Since we released the Wio Tracker 1110 Dev Kit and SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from the community to include a smaller, more affordable Meshtastic powered product. And our answer is the XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa. Sized as small as your thumb, and priced at only $9.9, it‘s the smallest dev kit for prototyping your first Meshtastic and LoRa/LoRaWAN projects.

XIAO ESP32S3 + Semtech SX1262 LoRa

Featuring the powerful thumb-sized XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Board and a Wio-SX1262 Extension Board, the XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Kit for Meshtastic & LoRa is a super mini LoRa dev kit supporting LoRa (862-930MHz) with a 5km LoRa range. It also supports WiFi, BLE for wireless communication with a range of 100m+. Built on the XIAO ESP32S3, the kit comes with a built-in power management systems, and can be expanded via IIC, UART, and other GPIO interfaces. Compatible with Arduino IDE, it’s available for pre-order now at $9.9, with an estimated shipping in November, 2024.

Key Features of XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic and LoRa Dev Kit

• Meshtactic works out of the box: Pre-flashed with Meshtastic firmware, it is ready to work once powered on.
• Outstanding RF performance: Supports LoRa(862-930MHz) 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and BLE 5.0 dual wireless communication, support 2~5km(LoRa) and 100m+(Wi-Fi/BLE) remote communication when connected with U.FL antenna.
• Thumb-sized Compact Design: 21 x 18mm, adopting the classic form factor of Seeed Studio XIAO, suitable for space-limited projects.
• Powerful MCU Board: Incorporate the ESP32S3 32-bit, dual-core, Xtensa processor running at up to 240MHz, mounted multiple development ports, Arduino / MicroPython supported.
• Elaborate Power Design: Includes a Type-C USB interface and lithium battery charge management.
• Same Hardware for Multiple Applications: Can be developed as a Meshtastic node or router, a single-channel LoRaWAN gateway, or a LoRa & LoRaWAN sensor.

Applications of XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa

1.  Tap into Meshtastic for Off-Grid Communication

Meshtastic is an open-source, off-grid, decentralized LoRa mesh network designed for affordable, low-power devices. This XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Kit offers a flexible and cost-effective solution for Meshtastic developers. You can build a Meshtastic device at an affordable price and use it as an emergency communication tool, similar to the SenseCAP T1000-E, but simpler in function. Moreover, thanks to the amazing Seeed Studio XIAO Product Ecosystem, it’s compatible with the XIAO Expansion Board and the Grove Expansion Board for adding screens, sensors, and over 300+ Grove modules, allowing you to customize your unique Meshtastic devices. You can even design your own casing.

2.  Configure It as a LoRa/LoRaWAN Sensor Node

It can be set up as a LoRa node, enabling the XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Kit to connect with various sensors and transmit data using LoRaWAN. This offers flexibility for different applications, like home automation. Essentially, the XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Kit can serve as a data collection and transmission node, allowing for communication and control among smart home devices.

3.  The Most Cost-Effective Single-Channel LoRa/LoRaWAN Gateway

Thanks to the powerful Semtech SX1262 LoRa Chip, you can turn it into a single-channel gateway, making it the most cost effective single-channel LoRaWAN gateway in the world. It receives LoRa packets on a specific setting and share them with the LoRaWAN network. By using the XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Kit, you can set it up to connect to The Things Network or Chripstack. This kit is great for those who want to learn about LoRa technology and connect to a LoRa Network Server (LNS).

Some Useful Links

Here are some guides for you to get started:

1. Get Started for Meshtastic
2. Get Started for LoRa
3. Connect to TTN
4. Connect to Chripstack

Pre-Order Now at $9.9

Available for pre-order now at just $9.9, the XIAO ESP32S3 Dev Kit is one of our solutions to provide the community more affordable and flexible products for you to build your LoRa-based IoT projects. Stay tuned for more updates on our Meshtastic-powered and LoRaWAN products. If you have any ideas or suggestions about our Meshtastic-compatible products, feel free to share them in the comments!

The post Introducing XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic, The Smallest LoRa Dev Kit in The World appeared first on Latest Open Tech From Seeed.

Hey community, we are excited to announce that three of our powerful XIAO ESP32 development boards are now fully integrated with Wokwi, the popular online electronics simulator! You can now experiment, test, prototype and build projects virtually with the XIAO ESP32C6, XIAO ESP32S3, and XIAO ESP32C3 directly from your browser. A big shout-out to Uri Shaked, Founder and Creator of Wokwi, for making this happen.

What is Wokwi?

Wokwi is an innovative online electronics simulator that supports a wide variety of microcontrollers, sensors, and peripherals. Whether you’re working with an Arduino, ESP32, STM32, or other popular boards, Wokwi gives you a fast and easy way to design and test embedded projects – all from the convenience of your browser.

Key Benefits of Wokwi:

• • Start instantly: No need for downloading complex software or waiting for hardware.
  • Learn by experimenting: Mistakes won’t fry your components – experiment freely without fear!
  • Debug with confidence: With Wokwi’s virtual logic analyzer, WiFi simulation, and GDB debugging, you can tackle both hardware and software challenges.
  • Share your work easily: A simple link to your Wokwi project is all you need to get feedback from the community.
  • Unlimited parts: No more scouring for hardware – use as many virtual components as you need without worrying about cost or availability.

Wokwi is free to use and perfect for beginners and experienced developers alike. For professional users, the Wokwi Club offers access to advanced features and lets you shape the platform’s future.

Integration of 3 XIAO ESP32 Dev Boards on Wokwi

This integration reaffirms our commitment to providing makers and developers with cutting-edge tools that enable rapid prototyping and seamless development. 

With the integration you can simulate your XIAO ESP32-based projects and start coding even without these boards at hand right away. It also allows developers to take full advantage of the flexibility of Wokwi to prototype IoT applications, debug projects, and refine ideas before working with real hardware.

XIAO ESP32C6 

XIAO ESP32S3 

XIAO ESP32C3 

The XIAO ESP32C6 excels in Matter-compliant smart home applications with its support for various wireless connectivity (2.4GHz Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5.0, Zigbee, and Thread). Encrypted on the chip, XIAO ESP32C6 ensures a desired level of security, streamlined development experience, and swift market entry by integrating easily with major IoT Cloud platforms.

Use Cases: Smart home devices, IoT gateways, and low-latency networking

Explore on Wokwi:

Simulate XIAO ESP32C6

The XIAO ESP32S3 leverages 240MHz Xtensa 32-bit LX7 dual-core processor, supporting both WiFi and BLE 5.0 wireless connectivities, a 2.4GHz Rod antenna, allows for deep sleep mode with power consumption as low as 14μA while supporting lithium battery charging management.

Use Cases: AI-based edge computing, real-time data processing, and robotics.

Explore on Wokwi:

Simulate XIAO ESP32S3

The XIAO ESP32C3 is a compact and affordable development board powered by ESP32-C3. It offers low-power operation and Bluetooth LE support, making it ideal for battery-powered devices and wearable technology.

Use Cases: Smart sensors, fitness trackers, and BLE-based applications.

Explore on Wokwi:

Simulate XIAO ESP32C3

Simulate, Experiment, and Share Your XIAO Projects

It’s time to bring your ideas to life! With the XIAO ESP32C6, XIAO ESP32S3, and XIAO ESP32C3 now available on Wokwi, you have the tools you need to simulate, prototype, and refine your projects – all in a virtual environment

If you think you made something cool, share your projects with us! We’d love to see what you create. Tag us on social media or post your Wokwi project links. Let’s build something amazing together and inspire others in the community.

BTW., these 3 dev boards are just the beginning. We’re working hard together with the team at Wokwi to make more Seeed products available on Wokwi. Feel free to comment to let us know which product you want to see live on Wokwi.

End Note

Hey community, we’re curating a monthly newsletter centering around the beloved Seeed Studio XIAO. If you want to stay up-to-date with:

 Cool Projects from the Community to get inspiration and tutorials
 Product Updates: firmware update, new product spoiler
 Wiki Updates: new wikis + wiki contribution
 News: events, contests, and other community stuff

Please click the image below to subscribe now!

The post Simulate Your XIAO ESP32 Projects with Wokwi NOW appeared first on Latest Open Tech From Seeed.