SuperB XBee Compatible Module Features ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth SoC (Crowdfunding)

Digi XBee is an ecosystem of standardized wireless module found in various development boards, and Espressif Systems ESP32 is by far the most popular WiFi and Bluetooth solution in the maker market. Somebody designed ESP32Bee combining ESP32 with  XBee form factor a couple of years ago, but it was never commercialized, and I’m not aware of alternatives, except for SuperB module based on ESP32-WROOM-32 module that has just launched on Crowd Supply.

SuperB modules specifications:

• Wireless Module – ESP32-WROOM-32 with
  • ESP32 dual core WiSoC clocked at up to 240 MHz
  • 4MB flash (potentially upgraded to 16MB)
  • Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth Classic + LE
• Expansion – 3.3 V levels, UART, SPI and GPIOs broken out to headers
• Misc – 1x user LED
• Power Consumption – Sleep current is less than 5 μA
• Dimensions – XBee form-factor compatible
• Certifications – Fully certified with integrated antenna and software stacks

The module will be open source hardware, programmable with various tools, including the Arduino IDE, and support OTA (Over-the-Air) firmware upgrades.

The module is made by Macchina, the company behind M2 OBD-II development platform, as several users requested an ESP32 XBee module for their OBD-II projects.

SuperB should work on any XBee compatible board, and if you are interested you can pledge $23 for one module, $38 for two modules, or $182 for 10 modules. Pricing is not exactly aggressive, but at least shipping is free to the US, but that’s not the case for the rest of the world as you’d need to add an extra $15 to $20 for shipping depending on the selected reward. Delivery is scheduled for April 2019.

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