Introduction:

The ESP32-S3-N16R8 uses the ESP32-S3 chip, suitable for IoT application testing
prototypes and actual applications. It is equipped with two USB ports, one is a hardware USB
to serial port (CH343P WCH), and the other is the ESP32-S3 USB port.

This guide will help you quickly get started with the ESP32-S3-N16R8 and provide
detailed information about this development board.

The ESP32-S3-N16R8 is an entry-level development board with a Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® LE

module ESP32-S3-WROOM-1.

Most of the module's pins are exposed on both sides of the development board,
allowing developers to easily connect various peripherals through jumper wires or insert
the development board into a breadboard.

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 1. This is a minimal core board for the ESP32-S3, using Espressif's ESP32-S3
module.

2. The board has a dedicated LDO circuit for wireless functionality, ensuring
sufficient current (power).

3. It is equipped with a WS2812-RGB LED (note: it is not directly controlled by

GPIO).

4. The RST button is for external reset, while the boot button (used with the RST
button) can guide into bootloader mode and act as a user button after reset
(GPIO0).

5. The board has two TYPE-C ports (one is directly connected to USB (GPIO19,
GPIO20), and the other is a USB to serial port). It includes a hardware USB to
serial chip (CH343).

Ensure Correct Driver Installation: Install driver. Double-check if the installation was
successful and that the driver is correctly associated with your board in the Device Manager
(for Windows) or equivalent on your OS. If necessary, try reinstalling the driver from this
link.

Board Connection and Detection:

• Make sure you are using the "COM" marked USB-C port for communication.
• Sometimes, USB cables can be faulty. Try using a different, data-capable USB
cable.
• Ensure that the board is receiving power, check for any indicator LEDs.

Pads:

• RGB LED Interface: If you want to interface the RGB LED, you need to bridge the pads
marked as "RGB." Please note that once this is done, the specific pin (GPIO48) can only be
used to interface the RGB LED.

• IN-OUT Pads: These pads are used to configure the 5V pin as either an input or an output.
When unbridged, it is set as an input, and when bridged, it is set as an output. This
configuration is necessary if you want to use the USB-C connector port "COM" to power the
ESP32 while also having a 5V output on the 5V pin.

• USB-OTG Function: The pads underneath the module marked as "USB-OTG" are used to
enable the USB-OTG function on the "USB" USB-C connector.

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Correct Board Settings in Arduino IDE:

• Open the Arduino IDE.

• Go to Tools -> Board -> ESP32S3 Dev Module.
• Ensure the correct port is selected under Tools -> Port.
• Try uploading a basic blink example to see if the IDE detects the board.

Board Upload Mode: The board should be upload-ready out of the box. However, if it isn't
detected, you might need to put it into download mode manually:

• Hold the BOOT button.

• Press the RESET button while holding BOOT.
• Release the RESET button.
• Release the BOOT button. This sequence should put the board into bootloader
mode.

Alternative Resources and Documentation:

• Check the GitHub repository for any updates or additional instructions: YD-
ESP32-S3 GitHub
• Refer to the datasheet and pinout documentation you can find in the repository
or provided with the board.

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Hardware Overview:

Main
Description
Component

A general-purpose Wi-Fi + low-power Bluetooth MCU module with rich

ESP32-S3- peripheral interfaces, powerful neural network computing, and signal
WROOM-1 processing capabilities, designed for AI and AIoT markets. It uses a PCB
onboard antenna.

5 V to 3.3 V
Power converter with 5 V input and 3.3 V output, 1A current
LDO

All available GPIO pins (except the flash SPI bus) are exposed to pin
Pin Headers
headers on the development board.

USB-to-UART Type-C USB interface used for power supply, firmware flashing, and
Port communication via the onboard USB to UART bridge.

Download button. Press and hold Boot while pressing Reset to enter
Boot Button "firmware download" mode via UART. Can be used as a regular input
button (GPIO0) after startup.

Reset Button Reset button.

ESP32-S3 USB OTG interface, supporting full-speed USB 1.1 standard.

USB Port Used for power supply, firmware flashing, USB communication, and
JTAG debugging.

USB-to-UART
CH343P chip from WCH.
Bridge

RGB LED Addressable RGB LED driven by GPIO48 (WS2812).

Power indicator that lights up when the board is powered, not

PWR LED
controllable by software.

LED on the ESP32-S3 UART TX line that blinks with serial data
TX LED transmission. Can be used as GPIO if the serial function is not needed
(GPIO43).

LED on the ESP32-S3 UART RX line that blinks with serial data reception.
RX LED
Can be used as GPIO if the serial function is not needed (GPIO44).

Notes: For the onboard ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module series (using an 8-line SPI
flash/PSRAM), GPIO35, GPIO36, and GPIO37 are used for internal communication
between the ESP32-S3 chip and SPI flash/PSRAM and are not available for external use.

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Starting Development: Before powering up, ensure the development board is in good
condition.

Power Options: You can power the board using one of the following methods:

1. USB-to-UART port or ESP32-S3 USB port (recommended).

2. 5V and G (GND) pin headers.

3. 3V3 and G (GND) pin headers.

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Pin Headers: The following tables list the names and functions of the pin headers (P1
and P2) on both sides of the development board. The pin names are shown in the YD-
ESP32-S3 front view, and the pin numbers correspond to the development board
schematic (PDF).

P1

No. Name Type Function

1 3V3 P 3.3 V Power

2 3V3 P 3.3 V Power

3 RST I EN

4 4 I/O/T RTC_GPIO4, GPIO4, TOUCH4, ADC1_CH3

5 5 I/O/T RTC_GPIO5, GPIO5, TOUCH5, ADC1_CH4

6 6 I/O/T RTC_GPIO6, GPIO6, TOUCH6, ADC1_CH5

7 7 I/O/T RTC_GPIO7, GPIO7, TOUCH7, ADC1_CH6

8 15 I/O/T RTC_GPIO15, GPIO15, U0RTS, ADC2_CH4, XTAL_32K_P

9 16 I/O/T RTC_GPIO16, GPIO16, U0CTS, ADC2_CH5, XTAL_32K_N

10 17 I/O/T RTC_GPIO17, GPIO17, U1TXD, ADC2_CH6

11 18 I/O/T RTC_GPIO18, GPIO18, U1RXD, ADC2_CH7, CLK_OUT3

12 8 I/O/T RTC_GPIO8, GPIO8, TOUCH8, ADC1_CH7, SUBSPICS1

13 3 I/O/T RTC_GPIO3, GPIO3, TOUCH3, ADC1_CH2

14 46 I/O/T GPIO46

15 9 I/O/T RTC_GPIO9, GPIO9, TOUCH9, ADC1_CH8, FSPIHD, SUBSPIHD

RTC_GPIO10, GPIO10, TOUCH10, ADC1_CH9, FSPICS0, FSPIIO4,

16 10 I/O/T
SUBSPICS0

RTC_GPIO11, GPIO11, TOUCH11, ADC2_CH0, FSPID, FSPIIO5,

17 11 I/O/T
SUBSPID

RTC_GPIO12, GPIO12, TOUCH12, ADC2_CH1, FSPICLK, FSPIIO6,

18 12 I/O/T
SUBSPICLK

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No. Name Type Function

RTC_GPIO13, GPIO13, TOUCH13, ADC2_CH2, FSPIQ, FSPIIO7,

19 13 I/O/T
SUBSPIQ

RTC_GPIO14, GPIO14, TOUCH14, ADC2_CH3, FSPIWP, FSPIDQS,

20 14 I/O/T
SUBSPIWP

21 5V P 5 V Power

22 G G Ground

P2

No. Name Type Function

1 G G Ground

2 TX I/O/T U0TXD, GPIO43, CLK_OUT1

3 RX I/O/T U0RXD, GPIO44, CLK_OUT2

4 1 I/O/T RTC_GPIO1, GPIO1, TOUCH1, ADC1_CH0

5 2 I/O/T RTC_GPIO2, GPIO2, TOUCH2, ADC1_CH1

6 42 I/O/T MTMS, GPIO42

7 41 I/O/T MTDI, GPIO41, CLK_OUT1

8 40 I/O/T MTDO, GPIO40, CLK_OUT2

9 39 I/O/T MTCK, GPIO39, CLK_OUT3, SUBSPICS1

10 38 I/O/T GPIO38, FSPIWP, SUBSPIWP

11 37 I/O/T SPIDQS, GPIO37, FSPIQ, SUBSPIQ

12 36 I/O/T SPIIO7, GPIO36, FSPICLK, SUBSPICLK

13 35 I/O/T SPIIO6, GPIO35, FSPID, SUBSPID

14 0 I/O/T RTC_GPIO0, GPIO0

15 45 I/O/T GPIO45

16 48 I/O/T GPIO48, SPICLK_N, SUBSPICLK_N_DIFF, RGB LED

17 47 I/O/T GPIO47, SPICLK_P, SUBSPICLK_P_DIFF

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No. Name Type Function

18 21 I/O/T RTC_GPIO21, GPIO21

19 20 I/O/T RTC_GPIO20, GPIO20, U1CTS, ADC2_CH9, CLK_OUT1, USB_D+

20 19 I/O/T RTC_GPIO19, GPIO19, U1RTS, ADC2_CH8, CLK_OUT2, USB_D-

21 G G Ground

22 G G Ground

P: Power; I: Input; O: Output; T: Tri-state.

Pin Diagram:

CH340 Chip Driver Official Links:

• [CH340 Chip Driver (English)](http://www.wch-ic.com/products/CH340.html?

ENGLISH)

• [CH340 Chip Driver

(Chinese)](https://www.wch.cn/products/CH340.html?from=list 中文)

Micropython Firmware Download:

Use the flash_download_tool_3.9.2_0 on Windows for ESP32-S3 download and erase

tools. No installation is required; just unzip and use it. Double-click the gear icon, select
ESP32-S3, develop, USART, and follow the instructions. Ensure the start address is 0x00
and check the boxes as shown. If downloading fails, ensure the USB to serial driver is
properly installed first.

Note:

• Do not use Thonny's built-in ESP32 downloader for downloading micropython

firmware to ESP32-S3. It is designed for ESP32, not ESP32-S3, and uses the
incorrect address (0x1000 instead of 0x00 for ESP32-S3).

• Do not use Micropython's official firmware with SPRAM. Use Espressif's flash
tool and our custom firmware with the start address 0x00.

• Ensure CH343 USB-to-serial hardware driver is updated before use.

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For TASMOTA firmware download:

• TASMOTA Documentation

For custom firmware download:

• Espressif Official Site

ESP32-S3 Documentation and Resources:

• Basic information including hardware serial CH343 drivers, YD custom

Micropython firmware, firmware download tools, Micropython IDE, schematics,
and dimensions: YD-ESP32-S3 Resources

Official IDF-C Programming Detailed Documentation:

• ESP32-S3 IDF Documentation

Arduino Programming Documentation:

• Arduino ESP32 Documentation

Micropython Programming Documentation:

• Micropython ESP32 Quick Reference

Flexible Pin Assignment: The various peripheral communication functions (e.g., I2C,
I2S, UART, SPI) can be assigned to any GPIO pin, as detailed in the ESP32 series
documentation.

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Arduino IDE Code:
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>

// Define the pins for the LEDs

#define LED_TX_PIN 43
#define LED_RX_PIN 44
#define RGB_LED_PIN 48

// Define the number of RGB LEDs (assuming 1 WS2812 LED)

#define NUM_RGB_LEDS 1

// Create an instance of the Adafruit_NeoPixel class

Adafruit_NeoPixel rgb_led = Adafruit_NeoPixel(NUM_RGB_LEDS, RGB_LED_PIN, NEO_GRB +
NEO_KHZ800);

void setup() {
// Initialize the serial communication
Serial.begin(115200);

// Initialize the LED pins

pinMode(LED_TX_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED_RX_PIN, OUTPUT);

// Initialize the RGB LED

rgb_led.begin();
rgb_led.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'

// Start a test sequence

Serial.println("Starting LED test sequence...");
}

void loop() {
// Blink the TX LED
digitalWrite(LED_TX_PIN, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED_TX_PIN, LOW);
delay(500);

// Blink the RX LED

digitalWrite(LED_RX_PIN, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED_RX_PIN, LOW);
delay(500);

// Test the RGB LED

testRGBLED();
}

void testRGBLED() {
// Set RGB LED to red
rgb_led.setPixelColor(0, rgb_led.Color(255, 0, 0)); // Red
rgb_led.show();
delay(500);

// Set RGB LED to green

rgb_led.setPixelColor(0, rgb_led.Color(0, 255, 0)); // Green

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 rgb_led.show();
delay(500);

// Set RGB LED to blue

rgb_led.setPixelColor(0, rgb_led.Color(0, 0, 255)); // Blue
rgb_led.show();
delay(500);

// Turn off the RGB LED

rgb_led.setPixelColor(0, rgb_led.Color(0, 0, 0)); // Off
rgb_led.show();
delay(500);
}

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