Thread

1. jameshart · 1790255500 · focus · HN ↗

   The range of difference in capabilities of different boards branded ESP32 is getting larger. Makes it tricky to figure out when someone says ‘you can run this on an ESP32’ what level of hardware investment is required.

   1. philipallstar · 1790257295 · focus · HN ↗

      I am really struggling to understand what ESP32 is. I've got into adjacent things a bit recently, but haven't figured that one out yet.

      1. nkozyra · 1790257554 · focus · HN ↗

         They're all just single board computers, generally low-powered (literally and in the sense of capability, particularly memory)

         They're generally intended to run flashed firmware and be single-purpose. They usually come bundled with peripheral components and typically have breakouts to add more (pots, sensors, etc).

         They're great for doing one thing (though some support firmware switching), and you can build the 'software' for them pretty easily using Python or C-like variants.

         So for hobbyists they're perfect. You want a quick LED christmas display you can toggle between Rudolph and Santa from a quick network call? You want a humidity sensor in your bedroom? You want to create a networked security camera? These are the types of use cases for MCUs.

         1. m00dy · 1790257619 · focus · HN ↗

            you can also use Rust.

            1. the__alchemist · 1790258976 · focus · HN ↗

               Yea - I think this is one of Rust's core use cases.

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