ESP32-S3 boards feature WAGO connectors for LED strips, buttons, other swappable modules

Rev Adrian Kennard (RevK) has designed several open-source hardware ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth IoT boards with WAGO connectors for interfacing LED strips, buttons, and other GPIO modules.

Initially developed for the gloves and the helmet of an Iron Man suit, the ESP32-S3 boards can be used for any relevant project that needs more flexibility than soldered modules and more reliability than GPIO headers or even screw terminals, which can be susceptible to vibrations. WAGO push-in connectors make the ESP32-S3 boards especially suitable for prototyping and wearables, where being able to quickly swap modules is beneficial.

The first board designed for gloves is called “Battery powered controller development board” with the following specifications:

• Core module – ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N4-R2
  • SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor with WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
  • Memory – 2MB PSRAM
  • Storage – 4MB QSPI flash
  • PCB antenna
• USB – 1x USB-C for power and programming
• Expansion
  • 3-pin WAGO connector for LED strip, or other modules (note 3.3V only, can connect GND and DI for 5V for other strips)
  • 2-pin WAGO connector for input button, or other modules
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C port
  • 2-pin LiPo battery connector + charging chip
• Dimensions – 41 x 24 mm

The second board is for the helmet/suit and comes with additional Wago connectors, hence the name “multi-port controller development board”.

Specifications:

• Core module – Same ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N4-R2 as above
• Storage – MicroSD card slot for WAV audio files (in the IronMan project)
• Audio
  • 2x TDK ICS 43434 MEMS microphones (not needed for the IronMan design)
  • 2x MAX98357A speaker drivers
• USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming
•  Expansion – All WAGO push-in connectors
  • 2x GPIO inputs for buttons
  • 4x LED strip controllers or other outputs such as servos, 5V (big capacitor) power from USB, 3.3V data line
  • 2x connectors for 4 Ohm speakers
• Misc – On board status LED (WS2812)
• Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port
• Dimensions – 61 x 42 mm

You’ll find the KiCad hardware design files for both boards and the C firmware using the ESP-IDF framework on CodeBerg. The glove and helmet appear to communicate over Bluetooth LE, notably for button events and to play audio stored on the microSD card. This project is to retrofit an existing Iron Man costume, so there aren’t 3D files to print out yourself. RevK’s blog has a few more details about the project itself. Since it focuses on the electronics and firmware, it’s not a fully reproducible DIY Iron Man suit, but I still found the use of WAGO connectors to be of interest.

There’s also a small 32mm ring with 88 WS2812 style RGB LEDs, arranged as rings of 4,12,16,24,32, and operating at 3.3V for the Glove board, and it’s also open-source hardware with KiCad files released publicly.

This is what the glove looks like with the electronics above.

RevK has recently added the boards on Lectroncz, where you’ll find the Glove board for $20.04, the Helmet board for $40.07, and the LED ring for $13.36. The products are also listed on Tindie, but all are currently out of stock due to the recent drama with the change of owners at Tindie, where the site was inaccessible for a couple of weeks, and payments were not going through to sellers. The website is back up, and the payment issue is getting fixed, but it takes time due to PayPal limits.

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