The ESP32-S3 AIoT Basic is a low-cost, learning, and prototyping kit for the ESP32-S3. The board integrates common AIoT peripherals directly onto a single PCB, making the design part easy for beginners, classrooms, and rapid prototyping.
Built around an ESP32-S3 board, the development platform integrates nine commonly used modules directly on the PCB, including a button, buzzer, LED indicator, light sensor, LCD, digital microphone, SD card slot, audio amplifier, and a camera. Most AI and IoT demos can be run without breadboards or jumper wires, while expansion is supported through standard pin headers and Grove connectors. The board supports 5V power via USB-C, and 6–12 V power input via Vin for driving additional devices. With various tutorials and sample projects, it is suitable for AIoT learning, STEM education, voice and vision demos, sensor-based projects, and quick proof-of-concept development.
ESP32-S3 AIoT Basic Specifications:
- Main board – ESP32-S3 Core Board
- SoC – ESP32-S3
- CPU – dual-core LX7 microprocessor @ up to 240 MHz with Vector extension for machine learning
- Memory – 8MB PSRAM
- Connectivity – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5 with LE/Mesh
- Storage – 16MB SPI flash
- PCB antenna
- SoC – ESP32-S3
- Storage – MicroSD card module
- Display – 1.3-inch 240×240 IPS LCD
- Camera – Onboard camera for AI vision
- Audio
- Digital microphone module for voice input
- Audio amplifier + speaker module
- Buzzer module
- Sensor – Light sensor module
- Expansion
- 6x 18-pin GPIO header for UART, I2C, SPI, PWM, 3.3V, and GND
- Grove expansion connector for plug-and-play modules
- Misc
- Tactile Switch module
- LED module
- Toggle switch for power
- Power
- 5V from USB-C port
- External Vin, 5V, and GND pads
- Dimensions – 145 × 135 mm
- Mounting hole – 3 mm
The ESP32-S3 AIoT Basic kit works with the Arduino IDE, the ESP-IDF framework, and the Aily Blockly visual programming software for Windows or macOS, so you can choose between simple drag-and-drop coding or regular C/C++ programming. It comes with easy-to-follow tutorials and example projects for LEDs, sensors, audio, display, SD card, camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and basic AI/IoT uses, and most examples run with little to no wiring since the main modules are already connected on the board. Installation guide, pinout, and example code are available on Arduino’s Chinese community.
I found out about this ESP32-S3-based learning and prototyping kit while browsing Tindie for new products, then Jean-Luc (CNXSoft) pointed me to the ESP32-S3 AIoT All-in-One kit released a few months ago.
A larger ESP32-S3 development kit with 27 onboard modules, including sensors, LEDs, motor drivers, audio components, displays, and an optional camera, all integrated on a single board to reduce wiring and the need for extra hardware. Since the core development platform remains the same, it can be programmed using the Arduino IDE, ESP-IDF, and Aily Blockly as mentioned in the documentation on Arduino.me (in Chinese only). There used to be a website in English (esp32.innoelement.org), but it’s now down, and only partially available on the Internet Archive.
Back in 2021, we wrote about the Arduino Sensor Kit Base for the Arduino UNO with a similar design comprised of a shield and detachable Grove modules. Otherwise, there are plenty of other learning platforms, among them Elecrow’s ESP32-P4 All-in-One Starter Kit, the Genesis IoT Discovery kit, and Sitara AM335x processor-based Tibbo Project.
The ESP32-S3 AIoT Basic is available on Tindie for $29, while the ESP32-S3 AIoT All-in-One-board goes for $44. The boards ship from Chinese logistics services such as Yanwen, with a typical delivery time of 1–2 weeks.
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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