ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO, the Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) module with an Espressif chipset, and its related development kit ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO-DevKit provide an easy way for customers to build Alexa-connected devices without worrying about managing cloud services, writing an Alexa Skill, phone applications or complex device firmware. They provide Alexa connectivity and support features like Frustration-Free Setup and Amazon Dash Replenishment.
ACK Module
ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO is a small footprint (16 x 23 x 2.3 mm) module based on the ESP32-PICO-V3 SiP. This SiP is based on the ESP32 (ECO V3) SoC, with a 4 MB SPI flash, a crystal oscillator, filter capacitors and RF matching links. It provides 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity to the host MCU. It comes with a PCB antenna. The host MCU can be connected to the ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO module through a UART interface.
At the core of this module is ESP32 (ECO V3) SoC, which is an Xtensa LX6 dual-core 32-bit microcontroller with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. This SoC is designed with TSMC’s 40-nm low power technology.
The module comes pre-certified for regulatory certifications such as FCC, CE, SRRC, IC and RCM.
ACK Development Kit
ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO-DevKit is based on the ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO (ACK) module. With its compact size, high performance and seamless connectivity, ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO-DevKit aims to become the solution of choice for makers who wish to build Alexa-connected devices. The pin layout of ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO-DevKit is compatible with that of the Arduino Zero development board and, therefore, it can be directly plugged into the Arduino Zero board, or get easily connected to other host boards and peripherals.
Software
ESP32-PICO-V3-ZERO comes pre-programmed with the ACK module firmware. It is also pre-provisioned, having the necessary credentials that make it connect to an ACK-managed cloud service. The ACK module firmware is managed by Amazon and provides out-of-box features, such as Frustration-Free Setup, Alexa connectivity and Amazon Dash Replenishment. Customers can implement interfacing with peripherals on the host MCU when it is connected to the ACK module over a UART interface. This architecture significantly reduces software development and maintenance complexity for customers, while also providing a rich set of product features.
Espressif SoCs as ACK Host MCUs
Espressif SoCs may function as low-power, secure and feature-rich host MCUs that can be used in ACK-based designs for connected products. Espressif SoCs are certified and well-established in the AIoT industry, but can be also used flexibly based on your product requirements. Thus, you can quickly design your products with only a few external components. More specifically, Espressif’s ESP32 and ESP32-C3 SoCs are pre-provisioned, so that they can be connected to an ACK module when building Alexa-connected devices. ESP32 and ESP32-C3 provide common IO interfaces, such as GPIOs, I2C, PWM, ADC, I2S, UART and others that can be used to control peripherals or collect sensor data.
Espressif offers an easy-to-use, open-source SDK, ESP-IDF, which provides ease of programming when implementing peripheral drivers and business logic in your connected device. Amazon provides the ACK host driver, which is readily available to be used with Espressif’s ESP32 and ESP32-C3 SoCs, thus simplifying the development even further.
We suggest you refer to the table below first, from which you will learn all about Espressif's ACK Host MCU options that are currently available, along with a feature comparison. Please get in touch with Espressif's customer support team, so you can get more details about our ACK Host MCUs, and find out how we can help you with commercial projects.
Espressif's Host MCU Options for ACK
| ESP32-C3 Series | ESP32 Series | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-C3 | ESP32-C3FN4 | ESP32-D0WD-V3 | ESP32-U4WDH | ||
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| Memory | SRAM (KB) | 400 | 520 | ||
| ROM (KB) | 384 | 448 | |||
| RTC SRAM (KB) | 8 | 16 | |||
| Flash (MB) | Customer to Choose | 4 | Customer to Choose | 4 | |
| Peripherals | ADC | 2*12-bit ADC, 6 Channels | 2*12-bit ADC, 18 Channels | ||
| DAC | 0 | 2*8-bit DAC | |||
| Capacitive Touch | 0 | 10 | |||
| Temp Sensor | 1 | 1 | |||
| GPIO | 22 | 34 | |||
| UART | 2 | 3 | |||
| SPI | 3 | 4 | |||
| SDIO HOST | 0 | 1 | |||
| SDIO SLAVE | 0 | 1 | |||
| I2C | 1 | 2 | |||
| I2S | 1 | 2 | |||
| RMT | 1*4 Channels | 1*8 Channels | |||
| LED PWM | 1*6 Channels | 2*8 Channels | |||
| MCPWM | 0 | 2 | |||
| Hall | 0 | 1 | |||
| Ethernet | 0 | 1 | |||
| TWAL | 1 | 1 | |||
| JTAG | YES | YES | |||
| Camera | N/A | 1*DVP 8/16-bit | |||
| Required External Components / BOM |
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