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Authors:
| Md. Hafizur Rahman | HafizLab, Bangladesh |
| Muhammad Shihab | HafizLab |
| Md. Arifur Rahman | |
| M. Naderuzzaman | Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Sonargaon University, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
https://oajea.hafizlab.com/article/01-02-003 
https://doi.org/10.64886/oajea.0102.003 
Index Terms:
ESP32, Wi-Fi, Applications, IoT, Microcontroller, Low Power, DevicesAbstract:
The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) has increased the demand for low-cost, high-performance, and energy-efficient microcontrollers with integrated wireless communication capabilities. Among the available platforms, the ESP32 microcontroller has emerged as a widely adopted solution for IoT and embedded system applications due to its dual-core processing architecture, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, rich peripheral support, and flexible software ecosystem. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the ESP32 microcontroller, focusing on its hardware architecture, supported communication protocols, development frameworks, and application domains. The study systematically examines the use of ESP32 in diverse areas such as smart agriculture, healthcare and wearable systems, smart city infrastructure, industrial IoT, and environmental monitoring. In addition, a comparative analysis with other commonly used microcontrollers is provided to highlight the strengths and limitations of ESP32-based systems. Key research challenges related to power consumption, security, scalability, real-time performance, and memory constraints are critically discussed. Finally, future research directions are outlined, emphasizing opportunities in edge intelligence, hybrid communication architectures, energy-efficient designs, and secure IoT deployments. This review aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners in selecting, designing, and optimizing ESP32-based solutions for modern IoT applications.Conclusion:
This paper presented a comprehensive review of the ESP32 microcontroller, focusing on its architecture, communication protocols, software ecosystem, application domains, and associated research challenges. The ESP32 has emerged as a versatile and widely adopted platform for IoT and embedded systems due to its dual-core processing capability, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, rich peripheral support, and flexible software frameworks.Through detailed analysis, it has been shown that the ESP32 effectively bridges the gap between low-cost microcontrollers and more powerful embedded platforms, enabling scalable and connected solutions across diverse domains such as smart agriculture, healthcare monitoring, smart cities, industrial IoT, and environmental sensing. Its ability to support multiple communication protocols and development environments allows researchers and practitioners to tailor system designs according to application-specific requirements.
Despite its strengths, the review also highlighted several limitations that continue to influence ESP32-based system design. Challenges related to power consumption under continuous wireless operation, security configuration complexity, scalability in large deployments, real-time performance constraints, and limited on-chip memory remain active areas of research. Addressing these challenges is essential for extending the applicability of ESP32 to more demanding and mission-critical applications.
The discussion of future research directions emphasized the growing potential of ESP32 in emerging areas such as edge intelligence, hybrid communication architectures, energy harvesting, and secure IoT systems. Continued advancements in firmware optimization, lightweight AI techniques, and scalable system management are expected to further enhance the performance and reliability of ESP32-based platforms.
In conclusion, the ESP32 microcontroller represents a powerful and flexible foundation for modern IoT development. With ongoing research and innovation, it is well-positioned to remain a key enabling technology for next-generation embedded and IoT systems.
License:
Articles published in OAJEA are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Cite This Paper:
Md Hafizur Rahman, Muhammad Shihab, Md. Arifur Rahman, M. Naderuzzaman, “ESP32 Microcontroller: A Review of Architecture, Communication Protocols, Applications and Research Challenges”, Open Access Journal on Engineering Applications (OAJEA), Volume No. 01, Issue No. 02, Page 19-33, February, 2026. https://doi.org/10.64886/oajea.0102.003Reference:
The Internet of Things with ESP32. http://esp32.net
ESP32 Series Datasheet Version 5.2. https://documentation.espressif.com
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Md. Hafizur Rahman, M. Naderuzzaman, A Comprehensive Review of M2M Communication Protocols, Open Access Journal on Engineering Applications (OAJEA), Vol. 01, Issue 01, pp. 1-13, July 2025. https://doi.org/10.64886/oajea.0101.001
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Rahman, M. H., Reza, M. M., Ferdous, R., Naderuzzaman, Kashem, Development of a IoT Based Thermologger for Real-Time Temperature Monitoring, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing, 13(2), 28-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.iotcc.20251302.11
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Md Hafizur Rahman, A Comprehensive Review of Edge Computing: A Perspective of IoT, Open Access Journal on Engineering Applications (OAJEA), Vol. 01, Issue 01, pp. 29-37, July 2025. https://doi.org/10.64886/oajea.0101.004
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Md. Hafizur Rahman, Dr. Zohra Khatun, M. Naderuzzaman, A Smart IoT-Based Environmental Monitoring System for Clinical Labs: Focus on Temperature, Humidity and Air Quality, Open Access Journal on Engineering Applications (OAJEA), Vol. 01, Issue 01, pp. 14-17, July 2025. https://doi.org/10.64886/oajea.0101.002
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Journal Information
| Frequency: Quarterly |
| Submission to First Decision: 7 days |
| Submission to Acceptance: 30 days |
| Accept to Publish: 15 days |
| Article Processing Charges (APCs): None |
