Waveshare has recently released the ESP32-S3-Tiny mini development board powered by ESP32-S3 wireless MCU and measuring just 23.50 x 18 mm. Due to its compact form factor, it does not include a USB-to-UART converter or a USB port. That is why, you will need an additional adapter board with an FPC cable to program it, which costs only $1. Despite its small size, the board is feature-rich. It includes 34 multi-function GPIO pins, along with Wi-Fi, BLE, SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, PWM, and more.
The design of the board is very similar to the Raspberry Pi RP2040-powered Waveshare RP2040-Tiny board that we covered last year. However, what sets this board apart is its 34 I/O pins, compared to the 23 found on the RP2040-Tiny board, and wireless connectivity. We’ve also written about several other boards with compact form factors, such as the Unexpected Maker NANOS3 board (28 x 11 mm), the M5Stamp S3 (26 x 18 mm), and the Microflex ESP32-S3 (26.43 x 20.61 mm). If you’re interested in similar products, feel free to explore those options as well.
ESP32-S3-Tiny Specifications
- MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FH4R2
- CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration
- Memory – 512KB RAM, 2MB PSRAM
- Storage – 4MB QSPI flash
- Connectivity – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE with support for long-range, up to 2Mbps data rate, mesh network
- Connectivity and Interfaces
- 34 multi-function GPIO pins via 20x through and castellated holes and 14 pads (See pinout diagram below for details)
- Peripheral interfaces include SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, PWM
- 8-pin FPC connector for adapting to USB Type-C port via optional adapter board
- Antenna – 3D PCB Antenna
- Power Management – ME6217C33M5G low dropout LDO capable of delivering 800mA (Max)
- Additional Features
- WS2812 RGB LED
- Power indicator, RESET button, and BOOT button
- Physical Features
- Dimensions – 23.5 x 18 mm
- Castellated holes and immersion gold design for easy embedding
On Waveshare’s website, you can purchase either the ESP32-S3-Tiny or the ESP32-S3-Tiny-Kit with the USB-C board. If you are building a product around it, you can order one kit initially and then order the MCU board itself for the rest.
The board is cleverly designed to add more I/O within its compact form factor. Waveshare has added solderable pads just beside the pins of the dev board, increasing the I/O pin count to 34.
The board is compact, and the inclusion of the ESP32-S3 makes it an ideal choice for IIoT applications. For those looking to get started with the board, the company provides detailed onboard parts lists to help you get started.
The board is tiny, measuring just 23.5 z 18mm with a thickness of 2.45mm, and it features a pin pitch of 2.54mm around three sides of the board. Regarding software support, the board can be programmed with ESP-IDF, Arduino IDE, and MicroPython, which are available from their respective websites. Additional documentation, such as the pinout diagram, installation guide, and links for all the resources can be found on their wiki page.
You can purchase Waveshare’s ESP32-S3-Tiny board and ESP32-S3 Tiny-Kit on Amazon for $11.49 and $12.49 respectively (shipping included). However, you can buy them at a slightly cheaper price on Aliexpress or directly from the Waveshare store with pricing starting at $4.99.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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Not directly related, but I’ve just noticed there’s a 99-cent “welcome deal” on Aliexpress for a tiny ESP32-C3 board. I’m pretty sure the offer will not work for everyone as usual…
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDYVZpV
I did not notice the previous post, but I really like the detachable programming board. That’s the same principle as I approached years ago here: https://wtarreau.blogspot.com/2017/08/what-esp8266-modules-should-look-like.html but in a much cleaner and effective form factor, of course 🙂 I’ve always been annoyed with useless ports/buttons that take place (and sometimes even power) and at the same time found it complicated to reconnect to a board once installed in the final device. Here it addresses all aspects at once. This even makes me think about replacing some of my boards now 🙂
I’m kinda lost. The title says “$4.99” and the article mentions $11.49.. ?
And the aliexpress link is even more, but that’s probably due to taxes/shipping.
I’ve done a bit too much editing. Aliexpress is cheaper for people who don’t live in Europe. The $4.99 price tag is on the Waveshare website (before shipping and taxes).
I don’t understand the advantage of this form factor. The Espressif WROOM module is 18×25.5 already and doesn’t put any main pins on the back of the board. Maybe Waveshare’s antenna is better than Espressif’s PCB?