Description:
One of first feature-rich evaluation boards that contains several pin headers, dip switches, USB to serial programming interface, reset and boot mode press buttons, power switch, 10 touch pads and separate header to connect LCD screen.
ESP32 Demo Board at first glance
The header leading to the SDIO interface looks suspiciously mismatched in length for a high speed bus. But probably not a concern at all, assuming it is properly terminated. It would probably operate at a maximum of 20 MHz in practice anyway!
The touch pads are something new as well. We have not come across too many SoCs that integrate a touch pad interface along with so many other analog+digital peripherals.
The ESP32 supports debugger interface, probably JTAG – but there is no obvious support for that on this board, from what can be seen in the photos. Will have to wait until the official specs are out!
For now, it seems as if the primary purpose of the ESP32 Demo Board is to serve as a kit for testing the physical interfaces and protocols. Also, because of the simple nature of the demo board, it will be very easy to track power consumption down at the individual pin level. This is very critical for the type of applications ESP32 will be used for.