Table of Contents
ESP32-S3 Practical Development Board. The Practical S3 Development Board uses the ESP32-S3 chip, equipped with 16MB FLASH, 8MB PSRAM, integrated GC0308 camera, 2-inch IPS screen, capacitive touch screen, and dual audio chips. It includes a 6D sensor, expansion interface, TF card slot, USB-HUB, and supports AI.
There are many ways to develop with ESP32, such as Arduino, MicroPython, and ESP-IDF. This manual explains development using Espressif’s official ESP-IDF method, which requires some knowledge of C or C++ programming languages. Additionally, since ESP-IDF uses the FreeRTOS operating system, experience with FreeRTOS is necessary. If you lack a background in C and FreeRTOS but still wish to learn about ESP32 through this tutorial, you can refer to relevant learning materials to address any foundational issues in C and FreeRTOS that you encounter.
Schematic ESP32-S3 practical Dev Board TFT LCD sensor camera


Interface Power Supply

Compared to traditional development boards, the Practical Development Board is closer in appearance to an actual product. It can be used not only as a fully functional development board but also as an actual product in work and daily life. Currently, there are two versions of the Practical Development Board.
This development board almost encompasses all achievable functions of the ESP32-S3, maximizing its performance. It features color display (2-inch), complete audio input (2 microphones) and output (speaker) functions. Combined with its integrated motion sensor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, as well as AI image recognition and voice recognition functions, it enables the creation of more practical and interesting IoT applications. Two expansion interfaces are reserved for connecting additional external sensor modules and actuators. The development board is compact (69x41x14mm) and features a screwless design for easy opening and installation without tools like screwdrivers, facilitating learning about hardware and structural knowledge.
Next up is the preparation work before development: first introducing the hardware of the development board, followed by setting up the development environment.
Category | Model | Parameters |
---|---|---|
Module | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 | Equipped with Xtensa® 32-bit LX7 dual-core processor, with a main frequency of up to 240 MHz, built-in 512kB SRAM, external 8MB PSRAM, external 16MB FLASH, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) with 40MHz bandwidth, Bluetooth 5 (LE) and Bluetooth Mesh, integrated AI vector instructions to accelerate neural network computation and signal processing. |
Display | ST7789 | 2.0-inch, IPS full-view angle, resolution of 320*240, SPI interface |
Touch Screen | FT6336 | Capacitive touch, I2C interface |
Attitude Sensor | QMI8658 | Three-axis accelerometer + three-axis gyroscope, I2C interface |
Audio DAC | ES8311 | Single channel, I2C interface |
Audio ADC | ES7210 | Four channels (three channels used on the development board), I2C interface |
Audio Amplifier | NS4150B | Mono D-class audio amplifier |
Microphone | ZTS6216 | Dual microphone setup, analog output |
Speaker | DB1811AB50 | 1811 sound chamber speaker, 1W |
USB HUB | CH334F | USB2.0 HUB |
USB to Serial | CH340K | Maximum baud rate of 2Mbps |
Power Chip | SY8088AAC | Provides dual outputs, each with 1A |
GH1.25 Interface | Two external sensor interfaces that can supply power to external sensors at 5V and 3.3V; can be used as GPIO, CAN, I2C, UART, PWM interfaces | |
TF Card Interface | Connects to ESP32 using 1-SD mode | |
Type-C Interface | Used for power supply, program download, program debugging, and USB data communication | |
Buttons | One reset button and one user-defined button |
- The development board’s main control chip is the ESP32-S3, utilizing the Espressif ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 module, with a FLASH capacity of 16MB and PSRAM capacity of 8MB.
- In terms of display, it integrates a camera and an LCD screen. The camera model is GC0308 with 300,000 pixels. The LCD screen is a 2.0-inch IPS high-definition color display, suitable for various display applications. The capacitive touch screen allows for finger-controlled applications.
- For audio, the board integrates audio chips ES7210 and ES8311, with dual microphone input, hardware echo cancellation, and a 1W speaker for sound output.
- Regarding sensors, it includes a 6D attitude sensor QMI8658, which can be used to detect the board’s posture.
- There are two expansion interfaces: one I2C interface and one multifunctional interface. The I2C interface can connect to external sensors that support I2C communication. The multifunctional interface exposes two GPIO pins from the ESP32, which can be used as general GPIOs or configured as serial ports, I2C ports, CAN ports, PWM ports, etc.
- The board integrates a TF card interface using a 1-SD mode connection.
- The development board includes a USB-HUB chip that connects to the ESP32’s serial and USB ports. Through a TYPE-C interface, a single data cable can handle power supply, downloading, data observation, and USB device communication applications.
- The board has dual power supplies; the MCU circuit and audio circuit are powered independently.
- There is one reset button and one user-defined button.
- The ESP32-S3 has certain AI capabilities, enabling voice recognition and image recognition. Combined with the ESP32-S3’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features, the development board can be used for many interesting applications.
Circuit Introduction
The development board uses the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 module. Below is the schematic of the module. The module already integrates the ESP32-S3 chip, FLASH chip, peripheral circuits, and antenna, making schematic design relatively simple here.
The network label names for pins use the format GPIO number + peripheral function. This naming method is beneficial because it allows you to understand the pin’s purpose and its GPIO number at a glance, which is very programming-friendly.
Pin IO46 must be at a low level in download mode; otherwise, programs cannot be downloaded. A pull-down resistor is connected to IO46 to ensure it remains low when uncontrolled. When designing circuits using IO46 connected to other chips, ensure that these chips default to high impedance or maintain low levels when powered on.
The module uses an eight-wire PSRAM chip; pins IO35, 36, and 37 are already used by PSRAM and cannot be used otherwise.

Below is the USB-HUB circuit. The CH334F is a four-port USB hub chip with four USB2.0 downstream interfaces; we only use two downstream interfaces here. The TYPE-C port on the development board connects to the upstream interface of the chip (USB_D+ and USB_D- in the diagram). Downstream interface D4 connects to a USB-to-serial chip; downstream interface D3 connects to the ESP32’s USB-OTG interface.
The HUB chip does not require drivers and can be automatically recognized on WIN10 and Linux systems.

Below is the USB-to-serial circuit connected to ESP32’s serial port 0, enabling automatic program download and serial terminal debugging functions. The USB-to-serial chip uses CH340K and requires driver installation for use.

Below is the button circuit with two buttons: one reset button and one user button. The reset button restarts the microcontroller. The user button can achieve custom functions. Without the previous automatic download circuit, program downloading requires pressing and holding the BOOT button before pressing RESET to start downloading. Since BOOT and RESET are controlled by automatic download circuitry, BOOT here acts as a user button for custom input functions.

Below is the LCD screen and touch screen interface circuit. The LCD uses SPI communication mode; the touch screen uses I2C communication mode. The LCD supports program-controlled backlight on/off and PWM brightness adjustment.

Below is the camera interface using a BTB connector; the camera model is GC0308 powered by a single 2.8V supply.


The audio circuit consists of ADC input (MIC) and DAC output (speaker).
Below is the audio ADC circuit with ES7210 audio chip supporting four MIC inputs; we use three here: two connect to MICs and one connects to DAC output for echo cancellation.


Below is the audio DAC circuit with ES8310 chip supporting both ADC and DAC; we only use its audio output here without MIC input functionality. Its output goes to two places: ES7210’s MIC3 input and an audio amplifier output.

Below is the audio amplifier output circuit with NS4150B chip model; PA_EN pin defaults low to disable speaker output.

Below is the dual power supply circuit; AU_3V3 powers audio circuits while other circuits use 3V3 supply.

Below is an attitude sensor circuit allowing intelligent projects like detecting if held or upright/flat positioning during motion or rest phases using integrated attitude sensor on development board.

The diagram below shows the circuit of the IO expansion chip. This expansion chip uses an I2C interface and can expand 8 IO channels, but we are only using 3 here. LCD_CS controls the LCD screen, PA_EN controls the audio amplifier switch, and DVP_PWDN controls the camera switch. Therefore, if your application needs to use the LCD screen, audio output, or camera, you must first activate the IO expansion driver.

The diagram below shows the TF card interface circuit. The TF card communicates with the ESP32 using 1-SD mode, requiring only the CMD, CLK, and DAT0 pins. Although the other data pins are not used for communication, they still need to be equipped with ESD protection chips to prevent damage to the TF card during insertion and removal. Additionally, the DAT3 pin should be connected to a pull-up resistor because when DAT3 is at a high level, the TF card operates in SD mode, and when it is at a low level, it operates in SPI mode. Here, we need it to operate in SD mode.

The image below shows the external expansion interface circuit. The development board has two expansion interfaces: one is an I2C interface, and the other is a multifunctional custom interface. They use 5-pin GH connectors and can output 3.3V and 5V to power external sensors. The I2C interface is shared with the attitude sensor, capacitive touch screen, and audio chip, so it can only be used as an I2C interface and should not be repurposed for other functions. The other multifunctional interface exposes GPIO10 and GPIO11, which can be used as regular GPIOs or repurposed as a serial port, I2C port, CAN port, PWM port, etc.

BOM ESP32-S3 practical Dev Board TFT LCD sensor camera
Parts | Value | Description | Quantity |
---|---|---|---|
Resistors | |||
R1,R2,R3,R5,R13,R14,R15,R16,R19,R21,R25, R26,R27,R40 |
10kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 14 |
R4,R6,R23 | 1kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 3 |
R7,R8,R9,R10 | 51kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 4 |
R11,R12 | 5.1kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 2 |
R17,R22 | 680kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 2 |
R18,R24 | 150kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 2 |
R20 | 10Ω | R0402 – SMD resistor | 1 |
R28,R29,R30,R31,R32,R33,R34,R35,R38,R39, R41,R44,R45,R46,R47,R48,R49,R50,R51,R52 |
0Ω | R0402 – SMD resistor | 20 |
R36 | 51Ω | R0402 – SMD resistor | 1 |
R37 | 0Ω(NC) | R0402 – SMD resistor | 1 |
R42,R43 | 100kΩ | R0402 – SMD resistor | 2 |
Capacitors | |||
C1,C2,C8,C9 | NFM18PC104R1C3D | 100nF ±20% 30mΩ SMD-3P,0.8×1.6mm Feed Through Capacitor | 4 |
C3,C4,C6,C10,C11,C12,C13,C15,C17,C18,C19, C21,C23,C25,C29,C31,C33,C50,C51,C56,C57, C72,C73,C80,C83 |
100nF | C0402 – SMD capacitor | 25 |
C5,C14,C16,C20,C28,C81,C84 | 10uF | C0402 – SMD capacitor | 7 |
C7,C26,C27,C34,C35,C36,C37,C38,C39, C40,C41,C42,C43,C44,C45,C46,C47,C48,C49, C52,C55,C58,C59,C60,C61,C65,C66,C74,C79 |
1uF | C0402 – SMD capacitor | 29 |
C22,C30,C53,C54,C62,C63,C64,C67,C68,C69, C77,C78,C82,C85 |
22pF | C0402 – SMD capacitor | 14 |
C24,C32 | 10uF | C0603 – SMD capacitor | 2 |
C70,C71 | 1nF | C0402 – SMD capacitor | 2 |
C75,C76 | 22uF | C0603 – SMD capacitor | 2 |
Semiconductors | |||
D1,D2,D3,D4,D5,D6,D7,D8,D9,D10,D11,D12,D13 | RCLAMP0521T-ES | 4A 80W 6V Bidirectional 5V DFN1006-2L ESD and Surge Protection (TVS/ESD) |
13 |
MIC1,MIC2 | ZTS6216 | Omni-directional -38dB 100Ω 65dB SMD-4P,1.9×2.8mm MEMS Microphone | 2 |
Q1 | LMBT3904DW1T1G | 40V 150mW 200mA NPN SC-88 Bipolar (BJT) | 1 |
Q2 | SI2301CDS-T1-GE3-ES | 20V 1.3A 800mW 82mΩ P-Channel SOT-23 MOSFET | 1 |
U1 | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 | SMD,18×25.5mm module | 1 |
U2 | PCA9557PW,118 | 8 400kHz TSSOP-16 I/O Expander | 1 |
U3 | QMI8658A | LGA-14 Accelerometer | 1 |
U4 | CH340K | 2Mbps USB to serial USB 2.0 ESSOP-10-150mil USB Converter | 1 |
U5 | CH334F | QFN-24(4×4) USB HUB Controller | 1 |
U6,U8 | SY8088AAC | Step-down type Fixed 3.3V 1A SOT-23-5 DC-DC Converter | 2 |
U7 | ME6211C28M5G-N | 450mA Fixed 2.8V Positive SOT-23-5 Voltage Regulators Linear Low Drop Out (LDO) |
1 |
U9 | ES8311 | WQFN-20 – Low Power Mono Audio CODEC | 1 |
U10 | ES7210 | QFN-32 – High Performance Four Channels Audio ADC | 1 |
U11 | NS4150B | 3W Class D Amplifier MSOP-8 Audio Amplifier | 1 |
Miscellaneous | |||
F1 | BSMD0603L-100 | F0603 – 6V 1A 0603 Resettable Fuse | 1 |
J1,J2 | HC-GH-5PWT | 1x5P 1.25mm Horizontal attachment SMD connector | 2 |
J3 | TF PUSH | 2mm Card Slot MicroSD card (TF card) Self-bouncing SMD SD Card connector |
1 |
J4 | AFC34-S10FIA-00 | 10P Dual-sided contacts / top and bottom connection Horizontal attachment 0.5mm SMD FFC FPC (Flat Flexible) Connector |
1 |
J5 | AFC34-S06FIA-00 | 6P Dual-sided contacts / top and bottom connection Horizontal attachment 0.5mm SMD FFC FPC (Flat Flexible) Connector |
1 |
J6 | AXK724147G | 0.4mm 2x24P Standing paste SMD,P=0.4mm Board-to-Board and Backplane Connector |
1 |
J7 | X9821WRS-02-9TSN | 1x2P 1.25mm SMD Right Angle Wire To Board Connector | 1 |
L1 | UPZ1608U221-2R2TF | 50mΩ 220Ω@100MHz 0603 Ferrite Bead | 1 |
SW1,SW2 | TS-1010-C-A | 4.7mm 3.5mm Rectangle button Horizontal attachment SPST SMD Tactile Switch |
2 |
L2,L3 | 2.2uH | 3A 2.2uH SMD,2.5×2.0x1.2mm Power Inductor | 2 |
USB1 | TYPEC-304-ACP16 | 3A 16P Type-C SMD USB Connector | 1 |
X1 | 12MHz | 12MHz SMD3225-4P Crystal | 1 |
Download files, links, and notes
- Download PCB in Gerber + BOM + Centroid file +3D case + examples code
- BUY ESP32-S3 Development Board
- BUY ESP32-S3 chip
- Download Files for ESP32-C3 Development Board PASS: lckf
- Wiki for ESP32-C3 Development Board – In Chinese use translator
- Download ESP-IDF Software
- Download Visual Studio Code (VSCode)
- Download CH340K driver update 2024 Windows
- Download CH340K driver update 2024 Linux
- Download CH340K driver update 2024 MAC
- Download CH340K driver update 2024 Android
- Download PDF datasheet RCLAMP0521T-ES
- Download PDF datasheet ZTS6216
- Download PDF datasheet LMBT3904DW1T1G
- Download PDF datasheet SI2301
- Download PDF datasheet ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8
- Download PDF datasheet PCA9557
- Download PDF datasheet CH340K
- Download PDF datasheet CH334F
- Download PDF datasheet SY8088
- Download PDF datasheet ME ME6211
- Download PDF datasheet ES8311
- Download PDF datasheet ES7210
- Download PDF datasheet NS4150B
- Download PDF datasheet NS4150B
Source https://oshwhub.com/li-chuang-kai-fa-ban/li-chuang-shi-zhan-pai-esp32-s3-kai-fa-ban