ESP32-M1: Long Range Wi-Fi Radio

At Bison Science, we are proud of the innovative projects we have worked on. Our standout projects is the ESP32-M1 Reach Out, which combines the cutting-edge ESP32 module with our expertise in long-range Wi-Fi communication. This development board is designed to long range Wi-Fi wireless communication and is a true testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of tech design specially in IOT sector.

Overview

ESP32-M1 Reach Out takes everything you love about the ESP32 module and combines it with everything we know about long-range Wi-Fi communication. There are very few development boards in the high-power Wi-Fi radio market, and nearly all of them max out at 20 dBm transmit power. ESP32-M1 Reach Out is able to transmit at 30 dBm (1 W) conducted, all while drawing power from the USB 3.0 port on your laptop or power bank.

Regulation of ISM-band communication equipment in the United States (under FCC 15.247) allows up to 36 dBm (4 W) of EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) for point-to-multipoint links and even higher EIRP for point-to-point links. The 30 dBm (1W) conducted power of ESP32-M1 Reach Out is also permitted in certain European, Asian, South American, and North American countries—as well as in New Zealand. And if you are subject to the limitations put in place by other jurisdictions, you can adjust the board’s transmit power through the ESP32 module or reduce it even further using an on-board RF attenuator.

Design

Our core ESP32 dev board provides 18 GPIOs, three different externally-accessible voltage outputs (3V3, 4V9, and USB), a USB bridge, external digital interfaces, external antenna connectors, and a high-power radio front end for Wi-Fi—all in a very compact form factor. The ESP32 module at its core is powered by 3V3 LDO and its RFFE is powered by 4V9 LDO.

Features & Specifications

MCU

  • ESP32-D0WDQ6 RF System on Chip (SoC)
  • 240 MHz MCU
  • CP2102 USB Serial Bridge (USB-to-UART converter)
  • 32 Mbit Flash
  • Reset button
  • One user-definable button

Radio Communication

  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.2 Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
  • QPF4219 PA (Power Amplifier) and LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) Wi-Fi RF front end (RFFE) from Qorvo
    • 33 dB PA gain
    • 15 dB LNA gain
  • Wi-Fi transmit output power is adjustable from 21 to 30 dBm (1 W) conducted
  • Wi-Fi front end bypass mode can be activated by disabling the Wi-Fi RFFE
    • Provides RF power from 1.7 dBm to 16 dBm (comparable to an ESP32 Dev Kit)
    • lowers current consumption, facilitates running existing code, and can reduce power transmission
    • In this mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth share the same antenna port
  • RF Switch toggles between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Two RP-SMA antenna connectors for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth

Interfaces & Peripherals

  • UART, I²C, I²S, and SPI
  • 12-Bit ADC
  • PWM
  • 16 accessible GPIOs
  • 2 accessible input-only IOs

Input Power

  • USB +5 V, at approximately 770 mA, supports using the high-power Wi-Fi front end to transmit at 27 dBm (0.5 W)
  • USB +5 V, at less than 330 mA, supports Wi-Fi (with RFFE disabled), Bluetooth, BLE, and general operation

Output Power

  • +3.3 V
  • +4.9 V
  • USB Voltage

Dimensions

  • Board: 6 cm x 4 cm
  • Heat Sink: Footprints for two 22 x 22 mm heat sinks