FireBeetle 2 ESP32-C5-U (N4) Development Kit

Introduction

DFRobot’s FireBeetle 2 ESP32-C5-U (N4) Development Kit combines an ESP32-C5-U development board with a dedicated I/O expansion board for solder-free wireless IoT prototyping. Built around the ESP32-C5-WROOM-1U-N4 module, the kit brings dual-band Wi-Fi 6 together with IEEE 802.15.4-based Thread 1.3 and Zigbee 3.0 connectivity in a compact development platform.

The board supports both C/C++ and MicroPython development, making it suitable for evaluating the ESP32-C5 platform across connected-device and low-power wireless designs.

What it does

At its core is a single-core 240 MHz RISC-V processor with 4 MB of flash memory, 384 KB of SRAM, and 16 KB of LP SRAM. Wireless support spans 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi using IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards, alongside 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4 connectivity for Thread and Zigbee networks.

The development board provides 18 digital I/O connections, two I²C interfaces, three UARTs—including an LP UART—one SPI interface, two I²S interfaces, PWM capability, IR transmit and receive channels, and a seven-channel 12-bit SAR ADC. The companion expansion board adds 11 I/O connections as well as additional I²C, UART, and SPI connectivity.

Power can be supplied through the USB Type-C input, while the kit also supports Li-ion battery charging and a 4.5 V to 6 V solar-panel input. Its specified battery-powered deep-sleep current is 21 μA.

Applications

• Prototyping dual-band Wi-Fi IoT nodes and connected sensors
• Developing Thread 1.3 or Zigbee 3.0 devices using IEEE 802.15.4
• Building battery-powered or solar-assisted wireless projects
• Evaluating C/C++ and MicroPython firmware on an ESP32-C5 platform
• Connecting sensors, displays, serial devices, or other peripherals through the board and I/O expansion interfaces

Design considerations

The kit operates at 3.3 V, while USB power is provided through a 5 V DC USB Type-C connection. Designs using solar input should stay within the specified 4.5 V to 6 V range, and charging current is specified up to 0.5 A.

Wireless integration may require antenna planning: the module is identified as an ESP32-C5-WROOM-1U-N4 variant, and the product tags indicate a U.FL antenna connection. Projects should also account for the available interface allocation, particularly where I²C, UART, SPI, audio, analog input, and expansion-board peripherals are needed concurrently.

Availability and further information

The source/distributor link on this page, from Mouser Electronics, provides further product information for the DFRobot DFR1284 development kit. Refer to the page’s linked technical resources for the latest documentation and integration details.