Espressif Systems announced today that its ESP32-C6 processor is now available. This new member of the ESP32 family incorporates 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 (LE), and 802.15.4 protocol communications into a single SoC.
The ESP32-C6 was introduced in April 2021 in this press release. Now it is announced that it is finally available for purchase. Furthermore, it has come with the surprise of 802.15.4 compatibility, making it a particularly interesting SoC.
Among its specifications, we find a high-performance 32-bit Single-Core RISC-V processor up to 160 MHz and a low-power 32-bit RISC-V processor up to 20 MHz. It features 320KB of ROM, 512KB of SRAM, and the usual external flash memory.
Regarding connections, the ESP32-C6 has 30 (QFN40) or 22 (QFN32) programmable pins (GPIO). Additionally, we find the usual ESP32 support for SPI, UART, I2C, I2S, RMT, TWAI, PWM, SDIO, and Motor Control PWM. The set is completed with a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a temperature sensor.
The ESP32-C6 stands out for its wireless connectivity. It is compatible with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 (BLE), and IEEE 802.15.4. This means it can communicate via Zigbee or Thread, both widely used in the IoT field, making it one of the most interesting features of the new SoC.
Regarding programming options, the ESP32-C6 will be compatible with ESP-IDF, Espressif’s Open Source development environment. However, we will have to wait for its v5.1 version, which is currently under development. For now, there is also no information about future compatibility with the Arduino environment. Although, knowing Espressif, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were included at some point.
Currently, the ESP32-C6 module and its development board, the ESP32-C6 DevKitC-1, are available for purchase in the Espressif store. The ESP32-C6 DevKitC-1 board comes with 8Mb of flash memory, 23 accessible GPIOs, two USB-C ports, two buttons, and an RGB LED.
It is possible to find the ESP32-C6 DevKitC-1 development board on AliExpress for an approximate price of 15€. However, it is expected that new development boards mounting the ESP32-C6 will be created in the future, and they will be available in stores like Adafruit, Digikey, or Mouser.
In summary, the ESP32-C6 is a very interesting model, which has been awaited for over a year. Its most interesting points are the 20 MHz low-power core and, especially, the compatibility with WiFi6 and the 802.15.4 protocol (Zigbee and Thread).
More information in Espressif’s press release.
