IoTLynx

A maker-friendly ESP32-C6 development board designed for accessibility and ease of use.

Overview

IoTLynx is a microcontroller development board based on Espressif's ESP32-C6 microcontroller (ESP32-C6-MINI-1 module). Designed with accessibility in mind, the IoTLynx platform caters to makers, hobbyists, and newcomers to programming and electronics. Though the board supports C programming, it was specifically designed to run MicroPython—a choice that aligns with its philosophy of ease of use. With the MicroPython REPL pre-loaded and ready to run, users can start coding immediately without the hassle of configuring development environments or installing IDEs.

Features

Hardware Specifications

ESP32-C6 (ESP32-C6-MINI-1) Module:

• Processor: RISC-V 32-bit single-core, up to 160 MHz
• Memory: 512 KB SRAM, 320 KB ROM, 4 MB embedded flash
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 5.3 LE
• GPIO: 19 programmable GPIOs available on headers
• Interfaces: 2× SPI, 2× UART, 1× I2C, 1× I2S
• Analog: 7-channel 12-bit SAR ADC
• PWM: 6 LED PWM channels
• USB: USB 2.0 full-speed (OTG)
• Other: Built-in temperature sensor, 7-channel capacitive touch, hardware encryption

Board Features:

• Dimensions: 58mm × 38mm with rounded edges
• Power Options: USB-C or +5V via pin (can use both simultaneously)
• Voltage Regulator: Onboard +3.3V regulator
• Headers: 2× 14-pin female headers for GPIO access
• Buttons: RESET and BOOT pushbuttons
• LED: Power-on indicator
• PCB: 2-layer design with ground fills for noise immunity
• Mounting: M3 mounting holes on all four corners

Power Consumption

• Active mode (Wi-Fi): ~95 mA
• Modem-sleep: ~15 mA
• Light-sleep: ~3 mA
• Deep-sleep: ~7-10 µA

Pinout

Power can be applied via:

• USB-C connector for programming and power
• +5Vin pin (5V only) - can be used simultaneously with USB-C
• +3V3 output available for powering external components

Schematic & PCB

The board features a straightforward design with all ESP32-C6-MINI-1 GPIOs (except USB pins) brought out to the headers. View the full schematic PDF for complete details.

Expansion Boards

The IoTLynx is designed to support "Top" boards—add-on boards that attach via the two female header connectors, similar to Arduino shields or Raspberry Pi hats. A KiCad template for creating Top boards is available in the parts library.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Thonny IDE (MicroPython IDE)
• esptool (Espressif's flashing tool)
• MicroPython firmware for ESP32-C6

Installation

1. Install Thonny and esptool:

Via pip (in a Python virtual environment):

pip install thonny esptool

Or via apt (Debian/Ubuntu):

sudo apt install thonny esptool

2. Find your serial port:

Linux/Mac:

ls /dev/tty*

Windows (PowerShell):

[System.IO.Ports.SerialPort]::getportnames()

Look for something like /dev/ttyUSB0, /dev/ttyACM0 (Linux/Mac) or COM3, COM4 (Windows).

3. Erase the flash:

esptool --chip esp32c6 --port /dev/ttyUSB0 erase_flash

Replace /dev/ttyUSB0 with your actual serial port.

4. Flash MicroPython firmware:

esptool --chip esp32c6 --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash -z 0x0 ESP32_GENERIC_C6-XXXXXXXX.bin

Replace ESP32_GENERIC_C6-XXXXXXXX.bin with your downloaded firmware filename.

5. Configure Thonny:

• Open Thonny
• Go to Run → Configure Interpreter
• Select MicroPython (ESP32) from the first dropdown
• Select your board's serial port from the second dropdown
• Click OK

You should see the MicroPython REPL prompt in the shell window:

MicroPython v1.xx.x on 20xx-xx-xx; ESP32C6 module with ESP32C6
Type "help()" for more information.
>>>

Congratulations! You're ready to program your IoTLynx board!

Repository Contents

• IoTLynx.kicad_* - KiCad project files (schematic, PCB, settings)
• IoTLynx.pdf - Schematic in PDF format
• IoTLynx.svg - Board illustration
• production/ - Manufacturing files (gerbers, BOM, etc.)
• images/ - Documentation images
• *-backups/ - KiCad backup files

Resources

• Blog Post: Detailed IoTLynx writeup
• Parts Library: KiCad parts and Top board template
• ESP32-C6 Datasheet: ESP32-C6-MINI-1 documentation
• MicroPython Documentation: MicroPython for ESP32

License

This hardware project is open source. Please check the repository for specific license information.

Contributing

Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome! Feel free to check the issues page or submit a pull request.

Support

For questions, issues, or discussions about the IoTLynx board:

• Open an issue on this repository
• Visit the blog post for additional details

Author

Created by halherta

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Note: While the ESP32-C6 supports Zigbee, Thread, 6LoWPAN, and Matter protocols, these features are not currently available through MicroPython.