ESP32-S DEV Board

I use a lot of ESP32-S chips, which usually means I have to design a custom PCB or battle with a breadboard module, something that I don't particularly enjoy. So this got me thinking, I really like the form factor of the Arduino Uno, as it is not tied to a breadboard, and can actually be placed inside an enclosure, making a quick and dirty project a possibility, without having to go to the trouble of designing an actual PCB for it. I decided to place an ESP32-S on an Arduino Uno-shaped PCB, and add the minimum supporting components to it, while breaking out all the useable GPIO ( with the exception of the six gpio that controls the external flash). I also added a lot of additional 3.3v and Ground connections and permanent pull-up resistors on the I2C port. Push buttons for the Reset and Flash functions, and a 3.3v LDO voltage regulator for using a VIN up to 7 v DC ( you can actually go up to 15v, but that stresses the LDO a bit in my view). All of this was combined with nice fat power tracks, a good ground plane ( copper pour ) on both sides of the PCB, as well as an onboard heatsink, with a lot of via stitching to provide a good thermal link on both sides of the board, to the LDO voltage regulator. An easy-to-read silkscreen, with clear labelling of the various pins, was also added. PCBWay did their usual outstanding job of producing the PBC's with high quality, NO Errors, and super fast manufacturing and shipping, despite just coming back from a national holiday, and having some maintenance work in the factory at the time of my order... Great job, Thank you