Course
A complete course to get started with the ESP32: what it is, every variant, which framework and IDE to use, up to your first working program.
This series is the gateway to the ESP32. It is designed to be read in order, but each article also works on its own.
We start by understanding what it is and which variant fits you, continue with the frameworks (Arduino, ESP-IDF, MicroPython, Rust) and editors, and finish by writing your first program on real hardware.
All the code is tested on real boards, with measurements and pinouts — no copy-pasting from other tutorials.
21 articles
What the ESP32 is, how the classic, S2, S3, C3, C6, H2 and P4 differ, pinouts for the most common boards, and where to buy them in Mexico and online.
The chip, the WROOM and WROVER modules, the 38-pin pinout, the ADC that lies, the DAC, touch, the pins you must not touch, and when to pick it today.
Everything about the ESP32-S2: the chip, USB OTG, its 43 GPIOs, the two DACs, touch, pinout, why it has no Bluetooth and when it is worth it.
Everything about the ESP32-S3: two LX7 cores, BLE 5, USB OTG, vector instructions for AI, quad vs octal PSRAM, camera, pinout and when it is worth it.
Everything about the ESP32-C3: RISC-V, BLE 5, USB Serial/JTAG, its 22 GPIOs, the ADC, pinout, where it falls short and why it is the best starter buy.
Everything about the ESP32-C6: dual RISC-V core, Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5, 802.15.4 radio (Thread/Zigbee/Matter), USB Serial/JTAG, pinout and when it is the right choice.
Everything about the ESP32-H2: low-power RISC-V, 320 KB SRAM, 19 GPIOs with ADC, BLE 5 and 802.15.4, no Wi-Fi, and why that is an advantage in smart homes.
Everything about the ESP32-P4: two RISC-V cores at 400 MHz, 768 KB SRAM, 55 GPIOs, MIPI-CSI/DSI, USB 2.0 HS and Ethernet. No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth: pair it with a C6.
Real differences between the ESP8266 and the ESP32, what each costs, where the 8266 still makes sense, and why today the ESP32-C3 beats it almost every time.
An honest comparison of ESP32 frameworks: Arduino, ESP-IDF, MicroPython, Rust and Lua. Which one to pick based on your experience, your project and your time.
How the Arduino core for ESP32 really works: installation, setup and loop on FreeRTOS, millis vs delay, compatible libraries and the differences from classic Arduino.
A practical guide to ESP-IDF: project layout, idf.py, menuconfig, FreeRTOS tasks, logs, OTA partitions and when it is worth it over Arduino.
How to flash and use MicroPython on the ESP32, what you can and cannot do, the REPL, mpremote, and why Lua (NodeMCU) is no longer worth it.
How to program the ESP32 in Rust: the two paths (esp-idf-hal with std and esp-hal no_std), the espup toolchain, examples and when it is worth it.
A comparison of environments for programming the ESP32: Arduino IDE 2.x, VS Code with PlatformIO, VS Code with ESP-IDF, Thonny and CLion. Which one to pick per framework.
How to install and configure Arduino IDE 2.x for the ESP32: board URLs, board selection, CH340/CP2102 drivers, uploading and the serial monitor.
How to get VS Code + PlatformIO ready for the ESP32: installation, platformio.ini, upload and monitor, per-project libraries and debugging.
How to set up VS Code with the official ESP-IDF extension: install, create a project, menuconfig, build, flash, monitor and debug over JTAG.
Set up your toolchain, understand the pinout and write your first ESP32 program by blinking an LED. With Arduino and with ESP-IDF.
How to wire a button to the ESP32 without headaches: internal pull-up, why it bounces, software and hardware debounce, and interrupts done right.
How to actually debug on the ESP32: a properly configured serial monitor, leveled logs, brownout, watchdog, panic backtraces and when to use JTAG.