Onboard Resources​

1. ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 Integrates 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5, dual-core with a maximum clock speed of 240MHz, built-in 16MB Flash and 8MB PSRAM
2. ES8389 Audio codec
3. ES7210 Multi-channel audio ADC
4. RS485 Transceiver Supports hardware automatic transmit/receive direction control
5. NS4150B Audio power amplifier
6. Blade Fuse Used for LED strip output loop protection
7. 5 - 24V Power Input Terminal Powers the controller and external LED strip
8. Isolated RS485 Terminal Block Used to connect external devices such as sensors, PLCs, and Modbus devices
9. GPIO Terminal Exposes the LED strip control signals and expansion GPIOs
10. LED Strip Power Output Terminal The output voltage follows the external input power supply
11. Dual-Microphone Array Used for audio capture and voice recognition
12. PWR, TXD, RXD Indicators Display power and RS485 transmit/receive status
13. PH2.0 4PIN Speaker Connector For connecting an external speaker
14. 3.5mm Audio Jack For audio output
15. USB Type-C Port For program download, communication, and 5V power supply
16. 120R Matching Resistor Jumper Can be enabled as required by the RS485 bus
17. BOOT Button Used to enter download mode
18. RESET button for resetting the development board
19. Digital Isolation Circuit Isolates the main controller from the RS485 bus signals
20. Isolated Power Module Powers the RS485 isolated side

Peripheral Quick Reference​

WLED and LED Strip Output​

• The two LED strip data signals are controlled by GPIO2 and GPIO16 respectively. After onboard level shifting, they output 5V logic levels from GPIO2' and GPIO16'.
• Supports common LED strips such as WS2812B, WS2811, SK6812, TM1814, SM16704, APA102, SK9822, and single-color LED strips.
• WLED firmware can be configured via the web page for LED strip type, GPIO, LED count, color, brightness, dynamic effects, segments, and scenes.
• For DATA + CLK two-wire LED strips, the two LED strip outputs can be configured as data and clock signals respectively; the actual configuration is subject to the LED strip used and the support of the WLED firmware.

Pin Definitions​

Before using the terminal blocks and expansion interfaces, verify the onboard silkscreen, schematic, and peripheral rated voltages. GPIO2' and GPIO16' are level-shifted 5V LED strip signals and should not be confused with the original 3.3V GPIOs.

Interface Quick Reference​

GPIO Allocation​

The following table lists the onboard GPIO allocations clearly defined in the product documentation. For the I2C and I2S signals of the audio interface, refer to the schematic and the corresponding example programs.

Precautions​

• The external power supply voltage must match the rated voltage of the LED strip. Confirm the polarity again before wiring.
• The maximum total current of the LED strip output is 8A; the actual usable current is limited by the power supply, wires, terminal contact, and heat dissipation conditions.
• GPIO2' and GPIO16' are 5V LED strip output signals; GPIO3 and GPIO4 are 3.3V GPIOs.
• For long-distance RS485 communication or communication at the end of the bus, the onboard 120R termination resistor can be connected using the jumper; non-end nodes usually do not connect it.
• GPIO19/GPIO20 are already connected to USB Type-C and are not recommended for use as general-purpose GPIO.
• Before powering from USB and the terminal simultaneously or connecting a high-power LED strip, confirm that the power path and ground connection meet the project design requirements.

Dimensions​

This chapter includes the following sections. Please read as needed:

• Arduino Getting Started
• Setting Up the Development Environment
• Example

Arduino Getting Started​

New to Arduino ESP32 development and looking for a quick start? We have prepared a comprehensive Getting Started Tutorial for you.

• Section 0: Getting to Know ESP32
• Section 1: Installing and Configuring Arduino IDE
• Section 2: Arduino Basics
• Section 3: Digital Output/Input
• Section 4: Analog Input
• Section 5: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
• Section 6: Serial Communication (UART)
• Section 7: I2C Communication
• Section 8: SPI Communication
• Section 9: Wi-Fi Basics
• Section 10: Web Server
• Section 11: Bluetooth
• Section 12: LVGL GUI Development
• Section 13: Comprehensive Project

Note: This tutorial uses the ESP32-S3-Zero as a reference example, and all hardware code is based on its pinout. Before you start, we recommend checking the pinout of your development board to ensure the pin configuration is correct.

Setting Up the Development Environment​

1. Install and Configure the Arduino IDE​

Please refer to the tutorial Install and Configure Arduino IDE to download and install the Arduino IDE and add ESP32 support.

ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED required development board installation description

2. Installing Libraries​

• When installing Arduino libraries, there are typically two options: Online Installation and Offline Installation. ** If the library installation requires offline installation, you must use the provided library files.**
  For most libraries, users can easily search and install them via the Arduino software's built-in Library Manager. However, some open-source or custom libraries are not synchronized to the Arduino Library Manager, so they cannot be found through online search. In this case, you can only install these libraries manually offline.
• For library installation instructions, refer to: Arduino Library Management Tutorial.
• The ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED library files are stored in the example program. Click here to go to: ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED Example.

Library installation instructions for ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED

Installation Steps:

1. Extract the downloaded example package.

2. Copy all folders from its Arduino/libraries directory (FastLED, etc.) to the Arduino libraries folder.

   INFO

   The path to the Arduino libraries folder is typically: c:/Users/<username>/Documents/Arduino/libraries.

   You can also locate it in the Arduino IDE by going to File > Preferences and checking the "Sketchbook location". The libraries folder is the libraries subfolder within this path.

3. For other installation methods, please refer to: Arduino Library Management Tutorial.

3. Additional Tips​

You need to select and configure the development board for ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED.

1. Select the ESP32S3 Dev Module for ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED.
2. Select the USB port.
3. The ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED uses the ESP32-S3 native USB interface, not a UART-to-USB bridge. For serial communication:

   • The printf() function can be used directly;

   • To use the Serial.println() function, additional configuration is required: Enable the "USB CDC On Boot" option in the IDE's Tools menu, or declare an HWCDC object in your code to handle USB serial communication.

4. Select 16MB Flash
5. Select a Partition Table of the appropriate size

Example​

01_led_example​

• This example demonstrates three LED strip driving examples
  • WS2812: RGB-27-5V-160D
  • RGBWC: RGBWC-150-24V-IP65-1428D
  • PWM: 4000K-20-12V-480D

Notes

• The external power supply voltage must match the rated voltage of the LED strip.

Hardware Connection​

• Connect the LED strip data line to GPIO2' or GPIO16'.
• Connect the LED strip power to VOUT+ and VOUT-.

Expected Behavior​

• The LED strip displays colors according to the program settings.

02_MAIN_WIFI_AP​

• This example implements control of RS485, the LED strip, and audio capture and playback via Wi-Fi. This example enables the Wi-Fi AP mode.

Notes

• The Web page can only be used when connected to the device's Wi-Fi.

Web Page Control

• Connect to the Wi-Fi of the ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED device. The Wi-Fi name is ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED, and the password is 12345678.
  
  
• After a successful connection, open the web page 192.168.4.1.
• Open the Web page to control RS485. (After the device is powered on, it takes a short time to configure. The first time the Web page is opened after each power-on may be slow.)

Expected Behavior

• Web page control
  
  

This chapter includes the following sections. Please read as needed:

• ESP-IDF Getting Started
• Setting Up the ESP-IDF Development Environment
• Example

ESP-IDF Getting Started​

New to ESP32 ESP-IDF development and looking to get started quickly? We have prepared a general Getting Started Tutorial for you.

• Section 1: Environment Setup
• Section 2: Running Examples
• Section 3: Creating a Project
• Section 4: Using Components
• Section 5: Debugging
• Section 6: FreeRTOS
• Section 7: Peripherals
• Section 8: Wi-Fi Programming
• Section 9: BLE Programming

Please Note: This tutorial uses the ESP32-S3-Zero as a teaching example, and all hardware code is based on its pinout. Before you start, it is recommended that you check the pinout of your development board to ensure the pin configuration is correct.

Setting Up the ESP-IDF Development Environment​

Install the ESP-IDF Development Environment​

1. Download the installation manager from the ESP-IDF Installation Manager page. This is Espressif's latest cross-platform installer. The following steps demonstrate how to use its offline installation feature.

   Click the Offline Installer tab on the page, then select Windows as the operating system and the ESP-IDF version you need (the version shown in the screenshot is for reference only — choose the version that fits your actual needs).

   
   

   After confirming your selection, click the download button. The browser will automatically download two files: the ESP-IDF Offline Package (.zst) and the ESP-IDF Installer (.exe).

   
   

   Please wait for both files to finish downloading.

2. Once the download is complete, double-click to run the ESP-IDF Installer (eim-gui-windows-x64.exe).

   The installer will automatically detect if the offline package exists in the same directory. Click Install from archive.

   
   

   Next, select the installation path. We recommend using the default path. If you need to customize it, ensure the path does not contain Chinese characters or spaces. Click Start installation to proceed.

   
   

3. When you see the following screen, the ESP-IDF installation is successful.

   
   

4. We recommend installing the drivers as well. Click Finish installation, then select Install driver.

   
   

Install Visual Studio Code and the ESP-IDF Extension​

1. Download and install Visual Studio Code.

2. During installation, it is recommended to check Add "Open with Code" action to Windows Explorer file context menu to facilitate opening project folders quickly.

3. In VS Code, click the Extensions icon  in the Activity Bar on the side (or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + X) to open the Extensions view.

4. Enter ESP-IDF in the search box, locate the ESP-IDF extension, and click Install.

   
   

5. For ESP-IDF extension versions ≥ 2.0, the extension will automatically detect and recognize the ESP-IDF environment installed in the previous steps, requiring no manual configuration.

Example​

01_led_example​

• This example demonstrates three LED strip driving examples
  • WS2812: RGB-27-5V-160D
  • RGBWC: RGBWC-150-24V-IP65-1428D
  • PWM: 4000K-20-12V-480D

Notes

• The external power supply voltage must match the rated voltage of the LED strip.

Hardware Connection​

• Connect the LED strip data line to GPIO2' or GPIO16'.
• Connect the LED strip power to VOUT+ and VOUT-.

Expected Behavior​

• The LED strip displays colors according to the program settings.

02_rs485_uart​

• This example implements RS485 communication based on the ESP-IDF UART driver.

Expected Behavior​

• Data transmission, reception, and echo. When data is sent out from the RS485 interface, the green LED lights up; when data is sent back from the RS485 interface, the blue LED lights up.

03_audio​

• This example demonstrates using I2S to drive the ES8389 Codec chip to play built-in audio, with support for stereo playback.

Hardware Connection​

• Connect the development board to the computer.
• Connect a speaker or headphones.

Code Analysis​

• Built-in audio file, which can be modified

    #define SPIFFS_BASE_PATH "/spiffs"
    #define MP3_FILE_PATH    SPIFFS_BASE_PATH "/music/test.mp3"
    #define MP3_FILE_URI     "file://spiffs/music/test.mp3"
  

Expected Behavior​

• Audio playback

This product provides test firmware that can be flashed directly to verify whether the onboard devices are functioning properly.

• Firmware download: ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED Example. The bin file is located in the ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED/Firmware directory of the example package.
• Flash address: 0x00

1. Example​

• ESP32-S3-RS485-WLED Example (GitHub)

2. Hardware Resources​

3. Technical Manuals​

• ESP32-S3 Chip Official Manuals

  • Datasheet
  • Technical Reference Manual

• Onboard Component Datasheets

  • ES8389 Datasheet
  • ES7210 Datasheet

4. Software Tools​

• Arduino IDE Official Download Link
• VS Code Official Download Link
• Flash Download Tool
• ESP-IDF Tool Installation Instructions

5. Other Resources​

• ESP32-Arduino Official Documentation
• ESP32-Arduino Official Resources
• ESP-IDF Official Resources

Support

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Email: services01@spotpear.com