*This board is similar to the ESP32 board, but it has major differences, so, don’t get them confused! Be sure to check the metal chip for the board’s processor / chip type*
Brief Overview
The ESP8266 is just the name of a chip, it’s a Wi-Fi microchip used on development boards (among other things) to make it Wi-Fi compatible. There are many other Wi-Fi chips out there, but ESP seems to gravitate mostly towards development boards. There are different board variants using the ESP Wi-Fi chips, such as ESP-M3, ESP-M2, ESP8285, Adafruit 4065 Wi-Fi, etc.
Any board representing the ESP8266 Wi-Fi transceiver module just simply means that it is compatible with / has the following specs:
- IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (protocols for modern Wi-Fi devices)
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Frequency
- WPA/WPA2 Wi-Fi Security Protocol
- uses a L106 32-bit RISC microprocessor core
- it’s processor (prev. bullet point) runs at 80-120 MHz
- uses network protocols: IPv4, TCP/UDP/HTTP/FTP
- Peripheral Bus: UART/SDIO/SPI/I2C/I2S/IR
Antennas
Based on your specific board, you may need an external antenna if one is not built-in. However, most boards come with built-in antenna options. You’ll either see a circular node for connecting an external / wired high-gain antenna, or a soldered gold or silver snake-like pattern on the top. There are many options for antennas, either an external directional, PCB trace, IPEX connector, or a ceramic chip.
*post to be continued*