ESP32 Knowledge Base
ESP32 Knowledge Base: Learn It on the Bench, Not from a Forum Rabbit Hole
Short, tested guides for the questions every ESP32 builder hits — wiring, power, pins, sensors. Every guide starts with the direct answer, shows the wiring table, and links a free simulator run so you can verify before you touch hardware.
Getting started
Zero to first working project.
ESP32 for Beginners: Your First Project in 30 Minutes
One $9 board, one cable, one blinking LED — simulator first, hardware second.
How to Power an ESP32 Project: USB, Battery, or Breadboard Rails
The voltage rules that keep boards alive, and the deep-sleep trick that stretches a battery for months.
Boards
Pick the right chip, use the right pins.
ESP32 vs ESP32-S3 vs ESP32-C3: Which Board Should You Buy?
Three chips, three personalities — the honest comparison with prices and use cases.
ESP32 GPIO Pinout: Which Pins Are Actually Safe to Use?
The traffic-light pin map: 13 safe pins, the strapping-pin traps, and the six pins that crash your board.
Sensors
Wired, coded, and calibrated.
BME280 with ESP32: Wiring, I2C Address, and Code That Works
Four wires, one famous address trap, and readings you can actually trust.
DHT22 with ESP32: Wiring, Code, and When to Upgrade
The $5 classic — pull-up rules, NaN debugging, and the $2.25 upgrade path.
Home Assistant
Local-first automation, no cloud accounts. More guides in the works — start here.
ESP32 + MQTT: Smart Home Without the Cloud
The local messaging backbone every Home Assistant ESP32 build is based on.
ESP32 Smart Garden: Auto Watering that Actually Works
Moisture sensing, pump logic, and Home Assistant discovery in one weekend build.
Troubleshooting
Something misbehaving? Start with the common cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shipping, kits, simulator, flashing, returns — the quick answers in one place.
“My sketch won’t boot when the sensor is connected”
That’s a strapping pin. The pinout guide shows which pins to move to — 60-second fix.