8 ms·

Out of interest, has anyone successfully used an ESP32 on a commercial project, or are these intended primarily for hobbyists? Also, what would be considered t

by osrec 3y ago

Out of interest, has anyone successfully used an ESP32 on a commercial project, or are these intended primarily for hobbyists? Also, what would be considered the go-to chip for commercial applications?

codexfons 3y ago
This is a niche, but commercial product using ESP32: https://lectronz.com/products/pow-u-han-port-reader-for-m-bus-meters-esp32 https://lectronz.com/products/pow-u-han-port-reader-for-m-bu... I use it and it's crazy how much it can do with close to no power.
magicalhippo 3y ago
My "smart" water heater[1] has an ESP32 in it. [1]: https://www.hoiax.no/produkter/varmtvannsberedere/smartberedere/hoiax-connected https://www.hoiax.no/produkter/varmtvannsberedere/smartbered...
- bmicraft 3y ago
  My dryer too
epcoa 3y ago
> are these intended primarily for hobbyists? They’re not really intended at all for hobbyists. The espressif products are in countless IoT devices. https://www.espressif.com/ https://www.espressif.com/ This is not marketing aimed at hobbyists. Further I think most of the people using ESPHome and the like are reflashing commercial products. > the go-to chip for commercial applications? For a pacemaker, a Mars rover or a video game console? What exactly do you think unifies “commercial application” that would allow narrowing down in such a way. If you’re talking about low cost IoT, there are a handful of vendors including Beken, Realtek, SiLabs, ST, TI, nRF. For this super low cost WiFi/BLE consumer niche espressif is not the only player but they are dominant along with nRF and Beken.
- zwieback 3y ago
  One concern is supply chain and working with a Chinese company. If you build something that has to guarantee a 10 or 20 year supply some companies might balk at the ESP32. I think Espressif has jumped over into the "reputable" pool but it could still be a concern.
  - moffkalast 3y ago
    On the other hand when someone like TI prices their parts at like 30x the cost (e.g. ESP32-WROOM $3, TI CC3235SF $73) you can probably afford to build up a 10 year supply, especially with volume discounts.
    - zwieback 3y ago
      I don't know about this particular comparison but yes, lifetime-buys can be a good strategy.
      - tredre3 3y ago
        Espressif is usually very good with both pricing and availability if you wish to buy in bulk. I bought 1000 ESP32-S2 chips (not modules) for a project, it cost me a grand total of 1200 bucks as a nobody. During the height of the shortage from most western manufacturers too!
        testmasterflex 3y ago
        What were they used for? :)
  - ClumsyPilot 3y ago
    > If you build something that has to guarantee a 10 or 20 year supply Consumer products routinely drop support after 3/5 years, Android phones being exhibit A, Sonos speakers are exhibit B, and Google in general being in the corner of shame. While I applaud any efforts at product longevity, I am not getting the impression that it's a first-priority concern at present.
zwieback 3y ago
We started an ESP32-based design but for internal R&D purposes, within our inkjet manufacturing division. In that sense it's not commercial but uses professional toolsets and contract manufacturing etc., assurance of supply and supply chains. In the past we mainly used STM32 both because it's a great chip and because we have a tight relationship with ST. However, some of the younger employees we recently brought on are big fans of the ESP32 and we thought "why not give the youngsters a chance". It's looking really promising, the ESP32 nicely fills the niche between low-level Arduino-like micros and Linux-based larger boards like the Pi.
adolph 3y ago
Products based on the Makerbase spindle/laser engraver, like all the inexpensive 3018 CNCs, all use an older ESP32. https://github.com/makerbase-mks/MKS-DLC32 https://github.com/makerbase-mks/MKS-DLC32 Many/all of the Sonoff smart home things use various ESP chips: https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/06/17/sonoff-pow-elite-esp32-wifi-power-meter-switch-handles-up-to-20a-load/ https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/06/17/sonoff-pow-elite-esp...
coupdejarnac 3y ago
I always get a chuckle when people asked if these are used in commercial projects. The answer is yes, they are in millions of devices.
- bmicraft 3y ago
  Not just millions, apparently they some a billion chips (according to their website)
- xchip 3y ago
  Could you name a few?
  - Eisenstein 3y ago
    * https://devices.esphome.io/board/esp32 https://devices.esphome.io/board/esp32
  - testmasterflex 3y ago
    Next version of https://loodio.com https://loodio.com :-)
stockhorn 3y ago
We're building an iot product based on the esp32c6. The rust support is fantastic, making it a good choice to write stable firmware for it.
wildzzz 3y ago
My dad has a little gadget for his big green egg that monitors and adjusts the temperature by controlling a small fan at the air intake. You can check the temperature over WiFi either through their app or on a very basic webpage the device serves. I peeked inside once and it's definitely a basic ESP8266 module mounted to a board. It's the perfect module for this kind of application. An ESP32 would be a little bit of overkill for this kind of application unless you wanted to add a display or some other extra processing load to the hardware. A module from Nordic would also be appropriate.
- lozaning 3y ago
  Traegerdoesn't even bother changing the OUI on the espressif module they put in their wifi connected smokers.
bierjunge 3y ago
Yes, I've used it in a commercial product with 10000+ deployments. It was the only chip with BLE and WiFi, so there was no other option at the time. If the requirements were different, I would use something from Nordic Semiconductors [0] or some ARMv8 chip. The hardware itself is fine, but the biggest pain was getting stable WiFi and BLE connections simultaneously, because of only one antenna/radio. RAM was also a problem, it would be great to have at least 512kb. The SDK from Espressif is sometimes a little bit weird, but usable and bugs are fixed quickly. The build system is ok, nothing special. [0] https://www.nordicsemi.com/ https://www.nordicsemi.com/
- mardifoufs 3y ago
  I think the more recent esp32s3 have 512kb of ram, with support for 32mb of external ram on the board! Makes it easy easier to work with
  - tredre3 3y ago
    The original ESP32 also has 512KB of RAM but some is reserved for instruction and flash cache. So on both the OG and the S3 you end up with about 350KB usable. Wifi is manageable but bluetooth will use most of it. That said both the original ESP32 and the S3 support external PSRAM (4MB* for the og, 32MB for the S3). You can buy modules with such RAM already (which you would likely do for most deployment), but if you really need a single chip solution they also sell the ESP32 chips with that "external" RAM embedded in it (albeit in smaller qty, like 2MB). * The OG actually supports 8MB but only the first 4MB is directly addressable, you have to handle bankswitching yourself to access more.
    - mardifoufs 3y ago
      Oh I think I got confused with the ESP32s with integrated "external" ram. And yeah, I think I was comparing them to the esp8xxx, which obviously have less ram. Still, the esp32 hasn't changed that much since the first version then I guess. I mean except for all the peripherals!
brk 3y ago
Not yet (in development), but there are literally 10's of millions of these powering common commercialized devices at this point. I have several controllable LED light bulbs that are all ESP-based, bought on Amazon. Lot's of sensors, and general business and consumer oriented stuff using ESP8266 and ESP32 chips.
r3dey3 3y ago
Yoto Mini (https://us.yotoplay.com/yoto-mini https://us.yotoplay.com/yoto-mini) is based around an esp32
0x000xca0xfe 3y ago
AFAIK Shelly is the biggest customer of ESP32 chips. They sell cheap but relatively reliable smart home WiFi devices with a local web server that are really popular.
slau 3y ago
I’ve designed a few boards with ESP32s on them. Sometimes as a secondary system to provide wifi/ble, sometimes as the main microcontroller. One example was a commercial display using these P4 panels to display an 8-bit themed animation, and another one where a bunch of old small green CRTs were wired together to display the same “command prompt”-style text displaying the opening hours and other information. STM32 would be the other big family of microcontrollers. And if you can get your hands on them, and need the vastly more powerful capabilities, the i.MX series can be interesting.
odiroot 3y ago
The even lower powered ESP8266 is used in countless WiFi smart plugs and bulbs.
stavros 3y ago
Sonoff devices use the ESP8266 extensively.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
leptons 3y ago
I'm not sure why this keeps coming up. Why wouldn't ESP32 be used in commercial products?? >Also, what would be considered the go-to chip for commercial applications? ESP32, if it fits the product needs. There are as many types of microcontrollers as there are needs for specific functionality. ESP32 fits practically any application that needs a microcontroller and wifi or bluetooth. That's the description of quite a lot of IoT products.
paradox460 3y ago
Don't sonoff products use esp32
- haddonist 3y ago
  New generation of Sonoff products are mostly moving to ESP32. The older ones still available are ESP8266 or similar.
magicalhippo 3y ago
> or are these intended primarily for hobbyists? Cheap ICs and hobbyists-only do not go together. Cheap hobbyists ICs are almost invariably cheap because there's substantial commercial volume, and someone figured they could work for hobbyists as well.
chpatrick 3y ago
There are thousands of commercial products on AliExpress based on ESP32.
javawizard 3y ago
Very small data point: I happened to have my Harvest Right freeze dryer opened up the other day and discovered it had an ESP32 on the control board. Why, I have no idea - they don't support any form of app-based control at the moment. Maybe they're intending to do so in the future?
haddonist 3y ago
Another example of a very successful commercial product is the P1x series of printers from Bambu Labs. The main chip is an ESP32.

by osrec 3y ago

codexfons 3y ago

This is a niche, but commercial product using ESP32: https://lectronz.com/products/pow-u-han-port-reader-for-m-bus-meters-esp32 https://lectronz.com/products/pow-u-han-port-reader-for-m-bu... I use it and it's crazy how much it can do with close to no power.

magicalhippo 3y ago

My "smart" water heater[1] has an ESP32 in it. [1]: https://www.hoiax.no/produkter/varmtvannsberedere/smartberedere/hoiax-connected https://www.hoiax.no/produkter/varmtvannsberedere/smartbered...

bmicraft 3y ago
My dryer too

epcoa 3y ago

> are these intended primarily for hobbyists? They’re not really intended at all for hobbyists. The espressif products are in countless IoT devices. https://www.espressif.com/ https://www.espressif.com/ This is not marketing aimed at hobbyists. Further I think most of the people using ESPHome and the like are reflashing commercial products. > the go-to chip for commercial applications? For a pacemaker, a Mars rover or a video game console? What exactly do you think unifies “commercial application” that would allow narrowing down in such a way. If you’re talking about low cost IoT, there are a handful of vendors including Beken, Realtek, SiLabs, ST, TI, nRF. For this super low cost WiFi/BLE consumer niche espressif is not the only player but they are dominant along with nRF and Beken.

zwieback 3y ago
One concern is supply chain and working with a Chinese company. If you build something that has to guarantee a 10 or 20 year supply some companies might balk at the ESP32. I think Espressif has jumped over into the "reputable" pool but it could still be a concern.
- moffkalast 3y ago
  On the other hand when someone like TI prices their parts at like 30x the cost (e.g. ESP32-WROOM $3, TI CC3235SF $73) you can probably afford to build up a 10 year supply, especially with volume discounts.
  - zwieback 3y ago
    I don't know about this particular comparison but yes, lifetime-buys can be a good strategy.
    - tredre3 3y ago
      Espressif is usually very good with both pricing and availability if you wish to buy in bulk. I bought 1000 ESP32-S2 chips (not modules) for a project, it cost me a grand total of 1200 bucks as a nobody. During the height of the shortage from most western manufacturers too!
      - testmasterflex 3y ago
        What were they used for? :)
- ClumsyPilot 3y ago
  > If you build something that has to guarantee a 10 or 20 year supply Consumer products routinely drop support after 3/5 years, Android phones being exhibit A, Sonos speakers are exhibit B, and Google in general being in the corner of shame. While I applaud any efforts at product longevity, I am not getting the impression that it's a first-priority concern at present.

zwieback 3y ago

We started an ESP32-based design but for internal R&D purposes, within our inkjet manufacturing division. In that sense it's not commercial but uses professional toolsets and contract manufacturing etc., assurance of supply and supply chains. In the past we mainly used STM32 both because it's a great chip and because we have a tight relationship with ST. However, some of the younger employees we recently brought on are big fans of the ESP32 and we thought "why not give the youngsters a chance". It's looking really promising, the ESP32 nicely fills the niche between low-level Arduino-like micros and Linux-based larger boards like the Pi.

adolph 3y ago

Products based on the Makerbase spindle/laser engraver, like all the inexpensive 3018 CNCs, all use an older ESP32. https://github.com/makerbase-mks/MKS-DLC32 https://github.com/makerbase-mks/MKS-DLC32 Many/all of the Sonoff smart home things use various ESP chips: https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/06/17/sonoff-pow-elite-esp32-wifi-power-meter-switch-handles-up-to-20a-load/ https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/06/17/sonoff-pow-elite-esp...

coupdejarnac 3y ago

I always get a chuckle when people asked if these are used in commercial projects. The answer is yes, they are in millions of devices.

bmicraft 3y ago
Not just millions, apparently they some a billion chips (according to their website)
xchip 3y ago
Could you name a few?
- Eisenstein 3y ago
  * https://devices.esphome.io/board/esp32 https://devices.esphome.io/board/esp32
- testmasterflex 3y ago
  Next version of https://loodio.com https://loodio.com :-)

stockhorn 3y ago

We're building an iot product based on the esp32c6. The rust support is fantastic, making it a good choice to write stable firmware for it.

wildzzz 3y ago

My dad has a little gadget for his big green egg that monitors and adjusts the temperature by controlling a small fan at the air intake. You can check the temperature over WiFi either through their app or on a very basic webpage the device serves. I peeked inside once and it's definitely a basic ESP8266 module mounted to a board. It's the perfect module for this kind of application. An ESP32 would be a little bit of overkill for this kind of application unless you wanted to add a display or some other extra processing load to the hardware. A module from Nordic would also be appropriate.

lozaning 3y ago
Traegerdoesn't even bother changing the OUI on the espressif module they put in their wifi connected smokers.

bierjunge 3y ago

Yes, I've used it in a commercial product with 10000+ deployments. It was the only chip with BLE and WiFi, so there was no other option at the time. If the requirements were different, I would use something from Nordic Semiconductors [0] or some ARMv8 chip. The hardware itself is fine, but the biggest pain was getting stable WiFi and BLE connections simultaneously, because of only one antenna/radio. RAM was also a problem, it would be great to have at least 512kb. The SDK from Espressif is sometimes a little bit weird, but usable and bugs are fixed quickly. The build system is ok, nothing special. [0] https://www.nordicsemi.com/ https://www.nordicsemi.com/

mardifoufs 3y ago
I think the more recent esp32s3 have 512kb of ram, with support for 32mb of external ram on the board! Makes it easy easier to work with
- tredre3 3y ago
  The original ESP32 also has 512KB of RAM but some is reserved for instruction and flash cache. So on both the OG and the S3 you end up with about 350KB usable. Wifi is manageable but bluetooth will use most of it. That said both the original ESP32 and the S3 support external PSRAM (4MB* for the og, 32MB for the S3). You can buy modules with such RAM already (which you would likely do for most deployment), but if you really need a single chip solution they also sell the ESP32 chips with that "external" RAM embedded in it (albeit in smaller qty, like 2MB). * The OG actually supports 8MB but only the first 4MB is directly addressable, you have to handle bankswitching yourself to access more.
  - mardifoufs 3y ago
    Oh I think I got confused with the ESP32s with integrated "external" ram. And yeah, I think I was comparing them to the esp8xxx, which obviously have less ram. Still, the esp32 hasn't changed that much since the first version then I guess. I mean except for all the peripherals!

brk 3y ago

Not yet (in development), but there are literally 10's of millions of these powering common commercialized devices at this point. I have several controllable LED light bulbs that are all ESP-based, bought on Amazon. Lot's of sensors, and general business and consumer oriented stuff using ESP8266 and ESP32 chips.

r3dey3 3y ago

Yoto Mini (https://us.yotoplay.com/yoto-mini https://us.yotoplay.com/yoto-mini) is based around an esp32

0x000xca0xfe 3y ago

AFAIK Shelly is the biggest customer of ESP32 chips. They sell cheap but relatively reliable smart home WiFi devices with a local web server that are really popular.

slau 3y ago

I’ve designed a few boards with ESP32s on them. Sometimes as a secondary system to provide wifi/ble, sometimes as the main microcontroller. One example was a commercial display using these P4 panels to display an 8-bit themed animation, and another one where a bunch of old small green CRTs were wired together to display the same “command prompt”-style text displaying the opening hours and other information. STM32 would be the other big family of microcontrollers. And if you can get your hands on them, and need the vastly more powerful capabilities, the i.MX series can be interesting.

odiroot 3y ago

The even lower powered ESP8266 is used in countless WiFi smart plugs and bulbs.

stavros 3y ago

Sonoff devices use the ESP8266 extensively.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

leptons 3y ago

I'm not sure why this keeps coming up. Why wouldn't ESP32 be used in commercial products?? >Also, what would be considered the go-to chip for commercial applications? ESP32, if it fits the product needs. There are as many types of microcontrollers as there are needs for specific functionality. ESP32 fits practically any application that needs a microcontroller and wifi or bluetooth. That's the description of quite a lot of IoT products.

paradox460 3y ago

Don't sonoff products use esp32

haddonist 3y ago
New generation of Sonoff products are mostly moving to ESP32. The older ones still available are ESP8266 or similar.

magicalhippo 3y ago

> or are these intended primarily for hobbyists? Cheap ICs and hobbyists-only do not go together. Cheap hobbyists ICs are almost invariably cheap because there's substantial commercial volume, and someone figured they could work for hobbyists as well.

chpatrick 3y ago

There are thousands of commercial products on AliExpress based on ESP32.

javawizard 3y ago

Very small data point: I happened to have my Harvest Right freeze dryer opened up the other day and discovered it had an ESP32 on the control board. Why, I have no idea - they don't support any form of app-based control at the moment. Maybe they're intending to do so in the future?

haddonist 3y ago

Another example of a very successful commercial product is the P1x series of printers from Bambu Labs. The main chip is an ESP32.