Arduino Nano ESP32 - ElectronicsWiki.com

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Overview

The Arduino Nano ESP32, released in 2023, is the first Arduino Nano board to feature the ESP32-S3 microcontroller — a dual-core, 240 MHz Xtensa LX7 processor with native Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 built in. The wireless radio is integrated via the u-blox NORA-W106 module, which packages the ESP32-S3 with its antenna into a certified radio module, simplifying regulatory compliance for product builders.

The Nano ESP32 is a significant architectural departure from earlier Nano boards. It runs the Arduino ESP32 Boards package rather than the classic AVR or ARM Mbed toolchains. It operates at 3.3V logic — not 5V — and includes a USB-C port with native USB OTG support, enabling USB HID (keyboard, mouse, gamepad emulation) without additional hardware.

With 16 MB of QSPI Flash, 8 MB of PSRAM, a 12-bit ADC across 20 analog-capable pins, and official Arduino IoT Cloud support, the Nano ESP32 is aimed at connected IoT applications, advanced prototyping, and projects that previously required a standalone ESP32 module alongside an Arduino board.

IMPORTANT: The Nano ESP32 operates at 3.3V logic. Its I/O pins are NOT 5V tolerant. Connecting 5V signals directly to any I/O pin may damage the board permanently.

Quick Overview

Feature	Detail
Microcontroller	u-blox NORA-W106 (ESP32-S3, dual-core Xtensa LX7)
Clock Speed	240 MHz
Operating/Logic Voltage	3.3V (NOT 5V tolerant)
Flash Memory	16 MB (QSPI)
PSRAM	8 MB
Wi-Fi	802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth	BLE 5
Digital I/O Pins	22
Analog Input Pins	20 (12-bit ADC)
USB Interface	USB-C (native USB OTG)
HID Support	Yes (native USB)
IoT Cloud	Yes (officially supported)
Dimensions	18 × 45 mm

Key Features

Dual-core ESP32-S3 at 240 MHz — significantly more processing power than AVR Nano boards
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 built in
16 MB QSPI Flash and 8 MB PSRAM for memory-intensive applications
Native USB-C with USB OTG: supports USB HID (keyboard, mouse, MIDI, gamepad emulation)
20 analog-capable pins with 12-bit ADC (vs. 10-bit on classic Nano)
3.3V logic throughout — designed for modern low-voltage peripherals
Input: 5V via USB-C or 5–21V via VIN pin
Officially supported on Arduino IoT Cloud
Board package: Arduino ESP32 Boards (install via Boards Manager)
Same 18 × 45 mm breadboard-compatible Nano footprint

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Value
Microcontroller	u-blox NORA-W106 (ESP32-S3)
CPU	Dual-core Xtensa LX7
Clock Speed	240 MHz
Operating/Logic Voltage	3.3V
Input Voltage (USB-C)	5V
Input Voltage (VIN)	5–21V
USB Connector	USB-C
USB Type	Native USB OTG (no separate bridge chip)
Flash Memory	16 MB (QSPI)
PSRAM	8 MB
Wi-Fi	802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth	BLE 5 (Bluetooth Low Energy)
Digital I/O Pins	22
PWM	Available on most digital pins (software-configurable)
Analog Input Pins	20 (12-bit ADC)
ADC Resolution	12-bit
UART	2
I2C	1
SPI	1
HID Support	Yes (via native USB OTG)
IoT Cloud	Yes (Arduino IoT Cloud)
Board Dimensions	18 × 45 mm

Pinout

https://electronicswiki.com/images/products/arduino-nano-esp32-pinout.png

Digital Pins

The Nano ESP32 exposes 22 digital I/O pins in the standard Nano layout. Most pins are capable of PWM output since the ESP32-S3 uses software-configurable timers rather than fixed hardware PWM assignments.

Analog Pins

20 pins are connected to the ESP32-S3's 12-bit SAR ADC. Note that ESP32-S3 ADC2 (used when Wi-Fi is active) may have reduced accuracy — prefer ADC1 pins for precise analog readings.

Communication Pins

Interface	Pins
UART0	D0 (RX), D1 (TX)
UART1	Configurable
I2C	A4 (SDA), A5 (SCL)
SPI	D10 (SS), D11 (MOSI), D12 (MISO), D13 (SCK)

Power Pins

Pin	Function
VIN	External supply input (5–21V)
5V	5V output (from USB-C or VIN regulator)
3.3V	3.3V regulated output
GND	Ground
RESET	Resets the microcontroller

Power

The Arduino Nano ESP32 is powered via:

USB-C port: provides 5V from USB, regulated internally to 3.3V.
VIN pin: accepts 5–21V, regulated to 5V and then 3.3V onboard.

I/O pins operate at 3.3V. The board's regulator provides 3.3V to the entire system. Current draw is higher than AVR Nano boards due to the dual-core processor and Wi-Fi radio — plan for up to 250 mA peak during Wi-Fi transmission.

Wireless Connectivity

The Nano ESP32 integrates Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 through the u-blox NORA-W106 module. Both radios are available simultaneously.

Wi-Fi Example

#include <WiFi.h> const char* ssid = "YourNetwork"; const char* password = "YourPassword"; void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); WiFi.begin(ssid, password); Serial.print("Connecting to Wi-Fi"); while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) { delay(500); Serial.print("."); } Serial.println(); Serial.print("Connected! IP address: "); Serial.println(WiFi.localIP()); } void loop() { // Your connected application code here }

Bluetooth Low Energy

Use the ArduinoBLE library for BLE peripheral and central roles. The ESP32-S3's BLE 5 stack supports extended advertising and improved range over BLE 4.2.

HID Support

Because the Nano ESP32 uses native USB OTG (not a separate USB-to-serial chip), it can enumerate as a USB HID device directly. This enables keyboard emulation, mouse emulation, MIDI, and gamepad support without additional hardware.

#include "USB.h" #include "USBHIDKeyboard.h" USBHIDKeyboard Keyboard; void setup() { Keyboard.begin(); USB.begin(); } void loop() { delay(3000); Keyboard.print("Hello from Arduino Nano ESP32!"); Keyboard.press(KEY_RETURN); Keyboard.release(KEY_RETURN); delay(10000); }

IoT Cloud

The Arduino Nano ESP32 is officially supported on the Arduino IoT Cloud platform. Use the Arduino IoT Cloud editor or the desktop Arduino IDE with the ArduinoIoTCloud library to connect the board to cloud dashboards, automate data logging, and trigger remote actions.

Setup steps:

Create an account at https://cloud.arduino.cc
Add a new device and select the Arduino Nano ESP32
Follow the cloud agent setup to provision credentials to the board
Create IoT Cloud variables linked to your sketch

Getting Started

Install the Board Package

In the Arduino IDE, open Tools > Board > Boards Manager. Search for "Arduino ESP32 Boards" and install the package. Select Arduino Nano ESP32 from the board list.

First Sketch

// Blink the onboard RGB LED (on Nano ESP32, LED_BUILTIN is the green channel) void setup() { pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); } void loop() { digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); delay(500); digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); delay(500); }

Programming

The Nano ESP32 is programmed via the Arduino IDE using the Arduino ESP32 Boards package. Code is uploaded through the USB-C port. The board enters bootloader mode automatically during upload.

If DFU mode is needed (e.g., to recover from a failed upload), hold the BOOT button while pressing RESET, then release RESET. The board will appear as a DFU device on the host computer.

Python (MicroPython) is not officially supported on this board — for MicroPython, consider the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect.

Package Contents

Item	Quantity
Arduino Nano ESP32 board	1
USB-C cable	1 (included with some retail versions; check listing)

Applications

Wi-Fi connected IoT sensors and data loggers
BLE beacons, proximity sensors, and BLE mesh nodes
USB HID devices (custom keyboards, gamepads, MIDI controllers)
Arduino IoT Cloud dashboards and remote monitoring
Smart home automation nodes
Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication projects
High-performance embedded processing (dual-core advantage)
Camera and display projects leveraging PSRAM

Where to Buy

Retailer	Link
Arduino Official Store	https	//store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-nano-esp32
Amazon	https	//www.amazon.com/s?k=Arduino+Nano+ESP32

Equivalent Boards

Board	Key Difference
Arduino Nano 33 IoT	Same Nano size, SAMD21 + NINA-W102 (ESP32), 3.3V, less powerful MCU
Arduino UNO R4 WiFi	Same ESP32-S3 wireless chip, Uno form factor, 5V-compatible I/O on main MCU
ESP32 Dev Module	Full ESP32 (or S3), not Nano form factor, more GPIO

Documentation

Resource	Link
Official Product Page	https	//store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-nano-esp32
Documentation & Pinout	https	//docs.arduino.cc/hardware/nano-esp32
Arduino IDE Download	https	//www.arduino.cc/en/software
Arduino IoT Cloud	https	//cloud.arduino.cc
ESP32-S3 Datasheet	https	//www.espressif.com/sites/default/files/documentation/esp32-s3_datasheet_en.pdf

Notes

WARNING: The Nano ESP32 operates at 3.3V logic. I/O pins are NOT 5V tolerant. Applying 5V signals to any I/O pin can permanently damage the board. Always use a level shifter when interfacing with 5V peripherals.
The ESP32-S3's ADC2 is shared with the Wi-Fi radio. When Wi-Fi is active, ADC2 readings may be inaccurate. Use ADC1 pins for reliable analog measurements during Wi-Fi operation.
This board is NOT pin-for-pin software-compatible with AVR-based Nanos — it uses the Arduino ESP32 Boards package, not the Arduino AVR Boards package.
The Nano ESP32 features an onboard RGB LED. LED_BUILTIN refers to the green channel; red and blue channels are accessible via separate pin constants.
The onboard antenna is tuned for 2.4 GHz. Placing metal objects directly over the board can reduce Wi-Fi range.

Community

Arduino Forum — official community for questions and projects
Arduino Discord — real-time chat with the Arduino community
r/arduino (Reddit) — share projects and ask questions
Arduino Project Hub — browse community-submitted projects

Revision History

Version	Date	Notes
v1.0	2026-06	Initial entry