SparkFun Thing Plus – ESP32-C5 Board Offers Dual-Band WiFi 6, Adafruit Feather Pinout, LiPo Battery Support

Key Takeaways

• ESP32-C5 board supports dual‑band Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
• Runs stable ESP‑IDF v6.0 with OTA safe bootloader
• Feather‑compatible, includes LiPo charger and fuel‑gauge
• 8 MB flash, 384 KB SRAM, 8 MB PSRAM
• Priced at $24.95, available via SparkFun store

Summary

SparkFun has released the Thing Plus – ESP32‑C5, a Feather‑compatible development board built around Espressif’s dual‑band Wi‑Fi 6 ESP32‑C5 SoC. The board ships with the stable ESP‑IDF v6.0 SDK, OTA‑capable safe bootloader, and comes pre‑loaded with MicroPython while also supporting Arduino IDE. It offers 8 MB flash, 384 KB SRAM, 8 MB PSRAM, Li‑Po charging, a Qwiic connector, and a USB‑C interface, all for $24.95. The timing aligns with growing demand for Wi‑Fi 6 and Matter‑ready IoT devices.

Pulse Analysis

The ESP32‑C5 marks Espressif’s first RISC‑V‑based Wi‑Fi 6 system‑on‑chip, combining a 240 MHz single‑core processor with a low‑power 40 MHz core. Dual‑band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz 802.11ax delivers higher throughput and reduced latency, features traditionally reserved for smartphones and routers. By integrating Bluetooth 5.0 LE, 802.15.4 for Zigbee/Thread, and a substantial 8 MB PSRAM buffer, the chip addresses the bandwidth and memory constraints that have limited previous ESP32 generations. The recent ESP‑IDF v6.0 release finally offers a stable software stack, making the hardware viable for commercial deployments.

SparkFun’s Thing Plus – ESP32‑C5 translates those silicon capabilities into a developer‑friendly package. Its Feather‑compatible 28‑pin header and Qwiic I²C connector let engineers reuse existing accessories, while the USB‑C power and programming interface simplifies onboarding. Integrated Li‑Po charging, a MAX17048 fuel gauge, and a safe‑boot OTA mechanism provide the reliability needed for remote field updates. With 8 MB of SPI flash, MicroPython pre‑installed, and full Arduino IDE support, the board lowers the barrier to entry for both hobbyists and startups, all at a retail price of $24.95.

The timing of this launch dovetails with the rapid adoption of Matter and other IP‑based smart‑home standards that require robust Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity and over‑the‑air update capabilities. By delivering a low‑cost, production‑grade platform, SparkFun enables rapid prototyping of battery‑operated sensors, wearables, and edge gateways that can seamlessly join existing ecosystems. Competitors will need to match the combination of dual‑band Wi‑Fi 6, RISC‑V efficiency, and extensive peripheral support, positioning the Thing Plus as a reference design for the next wave of connected devices.