Communicator
About the Communicator PCB
Communicator is an open source ESP32 PCB design by Hack-a-Day, published on GitHub under the MIT license. It is a 2-layer board measuring 148 × 81 mm, with 47 components from 30 distinct parts.
Its main chip is the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1, from the ESP32 family. Other key parts include the MCP73831-2-OT, AP2112K-3.3 and TCA8418RTWR. By type, the board carries 19 resistors, 7 connectors, 7 capacitors, 4 ICs, 3 switches and 3 diodes.
It belongs with the wearables designs in this gallery.
From the project
The 2025 Hackaday Supercon RF Communicator Badge
Main components on the Communicator
Communicator bill of materials (BOM)
47 components, 30 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 | U1 |
| 1 | MCP73831-2-OT | SOT-23-5 | U2 |
| 1 | AP2112K-3.3 | SOT-23-5 | U3 |
| 1 | TCA8418RTWR | VQFN-24-1EP_4x4mm_P0.5mm_EP2.5x2.5mm | U4 |
| 1 | WIO-SX1262-N Wio-SX1262-N SenseCAP | Wio1262-N | M1 |
| 1 | BC849 | SOT-23 | Q1 |
| 1 | DMG2305 | SOT-23 | Q2 |
| 1 | USB-C Connector | AMPHENOL_12402012E212A | J1 |
| 1 | 1-2328702-0_UPSIDE_DOWN 1-2328702-0_upside_down | TE_1-2328702-0 | J2 |
| 1 | CON-SMA-EDGE-S | RFSOLUTIONS_CON-SMA-EDGE-S | J3 |
| 1 | PH2.0 Connector | JST_PH_S2B-PH-SM4-TB_1x02-1MP_P2.00mm_Horizontal | J4 |
| 1 | Expansion | PinSocket_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical | J6 |
| 1 | Serial Expansion | PinHeader_1x03_P2.54mm_Vertical | J7 |
| 1 | SIMPLE_ADDON_V2 Simple_Addon_v2 | Simple_Addon_v2-BADGE-2x3 | J8 |
| 1 | Attenuator Bypass | SolderJumper-2_P1.3mm_Open_RoundedPad1.0x1.5mm | JP1 |
| 1 | Keyboard | Keyboard | SW1 |
| 1 | SW_SPST | SW_Tactile_SPST_NO_Straight_CK_PTS636Sx25SMTRLFS | SW2 |
| 1 | SLW-91353-2A-RA-D | SW_SLW-91353-2A-RA-D | SW3 |
| 1 | Sidemount LED | WL-SMSW_1204 | D1 |
| 1 | LED | LED_0805_2012Metric | D2 |
Show 10 more
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1N5819WS | D_SOD-323 | D3 |
| 4 | 10UF 10uF | C_0603_1608Metric | C1, C4, C5, C6 |
| 3 | 1UF 1uF | C_0603_1608Metric | C7, C8, C9 |
| 2 | 1k | R_0603_1608Metric | R1, R5 |
| 9 | 5.1K 5.1k | R_0603_1608Metric | R2, R3, R9, R12, R13, R14, R15, R17 +1 |
| 1 | 1.2 k | R_0603_1608Metric_Pad0.98x0.95mm_HandSolder | R4 |
| 2 | 50 Ohm | R_0603_1608Metric_Pad0.98x0.95mm_HandSolder | R6, R16 |
| 1 | 3.9 Ohms | R_0603_1608Metric | R7 |
| 1 | 2k | R_0603_1608Metric | R8 |
| 3 | 100K 100k | R_0603_1608Metric | R10, R11, R18 |
Communicator design files
The KiCad project lives in the Hack-a-Day/2025-Communicator_Badge repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.
Communicator: common questions
What microcontroller does the Communicator use?
The Communicator is built around the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1, from the ESP32 family.
How big is the Communicator PCB?
The Communicator measures 148 × 81 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.
How many components are on the Communicator?
47 components, from 30 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.
Where can I download the Communicator design files?
From the Hack-a-Day/2025-Communicator_Badge repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.
Can I use the Communicator design in my own project?
Yes, under the terms of its MIT license, which Hack-a-Day chose for the repository.
Can I test firmware for the Communicator without the hardware?
Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug ESP32 firmware against it before you order a PCB.
More boards in 2025-Communicator_Badge
Similar boards
ESP32Open Book Abridged Edition
joeycastillo
85 × 115 mm65 parts2LCC-BY-SA-4.08.1k
ESP32Badge
atopile
56.3 × 39 mm239 parts4LMIT4.0k
ESP32Esp32 minimal
36.2 × 26.8 mm20 parts2LMIT4.0k
ESP32Racer
StuckAtPrototype
36 × 50.2 mm70 parts4LApache-2.03.8k
ESP32Controller
29 × 74 mm58 parts4LApache-2.03.8k
ESP32Bitaxe
skot
56.5 × 99.8 mm86 parts4LCERN-OHL-S-2.01.4k