Espressif Launches New ESP32 Chip with Wi-Fi 6
Espressif has introduced the ESP32-C5, a new microcontroller featuring dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (2.4/5GHz) and native support for Matter and Thread protocols. The chip is designed to provide higher throughput and better performance in congested network environments. This development is relevant for new enterprise IoT devices deployed in RF-noisy locations like warehouses and retail stores.
- The ESP32-C5 is built around a single-core, 32-bit RISC-V processor that can be clocked at up to 240 MHz, a notable increase from the 160 MHz core in the single-band ESP32-C6. It also integrates 400KB of SRAM, 384KB of ROM, and supports external flash and PSRAM. - Key Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) features beneficial for dense IoT environments include Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) to allow multiple devices to transmit simultaneously on the same channel and Target Wake Time (TWT), which lets devices schedule sleep intervals to conserve battery life. BSS Coloring is another feature used to reduce interference in congested areas. - In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE), the chip incorporates an IEEE 802.15.4 radio, providing hardware support for low-power mesh networking protocols like Zigbee and Thread. This is a critical component for enabling the Matter application layer protocol, designed to ensure interoperability between smart devices. - For enterprise-grade deployments, the chip includes a range of security features such as secure boot, flash and PSRAM encryption, and cryptographic hardware accelerators. It also features a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) to enhance application security management. - The ESP32-C5 contains a secondary low-power (LP) RISC-V processor that can run at up to 40 MHz. This co-processor can handle tasks in power-sensitive applications without engaging the main processor, significantly reducing overall energy consumption. - First announced in July 2022, the ESP32-C5 entered mass production in the spring of 2025. Espressif provides software support through its open-source ESP-IDF (IoT Development Framework), and development boards are now commercially available.
