SparkFun's ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus USB-C Mainstreams a SparkX Design, Brings an IoT RedBoard Too
Previously available under the "no-guarantees" limited-run SparkX line, the ESP32 Thing Plus C is now a fully-supported SparkFun product.
SparkFun has launched two new development boards built around the Espressif ESP32-WROOM module — including one, the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus with USB-C, which upgrades a limited-run SparkX design to an official product line.
"The SparkFun ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus with USB-C provides a few enhancements to the previous ESP32 Thing Plus," the company explains of its latest board release. "In addition to the standard Thing Plus form factor, we have included a µSD [microSD] card slot, upgraded to a USB-C connector, integrated a RGB status LED and battery fuel gauge, and provided two voltage regulators; a separate 700mA current source for the board and Qwiic connector."
If that feature set sounds familiar, it's because this is the design's second launch after it was trialed under the company's SparkX brand as the ESP32 Thing Plus C. Where SparkX products come with limited support and no guarantees of continued availability beyond an initial production run, though, the new ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus is a core product — as made obvious by the company's trademark red circuit board.
For those not tied to breadboard use or the Feather-compatible Thing Plus ecosystem, SparkFun has also launched a new ESP32 WROOM-based IoT RedBoard for the Internet of Things (IoT). Using the familiar Arduino UNO layout, the board uses an ESP32-D0WDQ6 and comes pre-loaded with the FreeRTOS real-time operating system and lightweight internet protocol (LwIP) stack — plus a microSD slot, JST connector for battery power, Qwiic connector, and USB Type-C connector with CH340G USB-to-TTL serial bridge for data and power.
Both boards are now available on the SparkFun store at $24.95 for the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus with USB-C or $29.95 for the IoT RedBoard ESP32, both before volume discounts.
Those eager to snap up a bargain can pick up the earlier SparkX ESP32 Thing Plus C for $21.95, while stocks last. More information, meanwhile, is available in the ESP32-WROOM Thing Plus with USB-C and IoT RedBoard ESP32 hookup guides.