Adafruit
ESP32-S2 Saola 1R Dev Kit featuring ESP32-S2 WROVER
ESP32-S2 Saola-1 is a small-sized ESP32-S2 based development board produced by Espressif. Just about all of the I/O pins are broken out to the pin headers on...
ESP32-S2 Saola-1 is a small-sized ESP32-S2 based development board produced by Espressif. Just about all of the I/O pins are broken out to the pin headers on both sides for easy interfacing. Developers can either connect peripherals with jumper wires or mount ESP32-S2 Saola-1 on a breadboard - we recommend two breadboards 'side-by-side' since the Saola is a bit wide and you won't have extra holes on one side for wiring.
This particular Saola comes with a WROVER module, which has 2 MB (8 Mbit) PSRAM mounted for a roomy development environment!
The micro USB connector on the Saola is wired through a CP210x USB to serial converter chip for debugging and programming. The native USB is not available on a USB connector - instead you'll want to pick up a Micro B USB connector breakout, Type C USB connector breakout or USB data cable and hand-wire D19/D20 to D+ and D- pads.
We do have CircuitPython support for this board, but as mentioned above, you will have to wire up the USB connectivity to access the CircuitPython disk drive and serial port.
Espressif ESP32-S2 supports ESP-IDF master or version v4.2 and higher. You’ll find information to get started with ESP32-S2-Saola-1 board and hardware documentation (e.g. schematics) in Espressif’s Documentation website.
Revision History:
- As of Oct 1st, 2025 – The PCB has been updated to have two micro usb's and "N8R2" version of the module.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- CircuitPython
- A beginner-friendly version of Python designed to run directly on microcontroller boards. If a product supports CircuitPython, you can often program it by copying code files onto the board rather than setting up a more complex toolchain.
- ESP-IDF
- ESP-IDF is Espressif’s official software development framework for ESP32-family chips. It gives more direct control over the hardware than beginner-style environments, which can help with advanced features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio and power management.
- ESP32
- ESP32 is a family of microcontroller modules with built-in wireless features such as Bluetooth and WiFi. Knowing this product uses an ESP32-based module helps explain how it provides wireless serial communication and firmware update features.
- Headers
- Rows of metal pins used to plug a module into a breadboard or connect it with jumper wires. Pre-soldered headers make the module easier to use straight away without needing to solder the pins yourself.
- native USB
- Native USB means the microcontroller itself handles USB communication, rather than using a separate USB-to-serial chip. This matters for programming, debugging, and projects that need the board to act directly as a USB device.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- USB to serial converter
- A chip that turns the USB connection from your computer into serial data that the microcontroller can understand. It matters because this board uses it for programming and debugging instead of appearing as a direct native USB device such as a keyboard or mouse.
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