How many ESP32 series currently exist?

Currently, the Espressif ecosystem features 12 primary series: classic ESP32, ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3, ESP32-S31, ESP32-C2, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C5, ESP32-C6, ESP32-C61, ESP32-P4, ESP32-H2, and ESP32-H4.

What are the latest series from Espressif?

The newest series include the ESP32-P4 (high-performance dual-core RISC-V at 400 MHz), the ESP32-C5 (first dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi chip from Espressif), and the ESP32-C61 (cost-effective Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 6).

RISC-V single-core 32-bit (HP) + RISC-V single-core (LP)

ESP32-C6

Advanced security features, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, Zigbee and Thread with Matter support

Official datasheet Programming guide Technical reference manual

Processor: Single-core; Up to 160 MHz
SRAM: 512 KB; + 16 KB RTC SRAM
GPIO: 30; programmable pins
Architecture: RISC-V; RISC-V single-core 32-bit (HP) + RISC-V single-core (LP)

Official development kit

Official Espressif board for the ESP32-C6 series.

Pins with usage restrictions

Not every pin on the ESP32-C6 is free for general-purpose use. 18 of them have conditions: occupied by memory, sampled during boot, or function as input only. Check before finalizing your schematic.

Connected to flash/PSRAM memory

6 pins

SPICS0 · GPIO24
SPIQ · GPIO25
SPIWP · GPIO26
SPIHD · GPIO28
SPICLK · GPIO29
SPID · GPIO30

Already connected to the memory where firmware is stored and executed. Using them as general-purpose GPIO typically crashes the chip or corrupts execution. In modules with internal flash, they are not brought out to the package pins.

Strapping pins (boot mode)

3 pins

GPIO8
GPIO9
GPIO15

The chip samples the logic level of these pins during reset to determine the boot mode. You can use them after booting, but external circuitry must not force the wrong level during reset, or the board will fail to boot or enter download mode unexpectedly.

Flashing and debugging

6 pins

MTMS · GPIO4
MTDI · GPIO5
MTCK · GPIO6
MTDO · GPIO7
U0TXD · GPIO16
U0RXD · GPIO17

These are the flashing UART and JTAG lines. They can still be used as GPIO, but reusing them removes the ability to flash and debug the board without disconnecting connected peripherals.

Native USB

2 pins

GPIO12
GPIO13

Connected by default to the internal USB Serial/JTAG controller. Using them as GPIO requires disabling this peripheral, which also removes direct USB flashing.

Must not float

1 pin

CHIP_PU

Require a defined hardware logic level: external pull-up or RC delay circuit. Leaving them floating causes random resets or unstable boot behavior.

These groups are derived from the same data as the pinout diagram. There you can see every pin's full functions, power domain, and complete engineering notes.

Open pinout diagram

Processor

Architecture: RISC-V single-core 32-bit (HP) + RISC-V single-core (LP)
Cores: 1 (Single-core HP) + 1 (Single-core LP)
Frequency: Up to 160 MHz
ULP Coprocessor: Yes (RISC-V, 20 MHz LP CPU)
AI Accelerators: No

Connectivity

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5 (LE) (Bluetooth 5.3 certified)
Zigbee/Thread: IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee 3.0, Thread 1.3)
Matter: Yes
Ethernet: No
CAN: No

Tools and availability

Minimum ESP-IDF: v5.1
Arduino Core: Yes (21 board definitions in official core)
Debugging: Integrated JTAG via USB (no external probe required)
Package: QFN40 (5×5 mm) and QFN32 (5×5 mm)
Available Modules: ESP32-C6-MINI-1, ESP32-C6-WROOM-1

Security

AES: AES-128/256
SHA: SHA-1/224/256
RSA / MPI: Yes (RSA/MPI up to 3072 bits)
ECC (elliptic curves): Yes (P-192, P-256)
Hardware ECDSA: No
HMAC: Yes
Digital Signature (DS): Yes
Key Manager: No
Random Generator (TRNG): Yes (hardware TRNG)
Flash Encryption: XTS-AES-128
Secure Boot: V2 (RSA-3072 or ECDSA)
DPA Protection: Yes

Memory

SRAM: 512 KB
RTC SRAM: 16 KB
ROM: 320 KB
External Flash: Up to 16 MB via QSPI
External PSRAM: No

Power consumption

Typical values at 3.3 V and 25 °C. Actual power consumption depends on radio duty cycle and configured clock frequency.

Active (Wi-Fi 6): 252-354 mA (TX)
Light Sleep: 35-180 µA
Deep Sleep: 7 µA

Peripherals

GPIO: 30
ADC: 1x 12-bit SAR ADC, up to 7 channels
DAC: No
Touch: No
UART: 3 (2 UART + 1 LP UART)
SPI: 3
I2C: 2 (1 I2C + 1 LP I2C)
I2S: 1
PWM: LED PWM (up to 6 channels), Motor PWM
USB: 1 (USB Serial/JTAG)

Special interfaces

SDIO: 1 (SDIO 2.0 Slave)
Temperature Sensor: 1 (internal)

Temperature limits

Operating: -40°C to 105°C
Storage: -40°C to 150°C

Ready to prototype with ESP32-C6?

Explore development boards available for this series, with USB, onboard sensors, and official store links.

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