ESP32 Core for Arduino IDE Version 3.0.0 Is Now Available From Espressif

The ESP Journal announced today that version 3.0.0 of Espressif's ESP32 Arduino core is ready for download. This update adds support for Espressif's latest chips, ESP32-based boards from other manufacturers, and enhances several peripheral APIs. The core is based on Espressif IDF 5.1.

This new core now supports the newer ESP32-C6 and ESP32-H2. Both System on Chips (SoCs) feature a RISC-V core. The ESP32-C6 also supports WiFi 6 with its 2.4 GHz radio. In comparison, the H2 focuses on low power and support for Bluetooth 5.2 Low Energy (BLE). Currently, the ESP32-H2 is still only available as a dev kit module.

The ESP32 Arduino core updated some existing APIs and added a few new ones. For example, Espressif added a native I2C (audio library), Ethernet SPI (supporting W5500, DM9051, and the KSZ8851SNL ICs), and Wake Word. Voice recognition with Wake Word and Command Processing is only available on the ESP32-S3.

Espressif also added support and examples for machine learning applications with TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers. This library runs machine learning models in a small memory footprint (16 KB) and without the need for a real-time operating system.

Board support extends beyond Espressif's development boards. The ESP32 Arduino core also supports boards from Adafruit, Arduino, M5Stack, LILYGO, and many others.

https://espressif.github.io/arduino-esp32/package_esp32_dev_index.json

You can install the updated core today in the Arduino IDE. The process is similar to adding support for other boards. Espressif provides a URL that you add to the IDE's preferences, and then you can install them through the IDE's Board Manager.

Check out this ESP Journal blog post, which has details on the changes.