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Lift boards canonical pin into a tier-based reference page
Rewrite src/content/docs/nodes.md as a Diataxis-mode reference: dry, table-shaped, lookup-grade. Tier-1 picks (M5 Atom S3 Lite and M5 Stamp C3 Mate) surface at the top for first-time-buyer information scent; remaining branded boards land under chip-family subheads; "works with caveats" and "steer away" sections name the failure modes (including @maxi1134's 40-50% WiFi retry rate on generic dev boards) and cite the canonical pin #2334 plus the underlying source threads rather than re-aggregating them. Header notes the firmware version (v4.0.6) and verification date so the reference stays auditable. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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‎src/content/docs/nodes.md‎

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---
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title: Nodes
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description: Reference list of ESP32 boards that run ESPresense, organised by tier from first-time-buyer pick to steer-away.
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sidebar:
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order: 4
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---
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> **Last verified against firmware v4.0.6** &mdash; 2026-05-11. Community-voiced board data and quotes are lifted from the canonical pin: [discussion #2334 &mdash; Boards: what works, what's flaky, what to avoid](https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/2334). If a board you've run isn't listed, comment on that thread and we'll fold it in.
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The firmware is currently compatible with the original ESP32, ESP32-C3, and the ESP32-S3. Generally C3 or S3 is recommended for new deployments. The C3 is nice and cheap and the RISC-V is fast! The S3 has better bluetooth range but is a bit more pricey.
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## First-time buyer (tier&nbsp;1)
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It is not compatible with the ESP32-S2 (doesn't have bluetooth), ESP32-C6 (too new no support in our dev environment), or ESP8266 (old, no bluetooth).
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If you've never deployed ESPresense before, buy one of these. Both are branded, enclosed (or stamp-form, not a bare clone PCB), ship with a 3D antenna, and the [browser installer](/firmware) picks the right firmware flavour automatically.
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## ESP32-C3
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| Board | Chip | Why it's tier&nbsp;1 | Stores |
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|:------|:-----|:--------------------|:-------|
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| **M5 Atom S3 Lite** | ESP32-S3 | First-timer pick: ~$10, enclosed, USB-C, status LED, 8&nbsp;MB flash, noticeably better BT range than original ESP32 [^cdc] | [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/products/atoms3-lite) [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFSxCND) |
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| **M5 Stamp C3 Mate** | ESP32-C3 | Cost-conscious pick: stamp form, RISC-V, runs cool, 4&nbsp;MB flash, 3D antenna, RGB LED | [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stamp-c3-mate-with-pin-headers) [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omweFp9) |
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| Name | Stores | Notes |
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|:--------------------|:------------:|-------|
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| M5 Stamp C3 Mate | [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stamp-c3-mate-with-pin-headers) [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omweFp9) | Stamp form factor w/ 4MB flash memory, built-in 3D antenna, RGB LED and button |
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| M5 Stamp C3U Mate | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_onkgbFp) | Stamp form factor w/ 4MB flash memory, built-in 3D antenna, RGB LED and button [^cdc] |
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| ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1U | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3bVwFQb) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/41WQXFa) | Espressif's official development board with ESP32-C3-MINI-1U module, 4MB flash, 160MHz CPU |
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## Chip families
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## ESP32-S3
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Pick a chip first, then a board within it.
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| Name | Stores | Notes |
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|:-------------------|:--------------:|-------|
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| M5 Atom S3 Lite | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFSxCND) | 8MB flash memory, built-in 3D antenna, IR emitter, RGB LED, Button and GROVE interface [^cdc] |
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| M5 Atom S3U | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3bZmzLz) | USB-A w/ 8MB flash memory, built-in 3D antenna, IR emitter, PDM mic, RGB LED, Button and GROVE interface [^cdc] |
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| M5 Stamp S3 | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oB3a0Dv) | Stamp form factor w/ 8MB flash memory, built-in 3D antenna, and RGB LED [^cdc] |
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| Teyleten Robot | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3JEwtzv) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/4jXMRUl) | 8MB flash and 2MB PSRAM dev board, sold as a 3-pack |
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| Chip | Supported | Notes |
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|:-----|:----------|:------|
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| ESP32-S3 | yes &mdash; recommended for new deployments | 8&nbsp;MB flash typical, BT 5.0 LE coded PHY, USB-CDC |
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| ESP32-C3 | yes &mdash; recommended for cost-sensitive deployments | RISC-V, 4&nbsp;MB flash typical |
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| Original ESP32 | yes | Still fully supported; stick to branded boards |
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| ESP32-S2 | no | No Bluetooth radio |
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| ESP32-C6 | no | No toolchain support in our PlatformIO environment yet |
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| ESP8266 | no | No Bluetooth radio |
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## ESP32
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## Community-tested (branded)
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| Name | Stores | Notes |
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|:--------------------|:--------------:|-------|
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| M5 Atom (all kinds) | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oDWoyd1) [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-controllers/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit) [digi](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/m5stack-technology-co-ltd/C008/12088545) | The 3D antenna is much better |
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| M5 Stamp Pico | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_olAPbYT) [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-controllers/products/m5stamp-pico-diy-kit) | Small and still has nice 3D antenna |
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| Huzzah32 | [amz/us](https://amzn.to/4kWlmw4) | Much better quality than generic ESP32 dev boards |
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Branded boards we actively point new users at. The [browser installer](/firmware) selects the right firmware flavour automatically. [^cdc]
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## Works with caveats
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### ESP32-S3
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| Name | Stores | Notes |
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|:-------------------|:--------------:|-------|
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| ESP32 dev board clones | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_okTMXEr) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/4iWKv86) [amz/uk](https://amzn.to/4iyqHYK) | [^unbranded] No brand |
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| D1 Mini ESP32 (Micro B) | [amz/us](https://amzn.to/3tlkK8D) | [^unbranded] No brand *Make sure you get the ESP32 NOT the ESP8266* |
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| D1 Mini ESP32 (Type C) | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oC7KI4X) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/41VjFGq) | [^unbranded] No brand |
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| LOLIN D32 ESP32 | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_onxVPQX) | [^unbranded] No brand |
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| M5Stick-C Plus | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oo2TM0P) [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-controllers/products/m5stickc-plus-esp32-pico-mini-iot-development-kit) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/4iOzTZj) | These are great little devices, but their built-in battery makes them less ideal |
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| Board | Stores | Notes |
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|:------|:-------|:------|
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| M5 Atom S3 Lite | [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/products/atoms3-lite) [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFSxCND) | Enclosed, USB-C. 8&nbsp;MB flash, 3D antenna, IR emitter, RGB LED, button, GROVE [^cdc] |
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| M5 Atom S3U | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3bZmzLz) | Enclosed, USB-A. 8&nbsp;MB flash, 3D antenna, IR emitter, PDM mic, RGB LED, button, GROVE [^cdc] |
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| M5 Stamp S3 | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oB3a0Dv) | Stamp form. 8&nbsp;MB flash, 3D antenna, RGB LED [^cdc] |
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| Teyleten Robot S3 | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3JEwtzv) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/4jXMRUl) | Dev board. 8&nbsp;MB flash + 2&nbsp;MB PSRAM. Sold as a 3-pack [^cdc] |
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## USB C chargers
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### ESP32-C3
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* [20W USB C Wall Charger](https://amzn.to/4kXGphK) - Small Fast Charger with Foldable Plug
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* [20W USB C Wall Charger (3 pack)](https://amzn.to/4hFLcBz)
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* [20W USB C Charger](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4Myg1Bl) (AliExpress) - PD/QC 3.0 fast charger
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| Board | Stores | Notes |
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|:------|:-------|:------|
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| M5 Stamp C3 Mate | [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stamp-c3-mate-with-pin-headers) [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omweFp9) | Stamp form. 4&nbsp;MB flash, 3D antenna, RGB LED, button |
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| M5 Stamp C3U Mate | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_onkgbFp) | Stamp form, USB-A. 4&nbsp;MB flash, 3D antenna, RGB LED, button [^cdc] |
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| ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1U | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3bVwFQb) [amz/us](https://amzn.to/41WQXFa) | Espressif's dev board with ESP32-C3-MINI-1U module and U.FL connector. 4&nbsp;MB flash, 160&nbsp;MHz |
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## USB C to C cables
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### Original ESP32
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* [0.5ft USB C to C](https://amzn.to/4j02B9f)
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* [15cm USB C to C](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c2vxVV1D) (AliExpress) - right angle, fast charging
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| Board | Stores | Notes |
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|:------|:-------|:------|
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| M5 Atom (Lite / Echo / Matrix) | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oDWoyd1) [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-controllers/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit) [digi](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/m5stack-technology-co-ltd/C008/12088545) | Enclosed. The 3D antenna is much better than generic clones |
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| M5 Stamp Pico | [ali](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_olAPbYT) [m5stack](https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-controllers/products/m5stamp-pico-diy-kit) | Stamp form. Small, still has a 3D antenna |
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| Adafruit Huzzah32 | [amz/us](https://amzn.to/4kWlmw4) | Dev board. Branded, quality control unlike generic ESP32 dev boards |
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## USB A chargers
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## Works, with caveats
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* [Dual USB A 3 pack](https://amzn.to/4iA0EAq) - 3-pack of dual-port USB-A chargers with compact cube design
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These boards run ESPresense, but quality and RF behaviour vary. Use one you already own rather than buying a new one. **If a "with caveats" board misbehaves, reproduce on a tier&#8209;1 board before opening a firmware issue** &mdash; RF problems on a marginal clone look identical to firmware bugs and burn a lot of triage time.
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## USB A to C cables
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| Board | Caveat | Source |
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|:------|:-------|:-------|
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| AZDelivery ESP32 NodeMCU (WROOM-32 module on a generic dev board) | Works but no brand QC | [#2334][p] / [#1567][1567], [#1577][1577] |
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| Generic D1 Mini ESP32 (Micro-B and USB-C) | Multiple users report working in practice; same no-brand &rarr; no-QC caveat on the RF front-end | [#2334][p] / [#162][162] |
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| LOLIN D32 ESP32 | Works; unbranded RF caveat | [#2334][p] |
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| M5StickC Plus | Built-in battery is a liability for a fixed-in-place node | [#2334][p] |
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| SEEEDSTUDIO XIAO ESP32-C3 | Runs on the `esp32C3` flavour. One report of a board overheating ([#1364][1364]); use a known-good USB-C cable and a real power supply | [#2334][p] / [#1364][1364] |
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* [16ft 2 pack](https://amzn.to/3zzTTXW)
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* [1ft 6 pack](https://amzn.to/3kyD8Is)
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* [Straight Adapter 4 Pack](https://amzn.to/4hNrh3O)
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* [Right Angle Adapter 4 Pack](https://amzn.to/4bWWH6o)
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## Steer away
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## USB-A to Micro-B cables
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Each of these comes up often enough that it's worth saying plainly:
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* [0.5 ft Micro USB Cable](https://amzn.to/4hzksTa)
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- **Unbranded "ESP32 dev board" listings (Amazon / AliExpress).** Cheap and *usually* fine, but WiFi/BLE quality varies wildly and the failure is silent &mdash; the board flashes, joins WiFi, reports to MQTT, but RSSI is erratic and you can't tell whether tracking problems are firmware, calibration or a bad RF front-end. @maxi1134 reports a 40-50% WiFi-retry rate on generic ESP32 dev boards ([#1364][1364], summarised in [#2334][p]). For your first node, spend the extra few dollars on a branded board.
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- **ESP32-CAM.** Not officially supported. Camera owns most of the GPIOs, tighter RAM, no maintained firmware variant. One community member keeps a fork working with source-side modifications ([#1347][1347]); we don't build for it.
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- **ESP32-S2 / ESP8266.** No Bluetooth radio &mdash; physically can't run ESPresense.
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- **ESP32-C6.** Different toolchain story; no support in our PlatformIO build environment yet.
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- **NSPanel as a base station.** Open question. The chip is an ESP32, but no one has reported flashing ESPresense over the stock NSPanel firmware and getting both the touch UI and BT scanning working ([#1335][1335]).
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- **GL-S10 Bluetooth IoT Gateway.** Not an ESP32 &mdash; MediaTek MT7621 with a separate BLE module &mdash; so the ESPresense firmware doesn't apply ([#1263][1263]).
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## Power and cabling
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### USB-C chargers
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* [20W USB-C Wall Charger](https://amzn.to/4kXGphK) &mdash; small fast charger with foldable plug
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* [20W USB-C Wall Charger (3 pack)](https://amzn.to/4hFLcBz)
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* [20W USB-C Charger (AliExpress)](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4Myg1Bl) &mdash; PD/QC 3.0
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### USB-C to C cables
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* [0.5 ft USB-C to C](https://amzn.to/4j02B9f)
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* [15 cm USB-C to C, right angle (AliExpress)](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c2vxVV1D)
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### USB-A chargers
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* [Dual USB-A 3 pack](https://amzn.to/4iA0EAq) &mdash; compact cube design
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### USB-A to C cables
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* [16 ft, 2 pack](https://amzn.to/3zzTTXW)
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* [1 ft, 6 pack](https://amzn.to/3kyD8Is)
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* [Straight adapter 4 pack](https://amzn.to/4hNrh3O)
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* [Right-angle adapter 4 pack](https://amzn.to/4bWWH6o)
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### USB-A to Micro-B cables
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* [0.5 ft Micro USB cable](https://amzn.to/4hzksTa)
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## See also
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* [Canonical pin #2334][p] &mdash; community discussion, raw quotes, source threads
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* [Install Firmware](/firmware) &mdash; browser-based installer
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* [Discord](https://discord.gg/jbqmn7V6n6) &mdash; faster human turnaround on board questions
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## Footnotes
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[^unbranded]: These are cheap, but no brand usually means no quality control, especially on the WiFi/BLE components
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[^cdc]: Use CDC firmware flavor
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[^cdc]: USB-CDC firmware flavour. The [browser installer](/firmware) selects this automatically; pick the `cdc` variant if you're flashing manually.
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[p]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/2334
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[162]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/162
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[1263]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/1263
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[1335]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/1335
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[1347]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/1347
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[1364]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/1364
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[1567]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/1567
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[1577]: https://github.com/ESPresense/ESPresense/discussions/1577

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