source firmware with complimentary cloud service[11]
 + https://github.com/SuperHouse/esp-open-rtos open RTOS.

Espressif modules[edit]
This is the series of ESP8266-based modules made by Espressif.

Active Form Dimensions

Name Pitch LEDs Antenna Shielded? Notes
pins factor (mm)

ESP-
2×9 PCB FCC ID 2AC7Z-
WROOM- 18 0.1" No Yes 18 × 20
DIL trace ESPWROOM02
02[12]

In the table above (and the two tables which follow), "Active pins" include the GPIO and ADC pins
with which you can attach external devices to the ESP8266 MCU. The "Pitch" is the space between
pins on the ESP8266 module, which is important to know if you are going to breadboard the device.
The "Form factor" also describes the module packaging as "2 x 9 DIL", meaning two rows of 9 pins
arranged "Dual In Line", like the pins of DIP ICs. Many ESP-xx modules include a small on-board
LED which can be programmed to blink and thereby indicate activity. There are several antenna
options for ESP-xx boards including a trace antenna, an on-board ceramic antenna, and an external
connector which allows you to attach an external Wi-Fi antenna. Since Wi-Fi communications
generates a lot of RFI (Radio Frequency Interference), governmental bodies like the FCC like
shielded electronics to minimize interference with other devices. Some of the ESP-xx modules come
housed within a metal box with an FCC seal of approval stamped on it. First and second world
markets will likely demand FCC approval and shielded Wi-Fi devices.

AI-Thinker modules[edit]
ESP-01 module

These are the first series of modules made with the ESP8266 by the third-party manufacturer AI-
Thinker and remain the most widely available.[13] They are collectively referred to as "ESP-xx
modules". To form a workable development system they require additional components, especially a
serial TTL-to-USB adapter (sometimes called a USB-to-UART bridge) and an external 3.3 Volt
power supply. Novice ESP-8266 developers are encouraged to consider larger ESP8266 Wi-Fi
development boards like the NodeMCU which includes the USB-to-UART bridge and a Micro-USB
connector coupled with a 3.3 Volt power regulator already built into the board. When project
development is complete, you may not need these components and can consider using these
cheaper ESP-xx modules as a lower power, smaller footprint option for your production runs.

Activ
Nam Pitc Form LED Anten Shielde dimensio
e Notes
e h factor s na d? ns (mm)
pins

ESP- PCB
6 0.1" 2×4 DIL Yes No 14.3 × 24.8
01 trace

2×4
ESP- U-FL
6 0.1" castellate No No 14.2 × 14.2
02 connector
d

2×7
ESP-
10 2 mm castellate No Ceramic No 17.3 × 12.1
03
d

2×4
ESP-
10 2 mm castellate No None No 14.7 × 12.1
04
d

ESP- U-FL
3 0.1" 1×5 SIL No No 14.2 × 14.2
05 connector
Activ
Nam Pitc Form LED Anten Shielde dimensio
e Notes
e h factor s na d? ns (mm)
pins

ESP- Not FCC

11 misc 4×3 dice No None Yes 14.2 × 14.7
06 approved

Ceramic
ESP- 2×8 Not FCC
14 2 mm Yes + U-FL Yes 20.0 × 16.0
07 pinhole approved
connector

2×7
ESP- Not FCC
10 2 mm castellate No None Yes 17.0 × 16.0
08 approved
d

ESP-
10 misc 4×3 dice No None No 10.0 × 10.0
09

1×5
ESP-
3 2 mm? castellate No None No 14.2 × 10.0
10
d

ESP- 1×8
6 0.05" No Ceramic No 17.3 × 12.1
11 pinhole

2×8 FCC and

ESP- PCB
14 2 mm castellate Yes Yes 24.0 × 16.0 CE
12 trace
d approved[14]

2×8
ESP- PCB
20 2 mm castellate Yes Yes 24.0 × 16.0 4 MB Flash
12E trace
d

ESP- 20 2 mm 2×8 Yes PCB Yes 24.0 × 16.0 FCC and

12F castellate trace CE
d approved.
Improved
antenna
performanc
Activ
Nam Pitc Form LED Anten Shielde dimensio
e Notes
e h factor s na d? ns (mm)
pins

e. 4 MB
Flash

Marked as
″FCC″.
Shielded
module is
2×9 placed
ESP- 1.5 m PCB W18.0 x
16 castellate No Yes sideways,
13 m trace L20.0
d as
compared
to the ESP-
12
modules.

2×8
ESP- PCB
22 2 mm castellate No Yes 24.3 x 16.2
14 trace
d +6

Other boards[edit]
The popularity of many of these "other boards" over the earlier ESP-xx modules is the inclusion of
an on-board USB-to-UART bridge (like the Silicon Labs' CP2102 or the WCH CH340G) and a Micro-
USB connector coupled with a 3.3 Volt regulator to provide both power to the board and connectivity
to the host (software development) computer commonly referred to as the console. With earlier ESP-
xx modules, these two items (the USB-to-Serial adaptor and a 3.3 Volt regulator) had to be
purchased separately and be wired into the ESP-xx circuit. Modern ESP8266 boards like the
NodeMCU boards are a lot less painful and offer more GPIO pins to play with. Most of these "other
boards" are based on the ESP-12E module, but new modules are being introduced seemingly every
few months.

Acti
Form dimens
ve Pit LE Antenn Shield
Name facto ions Notes
pin ch Ds a ed?
r (mm)
s

Bolt IoT 14 0.1" 2×14 Yes PCB Yes 30 × 40 Comes

DIL trace with an
on Board
SD card
Acti
Form dimens
ve Pit LE Antenn Shield
Name facto ions Notes
pin ch Ds a ed?
r (mm)
s

and
technolo
gies like
Lib-
Discover
y and
Fail Safe
Mode.
Has its
own
cloud for
IoT.

Only
RX/TX
are
Olimex MOD- UEXT PCB connecte
2 0.1" Yes No ?
WIFI-ESP8266[15] module trace d to
UEXT
connecto
r

All
available
GPIO
pins are
connecte
d, also
has pads
2×11
Olimex MOD- for
DIL + PCB
WIFI-ESP8266- 20 0.1" Yes No ? soldering
castella trace
DEV[16] UEXT
ted
connecto
r (with
RX/TX
and
SDA/SC
L
signals)

NodeMCU DEVKI 14 0.1" 2×15 Yes PCB Yes ? Uses the

Acti
Form dimens
ve Pit LE Antenn Shield
Name facto ions Notes
pin ch Ds a ed?
r (mm)
s

ESP-12
module,
includes
T DIL trace
USB
serial
interface

Adafruit Huzzah Uses the

2×10 PCB
ESP8266 14 0.1" Yes Yes 25 × 38 ESP-12
DIL trace
breakout[17] module

FTDI
serial
header,
Micro-
PCB USB
SparkFun ESP826
2×10 trace socket
6 Thing[18] WRL- 12 0.1" Yes No 58 × 26
DIL + U.FL so for
13231
cket power,
includes
Li-ion
battery
charger

KNEWRON 12 0.1" 2×20 Yes 1 PCB Yes 25.4 × CP2102

Technologies sma DIL RGB trace 50.8 USB
rtWIFI[19] bridge,
includes
battery
charger,
micro-
USB
socket
for
power
and
battery
charging,
1 RGB
LED and
USER /
Acti
Form dimens
ve Pit LE Antenn Shield
Name facto ions Notes
pin ch Ds a ed?
r (mm)
s

Reflash
button

Uses the
ESP-12F
Arduino PCB 53.4 × module,
WeMos D1[20] 12 0.1" Yes Yes
Uno trace 68.6 Micro-
USB
socket

Uses the
ESP-12F
Arduino PCB 53.4 × module,
WeMos D1 R2[21] 12 0.1" Yes Yes
Uno trace 68.6 Micro-
USB
socket

Uses the
ESP-12F
PCB 25.6 × module,
WeMos D1 Mini[22] 12 0.1" 2×8 DIL Yes Yes
trace 34.2 Micro-
USB
socket

Uses the
ESP-
8266EX
module,
Micro-
USB
Ceramic
WeMos D1 Pro 25.6 × socket,
12 0.1" 2×8 DIL Yes and U.FL Yes
Mini[23] 34.2 U.FL
socket
antenna
connecto
r,
128Mbit
flash
(16MB)
Acti
Form dimens
ve Pit LE Antenn Shield
Name facto ions Notes
pin ch Ds a ed?
r (mm)
s

Uses the
WROOM
-02
module.
ESPertESPresso PCB 26.5 × Produce
16 0.1" 2×8 DIL Yes Yes
Lite[24] trace 57.6 d in
limited
quantity
as beta
version.

Improve
d design
and
ESPertESPresso 2×10 PCB
24 0.1" Yes Yes 28 × 61 feature
Lite V2.0[25] DIL trace
to
ESPress
o Lite.

Uses the
In-Circuit ESP- U.FL sock 22.9 ×
18 0.1" 2×9 DIL No No ESP826
ADC[26] et 14.9
6EX

Uses the
Espressif
Watterott ESP-
2×10 PCB 40.64 × ESP-
WROOM02- 14 0.1" Yes Yes
DIL trace 27.94 WROOM
Breakout[27]
-02
module.