ESP32 Thing Plus (USB-C) Hookup Guide

Introduction

The SparkFun ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus (USB-C) enjoys all the features of our previous ESP32 Thing Plus (Micro-B) boards, but with a few improvements. For this variant, we have included a SD card slot, upgraded to a USB-C connector, integrated a RGB status LED and battery fuel gauge, and provided two voltage regulators; offering separate 700mA current sources for the board and Qwiic connector. The board still retains its standardized 28-pin Feather footprint, 2-pin JST battery connector, and Qwiic connector like our other Thing Plus boards.

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SparkFun Thing Plus - ESP32 WROOM (USB-C)

In stock WRL-20168

The USB-C variant of ESP32 Thing Plus is a development board with WiFi, SPP, BLE, Qwiic connector, 21 I/O pins, RGB status LE…

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The ESP32-WROOM module on the board provides a rich set of peripherals, ranging from capacitive touch sensors, SD card interface, Ethernet, high-speed SPI, UART, I²S, and I²C. With Espressif's ESP32 comprehensive development platform and Bluetooth low-energy support (i.e BLE, BT4.0, Bluetooth Smart) these boards are jam packed with possibilities!

Required Materials

To get started, users will need a few items. Now some users may have a few of these items, feel free to modify your cart accordingly.

• SparkFun Thing Plus - ESP32 WROOM (USB-C)
• USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot - The USB interface serves two purposes: it powers the board and allows users to upload programs. (*If your computer doesn't have a USB-A slot, then choose an appropriate cable or adapter.)
• Computer with the an operating system (OS) that is compatible with all the software installation requirements.

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SparkFun Thing Plus - ESP32 WROOM (USB-C)

In stock WRL-20168

The USB-C variant of ESP32 Thing Plus is a development board with WiFi, SPP, BLE, Qwiic connector, 21 I/O pins, RGB status LE…

$24.95

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USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

In stock CAB-14743

USB C is fantastic. But until we have converted all our hubs, chargers, and ports over to USB C this is the cable you're goin…

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Headers Batteries Jumper Modification

Li-Po Battery

For mobile applications, users will want to pick up a single-cell LiPo battery from our catalog. Below, are a few available options:

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Lithium Ion Battery - 400mAh

In stock PRT-13851

This is a very small, extremely lightweight battery based on Lithium Ion chemistry, with the highest energy density currently…

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Lithium Ion Battery - 2Ah

In stock PRT-13855

These are very slim, extremely light weight batteries based on Lithium Ion chemistry. Each cell outputs a nominal 3.7V at 200…

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Lithium Ion Battery - 110mAh

In stock PRT-13853

This is a very small, extremely light weight battery based on Lithium Ion chemistry. This is the highest energy density curre…

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Lithium Ion Battery - 1Ah

Retired PRT-13813

Slim, extremely light weight batteries based on Lithium Ion chemistry. Each cell outputs a nominal 3.7V at 1000 mAh!

8 Retired

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Jumper Modification

To modify the jumpers, users will need soldering equipment and/or a knife.

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Solder Lead Free - 100-gram Spool

In stock TOL-09325

This is your basic spool of lead free solder with a water soluble resin core. 0.031" gauge and 100 grams. This is a good spoo…

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Chip Quik No-Clean Flux Pen - 10mL

Out of stock TOL-14579

This 10mL no-clean flux pen from Chip Quik is great for all of your solder, de-solder, rework, and reflow purposes!

$7.95

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Hobby Knife

21 available TOL-09200

It's like an Xacto knife, only better. We use these extensively when working with PCBs. These small knives work well for cutt…

$3.50

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Weller WLC100 Soldering Station

Retired TOL-14228

The WLC100 from Weller is a versatile 5 watt to 40 watt soldering station that is perfect for hobbyists, DIYers and students.…

2 Retired

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New to jumper pads? Check out our Jumper Pads and PCB Traces Tutorial for a quick introduction!

How to Work with Jumper Pads and PCB Traces

April 2, 2018

Handling PCB jumper pads and traces is an essential skill. Learn how to cut a PCB trace, add a solder jumper between pads to reroute connections, and repair a trace with the green wire method if a trace is damaged.

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Headers & Accessories

Headers are great for development purposes, letting users swap parts with just a set of jumper wires. If you would like to add headers to your board, check out some of the options for the Thing Plus or Feather form factor boards below. For a full selection of our available Headers or Soldering Tools, click on the associated links.

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Break Away Headers - Straight

In stock PRT-00116

A row of headers - break to fit. 40 pins that can be cut to any size. Used with custom PCBs or general custom headers.

$1.75

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Feather Stackable Header Kit

Only 11 left! PRT-15187

These stackable headers are made to work with the [SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14689) to con…

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Header - 8-pin Female (PTH, 0.1")

In stock PRT-11895

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Female Header - 12-Pin

In stock PRT-14321

These standard female headers add a great deal of connectivity to your next project where you need 12-pins in a line. Each or…

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SparkFun Beginner Tool Kit

Retired TOL-14681

This assortment of tools is great for those of you who need a solid set of tools to start your workbench on the right foot!

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New to soldering? Check out our Through-Hole Soldering Tutorial for a quick introduction!

How to Solder: Through-Hole Soldering

September 19, 2013

This tutorial covers everything you need to know about through-hole soldering.

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Suggested Reading

As a more professionally oriented product, we will skip over the more fundamental tutorials (i.e. Ohm's Law and What is Electricity?). However, below are a few tutorials that may help users familiarize themselves with various aspects of the board.

One of the new, advanced features of the board is that it takes advantage of the Qwiic connect system. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Logic Levels and I²C tutorials. Click on the banner above to learn more about Qwiic products.

Hardware Overview

Note: All mentions of GPIO in this section will refer to the I/O pins of the ESP32-WROOM module as represented in the datasheets and pin numbers of the board definition in the ESP32 Arduino core. They do not correspond with the net names for the ThingPlus Form Factor device in the schematic. (The device in the schematic is primarily, used internally to facilitate the board design process; just ignore the naming of the GPIO0 - GPIO6 nets.)

(Click to enlarge)

Board Dimensions

The board dimensions are illustrated in the drawing below. The listed measurements are in inches and the two mounting holes are compatible with 4-40 standoff screws.

USB-C Connector

The USB connector is provided to power and program the board. For most users, it will be the primary programing interface for the ESP32.

CH340 Serial-to-UART

The CH340 allows the ESP32-WROOM to communicate with a computer/host device through the board's USB-C connection. This allows the board to show up as a device on the serial (or COM) port of the computer. Users will need to install the latest drivers for the computer to recognize the board (see Software Overview section).

Power

The ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus only requires 3.3V to power the board. However, the simplest method to power the board is through the USB-C connector. Alternatively, the 3V3, VBAT, and VUSB pins can also be used to supply power to the board.

• VUSB:
  • The maximum voltage for the LDOs and charge controller is 6V.
  • The minimum voltage for the charge controller is 3.75V.
• VBAT:
  • Should not be connected to anything other than a single-cell LiPo battery.
• 3V3:
  • Requires a regulated 3.3V.
  • Only powers the board and not the Qwiic connector.

Below, is a general summary of the power circuitry on the board:

• 3V3 - Provides a regulated 3.3V from the USB (5V) power and/or battery connections.
  • Used to power the ESP32-WROOM module, µSD card slot, WS2812 RGB LED, CH340C Serial-to-UART bridge, and power LED.
    • The Qwiic connector is powered by its own voltage regulator, from the same power source(s).
  • The 3.3V XC6222 LDO regulator can source up to 700mA.
    • Output is controlled by the EN pin on the board.
• VUSB - The voltage from the USB-C connector, usually 5V.
  • Power source for the entire board.
    • Powers the 3.3V voltage regulators and the battery charging circuit for VBAT.
  • Overides power from the battery through a P-channel MOSFET, when both are connected.
  • Utilizes a BAT20J protection diode for the USB-C connection.
• VBAT - The voltage from the JST battery connector; meant for single cell LiPo batteries.
  • Provides power to the 3.3V voltage regulators and MAX17048 battery fuel gauge.
  • The MCP73831 linear charge management controller is powered from the USB (5V) power supply.
    • The charge controller is configured for 500mA (max) rate of charge to a connected battery.
• GND - The common ground or the 0V reference for the voltage supplies.
• Qwiic Connector - Provides a regulated 3.3V voltage from the USB (5V) power and/or battery connections.
  • Operates independently from the 3V3 pin, with its own voltage regulator.
  • The 3.3V XC6222 LDO regulator can source up to 700mA.
    • Output is controlled by GPIO 0 of the ESP32-WROOM.

For more details, users can reference the schematic and the datasheets of the individual components in the power circuitry.

Power Status LED

The red, PWR LED will light up once 3.3V is supplied to the board; however, for most users, it will light up when 5V is supplied through the USB connection or when a LiPo battery is connected to the JST connector.

Charging Circuit

The charging circuit utilizes the MCP73831 linear charge management controller and is powered directly from the USB-C connector or VUSB. The controller is configured for a 500mA charge rate and active charging is indicated by the yellow, CHG LED. If the charge controller is shutdown or charging is complete, the CHG LED will turn off. For more information, please refer to the MCP73831 datasheet and the Indicator LEDs section below.

Power Control

The power source for the XC6222 LDO voltage regulators is controlled by a P-channel MOSFET. In addition, the 3.3V regulated output from the XC6222 LDOs are enabled by the control pin (CE).

The P-channel MOSFET operates based on the voltages at the MOSFET's gate and source pins. Depending on the power supplies connected to the board, the MOSFET will switch between the battery and USB-C connection as power sources for the XC6222 voltage regulators.

The control pin (CE) of the XC6222 LDOs also provides an additional amount of control for the board's power. By default, the regulated 3.3V output is enabled. To disable and shutdown the output voltage from the XC6222, the control pin needs to be pulled low (i.e. shorted to ground (GND)). For more information, please refer to the XC6222 datasheet.

• The 3.3V power for the board (3V3) is controlled by the EN pin, which is broken out on the board.
• The 3.3V power for the Qwiic connector is controlled by GPIO 0 of the ESP32-WROOM.

Current Consumption

According to the specifications, the ESP32-WROOM draws about 240 mA during RF transmissions. With the WiFi example in this tutorial, have measured it to average around 140 mA and peak at 300 mA while actively transceiving. The table below, summarizes the approximate current draw of the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus (USB-C) for various operational conditions. The measurements in the table below, were made with the Nordic Power Profiler Kit II.

It is possible for users to reach sub-mA power consumption levels with the deep sleep power modes. Using the TimerWakeUp Deep Sleep example code, the LED jumpers cut, and powering the board through the LiPo battery connection we measured a power consumption of 845 µA (990 µA peak) @ 3.7V while the MCU was inactive.

ESP32-WROOM

This variant of the ESP32 Thing Plus is designed around the ESP32-WROOM module with 16MB of flash memory. Espressif's ESP32-WROOM module is a versitile, WiFi+BT+BLE MCU module that targets a wide variety of applications. At the core of this module is the ESP32-D0WDQ6 system on a chip (SoC) which is designed to be both scalable and adaptive. Its laundry list of features include:

• Xtensa® Dual-Core 32-bit LX6 Microprocessor (up to 240MHz)
• 448KB ROM and 520KB SRAM
• 16MB of Embedded SPI Flash Storage
• Cryptographic Hardware Accelerators
• AES, SHA2, ECC, RSA-4096
• Integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 2.4GHz Transceiver (up to 150Mbps)
• Integrated dual-mode Bluetooth (Bluetooth v4.2 and BLE)
• 26 GPIO (including strapping pins)
• 8x Capacitive Touch Electrodes
• Operating Voltage: 3.0 to 3.6V
• WiFi: 380mA (peak)
• Light-Sleep: 800µA
• Deep-Sleep: 10 - 150µA

Note: Users should be aware of the following nuances and details of this board

• The ESP32-WROOM is only compatible with 2.4GHz WiFi networks; it will not work on the 5GHz bands.
• For details on the boot mode configuration, please refer to section 3.3 Strapping Pins of the ESP32-WROOM module datasheet.

ESP32-WROOM module on the ESP32 Thing Plus (USB-C).
(Click to enlarge)

Debugging

For users interested in debugging their code, the JTAG pins are broken out on the board. However, the debugging feature is only available through the ESP-IDF.

• TMS: GPIO 14
• TDI: GPIO 12
• TCK: GPIO 13
• TDO: GPIO 15

Firmware Download Mode

Users can manually force the board into the serial bootloader with the BOOT button. Please, refer to the Boot Button section below for more information.

Peripherals and I/O

The ESP32-WROOM module has 26 multifunctional GPIO, of which, 21 I/O pins broken out into a feather form factor layout on this board. All of the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus (USB-C) pins have a .1" pitch spacing for headers. With the pin multiplexing capabilities of the ESP32 SoC, various pins can have several functionalities. For more technical specifications on the I/O pins, please refer to the ESP32 SoC datasheet.

• 13x 12-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) channels
• 3x UARTs (only two are configured by default in the Arduino IDE, one UART is used for bootloading/debug)
• 3x SPI (only one is configured by default in the Arduino IDE)
• 2x I²C (only one is configured by default in the Arduino IDE)
• 2x I²S Audio
• 2x digital-to-analog converter (DAC) channels
• 16x 20-bit PWM outputs
• 8x Capacitive Touch Inputs

For digital pins, users will need to declare the pinMode() (link) in the setup of their sketch (programs written in the Arduino IDE) for the pins used.

Input

When configured properly, an input pin will be looking for a HIGH or LOW state. Input pins are High Impedance and takes very little current to move the input pin from one state to another.

Output

When configured as an output the pin will be at a HIGH or LOW voltage. Output pins are Low Impedance: This means that they can provide a relatively substantial amount of current to other circuits.

Additional Functions

There are several pins that have special functionality in addition to general digital I/O. These pins and their additional functions are listed in the tabs below. For more technical specifications on the I/O pins, you can refer to the schematic, ESP32-WROOM module datasheet, ESP32 SoC datasheet, and documentation for the ESP32 Arduino core.

• Analog Input
• PWM/Analog Output
• Serial Comm.
• SPI
• I²C

Analog Input Pins

The ESP32-WROOM module provides a 12-bit ADC input on thirteen of its I/O pins. This functionality is accessed in the Arduino IDE using the analogRead(pin) function. (*The available ADC pins are highlighted in the image below.)

Analog input pins on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

Note: By default, in the Arduino IDE, analogRead() returns a 10-bit value. To change the resolution of the value returned by the analogRead() function, use the analogReadResolution(bits) function.

Note: To learn more about analog vs. digital signals, check out this great tutorial.

Analog vs. Digital

July 18, 2013

This tutorial covers the concept of analog and digital signals, as they relate to electronics.

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Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Analog (DAC) Output Pins

The ESP32-WROOM module supports up to sixteen channels of 20-bit PWM outputs on any of its I/O pins. This is accessed in the Arduino IDE using the analogWrite(pin, value) function or the LED Control API. (*Any I/O pin can be used for the PWM outputs; the available DAC pins, with true analog outputs, are highlighted in the image below.)

Any I/O pin can be used for a PWM output, but these are the DAC pins on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

Note: By default, in the Arduino IDE, analogWrite() accepts an 8-bit value. To change the resolution of the PWM signal for the analogWrite() function, use the analogWriteResolution(bits) function.

(*The PWM output is not a true analog signal. For a true analog output, please refer to the DAC API for GPIO 25 and GPIO 26.)

Note: To learn more about pulse width modulation (PWM), check out this great tutorial.

Pulse Width Modulation

February 27, 2013

An introduction to the concept of Pulse Width Modulation.

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Serial Communication Pins

The ESP32-WROOM module provides three UART ports. By default, the UART port for the USB connection (Serial) and the labeled UART I/O pins on the board (Serial1) can be accessed through the Arduino IDE using the serial communication class.

Default UART ports on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

Note: By default, in the Arduino IDE, the SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus C board definition supports:

• Serial - UART (USB)
• Serial1 - Pins: RX/TX (GPIO 16/GPIO 17)

In order to utilize the serial communication on the strapping pins, users will need to create a custom serial port object and declare which pins to access.

Note: To learn more about serial communication, check out this great tutorial.

Serial Communication

December 18, 2012

Asynchronous serial communication concepts: packets, signal levels, baud rates, UARTs and more!

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Note: We have noticed that with the ESP32 Arduino core, Serial.available() does not operate instantaneously. This is due to an interrupt triggered by the UART, to empty the FIFO when the RX pin is inactive for two byte periods:

• At 9600 baud, hwAvailable takes [number of bytes received + 2] x 1 ms = 11 ms before the UART indicates that data was received from: \r\nERROR\r\n.
• At 115200 baud, hwAvailable takes [number of bytes received + 2] x .087 ms = ~1 ms before the UART indicates that data was received from: \r\nERROR\r\n.

For more information, please refer to this chatroom discussion.

SPI Communication

The ESP32-WROOM module provides three SPI buses. By default, in the Arduino IDE, the SPI class is configured to utilize pins GPIO 18 (SCK), GPIO 19 (POCI), GPIO 23 (PICO). These pins share the same SPI bus as the µSD card slot, which utilizes pin 5 (SS) for its chip select. In order to utilize the other SPI ports or objects, users will need to create a custom SPI object and declare which pins to access.

Note: To comply with the latest OSHW design practices, we have adopted the new SPI signal nomenclature (SDO/SDI and PICO/POCI). The terms Master and Slave are now referred to as Controller and Peripheral. The MOSI signal on a controller has been replaced with SDO or PICO. Please refer to this announcement on the decision to deprecate the MOSI/MISO terminology and transition to the SDO/SDI naming convention.

Default SPI bus connections on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

SCK	GPIO 18 (SCK)
SDI or POCI	GPIO 19 (MISO)
SDO or PICO	GPIO 23 (MOSI)
CS (µSD Card)	GPIO 5 (SS)

Note: To learn more about the serial peripheral interface (SPI) protocol, check out this great tutorial.

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

January 14, 2013

SPI is commonly used to connect microcontrollers to peripherals such as sensors, shift registers, and SD cards.

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I²C Communication Pins

The ESP32-WROOM module module can support up to two I²C buses. By default, in the Arduino IDE, the Wire class is configured to utilize pins GPIO 21 (SDA) and GPIO 22 (SCL). These pins share the same I²C bus with the Qwiic connector and MAX17048 fuel gauge. In order to utilize the other I²C ports, users will need to create a custom Wire object and declare which pins to access.

Default I²C bus connections for the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

SCL	GPIO 22 (SCL)
SDA	GPIO 21 (SDA)

Note: To learn more about the inter-integrated circuit (I²C) protocol, check out this great tutorial.

I2C

July 8, 2013

An introduction to I2C, one of the main embedded communications protocols in use today.

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Buttons

There are two buttons on ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus; a RST and BOOT button.

Reset Button

The RST (reset) button allows users to reset the program running on the ESP32-WROOM module without unplugging the board.

Boot Button

The BOOT button can be used to force the board into the serial bootloader. Holding down the BOOT button, while connecting the board to a computer through its USB-C connector or resetting the board will cause it to enter the Firmware Download mode. The board will remain in this mode until it power cycles (happens automatically after uploading new firmware) or the RST button is pressed.

1. Hold the BOOT button down.
2. Reset the MCU.
   • While unpowered, connect the board to a computer with through the USB-C connection.
   • While powered, press the RST button.
3. Release the BOOT button.
4. After programming is completed, reboot the MCU.
   • Press the RST button.
   • Power cycle the board.

Indicator LEDs

There are four indicator LEDs on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus:

• PWR: Power (Red)
• CHG: Battery Charging (Yellow)
• 13: GPIO 13 (Blue)
• WS2812: GPIO 02 (RGB)

Power LED

The red, power (PWR) LED will light up once 3.3V is supplied to the board. For most users, it will light up when 5V is supplied through the USB connection and/or when a LiPo battery is attached to the JST connector.

Battery Charging LED

The yellow, battery charging (CHG) LED indicates the status of the MCP73831 charge management controller. The LED will shut off when no battery is present, when the charge management controller is in standby (after the battery charging has been completed), or when the charge management controller is shutdown. The LED will illuminate when the charge management controller is in the process of charging the battery. For more information, please refer to the MCP73831 datasheet.

The battery charging (CHG) LED indicator on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

Charge Cycle State	LED
Shutdown Thermal Shutdown VDD < VBAT	Off (High Z)
No Battery Present	Off (High Z)
Charge Complete – Standby	Off (H)
Preconditioning	On (L)
Constant-Current Fast Charge	On (L)
Constant Voltage	On (L)

STAT LED

The blue, status (STAT) LED is typically used as a test or status LED to make sure that a board is working or for basic debugging. This indicator is connected to GPIO 13.

WS2812 RGB LED

The WS2812 RGB LED is controlled with a 24-bit (GRB) data signal. This indicator is connected to GPIO 02 and the digital output pin from the LED is available through a test point. For more information, please refer to the WS2812C datasheet.

µSD Slot

The ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus (USB-C) includes an µSD card slot. This is great for data logging applications or storing files. The µSD card slot is connected to the following dedicated GPIO:

• GPIO 5: DATA 3/CS
• N/A: DATA 2
• N/A: DATA 1
• GPIO 19: DATA 0/POCI (or Peripheral's SDO)
• GPIO 18: CLK/SCK
• GPIO 23: CMD/PICO (or Peripheral's SDI)

Jumpers

There are two jumpers on the back of the board that can be used to easily modify the hardware connections on the board.

• SHLD - This jumper can be used to disconnect the USB shield from GND.
• PWR - This jumper can be used to remove power to the PWR LED.
• CHG LED - This jumper can be used to remove power to the CHG LED.
  • Avoid cutting the box's silkscreen; there are traces under it:
    
    Traces around the CHG LED jumper. (Click to enlarge)

The jumpers on the back of the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

Never modified a jumper before? Check out our Jumper Pads and PCB Traces tutorial for a quick introduction!

How to Work with Jumper Pads and PCB Traces

April 2, 2018

Handling PCB jumper pads and traces is an essential skill. Learn how to cut a PCB trace, add a solder jumper between pads to reroute connections, and repair a trace with the green wire method if a trace is damaged.

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Primary I²C Bus

The Qwiic connector and battery fuel gauge are attached to the primary I²C bus. The primary I²C bus for this board utilizes the pin connections, detailed in the table below:

Battery Fuel Gauge

The MAX17048 fuel gauge measures the approximate charge or discharge rate, state of charge (SOC) (based on ModelGauge algorithm), and voltage of a connected battery. Additionally, the chip is powered directly from VBAT, when a LiPo battery is connected. For more information, please refer to the MAX17048 datasheet.

The MAX17048 fuel gauge on the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus. (Click to enlarge)

I2C Address	0x36 (7-bit) 0x6C (write)/0x6D (read)
Voltage Measurement	Range: 2.5 - 5 V Precision: ±7.5 mV/Cell Resolution 1.25 mV/Cell
Current Consumption	Sleep: .5 - 2 µA Hibernate: 3 - 5 µA Active: 23 - 40 µA

Note: The Alert pin for the MAX17048 is not connected and cannot be utilized.

Qwiic Connector

A Qwiic connector is provided for users to seamlessly integrate with SparkFun's Qwiic Ecosystem.

Power Control

In order to enable power for the Qwiic connector, users must toggle GPIO 0 high. This enables the power output from the XC6222 LDO regulator to the Qwiic connector, which can sources up to 700mA at 3.3V . In order to conserve battery power or in low power applications, users will can toggle GPIO 0 low, to disable the power to the Qwiic connector.

What is Qwiic?

The Qwiic system is intended a quick, hassle-free cabling/connector system for I²C devices. Qwiic is actually a play on words between "quick" and I²C or "iic".

Features of the Qwiic System

• No Soldering
• Polarized Connector
• Daisy Chain

Keep your soldering iron at bay.

Cables plug easily between boards making quick work of setting up a new prototype. We currently offer three different lengths of Qwiic cables as well as a breadboard friendly cable to connect any Qwiic enabled board to anything else. Initially you may need to solder headers onto the shield to connect your platform to the Qwiic system but once that’s done it’s plug and go!

Qwiic cables connected to Spectral Sensor Breakout

Minimize your mistakes.

How many times have you swapped the SDA and SCL wires on your breadboard hoping the sensor will start working? The Qwiic connector is polarized so you know you’ll have it wired correctly, every time, from the start.

The PCB connector is part number SM04B-SRSS (Datasheet) or equivalent. The mating connector used on cables is part number SHR04V-S-B or equivalent. This is a common and low cost connector.

1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector

Expand with ease.

It’s time to leverage the power of the I²C bus! Most Qwiic boards will have two or more connectors on them allowing multiple devices to be connected.

Shown above: Qwiic Shield for Arduino on RedBoard, Spectral Sensor Breakout - NIR, Spectral Sensor Breakout - Visible and SparkFun GPS Breakout

Hardware Assembly

USB Programming

The USB connection is utilized for programming and serial communication. Users only need to plug their ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus into a computer using a USB-C cable.

Battery

For remote IoT applications, a Li-Po battery can be connected. Additionally, users may be interested in utilizing a solar panel and USB-C cable to recharge their battery.

The ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus with a battery connected. (Click to enlarge)

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Solar Panel Charger - 10W

In stock PRT-16835

This is a portable, slim, lightweight solar panel charger with 10 watts of power and a standard USB connection port.

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USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

In stock CAB-14743

USB C is fantastic. But until we have converted all our hubs, chargers, and ports over to USB C this is the cable you're goin…

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Note: DO NOT remove batteries by pulling on their wires. Instead, it is recommended that pair of dikes (i.e. diagonal wire cutters), pliers, or tweezers be used to pull on the JST connector housing, to avoid damaging the battery wiring.

Using a pair of dikes to disconnect a battery. (Click to enlarge)

Headers

The pins for the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus are broken out to 0.1"-spaced pins on the outer edges of the board. When selecting headers, be sure you are aware of the functionality you need. If you have never soldered before or need a quick refresher, check out our How to Solder: Through-Hole Soldering guide.

The Feather Stackable Header Kit is a great option as it allows users to stack shields (w/ Feather footprint) or it can be placed on the a breadboard; while, the pins are still accessible from the female/male headers.

µSD Card Slot

The ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus (USB-C) includes a µSD card slot on the back of the board. The card holder functions through a push/pull operation. (The card slot doesn't include a spring retention mechanism; cards are held in place through friction.)

Qwiic Devices

The Qwiic system allows users to effortlessly prototype with a Qwiic compatible I²C device without soldering. Users can attach any Qwiic compatible sensor or board, with just a Qwiic cable. (*The example below, is for demonstration purposes and is not pertinent to the board functionality or this tutorial.)

Software Overview

CH340 Driver

Users will need to install the appropriate driver for their computer to recognize the serial-to-UART chip on their board/adapter. Most of the latest operating systems will recognize CH340C chip on the board and automatically install the required driver.

To manually install the CH340 driver on their computer, users can download it from the WCH website. For more information, check out our How to Install CH340 Drivers Tutorial.

Arduino IDE

Most users may already be familiar with the Arduino IDE and it's use. However, for those of you who have never heard the name Arduino before, feel free to check out the Arduino website. To get started with using the Arduino IDE, check out our tutorials below:

Install Board Definition

Install the latest ESP32 board definitions in the Arduino IDE.

When selecting a board to program in the Arduino IDE, users should select the SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus C from the Tools drop down menu (i.e. Tools > Board > ESP32 Arduino > SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus C). Alternatively, users can also select the ESP32 Dev Module; however, they may loose some pin assignments (i.e. LED_BUILTIN).

Note: In the Arduino 2.0.x IDE users can also select the board from the Select Board drop down menu and search for the SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus C:

Selecting the SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus C in the Arduino 2.0.x IDE. (Click to enlarge)

Arduino Example: Blink

Loading Blink

To make sure the toolchain and board are properly set up, let us try to upload a simple sketch! The STAT LED attached to GPIO 13 is perfect for a simple test. Copy and paste the example sketch below into a fresh Arduino sketch:

language:c
int ledPin = 13;

void setup()
{
    pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
    Serial.begin(115200);
}

void loop()
{
    Serial.println("Hello, world!");
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
    delay(500);
}

With everything setup correctly, upload the code! Once the upload is complete, open the serial monitor and set the baud rate to 115200. Users should see a Hello, world! print statement begin to fly by.

Users may also notice that when the ESP32 boots up it prints out a long sequence of debug messages. These are emitted every time the chip resets -- always at 115200 baud.

Arduino Example: WiFi

The ESP32 Arduino core includes a handful of WiFi examples, which demonstrate everything from scanning for nearby networks. These WiFi examples are avilable under the File > Examples > WiFi drop-down menu in the Arduino IDE.

Below, is a more advanced example utilizing the WiFi Arduino library. It demonstrates how to connect to a nearby WiFi network and poll a remote domain (http://example.com/) as a client.

language:c
#include <WiFi.h>

// WiFi network name and password:
const char * networkName = "YOUR_NETWORK_HERE";
const char * networkPswd = "YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE";

// Internet domain to request from:
const char * hostDomain = "example.com";
const int hostPort = 80;

const int BUTTON_PIN = 0;
const int LED_PIN = 13;

void setup()
{
  // Initilize hardware:
  Serial.begin(115200);
  pinMode(BUTTON_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);

  // Connect to the WiFi network (see function below loop)
  connectToWiFi(networkName, networkPswd);

  digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW); // LED off
  Serial.print("Press button 0 to connect to ");
  Serial.println(hostDomain);
}

void loop()
{
  if (digitalRead(BUTTON_PIN) == LOW)
  { // Check if button has been pressed
    while (digitalRead(BUTTON_PIN) == LOW)
      ; // Wait for button to be released

    digitalWrite(LED_PIN, HIGH); // Turn on LED
    requestURL(hostDomain, hostPort); // Connect to server
    digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW); // Turn off LED
  }
}

void connectToWiFi(const char * ssid, const char * pwd)
{
  int ledState = 0;

  printLine();
  Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi network: " + String(ssid));

  WiFi.begin(ssid, pwd);

  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) 
  {
    // Blink LED while we're connecting:
    digitalWrite(LED_PIN, ledState);
    ledState = (ledState + 1) % 2; // Flip ledState
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }

  Serial.println();
  Serial.println("WiFi connected!");
  Serial.print("IP address: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
}

void requestURL(const char * host, uint8_t port)
{
  printLine();
  Serial.println("Connecting to domain: " + String(host));

  // Use WiFiClient class to create TCP connections
  WiFiClient client;
  if (!client.connect(host, port))
  {
    Serial.println("connection failed");
    return;
  }
  Serial.println("Connected!");
  printLine();

  // This will send the request to the server
  client.print((String)"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\n" +
               "Host: " + String(host) + "\r\n" +
               "Connection: close\r\n\r\n");
  unsigned long timeout = millis();
  while (client.available() == 0) 
  {
    if (millis() - timeout > 5000) 
    {
      Serial.println(">>> Client Timeout !");
      client.stop();
      return;
    }
  }

  // Read all the lines of the reply from server and print them to Serial
  while (client.available()) 
  {
    String line = client.readStringUntil('\r');
    Serial.print(line);
  }

  Serial.println();
  Serial.println("closing connection");
  client.stop();
}

void printLine()
{
  Serial.println();
  for (int i=0; i<30; i++)
    Serial.print("-");
  Serial.println();
}

Make sure to fill in the networkName and networkPswd variables, at the beginning of the sketch, with the name (or SSID) and password of your WiFi network! Once that is done, upload the sketch to the board and open the Serial Monitor of the Arduino IDE.

After the ESP32 connects to the WiFi network, it will wait for the user to press the BOOT button. Tapping the button will cause the ESP32 to make an HTTP request to example.com. The board should return a string of HTTP headers and HTML code, as shown above.

Arduino Example: BLE

The ESP32 Arduino core also includes several Bluetooth examples that range from acting as a simple BLE device to functioning as a Bluetooth server. This example will demonstrate how users can send messages from their phone to ESP32 Thing Plus; and then display the message in the serial monitor. Users will need to install the BLE Scanner app (iPhone or Android) on their smart phone and enable the Bluetooth connection.

The example code is built into the Arduino IDE for the ESP32 Arduino core (users need to select and ESP32 board definition first). Once an ESP32 board has been selected, the built-in BLE examples will become available; select the BLE_write example from the Files > Examples > ESP32 BLE Arduino > BLE_write drop down menu. Compile and upload the example code. Make sure the correct port has been selected for the board.

language:c
/*
    Based on Neil Kolban example for IDF: https://github.com/nkolban/esp32-snippets/blob/master/cpp_utils/tests/BLE%20Tests/SampleWrite.cpp
    Ported to Arduino ESP32 by Evandro Copercini
*/

#include <BLEDevice.h>
#include <BLEUtils.h>
#include <BLEServer.h>

// See the following for generating UUIDs:
// https://www.uuidgenerator.net/

#define SERVICE_UUID        "4fafc201-1fb5-459e-8fcc-c5c9c331914b"
#define CHARACTERISTIC_UUID "beb5483e-36e1-4688-b7f5-ea07361b26a8"


class MyCallbacks: public BLECharacteristicCallbacks {
    void onWrite(BLECharacteristic *pCharacteristic) {
      std::string value = pCharacteristic->getValue();

      if (value.length() > 0) {
        Serial.println("*********");
        Serial.print("New value: ");
        for (int i = 0; i < value.length(); i++)
          Serial.print(value[i]);

        Serial.println();
        Serial.println("*********");
      }
    }
};

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);

  Serial.println("1- Download and install an BLE scanner app in your phone");
  Serial.println("2- Scan for BLE devices in the app");
  Serial.println("3- Connect to MyESP32");
  Serial.println("4- Go to CUSTOM CHARACTERISTIC in CUSTOM SERVICE and write something");
  Serial.println("5- See the magic =)");

  BLEDevice::init("MyESP32");
  BLEServer *pServer = BLEDevice::createServer();

  BLEService *pService = pServer->createService(SERVICE_UUID);

  BLECharacteristic *pCharacteristic = pService->createCharacteristic(
                                         CHARACTERISTIC_UUID,
                                         BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_READ |
                                         BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_WRITE
                                       );

  pCharacteristic->setCallbacks(new MyCallbacks());

  pCharacteristic->setValue("Hello World");
  pService->start();

  BLEAdvertising *pAdvertising = pServer->getAdvertising();
  pAdvertising->start();
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  delay(2000);
}

Once the upload completes, open the serial monitor set the baud rate to 115200 bps.

Then open the BLE Scanner app on a smart phone. User should see several BLE devices displayed; scroll through and connect to MyESP32.

Once connected, users will be taken to the following page. Select CUSTOM SERVICE to set communication capability required for this example.

The next page, select the Write,Read option.

Finally, select the Write Value option to send a message to the board.

Make sure to select the Text option in the dialog box. Then, write a message in the text box and click the Write button.

Now take look at the serial monitor, users should see New value: followed by the entry from the text box.

This is just a quick walk through of one of the provided examples. We recommend looking through the rest of the BLE examples and playing with the code. For more information on Bluetooth technology and how it works, check out our Bluetooth Basics Tutorial.

Arduino Example: Test Sketches

For additional examples, users can check out the Test Sketches that we used to verify the functionality of the board during our development phase. These can be downloaded from the GitHub repository for the board hardware:

• AnalogInSerialOut - Basic (USB) UART and ADC pin test
• AnalogWrite - Uses SigmaDelta API to test the ADC pins
• I2C_Scanner_PowerControl - Toggles power to Qwiic connector and scans I²C bus
• MAX17048_FuelGauge - Tests MAX17048 chip (requires connected LiPo battery)
• RGB_LED - Tests the WS2812 RGB LED
• SD_Test - Tests µSD card slot (requires compatible µSD card)
• Unit_Test - Basic QC test
• blink_gpio - Blinks all the GPIO on the board

Troubleshooting Tips

Upload Issues

If users are have issues during the uploading process, they can try to manually force the board into the serial bootloader with the BOOT button. Holding down the BOOT button, while connecting the board to a computer through its USB-C connector or resetting the board will cause the MCU to enter the Firmware Download mode and its serial bootloader. The board will remain in this mode until it power cycles (happens automatically after uploading new firmware) or the RST button is pressed.

1. Hold the BOOT button down.
2. Reset the MCU.
   • While unpowered, connect the board to a computer with through the USB-C connection.
   • While powered, press the RST button.
3. Release the BOOT button.
4. After programming is completed, reboot the MCU.
   • Press the RST button.
   • Power cycle the board.

COM Port Not Shown

If the board doesn't appear on a COM port, double check the correct driver has been installed. Unlike previous versions of the ESP32 Thing Plus, this variant requires the CH340 driver to be installed. For more information, check out our How to Install CH340 Drivers Tutorial.

Users can also check their USB cable; some cables are power only. Try testing the cable with a smart phone or tablet to see if it appears as a device on the computer. If the phone/tablet doesn't appear, then the USB cable is power only.

Serial Stream Difficulties

We have noticed that with the ESP32 Arduino core, Serial.available() does not operate instantaneously. This is due to an interrupt triggered by the UART, to empty the FIFO when the RX pin is inactive for two byte periods:

• At 9600 baud, hwAvailable takes [number of bytes received + 2] x 1 ms = 11 ms before the UART indicates that data was received from: \r\nERROR\r\n.
• At 115200 baud, hwAvailable takes [number of bytes received +2] x .087 ms = ~1 ms before the UART indicates that data was received from: \r\nERROR\r\n.

For more information, please refer to this chatroom discussion.

µSD Card

Make sure that the µSD card is compatible with the Arduino library being used for it. For example, the default SD Arduino library is only compatible with FAT16 or FAT32 file systems; therefore, the card capacity is limited to 16GB or 32GB and smaller. Another consideration is that the library was also written to only handle short 8.3 names for files.

Qwiic Connector Power

For users having issues with the power to their Qwiic devices, don't forget that GPIO 0 controls the power output from the XC6222 LDO regulator to the Qwiic connector. Users must toggle GPIO 0 high to enable power for the Qwiic connector. In order to conserve battery power or in low power applications, users will can toggle GPIO 0 low, to disable the power to the Qwiic connector.

Current Consumption

For ultra low power projects, these are the current consumption of the individual components, as specified in their datasheet:

Resources and Going Further

For more resources related to the ESP32 Thing Plus, check out the links listed here:

• Schematic (PDF)
• Eagle Files (ZIP)
• Board Dimensions (PDF)
• Graphical Datasheet (PDF)
• Datasheets:
  • ESP32-WROOM-32E Module (PDF)
    • ESP32 SoC (PDF)
  • MCP73831 (PDF)
  • MAX17048 (PDF)
  • XC6222 (PDF)
  • WS2812 (PDF)
• GitHub Hardware Repository
• SparkFun Thing Plus Boards
• SparkFun Qwiic Connect System
• SFE Product Showcase

Espressif also provides great resources for their ESP32 module:

• ESP32 Product Resource Page
• Espressif's Forum for the ESP32
• Espressif GitHub Repositories
  • ESP32 Arduino Core
    • .json file needed for Epressif's ESP32 Arduino Core:
      https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json
  • ESP-IDF -- IoT Development Framework
    • Programming Guide.

For more inspiration, check out these other ESP32 tutorials: