XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Development Board

Code name: XIAO_ESP32S3_SENSE

XIAO ESP32S3 Sense is a development board based on the ESP32S3 microcontroller using XTENSA architecture.

This board features a maximum CPU frequency of 240 MHz and 8MB flash memory.

About XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

The XIAO ESP32S3 Sense is an advanced AI-powered development board featuring the ESP32-S3 dual-core processor with an integrated camera and microphone. It supports WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5 (LE), making it an excellent choice for AI vision applications, voice recognition, and smart IoT projects. 📡

With a compact form factor, it includes a USB-C port for fast programming and power, as well as an onboard reset button and bootloader mode button for seamless debugging. ⚡

The XIAO ESP32S3 Sense supports multiple communication interfaces, including UART, I2C, SPI, and ADC, along with AI capabilities for real-time edge computing applications.

Where to Buy XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Starting from

18$ per unit

Amazon.com Ships worldwide

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Prices are subject to change. We earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate.

Technical Specifications

Complete technical specification details for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

USB

Type USB-C

Camera

Model OV2640

Resolution 1600x1200

Connectivity

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)

Bluetooth 5.0

BLE 5.0

Microcontroller

Model esp32s3

Clock Speed 240 MHz

Flash Size 8MB

PSRAM 8MB

Architecture xtensa

✨ Features & Pins

Digital IO 11

Analog Input 9

PWM 11

Interrupts 11

• Dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor with AI acceleration
• Integrated camera and microphone for AI applications
• Supports WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5 (LE)
• Ultra-small size (21x17.5 mm)

Download Full Datasheet

Quick Setup

Copy-paste configs for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense - auto‑generated from this board's exact hardware specs.

ESP32S3 240 MHz 8MB QIO Xtensa

In Arduino IDE 2 select Xiao Esp32s3 Sense from the esp32 by Espressif package. In PlatformIO use board = esp32-s3-devkitm-1. ESP32S3 · 240 MHz · 8MB · QIO.

Tools menu settings

Board (select in Arduino IDE) Xiao Esp32s3 Sense

CPU Frequency 240 MHz

Flash Size 8MB

Flash Mode QIO

Upload Speed 921600

Architecture Xtensa

In Arduino IDE 2, open Boards Manager, search "esp32" by Espressif and install it. Then go to Tools → Board and select "Xiao Esp32s3 Sense" for the XIAO ESP32S3 Sense.

platformio.ini


[env:xiao-esp32s3-sense]
platform  = espressif32
board     = esp32-s3-devkitm-1
framework = arduino

; Exact hardware config for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense
board_build.mcu        = esp32s3
board_build.f_cpu      = 240000000L
board_build.flash_size = 8MB
board_build.flash_mode = qio
board_upload.flash_size = 8MB

The board value is a close generic match - check PlatformIO board registry for an exact fit.

esp32: block (YAML)


esp32:
  board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1
  framework:
    type: arduino   # or "esp-idf"

# XIAO ESP32S3 Sense - 240 MHz ESP32S3
# Flash: 8MB | USB: USB-C

Paste into your device's .yaml. See ESPHome ESP32 docs for full options.

esptool.py - flash command


esptool.py \
  --chip esp32s3 \
  --baud 921600 \
  write_flash \
    --flash_mode qio \
    --flash_size 8MB \
    0x0 bootloader.bin \
    0x8000    partitions.bin \
    0xe000    boot_app0.bin \
    0x10000   firmware.bin

Install: pip install esptool - replace firmware.bin with your binary - bootloader at 0x0

XIAO ESP32S3 Sense Pinout Diagram

Complete pin reference for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

The XIAO ESP32S3 Sense pinout is designed for AI-driven projects with built-in camera and microphone support. It features key power pins like 5V, 3.3V, and GND for stable power delivery.

It supports multiple communication protocols, including UART (RX and TX), I2C (SDA and SCL), and SPI (SCK, MISO, MOSI, and SS).

Analog input pins labeled A0 to A3 enable sensor integration, while additional GPIOs provide further expandability.

XIAO ESP32S3 Sense pinout diagram (alternate view)

Safe Pins to Use

These pins are safe for general GPIO usage without boot or system conflicts

IO2

IO4

IO5

IO6

IO7

IO8

IO21

Why Are These Pins Safe?

✓ No boot sequence involvement

✓ No flash/PSRAM connections

✓ No USB or JTAG conflicts

✓ Freely assignable without issues

Pins to Avoid or Use with Caution

Reserved for critical functions. Misuse may cause boot failures, programming issues, or system conflicts.

Strapping Pins

Boot behavior & flash voltage

JTAG Debugging

Low-level debugging interface

USB Pins

USB Serial/JTAG communication

Flash/SPI Pins

Memory & PSRAM connections

UART Serial

Debugging & firmware uploads

PIN	Label	Why Avoid	Type
IO3	GPIO3	Sampled at reset to select JTAG interface (USB Serial/JTAG controller vs. external pins). Improper use can disable external JTAG or alter debug interface.	🛠️ Strapping
IO9	FSPIHD	Connected to external flash (data/hold signal) on most modules. Not recommended for use as GPIO, since it must remain dedicated to flash communication.	⚡ Flash
IO10	FSPICS0	Used to select the external flash chip. It is required for flash access and cannot be repurposed without losing flash connectivity	⚡ Flash
IO20	USB_D+	By default connected to the on-chip USB Serial/JTAG controller. Using it as general GPIO without reconfiguring IO MUX will interfere with USB functionality.	🔌 USB

XIAO ESP32S3 Sense Additional Information

More details about XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Useful Links

Datasheets and resources for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Board Datasheet

Technical specifications

ESP32S3 Datasheet

Microcontroller reference

XIAO ESP32S3 Sense Custom Pin Mapping

Pin configuration and GPIO mapping for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Digital I/O Pins

Interrupt Pins

Analog Inputs

PWM Pins

Pin	Function	ESP Pin	I/O Type	Description
1	5V	5V	POWER INPUT	5V power input
2	GND	GND	GROUND	Ground connection
3	3V3	3.3V	POWER OUTPUT	3.3V power output
4	IO2	A0	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, ADC
5	IO3	A1	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, ADC
6	IO4	A2	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, ADC
7	IO5	A3	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, ADC
8	IO6	SDA	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, I2C Data
9	IO7	SCL	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, I2C Clock
10	IO8	SCK	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, SPI Clock
11	IO9	MISO	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, SPI Data
12	IO10	MOSI	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, SPI Data
13	IO20	RX	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, UART Receive
14	IO21	TX	BIDIRECTIONAL	GPIO, UART Transmit

Legend

Function Pin role

GPIO ESP32 pin

I/O Direction

# Pin number

Pin Mappings

Complete pinout and GPIO mapping for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Digital I/O Pins

Interrupt Pins

Analog Inputs

PWM Pins

Pin	Analog	Other
2	A0
3	A1
4	A2
5	A3
6		SDA
7		SCL
8		SCK
9		MISO
10		MOSI
20		RX SS
21		TX

Legend

A0 Analog input

T0 Touch sensor

PWM PWM capable

RX/TX Serial pins

LED Built-in LED

# Pin number

Default Tools & Configuration

Build and upload settings for XIAO ESP32S3 Sense

Setting	Value
Bootloader tool	esptool_py
Uploader tool	esptool_py
Network uploader tool	esp_ota
Bootloader address	`0x0`
Flash mode	qio
Boot mode	qio
Maximum upload size	8192 KB (8388608 bytes)
Maximum data size	320 KB (327680 bytes)