ESP32 Sensor Options

Comprehensive guide to ESP32 sensor capabilities

Available Sensors

Explore a comprehensive collection of sensor options available for ESP32-based projects. Each sensor category includes detailed specifications, technical capabilities, and real-world application examples to help you choose the right sensors for your IoT and embedded system needs.

Temperature & Humidity

High-precision temperature and relative humidity sensing capabilities. Measures ambient conditions with medical-grade accuracy for environmental monitoring and control systems.

Temperature: ±0.5°C (-40°C to +125°C) / ±0.9°F (-40°F to +257°F) Humidity: 0-100% RH, ±2% accuracy

Popular Examples

•Smart thermostat for home automation
•Greenhouse climate control system
•Industrial process monitoring
•Weather station for local forecasting
•Food storage temperature monitoring

Ultrasonic Distance

Non-contact distance measurement using ultrasonic waves. Ideal for detecting objects and measuring distances with high accuracy in various environmental conditions.

Range: 2-400 cm (0.8-157 inches) Resolution: ±0.3 cm (±0.12 inches) Update Rate: 20 Hz

Popular Examples

•Parking assist system for vehicles
•Water level monitoring in tanks
•Obstacle detection for robots
•Gesture control interfaces
•Automated inventory management

Motion & Orientation

Combined accelerometer and gyroscope (6-DoF) providing precise motion tracking and orientation detection. Essential for position monitoring and movement analysis.

Resolution: 16-bit per axis Accelerometer: ±2/±4/±8/±16g Gyroscope: ±250/±500/±1000/±2000°/s Update Rate: 4-1000 Hz

Popular Examples

•Fitness tracker for activity monitoring
•Drone flight stabilization
•Virtual reality controllers
•Structural health monitoring of buildings
•Sports performance analysis

Infrared Detection

Passive infrared sensing for motion and heat detection. Capable of detecting presence and movement through thermal radiation without visible light.

Range: up to 5m (16.4 ft) Field of View: 120° Spectral Range: 5-14 μm Response Time: <0.1s

Popular Examples

•Automatic door opener system
•Touchless faucets and soap dispensers
•Intruder detection for security systems
•Contactless temperature measurement
•Night vision cameras

Pressure & Altitude

Barometric pressure sensor with altitude detection capabilities. High-resolution measurements for weather monitoring and altitude-based applications.

Pressure: 300-1100 hPa (4.35-15.95 psi) Altitude: -500 to +9000m (-1640 to +29,527 ft) Resolution: ±0.1 hPa (±0.0015 psi)

Popular Examples

•Weather station for atmospheric pressure
•Altimeter for drones and UAVs
•Scuba diving computer
•Indoor navigation and floor detection
•Barometric pressure forecasting

Gas & Air Quality

Multi-gas detection system for air quality monitoring. Measures various gas concentrations and pollutants for environmental and safety applications.

Gases: CO (0-1000 ppm), CO2 (0-5000 ppm) NH3 (0-500 ppm), NOx (0-1000 ppm) Response Time: <30s Operating Environment: -10°C to +50°C

Popular Examples

•Indoor air quality monitor for offices
•Industrial safety and leak detection
•Smart city pollution monitoring
•Breath analysis for medical diagnostics
•Automotive cabin air quality control

Light Measurement

Wide-range ambient light sensor with high dynamic range. Measures illuminance levels for lighting control and environmental monitoring.

Range: 1-65,535 lux (0.0001-6,000 fc) Spectral Range: 400-700 nm Response Time: <100ms Resolution: 1 lux (0.0001 fc)

Popular Examples

•Automated greenhouse lighting control
•Smart home lighting adjustment
•Camera exposure optimization
•Solar panel efficiency monitoring
•Plant growth optimization in agriculture

Sound Detection

Acoustic sensor covering the full human hearing range. Capable of detecting and analyzing sound patterns for various monitoring applications.

Frequency Range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz Sensitivity: -26 dBFS SNR: >65 dB Dynamic Range: 80 dB

Popular Examples

•Noise level monitor for urban areas
•Voice-activated smart home devices
•Industrial machinery fault detection
•Wildlife monitoring and conservation
•Gunshot detection for security

ESP32 Development Board Reference

Comprehensive guide to ESP32 development board features, including peripheral interfaces, communication protocols, and system components. Each component comes with detailed specifications and practical implementation examples to help you build robust ESP32-based projects.

Basic I/O

Fundamental input/output interfaces for direct interaction with sensors, actuators, and external devices. These form the backbone of most ESP32 projects.

GPIO

General-Purpose Input/Output

Configurable digital pins that can be used as inputs or outputs.

Common Uses:

•Reading button states for user input interfaces
•Controlling LED indicators for system status
•Digital sensor input for motion detection
•Custom protocol implementation for device communication

ADC

Analog-to-Digital Converter

Converts analog signals to digital values. Up to 12-bit resolution.

Common Uses:

•Analog sensor readings for environmental monitoring
•Battery voltage monitoring for power management
•Light level detection for automated lighting
•Temperature sensing in HVAC systems

DAC

Digital-to-Analog Converter

Converts digital values to analog voltage levels. Two 8-bit channels.

Common Uses:

•Audio signal generation for speakers
•Voltage reference for sensor calibration
•Analog control signal generation
•Waveform generation for testing

PWM

Pulse Width Modulation via LED Controller (LEDC), Motor Control PWM (MCPWM)

Multiple PWM channels for variable duty cycle signals.

Common Uses:

•LED brightness control with dimming
•DC motor speed regulation
•Servo motor position control
•Audio tone generation

TOUCH

Capacitive Touch Sensing

High-sensitivity capacitive touch sensing with noise immunity and configurable thresholds.

Common Uses:

•Touch-sensitive buttons
•Slider controls
•Touch-based volume control
•Interactive displays

LP IO MUX

Low Power Input/Output Multiplexer

Configurable I/O multiplexing with low power features and wake-up support.

Common Uses:

•Wake-up source configuration
•Low power sensor monitoring
•Battery-operated devices
•Sleep mode I/O control

Communication Protocols

Standard serial protocols for connecting the ESP32 with various peripheral devices, sensors, and displays. Essential for expanding device capabilities.

I2C

Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C)

Two-wire serial protocol for multiple devices on same bus.

Common Uses:

•OLED display communication
•Environmental sensor interfacing
•Real-time clock synchronization
•EEPROM data storage access

SPI/QSPI

Serial Peripheral Interface/Quad SPI

High-speed serial interface. QSPI for faster flash memory access.

Common Uses:

•SD card data storage
•Flash memory programming
•High-speed sensor reading
•LCD display control

UART

Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter

Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter, multiple channels.

Common Uses:

•Debug message output
•GPS module communication
•Bluetooth serial interface
•Device configuration

RS485

Recommended Standard 485

Differential serial communication supporting multi-drop networks up to 1200m.

Common Uses:

•Industrial automation systems
•Building management systems
•Motor control networks
•SCADA systems

I2S

Inter-IC Sound Interface

High-quality digital audio transmission protocol.

Common Uses:

•Digital microphone interface
•Audio DAC communication
•Sound processing system
•Audio streaming output

SDIO

Secure Digital Input/Output

High-speed interface for SD card communication and SDIO peripherals.

Common Uses:

•SD card data storage
•SDIO Wi-Fi modules
•High-speed data logging
•Mass storage devices

Camera/DVP

Digital Video Port (Parallel Camera Interface)

8-bit parallel interface for OV2640 and similar camera sensors. Supports JPEG and RGB formats.

Common Uses:

•Video streaming applications
•Security camera systems
•Motion detection cameras
•QR code scanning

SDMMC

Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard Host Controller

4-bit/8-bit data bus with high-speed modes (HS2). Supports SD cards and eMMC storage.

Common Uses:

•High-speed SD card interfacing
•eMMC storage integration
•Fast data logging systems
•Firmware storage and updates

Advanced Communication

Sophisticated communication interfaces for industrial, automotive, and networking applications. Enables robust and reliable data exchange in complex systems.

CAN

Controller Area Network (TWAI)

Robust protocol for automotive and industrial applications.

Common Uses:

•Vehicle diagnostic systems
•Industrial automation control
•Sensor network implementation
•Remote monitoring systems

Ethernet

With external Physical Layer (PHY)

Wired networking via MAC and Physical Layer (PHY) transceiver. 10/100 Mbps speeds.

Common Uses:

•IoT gateway implementation
•Network device control
•Industrial IoT systems
•Remote device management

RMT

Remote Control Transceiver

Precise timing signals for IR and custom protocols.

Common Uses:

•IR remote control systems
•LED strip control (WS2812)
•Custom timing protocols
•Signal analysis systems

Wireless & Debug

Built-in wireless connectivity and debugging interfaces. Perfect for IoT applications, wireless communication, and development/testing purposes.

Wi-Fi

2.4 GHz, built-in

IEEE 802.11 b/g/n with AP and Station modes.

Common Uses:

•Internet connectivity
•Local network access
•Web server hosting
•Over-the-air updates

Bluetooth

Classic + BLE, built-in

Dual-mode Bluetooth for mobile and sensor connectivity.

Common Uses:

•Mobile app connectivity
•BLE sensor networks
•Audio streaming devices
•Beacon implementation

JTAG

Joint Test Action Group

Hardware interface for debugging and programming.

Common Uses:

•Debug probe connection
•Firmware programming
•Memory debugging
•Performance testing

System Components

Specialized components for system integration and functionality.

USB-UART Bridge

CP2102/CH340/CH343P

USB to serial converter chip for programming and communication.

Common Uses:

•Programming interface
•Serial debugging
•USB communication bridge
•Development interface

Battery Management

IP5306/CS8501

Single-cell lithium battery charging and protection IC with status indicators.

Common Uses:

•Battery charging control
•Power management
•Battery protection
•Charge status monitoring

Display Driver

MP3302D/ST7789

Display driver IC with backlight boost converter for LCD/TFT screens.

Common Uses:

•LCD screen control
•Display brightness management
•Backlight control
•Screen power management

IO Expander

CH424G

I2C-based IO expansion chip for additional GPIO functionality.

Common Uses:

•GPIO pin expansion
•Additional I/O ports
•Button interface expansion
•LED control expansion