An ESP32 Powerhouse in a Raspberry Pi Form Factor

Choosing between a single-board computer (SBC) and a microcontroller isn’t always an easy decision to make. Perhaps the most obvious difference is that SBCs typically run an operating system such as Linux, while microcontrollers generally run code on bare metal. This alone is often the deciding factor between the platforms, but for many applications, either is an option.

However, even though they cost less and consume less energy, microcontrollers are frequently eliminated from consideration for another reason: a lack of interface options and extensibility. Consider the Raspberry Pi, for instance. Adding cameras and microphones, or connecting to an Ethernet network is quick and easy. With a barebones microcontroller development board, it can be a big headache.

The ESP32-P4-Pi Development Board made by VIEWE was designed to change that. Not only is it equipped with a pair of popular microcontrollers — an ESP32-P4 RISC-V dual-core chip running at 400MHz and an ESP32-C6 co-processor — but it also comes loaded with just about every interface you might need for your projects. And to make it easier to slide into projects that may have otherwise used an SBC, it borrows its form factor from Raspberry Pi boards.

The dual-chip architecture is intended to separate workloads for maximum efficiency. The ESP32-P4 handles compute-intensive tasks such as user interfaces, edge AI inference, and multimedia processing, while the ESP32-C6 takes care of wireless connectivity, including Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5. This division allows the system to remain responsive and power-efficient, even under heavy loads.

With 32MB of stacked PSRAM and 16MB of NOR flash, it offers significantly more headroom than typical microcontroller platforms. This enables developers to build complex graphical interfaces using frameworks like LVGL, or deploy machine vision applications without immediately running into resource constraints.

The inclusion of MIPI-CSI and MIPI-DSI interfaces allows direct connection to cameras and high-resolution displays, while an onboard image signal processor and hardware video encoding support smooth video handling. Combined with a pixel processing accelerator, the board is well-suited for applications like smart displays, video streaming terminals, and facial recognition systems.

Audio support is included as well, with the board featuring dual microphones with hardware echo cancellation and a dedicated audio codec for playback. This makes the platform particularly appealing for voice-controlled systems or smart assistants operating in noisy environments.

Connectivity options rival those of many SBCs. In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the board includes a 100 Mbps Ethernet port with optional Power over Ethernet, a USB 2.0 host interface, and a microSD card slot. A standard 40-pin GPIO header ensures compatibility with a wide range of existing accessories, while also exposing industrial interfaces like CAN, SPI, and I2C.

By combining the flexibility and I/O of an SBC with the efficiency and real-time operation of a microcontroller, the ESP32-P4-Pi is a compelling alternative for developers building next-generation embedded systems. You can pick one up for $17.99 from the VIEWE store.