Unexpected Maker Seon Rozenblum Assembles "Pre-Final" FeatherS2 ESP32-S2 Development Boards

Unexpected Maker Seon Rozenblum has released a video showing the production of his latest ESP32-S2 development board design, the FeatherS2 — and in doing so has bid a fond farewell to his pick-and-place machine.

Rozenblum started designing around Espressif's ESP32-S2 silicon last year, unveiling the ProS2 with ESP32-S2, 16MB of flash memory, 8MB of pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM), two 700mA low-dropout regulators (LDOs) for the internal 3V3 rail and a dedicated 3V3 output pin, lithium polymer charging circuit, on-board Fractus antenna, and a programmable RGB LED.

Now, Rozenblum is building another ESP32-S2 board — this time in the familiar Feather form factor, and as as a result unsurprisingly dubbed the FeatherS2.

"I'm going to be using my pick-and-place machine to make these," Rozenblum explains in the video, "and it's going to be the last time I get to use my pick-and-place machine because it has been sold and I'm getting a new one. So, I have to get these done today."

The pick-and-place machine really speeds assembly: Rozenblum estimates there are 49 components to be placed per board, which the pick-and-place manages in minutes — though a few parts do need to be hand-placed too.

The board itself matches the specifications of the earlier ProS2, though in a broader form factor. While not yet available for open sale — and with no more capacity to assemble them until the new pick-and-place machine arrives — Rozenblum has indicated interested parties can bet in touch via his YouTube channel to place an order for what he describes as the "pre-final boards" shown in the video.