The original (classic) ESP32 was launched in 2016 and called WROOM. A variant with extra PSRAM was called WROVER. There are dev boards with a built-in PCB antenna, and boards with an IPX connector to connect a real external antenna for more reach.
ESP32 Types
When you purchase ESP32 dev boards, look for the fine print in the type:
- WROOM-32: First version of ESP32
- WROOM-32D: Revised version of ESP32 with PCB antenna
- WROOM-32E: Same as WROOM-32D but with an IPX antenna jack for connecting an external antenna
- WROVER: Same as WROOM-32 but with additional 4/8 MB pSRAM
- WROVER-B: Same as WROOM-32D but with additional 8MB pSRAM
- WROVER-IB: Same as WROVER-B but with an IPX antenna jack instead of a built-in PCB antenna
ESP32 Pins
When using an ESP32 in projects, one of the most important question is which GPIO pins to use. All ESP32 Types use the same pins, so below list of available general purpose pins applies to all of them.
Not all microcontroller boards expose all pins.
Selecting GPIO
Any ESP32 provides six general purpose GPIO pins that are always safe to use, work as input or output, and support pullup/pulldown resistors.
Then there are an additional four input-only pins that do not support pullup/pulldown.
Five pins are designated for commonly used hardware interfaces (I2C and SPI). They can be used for other purposes if these interfaces are not needed.
A ESP32 can provide a maximum of 15 input pins that are safe to use, and an additional 5 pins that can be used with only moderate limitations.
Finally, there are five more GPIOs that are used by the ESP32 during boot and for serial communications. With care, these pins can also be used.
6 Always-Safe General Purpose GPIOs
Below ESP32 pins are safe to use for whatever purpose. Whether your microcontroller board actually exposes a particular pin depends on the board design.
| GPIO | Label | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | D4 | general purpose input/output GPIO |
| 13 | D13 | general purpose input/output GPIO |
| 14 | D14 | general purpose input/output GPIO |
| 16 | RX2 | general purpose input/output GPIO |
| 17 | TX2 | general purpose input/output GPIO |
| 20 | D20 | general purpose input/output GPIO |
4 Safe Input-Only Pins
The pins below are safe to use for inputs only. These pins do not feature a built-in pullup/pulldown resistor. If you use these, add an external resistor.
| GPIO | Label | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| 34-35 | D34-D35 | input only, no pullup/pulldown resistor |
| 36 | VP | input only, no pullup/pulldown resistor |
| 39 | VN | input only, no pullup/pulldown resistor |
GPIOs 34-36 and 39 do not provide an internal pullup/pulldown-resistor. If you want to use one of these, make sure you add an external resistor to prevent the input from floating when the button is not pressed.
5 Interface Pins
The pins below are used for I2C and SPI communications.
They are not needed in this example, so you are free to use them. If you plan to add components to your project later that require I2C or SPI, then better keep them reserved.
| GPIO | Label | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| 18-19 | D18-D19 | SPI: 18=SCLK, 19=MISO |
| 21-22 | D21-D22 | I2C: 21=SDA, 22=SCL |
| 23 | D23 | SPI: MOSI |
5 Dual-Use Pins
If you need even more inputs, you can safely use the additional five pins listed below - provided you do not push attached buttons while the microcontroller is using these pins for other purposes (see column do not use while…):
| GPIO | Label | Do not use while… |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | D2 | booting. Pin is attached to internal LED (if present) |
| 3 | RX | serial communication (i.e. uploading via serial) |
| 5 | D5 | booting |
| 12 | D12 | booting |
| 15 | D15 | booting |
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(content created Mar 23, 2024 - last updated Jul 02, 2024)