Waveshare has released the ESP32-C5-Pico, a compact development board based on Espressif’s ESP32-C5 SoC in a Raspberry Pi Pico-compatible form factor. It brings dual-band 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, and IEEE 802.15.4 connectivity together with onboard lithium battery charging at a starting price of just $8.99.
Waveshare ESP32-C5-Pico – dual-band Wi-Fi 6 development board
Key Specifications
- SoC: Espressif ESP32-C5 (single-core 32-bit RISC-V, up to 240 MHz)
- Memory: 384 KB SRAM + 16 KB low-power SRAM + 320 KB ROM + 4 MB SPI Flash
- Wireless:
- Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz)
- Bluetooth 5 LE
- IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee 3.0 / Thread)
- GPIO: 20 multifunction GPIOs (Pico-compatible headers) + 7 additional I/O via TCA9554PWR expander
- Interfaces: UART, I2C, SPI, ADC, PWM
- Power: Onboard lithium battery charging circuit + 3.7 V battery connector
- Programming: USB Type-C, ESP-IDF and Arduino IDE support
Waveshare offers four variants: PCB antenna (Pico / Pico-M) or external FPC antenna (Pico-U / Pico-UM), with or without pre-soldered headers.
Why It Matters
Unlike traditional Pico-sized boards that are limited to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, the ESP32-C5-Pico adds 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6 while retaining Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4. This makes it ideal for smart-home, IoT sensors, controllers and gateways in environments where the 2.4 GHz band is congested.
Target Applications
- Smart home and building automation
- IoT sensors and gateways
- Zigbee / Thread devices
- Battery-powered wireless projects
- Prototyping multi-protocol connectivity
Source: Electronics For You