# ESP32-S3 Box Lite

> Espressif AIoT dev kit — ESP32-S3, 2.4″ 320×240 display, dual MEMS microphones, speaker, 16 MB Flash, 8 MB PSRAM, WiFi, BLE 5, Pmod expansion — the dock-free Lite sibling of the ESP32-S3 Box.

## Quick Facts

- **Brand:** Espressif
- **Board Type:** dev-board
- **Price:** ~$35
- **Product Readiness:** developer
- **CPU:** Xtensa LX7 dual-core @ 240 MHz (ESP32-S3)
- **CPU Architecture:** Xtensa LX7
- **CPU Cores:** 2
- **RAM:** 512 KB SRAM + 8 MB PSRAM
- **PSRAM:** 8MB OPI
- **Flash:** 16MB
- **Power:** 5V
- **Operating Voltage:** 3.3V
- **Antenna:** Built-in PCB antenna
- **Display:** 2.4" IPS TFT capacitive touch 320 × 240

## Connectivity

- **Wifi:** 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n
- **Bluetooth:** BLE 5.0

## Open Source

- **Firmware:** Yes
- **Schematics:** Yes
- **PCB Layout:** Yes

## Compatible Firmware

esp-idf, arduino, micropython

## Use Cases

- smart-home
- voice-assistant
- smart-home-dashboard
- iot

## Components

- **ESP32-S3** (mcu): Espressif ESP32-S3 dual-core 240 MHz Xtensa LX7 with 512 KB SRAM, 8 MB Octal PSRAM, vector AI instructions, native USB, WiFi, and BLE 5. — [Datasheet](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espressif.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdocumentation%2Fesp32-s3_datasheet_en.pdf&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export)
- **Dual MEMS Microphone** (microphone): Dual far-field MEMS microphones for offline voice wake-up and command recognition in English and Chinese. — [Datasheet](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espressif.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdocumentation%2Fesp32-s3_datasheet_en.pdf&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export)

## Protocols

- **I2C**: SDA: GPIO1, SCL: GPIO2
- **SPI**: MOSI: GPIO35, MISO: GPIO36, SCK: GPIO37
- **UART**: TX: GPIO43, RX: GPIO44
- **USB**: 

## GPIO Map

| Pin | Name | Type | Functions |
|-----|------|------|-----------|
| GPIO1 | SDA | I2C | I2C, GPIO |
| GPIO2 | SCL | I2C | I2C, GPIO |
| GPIO35 | MOSI | SPI | SPI |
| GPIO36 | MISO | SPI | SPI |
| GPIO37 | SCK | SPI | SPI |
| GPIO43 | TX | UART | UART |
| GPIO44 | RX | UART | UART |
| GPIO3 | I2S_WS | I2S | I2S, GPIO |
| GPIO6 | I2S_DOUT | I2S | I2S, GPIO |

## Available Software

- **[ESP-IDF](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.espressif.com%2Fprojects%2Fesp-idf%2F&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export)**
- **[ESP-BOX Firmware](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fespressif%2Fesp-box&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export)**

## Description

## Overview

The ESP32-S3 Box Lite is Espressif's lighter-weight variant of the ESP32-S3 Box AIoT development platform. It shares the same ESP32-S3 dual-core 240 MHz SoC with 16 MB QSPI Flash and 8 MB Octal PSRAM, the same 2.4″ 320 × 240 colour touchscreen, and the same dual far-field MEMS microphones for offline voice wake-up and command recognition. The key differences are the omission of the dock stand and the replacement of capacitive software buttons with three physical mechanical buttons.

The ESP32-S3's vector AI instructions and neural-network optimised operations enable on-device wake-word detection and simple voice command recognition in both English and Chinese using Espressif's ESP-SR library. The ESP-RainMaker cloud framework allows quick IoT dashboard integration. Pmod-compatible expansion headers provide a path to external peripherals.

An onboard speaker, infrared controller, and USB-C port (for both power and JTAG debugging) complete the hardware. The Box Lite is particularly suitable for voice-assistant prototypes and smart home control panels where the dock stand is not needed and a more tactile button interface is preferred over capacitive swipes.

Espressif provides pre-built factory firmware demonstrating voice interaction and chatbot connectivity. Full hardware schematics and CAD files are published in the open-source esp-box GitHub repository.

## Where to Buy

- [Adafruit](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adafruit.com%2Fproduct%2F5511&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export) — 35

## Resources

- [product](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adafruit.com%2Fproduct%2F5511&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export)
- [github](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fespressif%2Fesp-box&ref=openhardware.directory&product=esp32-s3-box-lite&source=md-export)

## Tags

`esp32-s3`, `esp-box-lite`, `aiiot`, `touchscreen`, `voice-recognition`, `smart-home`, `esp-idf`, `pmod`

## Images

![ESP32-S3 Box Lite](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/esp32-s3-box-lite/e32727cebf8a.jpg)
![ESP32-S3 Box Lite](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/esp32-s3-box-lite/707dd702c52a.jpg)
![ESP32-S3 Box Lite](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/esp32-s3-box-lite/79c402e51d02.jpg)
![ESP32-S3 Box Lite](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/esp32-s3-box-lite/2ce8ac867626.jpg)

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