SparkFun Thing Plus ESP32-C5: Dual-Band WiFi 6, Adafruit Feather Pinout, LiPo Battery Support

Espressif has rolled out the ESP-IDF v6.0 framework supporting ESP32-C5 and ESP32-C61, heralding more ESP32-C5 boards. After the launch of boards like DFRobot FireBeetle 2 and Espressif DevKitC-1, SparkFun has introduced its Thing Plus – ESP32-C5, an Adafruit Feather-compatible board using the ESP32-C5.

The timing aligns with stability in software support. The ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 SoC was announced in 2022, but hardware makers awaited stable software. With ESP-IDF v6.0’s release, the ESP32-C5 transitions to “stable” and introduces features like Safe Bootloader OTA updates, offering reliable recovery options if updates fail. This reliability encourages hardware launches for remote deployments and Matter-compatible smart home applications by companies like SparkFun.

SparkFun Thing Plus – ESP32-C5 specifications:

• Wireless module – ESP32-C5-WROOM-1
  • SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C5
    • CPU
      • Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz
      • Low-power RISC-V core @ 40 MHz for power-sensitive applications
    • Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip; 8MB PSRAM
    • Storage – 320 KB ROM, support for external flash
    • Connectivity
      • Dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) 802.11ax WiFi 6, 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 compatibility
      • WiFi modes: Station, SoftAP, SoftAP + Station, promiscuous
      • Bluetooth 5.0 LE with Mesh support, up to 2Mbps data rate
      • 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee 3.0, Thread 1.3, Matter up to 250 Kbps
  • Storage – 8MB SPI flash
  • PCB antenna

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