Delivering some of the best wireless capabilities on the market in a familiar footprint, the SparkFun ESP32-C5 Thing Plus is built to easily handle complex IoT projects, regardless of the wireless communication option you choose. Powered by the ESP32-C5-WROOM-1 module from Espressif™, this board features a 32-bit RISC-V single-core microprocessor paired with a generous 8MB of Flash memory and 8MB of PSRAM.

The ESP32-C5 module brings a feature not commonly seen in Espressif's family of SoCs by including dual-band WiFi 6 capabilities, giving your devices access to a less congested frequency spectrum alongside other essential connectivity options:

Dual-Band WiFi 6 (2.4GHz & 5GHz): Build fast, highly efficient network connections by utilizing the less-crowded 5GHz band.

Bluetooth® 5 LE: Perfect for low-power, device-to-device communication.

Zigbee & Thread (802.15.4): Design low-bandwidth mesh networks for smart home integration.

Matter-Compatible: Future-proof your smart home devices for universal integration across the leading brands.

By combining these protocols, you can easily bridge the gap between local mesh networks and high-speed cloud communication all from a single microcontroller.

The Thing Plus Advantage

This Thing+ is built using the SparkFun Thing Plus form factor, which is 100% compatible with the popular Adafruit Feather footprint. It breaks out all 19 GPIO pins of the ESP32-C5 (along with the Reset and Enable signals) to standard 0.1-inch spaced headers. Because of the ESP32-C5's flexible architecture, you can map core interfaces like UART, I2C, SPI, and parallel IO to almost any pin. Note that because the C5 has slightly fewer GPIO pins than the standard footprint, two pins (the "Freebie" pin and D6) are intentionally left as No Connect (NC).

A SparkFun ESP32-C5 powered and connected via USB-C.

Beyond the powerful microcontroller, we have equipped this board with a collection of built-in features to elevate your project:

Solderless Qwiic Connector: Seamlessly integrate the board into SparkFun's ecosystem of plug-and-play I2C sensors, actuators, and displays.

microSD Card Slot: Easily expand your project's data logging and storage capabilities.

Integrated Power Management: Features a USB-C connector for primary power and programming, plus a 2-pin JST connector for a LiPo battery. The onboard MCP73831 charger and MAX17048 fuel gauge make it incredibly easy to deploy remote, battery-powered projects.

Status LEDs: Includes a WS2812 addressable RGB LED (or 'NeoPixel') alongside dedicated Red Power and Yellow LiPo Charge LEDs for quick visual feedback.

To make getting started as easy as possible, the ESP32-C5 Thing Plus comes pre-flashed with MicroPython firmware, helping you test your connection right out of the box. Whether you prefer coding in MicroPython or using the board's full support in the Arduino IDE, the SparkFun ESP32-C5 Thing Plus provides the advanced dual-band connectivity and hardware you need to elevate your wireless builds.

Features and Specifications