Introducing ESP32-C6-Bug, a compact yet powerful development board based on the latest Esp32-C6FH4 RISC-V MCU from the ESP32 family. It supports multiple wireless protocols, boasts low power consumption, includes battery support, and is ideal for a wide range of applications.

Supported wireless protocols encompass Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5, Thread, and Zigbee. With its introduction of WiFi-6, which brings new features and optimized energy consumption, the Esp32-C6-Bug empowers the creation of multi-protocol, low-power devices using the Esp32-C6FH4 chip. This compact board neatly fits on a breadboard and features castellated holes for easy integration into other products. Other noteworthy features include an integrated 32.768 kHz RTC oscillator and power consumption as low as 20uA in sleep mode. Esp32-C6-Bug can be programmed using both the Arduino framework and Esp-IDF, with links to examples readily available.

Tested Use-Cases

Esp32-C6-Bug excels in scenarios where low-power functionality or multi-protocol features are required. It’s well-suited for building multi-protocol devices, wearable electronics, protocol bridges, and smart home devices, among other applications.

• Thread to Wi-Fi Bridge: An excellent Espressif example enables access to devices on the Thread network via Wi-Fi using just one Esp32-C6-Bug board. Detailed testing and descriptions can be found in the Esp32-C6-Bug datasheet.

• Zigbee Light Bulbs/Switches: Another outstanding example by Espressif allows the creation of simple Zigbee devices like light bulbs and switches. This example has been thoroughly tested and described in detail in the Esp32-C6-Bug datasheet.

• Zigbee sleepy device: This example uses the Esp32-C6-Bug sleep modes together with Zigbee protocol, which allows battery powered low-power devices with Zigbee connectivity and power consumption as low as 60uA when in sleep mode. For more details refer to the Esp32-C6-Bug datasheet.

Inspiring Potential Use-Cases

• Multi-Protocol USB Dongle (Similar to Home Assistant SkyConnect): The native USB and support for multiple wireless protocols in Esp32-C6-Bug provide the potential to create a USB dongle, granting users access to Wi-Fi/Ble/Thread/Zigbee networks.

• Ethernet Multi-Protocol Bridge: Another possible addition to the wireless functionality is Ethernet. While Esp32-C6 doesn’t have native Ethernet RMII, it does support popular Ethernet chips like W5500 via SPI.

• Esp32-C6-Bug Smart Home Devices: Some developers are already experimenting with Esp32-C6 support in ESPHome, opening up possibilities for smart home devices.

• Small Battery-Powered Devices: Applications like fitness trackers, motion capture systems, BLE speakers, or virtual reality controllers (with a BLE demo provided in the Esp32-C6-Bug datasheet) can benefit from the built-in battery charge/protection support and low-power features of the Esp32-C6FH4 chip.

Features and Specifications

- Chip Features:

• 32-bit RISC-V 160MHz processor
• 32-bit RISC-V 20MHz low-power processor
• 512 MB SRAM, 4MB Flash
• WiFi-6, BLE 5 + IEEE 802.15.4 radio (Zigbee, Thread, etc…)
• 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) radio also supports 802.11b/g/n for backward compatibility
• SPI, UART, I2C, I2S, RMT, TWAI, PWM, SDIO, Motor Control PWM, 12-bit ADC, and a temperature sensor

- Battery features:

• Under-voltage and reverse-polarity protection
• On-board battery charging and level measurement w/ indicator LED
• 20 uA deep sleep power consumption (with Timer wake-up)

- Mechanical features:

• User-controlled LEDs
• External 32.768 kHz RTC oscillator and 40 MHz oscillator
• Reset and user-controlled buttons
• 700 mA low-noise LDO
• USB-C for programming and communication
• 19 GPIOs exposed

- Form-factor:

• Castellated holes
• Pin names on both sides
• Breadboard compatible
• Two M1 mounting holes

Documentation

• Schematics, BOM, datasheet, and 3D model
• Arduino examples directory
• 3D printable enclosure

Interested in This Project?

You can sign up at the top of this page to be notified when the campaign launches and to receive other updates. We work hard to ensure that only useful information is sent out, and you can unsubscribe at any time.