Microcontrollers & IoT

Getting Started with ESP32-S3: Pinouts, AI Instructions, and Arduino IDE Setup

By Electrozz Engineering Team • Published on Sep 24, 2026 • 1 views

The ESP32-S3 has quickly become the preferred chip for IoT engineers and hardware hobbyists. In this guide, we dive into what makes the ESP32-S3 special, how to install board definitions in Arduino IDE, and how to write your first program.

Why Choose the ESP32-S3?

Unlike standard ESP32 or ESP32-C3, the ESP32-S3 is powered by dual Xtensa 32-bit LX7 cores running at up to 240 MHz. Crucially, it introduces vector instructions that dramatically speed up machine learning inference, speech recognition, and neural network routines right on the edge.

Step-by-Step Arduino IDE Configuration

Open Arduino IDE and navigate to File > Preferences.
Add the Espressif board package URL: https://espressif.github.io/arduino-esp32/package_esp32_index.json
Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager, search for esp32, and install version 2.0.14 or newer.
Select ESP32-S3 Dev Module from your boards list.
Set USB CDC On Boot to Enabled to use standard Serial.print() over native USB.

Stay tuned for our upcoming tutorial on interfacing cameras and micro-SD cards on the ESP32-S3!