M5Stack Stamp-S3A, also known as M5StampS3A, is an update to the M5Stamp S3 ESP32-S3 module introduced in 2023 with an optimized antenna design, lower power consumption, a larger user button, and a different logic for the RGB LED control.
Other features remain the same with 8MB Flash, RGB LED, input button, and 23 GPIOs all in a tiny 26 x 18mm form factor. Two versions are available: the Stamp-S3A without pre-soldered headers and the Stamp-S3A PIN1.27 with headers soldered on the board and an orange heat-resistant cover.
M5Stamp-S3A specifications:
- WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN8
- CPU
- Dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz
- RISC-V ULP co-processor
- Memory – 512KB SRAM
- Storage – 8MB flash
- Wireless – 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh
- CPU
- Connectivity
- 2.4 GHz WiFi 4, 20 MHz and 40 MHz bandwidth, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n protocol, up to 150 Mbps
- Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth Mesh, with support for 125 Kbps, 500 Kbps, 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps bitrate, long-range support
- 2.4GHz 3D antenna
- USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
- Expansion
- 2.54mm and 1.27mm pitch headers and castellated holes with
- Up to 23x GPIOs
- SD/SDIO/MMC
- Touch sensor
- SPI master/slave
- EMAC
- Motor PWM, LED PWM
- UART, I2C, I2S, pulse counter
- Optional 8-pin or 12-pin FPC connector with GPIO, LCD interface
- 2.54mm and 1.27mm pitch headers and castellated holes with
- Misc – 1x user button, 1x user RGB LED (WS2812B-2020)
- Power Supply
- Input – 5V @ 500mA via USB-C port
- MUN3CAD01-SC 5V to 3.3V DC/DC converter
- Dimensions – 26 x 18 x 4.7 mm or
- Weight – About 3 grams
- Temperature Range – 0 to 40°C
If we just look at the specifications, we won’t see any changes compared to the original M5Stamp S3 module. So we need to look into smaller details to spot the differences. First, the button is now larger with an “improved tactile feel” at 4.0 × 3.0 × 2.0 mm instead of 2.6 × 1.6 × 0.55 mm. Power consumption has improved quite a lot in sleep mode, both from the USB-C port (5V @ 88.82uA vs 400.67uA) and the Vin pin (5V @ 6.84uA vs 310.89uA). Standby mode at 5V is now 25.54mA via USB-C and 25.53mA via Vin, against about 33mA for the older model
The behavior of the RGB LED power has also changed. It used to be powered up as soon as power was applied to the board, but it’s now multiplexed with the reserved screen FPC bus backlight. The 3D antenna design has changed as shown in the photo below. The new design is said to enable better signal reception, but I’m not knowledgeable enough to explain why that may be the case. Feel free to chime in if you can explain what’s going on here…
Software support has not changed, and the ESP-IDF framework, PlatformIO, the Arduino IDE, and the web-based UIFlow visual programming platform are supported. You’ll find the full details, including the schematics and instructions to get started with the Arduino IDE or UIFlow2, on the documentation website.
M5Stack sells the new Stamp-S3A modules on its online store for $7.50, and they should eventually surface on the company’s AliExpress and Amazon stores.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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