ESP32-S3 Installation Guide
Hardware wiring and first-start instructions for the current OpenRF Platform ESP32-S3 N16R8 reference build. This guide intentionally contains no wiring image: use the pin table below.
Required hardware
- ESP32-S3 N16R8 (16 MB Flash, 8 MB PSRAM)
- One CC1101 module suitable for the frequency band you want to use
- A correctly tuned 433 MHz or 868 MHz antenna
- USB data cable
Power requirement: Power the CC1101 from a regulated 3.3 V supply only. Never connect the CC1101 VCC pin to 5 V. The CC1101 and ESP32-S3 must share a common GND.
CC1101 wiring
| CC1101 | ESP32-S3 N16R8 | Function |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | 3.3 V | Regulated 3.3 V power |
| GND | GND | Common ground |
| SCK | GPIO12 | SPI Clock |
| MISO | GPIO13 | SPI MISO |
| MOSI | GPIO11 | SPI MOSI |
| CSN / CS | GPIO10 | Chip Select |
| GDO0 | GPIO4 | RF GDO0 |
| GDO2 | GPIO5 | RF GDO2 |
v2.0.0-beta.1 uses one active CC1101. A second CC1101 and simultaneous 433 + 868 MHz operation are planned later and are not part of this release.
Build and upload with PlatformIO
- Download or clone the current ESP32-S3 source and open the project folder in Visual Studio Code with PlatformIO.
- Verify that the esp32s3 environment is selected in platformio.ini.
- Run Build.
- Connect the ESP32-S3 by USB and run Upload.
- Run Upload Filesystem Image when installing the WebUI for the first time or when the data/ files have changed.
Release binaries
The v2.0.0-beta.1 GitHub release provides matching ESP32-S3 firmware and LittleFS images. Keep firmware and LittleFS from the same release together.
OpenRF-Platform-v2.0.0-beta.1-ESP32S3-firmware.binOpenRF-Platform-v2.0.0-beta.1-ESP32S3-littlefs.bin
Important: Uploading a filesystem image replaces LittleFS and may erase Wi-Fi, MQTT, Analyzer and slot configuration. Create a Backup first when an existing configuration must be preserved.
First start
- Power on or restart the ESP32-S3 after flashing.
- Connect to the OpenRF-Platform setup Wi-Fi access point.
- Open
192.168.4.1in a browser. - Configure Wi-Fi and MQTT, then save the settings.
- Allow the device to restart and open the IP address assigned by your local network.
- On the Settings page select 433 MHz (433.920 MHz) or 868 MHz (868.350 MHz) to match your CC1101 module and antenna, then restart if requested.
Frequency note: Changing the frequency in software does not retune the antenna or RF matching network. Use hardware designed for the selected band.
ESP8266 users
The original ESP8266 v1.2.0 installation guide is still available unchanged.