This post has been made on Peter’s behalf by CE staff.
I am looking for a small ESP32 board with headers already soldered that will fit a breadboard. Can anybody help me?
I found the ESP32-C3 WROOM Development Board (WRL-18035) but this is far too long.
Background:
I already have beetle DFR0282.
Unfortunately, if I soldered pins onto both sides of the board I can see that it would not fit onto my solderless breadboard (a tiny fraction out, one side will not fit).
I now leave all my projects on solderless breadboards because it is then so easy to replace faulty components.
I have attached wires to my beetle - now it looks like a giant spider. The other end of the wires are not going to hold on the solderless breadboard. Could I suppose solder onto a pretracked solder board. I want to avoid that for the reason given.
1 Like
Hi @peter23346 - your requirement for pre-soldered headers is going to really narrow the pool of candidates.
There are plenty of very small ESP32 modules that are suitable for the breadboard, for example:
Tiny S2 (an Australian maker!)
XIAO
Since you’ve attached wires to your beetle already, is it too much of a stretch to solder headers onto one of these dev. boards?
IMO I think the XIAO is a killer footprint and could be exactly the size you’re after.
1 Like
Hi Michael, I now have an operating circuit with the beetle. Everything fits comfortably onto a ½ solderless breadboard. Looks a bit funny with the beetle up in the air with long wires going down to the breadboard. I will probably get another beetle and solder pins onto it. Don’t like my chances of de-soldering the present beetle.
The circuit varies the power to a heater for instance according to a temp reading from a thermistor. The desired temp is set by the user using a calibrated pot. Power control is by phase controlling the mains 240vac. Tested with a filament type globe. Goes from full power to no power dimming gradually over a range of 1c. No flickering whatsoever in the globe. Fascinating to watch actually as the globe gradually dims with increasing temp. Could of course easily make it work in the opposite direction.
I leave all my circuits now on solderless breadboards as it then so easy to find faults and replace any faulty components. I will use the above circuit with my patented heaters next winter. Last winter they were using an analog circuit with duty cycle control and a zero crossing TRIAC opto-coupler. The programmed beetle uses a random phase TRIAC opto-coupler for phase control.
Your company replied they are not interested in making either of the above circuits on a commercial basis. I quote from the blue card I have received; “whatever stage you are at with your projects share it because we are makers & would love to know & get rewarded”.
1 Like
Hey @peter23346 - glad to hear that things are underway 
It sounds like a great and useful project!
We’re not currently set up to take on outside designs and manufacture them as products. As for the “share it” - that refers to sharing your project for us to host on our projects page.
3 Likes
Hi Peter,
I saw some presoldered mini ESP32 boards on the Waveshare are you after any variants in particular? (Normal, C3, S2, S3)
The product team might be able to help out
1 Like
