Thomas McKahan
Microcontroller Boards
Wi-Fi
KiCad

Obsidian ESP32

An ESP32 in a Raspberry Pi Form Factor

$3,585 raised

of $1,300 goal

275% Funded! Order Below

Limited items in stock. Order below.

$25 - $60

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An ESP32-based Board in Raspberry Pi Form Factor

Obsidian ESP32 is an Espressif ESP32-based board in the familiar form factor of popular single board computers like Raspberry Pi. This allows you to use a wide variety of ready-made Raspberry Pi peripherals (or other peripherals) with the Arduino IDE, Espressif IDF, or MicroPython. The Raspberry Pi form factor also allows you to use cases and accessories that are already on the market. And you can do it all with low power consumption.

Latest Obsidian prototype.

Compatible with Espressif Arduino and MicroPython

Leveraging the strong open source software community around the ESP32, Obsidian ESP32 is compatible with the published Espressif Arduino core and MicroPython, as well as the Espressif IDF.

Low-power, Real-time Alternative

Obsidian ESP32 consumes significantly lower power than typical Linux single-board computers because it uses a microcontroller running either user code on bare hardware or via a real-time operating system. This allows for a longer battery life and reduced operating energy footprint overall. It shares the form-factor with the popular Raspberry Pi and countless other single board computers, so the end-user can rest easy knowing their project has the flexibility to be easily ported to or from a Linux SBC as the need arises.

Open Source Board Designed with Open Source Tools

The Obsidian ESP32 was proudly designed in KiCad and its design files will be released under the CERN OHL v1.2.

Features

Board Layout

A. Dual 3.3 V regulators for ESP32 and GPIO
B. ESP32-WROVER-B - 16 MB Flash
C. MicroUSB for power and programming
D. Analog inputs connecting to the ESP32’s SENSOR_VP and SENSOR_VN pins
E. TRS jack connected to ESP32 DACs
F. Remaining GPIO from I²C GPIO expander
G. Boot option and reset buttons
H. Address selection for I²C GPIO expander on "ID" line
G. 40-pin GPIO

40-Pin GPIO Connector

The high-speed GPIO interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART, I²S) are all directly controlled by the associated ESP32 peripherals. The remaining GPIO that could not be filled by the ESP32 directly are controlled through an I²C IO expander.

Pinout

Stylish 3D-printed Case

Custom-made for Obsidian ESP32, the cases are constructed of a carbon-fiber reinforced nylon by a small company north of Detroit. The board fits snugly inside, while openings allow access to the GPIO. The case will come wth four screws and adhesive rubber bumper feet.

Comparisons

Obsidian ESP32 ESP-WROVER-KITGeneric ESP32 Dev BoardArduino Uno Wi-Fi Rev 2
ModuleESP32-WROVER-B ESP32-WROVER-BESP32 moduleATMEGA4809
RAM64 MBit PSRAM 64 MBit PSRAMDepends on board6144 Bytes
Flash16 MB up to 16 MBup to 16 MB48 KB
Form FactorRPi A UniqueDual In-line PackageArduino Uno
Available expansion boardsMany (RPi compatible) FewNon-standard modulesArduino shields
Case AvailableYes (RPi and 3D-printed) NoNoYes (assorted)
ScreenAvailable via HAT Included, fixed to boardNo provisionAvailable shield
AudioOn-board TRS and I²S HAT No provisionNo ProvisionNo ProvisionOn-board TRS and I²S HAT
Power ConsumptionLow LowLowLowHigh
Open SourceFull HW + SW SW + SchematicSW + SchematicFull HW + SW
Price$35 $40$4 to $20$45

More Resources

The Obsidian ESP32 is designed to be a bridge between the microcontroller and single board computer worlds. Using MicroPython and the Arduino IDE allows for a lot of pre-existing projects to be easily ported to this specific board with minimal effort.

Obsidian ESP32 render.

Manufacturing and Delivery

The Obsidian ESP32 will be manufactured by PCBWay and shipped to Michigan. There, they will be individually electrically tested and loaded with MicroPython before being distributed to backers by Crowd Supply. You can learn more about Crowd Supply’s shipping process in the Crowd Supply Guide. Be sure to keep your shipping address updated in your Crowd Supply account.

Risks and Challenges

As with any venture, some risks are involved. The design is very stable at this point, so the risks are primarily in sourcing and logistics. The quality yield from PCBWay for this board is not entirely known (for example: how many PPM will have damage to soft plastic components like the TRS jack after running through the reflow oven, any cold joints/shorts on the fine pitch components, etc.) If the rate is too high, there would be a delay in delivery if a second batch needed to be ordered. A second risk is any shortage of components or delays in shipping/customs/etc. Delays will be communicated clearly and promptly with backers through updates to the project.

In the Press

Geeky Gadgets

"The Obsidian ESP32 offer[s] a footprint compatible with Raspberry Pi cases and can be used with ready-made Raspberry Pi peripherals as well as supporting Arduino IDE, Espressif IDF, or MicroPython"

MickMake

"It should be fairly simple just to port a lot of the code over to this ESP32-based board."

industriaembebidahoy

"Guardando compatibilidad de forma y conectores con la Raspberry Pi, esta placa ESP32 puede utilizar los periféricos pensados y desarrollados para la popular plataforma de placas de desarrollo, presentando ventajas frente a esta."

Hackster News

"The main benefit here is that you can use HATs designed for a Pi with the ESP32. That means you can combine real-time access with the low-power consumption of the ESP32."


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Produced by Thomas McKahan in Detroit, Michigan.

Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.

Obsidian ESP32 Without Module

Obsidian board without the ESP32 module so you can build the board out to fit your needs.

$25 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Obsidian ESP32 With WROVER Module

One Obsidian ESP32 board

$35 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

Obsidian ESP32 with Case

One Obsidian ESP32 board plus a custom 3D printed carbon fiber reinforced nylon case

$60 $8 US Shipping / $18 Worldwide

About the Team

Thomas McKahan

Detroit, Michigan  ·   singleboardsolutions.com

Thomas is a long-time software and hardware tinkerer, beginning with Apple BASIC and 555 timers and working up to embedded Linux and system design. Having started out during a time where hardware was more difficult to obtain, the current open-source community is a breath of fresh air.

Thomas McKahan
Creator
 tonymac32

See Also

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