Two ESP32-S31 development boards are currently in the works, and the documentation is already available. The ESP32-S31 was unveiled last March, and it’s the most feature-rich ESP32 wireless microcontroller so far with two RISC-V cores, Gigabit Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 connectivity, LCD and camera interfaces, and more.
The ESP32-S31-Function-CoreBoard-1 development board is based on the ESP32-S31-WROOM-3 wireless module, and offers Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 OTG, and onboard audio peripherals for connected IoT applications.
The ESP32-S31-Korvo-1 is a multimedia-focused development board based on the same ESP32-S31-WROOM-3 module, but featuring a dual-microphone array for speech recognition and near/far-field wake-up, two speaker connectors, a 4.3-inch LCD, a 3MP camera module, and a microSD card slot. It targets low-cost, low-power, connected audio/video and HMI applications.
ESP32-S31-Function-CoreBoard-1 development board
Specifications:
- Wireless module – ESP32-S31-WROOM-3
- SoC – ESP32-S31NRV16
- CPU
- RISC-V HP (High-performance) RV32IMAFCP CPU @ 320 MHz with FPU, SIMD, etc.
- RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core
- Memory – 512 KB SRAM, 16MB PSRAM
- Wireless –
- 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
- Bluetooth 5.4 with support for LE Audio, direction finding, Bluetooth Mesh 1.1, and Classic (BR/EDR)
- 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee, Thread, and Matter
- CPU
- Storage – 8, 16, or 32MB flash (TBC)
- Antenna – PCB antenna
- Dimensions – 30 x 22 x 3.5mm
- SoC – ESP32-S31NRV16
- Audio
- On-board microphone
- Speaker output port for up to 4 Ω, 3 W speaker
- ES8311 low-power mono audio codec
- NS4150B 3W mono Class D audio power amplifier
- Networking – Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port via YT8531DC-CA PHY
- USB
- USB 2.0 Type-A high-speed port, up to 500mA
- USB 2.0 Type-C full-speed serial/JTAG port for debugging, flashing, and power
- USB Type-C to UART port for power, flashing, and communication with the ESP32-S31 chip via the on-board USB-to-UART bridge.
- Expansions – 40-pin J2 GPIO header
- Misc – 2-pin J5 header for current measurement
- Misc
- Reset and Boot buttons
- 3.3V power LED
- RGB LED (GPIO60)
- Power Supply
- 5V via USB-C port
- 5V to 3.3V DC/DC Converter
- TPS2051C USB power switch (up to 500 mA output current limit)
- Dimensions – 65 x 55 mm
The ESP32-S31-Function-CoreBoard-1 requires a good USB 2.0 USB-A to Type-C cable and a computer running Windows, Linux, or macOS for development. You’ll find details on the documentation website, where you can also request samples if you have a proper project for it. [Update May 25: It’s now available on AliExpress for $19.70]
ESP32-S31-Korvo-1 multimedia development board
Specifications:
- Wireless module – ESP32-S31-WROOM-3 as described above, except the flash capacity is listed (16MB flash)
- Storage
- MicroSD card slot (SDIO 3.0 capable)
- Quad SPI NAND flash footprint, multiplexed with microSD interface
- Display – LCD connector for ESP32-S3-LCD-EV-Board-SUB3 (4.3-inch, 800 x 480 resolution)
- Camera – Camera connector for 3MP OV3660 camera module
- Audio
- 2x speaker output ports, each with an NS4150B mono class-D amplifier to drive a 4Ω, 3W speaker.
- 2x analog microphones connected to ES8389 low-power stereo codec with dual ADC/DAC, low-noise preamp, headphone driver, digital effects, analog mixing, and gain control.
- USB
- USB 2.0 Type-A High-Speed OTG port, up to 500 mA output current
USB Type-C UART port for power, flashing the firmware, and communication with the ESP32-S31 via the onboard USB-to-UART bridge (up to 3 Mbps). - USB Type-C port for power only
- USB 2.0 Type-A High-Speed OTG port, up to 500 mA output current
- Misc
- Power switch
- Reset and Boot buttons
- Function Buttons: PLAY, SET, VOL-, and VOL+ for UI control and audio application testing
- Power LED
- RGB LED (GPIO8)
- Power Supply
- 5V via USB-C port
- Buck DC-DC converter for 3.3V system power.
- TPS2051C USB power switch with 500 mA current limit.
- 5V to 3.3V LDO
- 3.3V to 1.8V LDO for SPI NAND flash (not populated by default)
- 3.3V to 2.8V and 3.3V to 1.5V LDOs for external camera module.
- Dimensions – 106.5 x 89.20 mm
The ESP32-S31-Korvo-1 board requires one or two speakers, two USB 2.0 Type-A to Type-C cables, and a computer running Windows, Linux, or macOS for development. Both boards are supported by the ESP-IDF framework, but since the chip is so new, not every feature will be supported at this time, and you’ll need to use the master branch. You can find more details and/or request samples for the Korvo devkit on the documentation website. [Update May 25: it’s now available on AliExpress for $58.41]
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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