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May 16, 2026May 16, 2026 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Anthropic’s open-source Claude Desktop Buddy turns ESP32-S3 devices into interactive AI desk companions

Anthropic has opened its Claude Hardware Interface (Bluetooth API) to developers, enabling an ESP32-S3-based desk companion to connect directly to the Claude desktop app over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). To demonstrate this new feature, the company released an open-source reference project called Claude Desktop Buddy. It currently runs on the M5StickC Plus (an ESP32-based board from M5Stack, about $30 on AliExpress and Amazon) and works as a small interactive hardware companion for Claude. Also, during the recent “Build with Claude” event, the company recommended the ESP32-S3-based M5Stack Cardputer as one of the best hardware options for developers who want to build physical devices that interact with AI agents. Designed as a physical companion device for Claude Cowork and Claude Code on macOS and Windows, it stays on your desk and provides real-time updates on the AI agent’s activity. It also lets you respond to permission requests directly using its buttons, so […]

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

M5Stack PaperColor ESP32-S3 devkit features 4-inch E Ink Spectra 6 color display

M5Stack PaperColor, or M5Paper Color, is an ESP32-S3 development kit with a 4-inch E Ink Spectra 6 full-color display with a resolution of 600×400, designed to offer both low power consumption and high visibility under strong lights. While the color ePaper display is the start of the show, the devkit also features a microSD card slot for storage, a microphone with echo cancellation, a 1W speaker, a temperature & humidity sensor, a few buttons, two RGB LEDs, an IR transmitter, and a Grove connector for expansion. With regards to power, a 1250 mAh battery is included, rechargeable through the device’s USB Type-C port. M5Paper Color ESP32-S3 Dev Kit specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 8MB PSRAM Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh connectivity Storage 16MB SPI flash […]

April 30, 2026May 1, 2026 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

M5Stack Cardputer goes off-grid with new Mesh Kit featuring LoRa, GNSS, and Meshtastic support

M5Stack has just launched the Cardputer Mesh Kit, a portable, card-sized Meshtastic communication terminal built around the ESP32-S3-powered Cardputer-Adv controller and a new LoRa expansion module (CapLoRa-1262). The kit is essentially a modular upgrade to the original Cardputer, where the base unit handles the UI via a 56-key keyboard and a 1.14-inch LCD. The added “Cap” module adds a Semtech SX1262 transceiver and an AT6668 GNSS module, allowing for off-grid text messaging and GPS location tracking without relying on cellular networks. Cardputer Mesh Kit specifications: Core Controller (Cardputer-Adv): Wireless MCU module – M5Stack M5Stamp S3A with SoC – 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 BLE + Mesh 2.4GHz 3D antenna USB – 1x USB Type-C port Expansion connectors for I/Os such as SPI, I2C, […]

April 23, 2026April 23, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Espressif Systems ESP-Claw framework builds local AI agents for ESP32 devices

We had already seen OpenClaw-like AI agents for ESP32 targets such as Mimiclaw and PycoClaw, but Espressif Systems has released its own ESP-Claw framework for building local AI agents capable of LLM-driven interaction and execution on ESP32 devices. ESP-Claw enables ESP32 boards to respond to events, work with LLM-driven decisions, retain useful context, and take actions locally without connection to the cloud, unless required. The agent can control sensors and device state, and perform real-world actions such as controlling an RGB LED strip. Some highlights of ESP-Claw include: Chat coding – Define device behavior through natural conversation. The LLM handles dynamic decisions, and local Lua scripts execute deterministically, even when offline. Quick response time – Devices react to real-time events instead of polling. A local event bus drives Lua rules for sensors and triggers, enabling millisecond-latency response on or offline. Plug and Play with MCP – ESP-Claw acts as both […]

April 13, 2026April 14, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Trail Mate open-source firmware leverages Meshtastic and MeshCore for ESP32 off-grid handhelds

vicliu624’s Trail Mate is an open-source firmware for off-grid communication and GPS coordinates sharing, leveraging the Meshtastic, MeshCore, and other projects, and designed for ESP32 handhelds such as LILYGO’s T-LoRa Pager or M5Stack’s Tab5 with a LoRaWAN module. The Trail Mate firmware provides a fixed north-up GPS map, direct LoRa text messaging through Meshtastic or MeshCore mesh networks without relying on a smartphone, and prioritizes stability, efficiency, and interoperability over feature density. Trail Mate user interface highlights: Simple main menu with four icons: GPS, LoRa chat, tracker, and system utilities. GPS map Fixed North-Up map orientation (no rotation) Fully offline map rendering from SD card tiles (png/jpg files) Three switchable base layers: OSM / Terrain / Satellite Optional contour overlay for terrain shape awareness Real-time position marker for the current GPS fix Discrete zoom levels optimized for embedded systems Simple breadcrumb trails for path awareness Fast in-page layer switching via […]

March 29, 2026March 28, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

M5Stack Stamp-P4 – A tiny ESP32-P4 USB-C board with optional Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4

Stamp P4 (Left) Stamp AddOn C6 For P4 (Right)

M5Stack has just introduced the Stamp-P4, a tiny USB-C development board built around the ESP32-P4 high-performance RISC-V MCU chip, featuring 16MB of Flash and 32MB of PSRAM, and optional Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 support through the ESP32-C6-MINI-1-based Stamp-AddOn C6 module. Despite its small size (29.8 x 22.0 x 4.3mm), the Stamp-P4 offers a wide range of interfaces, including a MIPI-CSI camera connector, as well as a MIPI DSI display interface, RMII Ethernet, USB 2.0 HS, and up to 44x GPIOs via 1.27mm/2.00mm pitch castellated holes and a few through holes. M5Stack Stamp-P4 specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-P4NRW32 CPU Dual-core RISC-V microcontroller @ 360 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU Single-RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core @ up to 40 MHz GPU – 2D Pixel Processing Accelerator (PPA) VPU – H.264 and JPEG codecs support Memory – 768 KB HP L2MEM, 32 KB LP SRAM, 8 KB TCM, 32MB […]

March 16, 2026March 15, 2026 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

M5Stamp C6LoRa tiny (18×15×2.3 mm) SMD module pairs ESP32-C6 with SX1262 LoRa chip

The M5Stamp C6LoRa is a compact LoRa SMD module that combines the ESP32-C6 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE, and 802.15.4 microcontroller with the SX1262 LoRa transceiver for both high-speed and long-distance communication. The module targets applications such as smart agriculture, remote meter reading, industrial monitoring, and outdoor long-range wireless control systems. The module measures 18 × 15 × 2.3 mm, making it suitable for space-constrained systems and compact embedded designs. M5Stack has also added an SGM13005L4 low-noise amplifier (LNA) to improve reception performance, along with a PI4IOE5V6408 I/O expander that manages the LoRa control signals without using too many of the ESP32-C6’s GPIO pins. M5Stamp C6LoRa specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory/Storage – 512KB SRAM, 320KB ROM Wireless – WiFi 6, BLE 5.3, 802.15.4 (See wireless section) Storage – 16 MB external NOR flash […]

March 6, 2026March 8, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Echo Pyramid enables smart voice interaction applications on M5Stack Atom ESP32 IoT controllers

Designed for M5Stack Atom, AtomS3, and AtomS3R series IoT controllers based on ESP32 or ESP32-S3 wireless SoC, the Echo Pyramid base enables smart voice interaction applications such as far-field voice recognition, voice assistants, voice control, and more. The device features a built-in speaker, a MEMS microphone, an ES8311 HD audio codec for playback and capture, and an STM32 MCU for touch areas and RGB LED management. It’s powered via a USB Type-C port and can be expanded through a 4-pin connector for I2C modules. Echo Pyramid specifications: Supported IoT controllers – M5Stack Atom, AtomS3, and AtomS3R Microcontroller – STMicro STM32G030F6P6 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0+ CPU @ 64 MHz with 8KB SRAM, 64 KB flash Audio HD Codec – ES8311, handles playback and recording Microphone – LMA3729T381-0Y3S MEMS microphone ADC – ES7210 for microphone input Built-in speaker on the bottom of the pyramid Amplifier – AW87559 Class-D speaker driver for the speaker […]