# DFRobot FireBeetle ESP8266

> Compact ESP8266 WiFi IoT microcontroller with Tensilica L106 at 80/160MHz, 16MB flash, 50KB SRAM, 10 digital I/O, onboard LiPo charging, 46uA low-power mode, OTA updates, and Arduino/MicroPython support at just $7.50.

## Quick Facts

- **Brand:** DFRobot
- **Board Type:** dev-board
- **Price:** ~$7.5
- **CPU:** Tensilica L106 single-core @ 80MHz (max 160MHz)
- **CPU Architecture:** Tensilica L106 single-core
- **CPU Cores:** 1
- **RAM:** 50KB SRAM
- **Flash:** 16MB
- **USB:** Micro-USB
- **Power:** 5V via Micro-USB or 3.7V LiPo battery
- **Operating Voltage:** 3.3V
- **Operating Temp:** -40°C to +85°C
- **Dimensions:** 58 x 29mm
- **Weight:** 24g
- **Antenna:** Built-in PCB antenna

## Connectivity

- **Wifi:** 802.11 b/g/n

## Use Cases

- iot
- smart-home
- environmental-monitoring
- battery-powered-sensor-node
- remote-sensor-nodes
- smart-switch

## Components

- **ESP8266** (mcu): Espressif ESP8266 with Tensilica L106 32-bit processor at 80/160MHz, 50KB SRAM, 16MB SPI flash, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n. — [Datasheet](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espressif.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdocumentation%2F0a-esp8266ex_datasheet_en.pdf&ref=openhardware.directory&product=dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266&source=md-export)

## GPIO Map

| Pin | Name | Type | Functions |
|-----|------|------|-----------|
| D2 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output, pwm |
| D3 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output, pwm |
| D4 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output |
| D5 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output, pwm |
| D6 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output, pwm |
| D7 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output |
| D8 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output |
| D9 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output |
| D10 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output |
| D11 | Digital I/O | — | digital-input, digital-output |
| A0 | Analog In (10-bit) | — | adc |

## Description

## Overview

The DFRobot FireBeetle ESP8266 (SKU: DFR0489) is a budget-friendly WiFi IoT development board built around the ESP8266 Tensilica L106 32-bit processor. Running at 80MHz (overclockable to 160MHz) with 50KB SRAM and 16MB SPI flash, it provides a reliable platform for WiFi-connected IoT projects at just $7.50 -- making it one of the most affordable boards in the FireBeetle lineup.

The board supports WiFi 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4GHz with STA, AP, and STA+AP modes, TCP/IP networking, and over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. It exposes 10 digital I/O pins, 1 analog input (10-bit ADC), SPI, I2C, UART, I2S, IR, and PWM interfaces. While more limited in GPIO count compared to ESP32 variants, the ESP8266 remains an excellent choice for single-purpose IoT nodes like temperature sensors, smart plugs, and basic home automation devices.

Power management includes an onboard lithium battery charging circuit with 500mA charge current and 600mA LDO output, automatic USB/battery power switching, and a low-power consumption mode drawing just 46 microamps. The board maintains WiFi connection at only 1.2mW (DTIM10), making it efficient for always-connected battery-powered deployments. The wide operating temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees Celsius supports both indoor and harsh outdoor environments.

## Where to Buy

- [DFRobot](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dfrobot.com%2Fproduct-1634.html&ref=openhardware.directory&product=dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266&source=md-export) — $7.50

## Resources

- [product](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dfrobot.com%2Fproduct-1634.html&ref=openhardware.directory&product=dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266&source=md-export)
- [wiki](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwiki.dfrobot.com%2FFireBeetle_ESP8266_IOT_Microcontroller_SKU_DFR0489&ref=openhardware.directory&product=dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266&source=md-export)

## Images

![DFRobot FireBeetle ESP8266](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266/663fcdf27af8.jpg)
![DFRobot FireBeetle ESP8266](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266/d9b211ddf024.jpg)
![DFRobot FireBeetle ESP8266](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266/8f7e2d03bdfb.jpg)
![DFRobot FireBeetle ESP8266](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/dfrobot-firebeetle-esp8266/e741f7fb1cac.jpg)

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