Hardware Selection
About 2 min
Hardware Selection
This page summarizes commonly used ESP32 development boards, sensor modules and development accessories for FastBee-Arduino device-side projects.
ESP32 Development Boards
| Chip | Recommended Board | Edition Tier | Highlights | Approx. Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-C3 | ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1 | Lite | RISC-V single core, 4MB Flash, low cost | $2-3 |
| ESP32-C6 | ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 | Lite | RISC-V single core, WiFi 6, future-proof | $3-4 |
| ESP32 | ESP32-DevKitC V4 | Standard | Xtensa dual core, most mature ecosystem | $3-4 |
| ESP32-S3 | ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 (N8R8) | Standard/Full | Xtensa dual core, USB OTG, high performance | $4-6 |
| ESP32-S3 | ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 (N16R8) | Full | 16MB Flash + 8MB PSRAM, preferred Full board | $5-8 |
Full feature and resource comparison is in the Edition Comparison.
Selection guide:
- Learning and prototyping: ESP32-S3 (N16R8) has the most resources, runs all features.
- Low-cost batch: ESP32-C3 retains core IoT capabilities, ideal for sensor nodes.
- Future-proof: ESP32-C6 supports WiFi 6 and BLE 5.3.
- ESP8266 not supported: Only ~40KB usable heap, cannot parse large config files.
Common Sensor Modules
| Module | Interface | Function | Edition Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHT11/DHT22 | GPIO | Temperature/humidity | All editions |
| DS18B20 | OneWire | Temperature | All editions |
| SHT31 | I2C | Temp/humidity (precision) | Standard/Full |
| AHT20 | I2C | Temperature/humidity | Standard/Full |
| BH1750 | I2C | Light intensity | Standard/Full |
| BMP280 | I2C | Pressure/temp/altitude | Standard/Full |
| MPU6050 | I2C | Accelerometer/gyroscope | Standard/Full |
| HC-SR04 | GPIO | Ultrasonic distance | All editions |
| ACS712 | ADC | Current sensing | All editions |
| MFRC522 | SPI | RFID reader | Standard/Full |
| WS2812B | GPIO (RMT) | RGB LED strip | All editions |
| OLED SSD1306 | I2C | 0.96" display | All editions |
| TM1637 | GPIO | 4-digit display | All editions |
Complete sensor and module support list is in Supported Sensors and Modules.
Display and Control Modules
| Module | Interface | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Relay module | GPIO output | Control high-power devices (check effective level) |
| LED/buzzer | GPIO output | Status indication and alarm |
| Button/PIR sensor | GPIO input | Trigger events |
| Photoresistor/soil moisture | ADC | Analog sensing |
| RS485 to TTL module | UART | Modbus RTU communication (Standard/Full) |
| W5500 Ethernet module | SPI | Wired network (Full) |
| EC801E 4G module | UART | Cellular network (Full) |
Development Accessories
| Accessory | Notes |
|---|---|
| USB cable | Type-C or Micro-USB, depending on board |
| Jumper wires (M-F/F-F) | Connect sensors and boards |
| Breadboard | Prototyping, 830-hole full-size recommended |
| Resistor kit | Common: 4.7K (I2C pull-up), 10K (divider), 220R (LED) |
| 3.3V regulator module | Some sensors need independent power |
Important Notes
- ESP32-C3/C6 do not support external PSRAM — all memory management runs in on-chip SRAM.
- GPIO6-GPIO11 are typically connected to Flash — do not use as peripheral pins.
- GPIO34-GPIO39 are input-only — suitable for ADC/digital input, not relay output.
- I2C devices sharing SDA/SCL must have unique addresses; 4.7K pull-up resistors recommended.
- ESP32-S3 has disabled the IR remote library (RMT driver conflict) — use ESP32 or ESP32-C3 for IR.
- Detailed pin assignment rules and hardware constraints are in the Peripheral Guide.