Espressif ESP32-S3-Korvo-1
by Espressif
Advanced ESP32-S3 audio dev board with mic array and speaker amp - ideal for smart voice interfaces and audio AI.

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Pinout
11 pins| Pin | GPIO | Labels | Status | Capabilities | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 3.3V3V3 | power | - | UART/prog header; 3.3V power/reference for serial adapter |
| 2 | 43 | IO43TXD | strapping | uart · pwm | UART/prog header; UART0 TX (U0TXD) |
| 3 | 44 | IO44RXD | strapping | uart · pwm | UART/prog header; UART0 RX (U0RXD) |
| 4 | - | GND | ground | - | UART/prog header; ground |
| 5 | 37 | IO37 | strapping | pwm | GPIO expansion header (37/36/35) |
| 6 | 36 | IO36 | strapping | pwm | GPIO expansion header (37/36/35) |
| 7 | 35 | IO35 | strapping | pwm | GPIO expansion header (37/36/35) |
| 8 | - | D1 | safe | - | SDIO header; SD/SDIO data line 1 (GPIO not silked) |
| 9 | - | D0 | safe | - | SDIO header; SD/SDIO data line 0 (GPIO not silked) |
| 10 | - | CMD | safe | - | SDIO header; SD/SDIO command line (GPIO not silked) |
| 11 | - | CLK | safe | - | SDIO header; SD/SDIO clock line (GPIO not silked) |
Fine - with a little care
sampled at boot or shared with debug/serial| Pin | Label | What to know | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| IO43 | U0TXD (GPIO43) | Used for bootloader output and UART console logs. If repurposed, you will lose the default serial output (and programming via UART0). | Other |
| IO44 | U0RXD (GPIO44) | Used for bootloader input (download mode via serial). If repurposed, you cannot use the default UART0 download mode for programming the chip. | Other |
Only if you know the tricks
wired to flash or USB - expect a fight| Pin | Label | What to know | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| IO37 | FSPIQ / PSRAM_DQS | In modules with octal PSRAM, this pin is connected to the PSRAM’s DQS signal. It cannot be repurposed without disrupting the PSRAM/flash communication. | Flash |
| IO36 | FSPICLK / PSRAM_CLK | In modules with octal PSRAM, this pin drives the PSRAM clock. It must be dedicated to the memory interface, not used as a regular GPIO when that interface is in use. | Flash |
| IO35 | FSPID / PSRAM_D0 | In modules with octal PSRAM, this pin is connected to the PSRAM data line. It is reserved for memory interface and not free for general GPIO when flash/PSRAM is present. | Flash |
Pinout notes The Espressif ESP32-S3-Korvo-1 pinout brings out 11 pins - 5 usable GPIO alongside the 3.3V and GND power rails. On the analog side there are PWM on every…
The Espressif ESP32-S3-Korvo-1 pinout brings out 11 pins - 5 usable GPIO alongside the 3.3V and GND power rails.
On the analog side there are PWM on every GPIO.
2 of the exposed pins carry boot-time or system duties on the ESP32-S3 (IO43 and IO44).
The ESP32-S3-Korvo-1 consists of a main board and a sub-board. The main board integrates the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module, function buttons, an SD card slot, a speaker, and USB connectors. The sub-board, known as ESP32-Korvo-Mic, contains a three-microphone array, function buttons, and addressable LEDs. The main board and sub-board are connected via an FPC cable, providing access to various GPIOs and interfaces suitable for audio and voice applications.
Getting started
flash your first firmware in ~2 minutesBoard: ESP32S3 Dev Module Flash Size: 16MB (128Mb) Flash Mode: DIO PSRAM: OPI PSRAM Partition Scheme: 16M Flash (3MB APP / 9.9MB FATFS) Upload Speed: 921600
// blink the onboard LED
void setup() {
pinMode(8, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(8, HIGH); delay(500);
digitalWrite(8, LOW); delay(500);
}[env:esp32-s3-korvo-1]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32-s3-devkitc-1
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
upload_speed = 921600
board_build.arduino.memory_type = qio_opi
build_flags = -DBOARD_HAS_PSRAMesp32-s3-devkitc-1 — or type it after board =.esp32:
board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1
variant: esp32_s3_korvo_1
framework:
type: esp-idf
psram:
mode: octal
speed: 80MHz
# blink - GPIO8
output:
- platform: gpio
pin: 8
id: led_out
light:
- platform: binary
name: "LED"
output: led_outesp32-s3-devkitc-1 (same ids as PlatformIO).esptool.py --chip esp32s3 --port /dev/ttyACM0 \
--baud 921600 write_flash 0x0 firmware.bin--port = your /dev/tty* (macOS/Linux) or COMx (Windows).Specifications
ESP32-S3About this board
At its core is the ESP32-S3 - a dual-core Xtensa with vector extensions suited to AI workloads.
Expect to pay about $50.00 - above the ~$30 typical for ESP32-S3 boards.
Only 5 GPIO are broken out, where most ESP32-S3 boards manage about 22 - worth checking the pinout covers what you need.
Onboard you'll find 8MB (OPI) PSRAM, a microSD slot, a microphone (3-mic array), a speaker connector, an audio codec (ES8311), an amplifier, an addressable RGB LED and Reset/Boot/6x Function buttons.
The ESP32-S3-Korvo-1 is an AI development board produced by Espressif, based on the ESP32-S3 SoC and ESP-Skainet, Espressif's speech recognition SDK. It features a three-microphone array suitable for far-field voice pick-up with low power consumption. The board supports voice wake-up and offline speech command recognition in Chinese and English languages, making it ideal for developing applications such as smart displays, smart plugs, and smart switches.
- ES7210 four-channel audio ADC captures the 3-microphone array
- 3-microphone array with 65 mm spacing for far-field voice pickup
- 3.5 mm stereo headphone output jack
- 3 W mono class-D speaker amplifier (4Ω 3W speaker recommended)
- 12x WS2812C addressable RGB LEDs on the ESP32-Korvo-Mic sub-board
- Two-board design: ESP32-S3-Korvo-1 main board and ESP32-Korvo-Mic sub-board joined by an FPC cable
- ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (N16R8) module with 16 MB flash and 8 MB octal PSRAM
Where to buy
prices are typical street prices
Resources
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