Waveshare's Thermal-Camera-ESP32-Module is a compact wireless infrared thermal imaging camera built on the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 chip, featuring an 80x62 pixel microbolometer/thermopile sensor array with a 25 FPS refresh rate and a dual-mode 2.4 GHz WiFi/Bluetooth 5 LE connection. It offers two field-of-view options (45° basic and 90° wide angle), supports target temperatures from -40°C to 400°C with ±2°C accuracy, and includes a rechargeable lithium battery header, Type-C power connector, and 14 GPIO pins for expansion. The module can stream thermal images via a web interface or serial port, configured through an Android Bluetooth app or factory firmware flashing.
- NETD of 125mK provides reasonable thermal sensitivity for consumer and hobbyist applications
- The module supports both AP (hotspot) and STA (client) WiFi modes, with AP mode defaulting to 192.168.4.1:3333
- Emissivity considerations are important for accurate readings; the article explains gray body and selective radiator concepts
- Source code is provided for VS Code and ESP-IDF v5.4.1, enabling secondary development
- A third-party Node.js web interface project is linked for alternative display solutions
- NETD of 125mK provides reasonable thermal sensitivity for consumer and hobbyist applications
- The module supports both AP (hotspot) and STA (client) WiFi modes, with AP mode defaulting to 192.168.4.1:3333
- Emissivity considerations are important for accurate readings; the article explains gray body and selective radiator concepts
- Source code is provided for VS Code and ESP-IDF v5.4.1, enabling secondary development
- A third-party Node.js web interface project is linked for alternative display solutions
A single-file software-defined radio receiver that runs entirely in a Chromium-based browser via WebUSB, requiring no installation, no internet, and no admin rights—just an RTL-SDR stick, an antenna, and `index.html` on a USB drive. The project is designed for offline and remote use cases, such as field expeditions, emergency kits, and locked-down computers, supporting FM stereo with RDS, shortwave, airband, PMR446, and general coverage from 100 kHz to 1.766 MHz.
- Decodes weather fax, Morse code (auto speed detection), and RDS, with an "Identify" menu that optionally queries shortwave.live or a web search for the tuned frequency.
- Includes a Panorama feature that sweeps up to 10 MHz at once and stitches the slices together for a wideband view.
- Built using Jacobo Tarrío's `webrtlsdr` and `signals` libraries (from the original Google Radio Receiver Chrome app), bundled into one file with esbuild.
- The US National Weather Service proposed closing its five HF radiofax stations in late 2026.
- Demo mode is available without a stick by opening `index.html?demo`, which simulates stations including FM stereo with RDS, fading shortwave, SSB, Morse, and weather fax.
- Decodes weather fax, Morse code (auto speed detection), and RDS, with an "Identify" menu that optionally queries shortwave.live or a web search for the tuned frequency.
- Includes a Panorama feature that sweeps up to 10 MHz at once and stitches the slices together for a wideband view.
- Built using Jacobo Tarrío's `webrtlsdr` and `signals` libraries (from the original Google Radio Receiver Chrome app), bundled into one file with esbuild.
- The US National Weather Service proposed closing its five HF radiofax stations in late 2026.
- Demo mode is available without a stick by opening `index.html?demo`, which simulates stations including FM stereo with RDS, fading shortwave, SSB, Morse, and weather fax.
Richard Didd has released OFFgrid-SDR, a fully offline RTL-SDR receiver that runs in a single HTML file without requiring any installation or internet access. The program utilizes WebUSB in modern browsers to demodulate various signal types and display spectrum and waterfall data, while also including built-in decoders for RDS, weather fax, and Morse code. Its primary advantage is portability, allowing users to store the application on a USB drive and run it on almost any machine with a compatible browser.
- Windows users must install WinUSB drivers via Zadig
- Linux users must blacklist DVB-T drivers
- macOS and Chromebook require no additional setup
- Project documentation is available on the developer's Hackaday.io page
- Windows users must install WinUSB drivers via Zadig
- Linux users must blacklist DVB-T drivers
- macOS and Chromebook require no additional setup
- Project documentation is available on the developer's Hackaday.io page
admin writes that multiple independent projects have discovered an undocumented feature in ESP32 chips that bypasses standard WiFi and Bluetooth functions to capture raw IQ baseband samples. This allows several ESP32 models to operate as internal SDRs covering 2.2–2.7 GHz, with the ESP32-C5 extending to 4.8–6.0 GHz at up to 80 MS/s. While most implementations are limited to snapshot-based spectrum analysis due to bandwidth constraints, the new ESP32-S31 supports continuous streaming over Gigabit Ethernet. Other projects have leveraged this feature to enable phase-coherent direction finding and a 5.8 GHz FPV video receiver.
- The ESPARGOS team is not implementing phase-coherent transmissions due to misuse concerns.
- An FPGA-based prototype by user h0m3us3r streams data continuously, though it has poor phase noise.
- The C5VRX project utilizes the undocumented IQ stream for a 5.8 GHz FPV video receiver.
- The ESPARGOS team is not implementing phase-coherent transmissions due to misuse concerns.
- An FPGA-based prototype by user h0m3us3r streams data continuously, though it has poor phase noise.
- The C5VRX project utilizes the undocumented IQ stream for a 5.8 GHz FPV video receiver.
Jenny List writes about how an undocumented feature in certain ESP32 chips allows the raw I/Q stream to be tapped before the WiFi modem, effectively turning them into software-defined radio receivers. Discovered independently by Espargos and a Reddit user, the mode supports both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands but is limited to receive-only operation.
- Only works on ESP32 variants with earlier Tensilica hardware; Bluetooth-only and non-radio P4 chips won't work
- Transmit capability appears possible but remains undocumented, with the discoverer refusing to share due to "rule 3"
- The 80 Msps 32-bit/sample data rate creates bandwidth challenges for external transfer via SDIO or UART interfaces
- Only works on ESP32 variants with earlier Tensilica hardware; Bluetooth-only and non-radio P4 chips won't work
- Transmit capability appears possible but remains undocumented, with the discoverer refusing to share due to "rule 3"
- The 80 Msps 32-bit/sample data rate creates bandwidth challenges for external transfer via SDIO or UART interfaces
Giorgio Mendoza writes that Makerfabs has released the MaTouch ESP32-S3 7.5-inch Quad-Color E-Ink board, pairing an 800×480 four-color electrophoretic display with an ESP32-S3R8 controller, a four-microphone array, a six-axis IMU, and microSD storage for low-power displays and voice-controlled interfaces.
- Priced at $59.80, with an optional OV3660 3-megapixel camera adding $4.80
- The E Ink panel uses a JD79665 controller with a full-screen refresh time of about 20 seconds
- Software support includes ESP-IDF 5.4.2 and Arduino, with published examples for camera capture and voice-activated image browsing
- The board supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 LE, with 8MB PSRAM and 16MB SPI flash
- Priced at $59.80, with an optional OV3660 3-megapixel camera adding $4.80
- The E Ink panel uses a JD79665 controller with a full-screen refresh time of about 20 seconds
- Software support includes ESP-IDF 5.4.2 and Arduino, with published examples for camera capture and voice-activated image browsing
- The board supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 LE, with 8MB PSRAM and 16MB SPI flash
Tom Nardi writes that Mateusz Juszczyk has created a desktop gadget called ESP32-Plane-Radar, which uses an ESP32-C3 Super Mini and a round GC9A01 display to visualize aircraft movement. Rather than using actual radar hardware, the device connects via WiFi to adsb.fi to pull crowdsourced Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) flight data, creating a professional-looking circular radar display that reflects real-world local airspace activity.
- The project features a minimalistic 3D printed enclosure for its components.
- A web-based configuration interface is included for easier setup via WiFi.
- Despite the name, it does not sniff ADS-B signals directly from radio waves but uses internet data instead.
- The project features a minimalistic 3D printed enclosure for its components.
- A web-based configuration interface is included for easier setup via WiFi.
- Despite the name, it does not sniff ADS-B signals directly from radio waves but uses internet data instead.
socquique writes of Capsule Radar, a live ADS-B aircraft radar designed for the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED series (1.75 and 1.43 inch round displays). The software pulls real-time flight data via WiFi to plot nearby aircraft on various visual themes like Phosphor or Orb, offering touch interaction for detailed flight information such as routes and altitude.
- Supports browser-based flashing via ESP Web Tools
- Includes a native SDL2 desktop simulator for testing without hardware
- Features automated route lookups using adsbdb
- Provides "face-down" sleep mode triggered by the onboard IMU
- Compatible with Waveshare's 1.75 and 1.43 AMOLED boards
- Supports browser-based flashing via ESP Web Tools
- Includes a native SDL2 desktop simulator for testing without hardware
- Features automated route lookups using adsbdb
- Provides "face-down" sleep mode triggered by the onboard IMU
- Compatible with Waveshare's 1.75 and 1.43 AMOLED boards
tzapu writes about WiFiManager, an Espressif ESPx WiFi connection manager featuring a fallback web configuration portal. The library allows devices like the ESP8266 and ESP32 to automatically enter Access Point mode if they cannot connect to a saved network, enabling users to configure credentials via a captive web portal from any device with a browser.
- Supports both ESP8266 and ESP32 platforms
- Features a captive portal that redirects all traffic to the configuration page
- Includes support for custom parameters beyond SSID and password (e.g., MQTT settings)
- Provides language switching options including German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese
- Supports on-demand configuration portals via a trigger pin or software command
- Supports both ESP8266 and ESP32 platforms
- Features a captive portal that redirects all traffic to the configuration page
- Includes support for custom parameters beyond SSID and password (e.g., MQTT settings)
- Provides language switching options including German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese
- Supports on-demand configuration portals via a trigger pin or software command
Tyler August writes that the Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) ESP32 dev boards can be transformed into a Portable Digital Assistant, reminiscent of 1990s Palm devices. Rather than using an emulator, user sau412 developed custom firmware for the CYD that includes features like a Gopher browser, RSS and Wikipedia readers, various games, a BASIC interpreter, a calendar, calculator, contact list, ebook reader, and translator.
- The project can be set up in approximately five minutes using a web-based flasher.
- An SD card is required to test all the available applications.
- This project provides an alternative for those looking for Palm OS-style functionality on modern hardware without needing x86 or ARM emulators like Pumpkin OS.
- The project can be set up in approximately five minutes using a web-based flasher.
- An SD card is required to test all the available applications.
- This project provides an alternative for those looking for Palm OS-style functionality on modern hardware without needing x86 or ARM emulators like Pumpkin OS.
