Proton AI Core exposes the ESP32-S3’s GPIO bank through a set of through-hole headers along both edges of the board. The pins give you access to all major peripherals — UART, I2C, SPI, ADC, and PWM — while a dedicated FPC connector handles the camera interface separately. Before wiring up external hardware, review the reserved pins below and verify any assignments against the board schematic.
GPIO voltage is 3.3V. Do not connect 5V signals directly to GPIO pins — this may damage the ESP32-S3.
Reserved Pins
Certain GPIO pins are committed to on-board peripherals and should not be used for general-purpose I/O. Connecting external hardware to these pins can interfere with camera operation, USB communication, or internal flash access.
| Function | Pin(s) |
|---|
| Camera interface (DVP) | To be confirmed |
| USB D+ / D− | GPIO19, GPIO20 |
| Internal Flash / PSRAM | To be confirmed |
| Boot / strapping pins | GPIO0, GPIO46 |
The complete pinout diagram PDF — including exact physical pin positions — is available on the Downloads page. Common Pin Functions
The table below lists the default peripheral assignments for UART, I2C, and SPI on the ESP32-S3. These reflect standard Espressif defaults; always verify them against your specific board schematic before use, as the Proton AI Core firmware may remap certain pins.
| Peripheral | Signal | GPIO | Notes |
|---|
| UART0 | TX | GPIO43 | Default console / programming port |
| UART0 | RX | GPIO44 | Default console / programming port |
| I2C | SDA | GPIO8 | Verify with your board’s schematic |
| I2C | SCL | GPIO9 | Verify with your board’s schematic |
| SPI | MOSI | GPIO11 | Default SPI bus; verify with schematic |
| SPI | MISO | GPIO13 | Default SPI bus; verify with schematic |
| SPI | SCK | GPIO12 | Default SPI bus; verify with schematic |
| SPI | CS | GPIO10 | Default SPI bus; verify with schematic |
Camera Interface Pins
The camera module connects through a dedicated FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) connector rather than the main GPIO headers. Internally, it uses the ESP32-S3’s parallel DVP (Digital Video Port) interface, which requires several data lines, a pixel clock, synchronisation signals, and an I2C bus for sensor configuration.
Exact pin assignments for the DVP interface are To be confirmed pending finalisation of the hardware design. Refer to the Cameras page for a full breakdown of supported modules and connection steps, and watch the Downloads page for the released schematic.
Power Pins
The following power pins are available on the GPIO headers for supplying or referencing voltage in your circuits.
| Pin Label | Voltage | Description |
|---|
| 3V3 | 3.3V | Regulated output from the on-board LDO |
| 5V (VBUS) | 5V | Passed directly from the USB-C VBUS rail |
| GND | 0V | Common ground reference |
The complete pinout diagram PDF is available on the Downloads page. 