Waveshare ESP32-P4-NANO Development Board

The Waveshare ESP32-P4-NANO Development Board combines a high-performance RISC-V processor with 32MB PSRAM, 16MB Flash, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, 100Mbps Ethernet, MIPI-DSI display and MIPI-CSI camera interfaces. Ideal for HMI, touchscreen, camera, multimedia, edge-computing and advanced embedded applications.

Description

The Waveshare ESP32-P4-NANO Development Board is a high-performance embedded development platform built around the ESP32-P4NRW32 RISC-V processor. It combines high processing performance with 32MB stacked PSRAM, 16MB onboard NOR Flash, MIPI-DSI display, MIPI-CSI camera, 100Mbps Ethernet, USB 2.0 OTG, microSD storage, audio and extensive GPIO connectivity.

Wireless connectivity is provided by the onboard ESP32-C6-MINI-1 module, which adds Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 functionality to the ESP32-P4 platform through an SDIO connection. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth therefore come from the ESP32-C6 wireless co-processor rather than directly from the ESP32-P4 processor.

For display and vision projects, the board features a 2-lane MIPI-DSI display interface and 2-lane MIPI-CSI camera interface. Waveshare documents compatibility with DSI displays in several sizes and identifies the OV5647 as a compatible MIPI-CSI camera example.

The ESP32-P4-NANO is particularly suitable for HMI systems, touchscreen control panels, multimedia applications, machine vision, camera projects, smart control systems, embedded networking and edge-computing applications.

Key Features

• ESP32-P4NRW32 high-performance RISC-V processor
• Dual-core high-performance RISC-V CPU up to 360MHz
• Additional low-power RISC-V core up to 40MHz
• 32MB stacked PSRAM
• 16MB onboard NOR Flash
• Onboard ESP32-C6-MINI-1
• Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 through ESP32-C6
• 2-lane MIPI-DSI display interface
• 2-lane MIPI-CSI camera interface
• Full HD camera processing and hardware encoding capabilities
• 100Mbps RJ45 Ethernet
• USB 2.0 OTG High-Speed interface
• USB Type-C power, programming and debugging
• SDIO 3.0 TF/microSD card interface
• Onboard microphone
• Speaker output interface
• GPIO expansion headers
• RTC battery connector
• BOOT and RESET buttons
• Reserved interface for an external PoE module
• Suitable for advanced HMI, multimedia, vision and embedded networking projects

Technical Specifications

Waveshare confirms the ESP32-P4-NANO hardware interfaces and specifically lists the 2-lane MIPI-CSI interface with cameras such as OV5647.

Camera Support

The ESP32-P4-NANO provides a 2-lane MIPI-CSI interface for camera applications. Waveshare specifically identifies the OV5647 as a compatible camera example.

The OV5647 is a 5MP image sensor, but this should not be interpreted as ESP32-P4 providing 5MP H.264 encoding. Waveshare states that the ESP32-P4's maximum camera resolution for its integrated processing/encoding path is 2MP, with H.264 encoding performance up to 1080p @ 30fps.

Other camera sensors may also be usable when the MIPI-CSI electrical interface, lane configuration, connector/pinout and software driver are compatible. Espressif's wider ESP32-P4 camera documentation demonstrates MIPI-CSI sensors including SC2336, OV5645 and SC035HGS under different configurations. This demonstrates broader ESP32-P4 camera capability, but does not automatically guarantee plug-and-play compatibility with the ESP32-P4-NANO connector.

Therefore, for the Chip.pk listing, OV5647 should be presented as the confirmed Waveshare-compatible camera example, while other MIPI-CSI cameras should be described as requiring compatibility verification.

Display & HDMI Compatibility

The ESP32-P4-NANO provides a 2-lane MIPI-DSI display interface. Waveshare documents compatibility with selected 5-inch, 7-inch, 8-inch and 10.1-inch DSI displays.

ESP32-P4 supports up to two MIPI-DSI data lanes. Display compatibility depends on more than connector type: the panel's lane configuration, controller, resolution, timing, initialization and software driver must also be supported.

Using an HDMI Display or HDMI Touch Screen

The ESP32-P4-NANO does not provide native HDMI output.

For a standard HDMI monitor or HDMI touchscreen, an active MIPI-DSI to HDMI bridge is required. Espressif currently identifies the Lontium LT8912B as its supported MIPI-DSI-to-HDMI bridge solution and provides an ESP-IDF DSI-to-HDMI example.

The video connection is therefore:

ESP32-P4-NANO MIPI-DSI → LT8912B MIPI-DSI to HDMI Bridge → HDMI Display

For an HDMI touchscreen, HDMI typically carries the display/video signal, while touch input may use a separate USB or another touch-controller interface, depending on the particular screen.

A passive MIPI-to-HDMI cable should therefore not be assumed to work. An appropriate active bridge/converter and compatible software configuration are required.

Applications / Use Cases

The ESP32-P4-NANO is suitable for:

• HMI and graphical user interfaces
• Touchscreen control panels
• Smart home control panels
• Industrial control interfaces
• Multimedia embedded systems
• MIPI-DSI display projects
• HDMI display projects using a compatible LT8912B bridge
• Camera and computer-vision applications
• Machine-vision projects
• Network-connected controllers
• Embedded IoT gateways
• Data acquisition and monitoring systems
• Edge-computing applications
• Audio/video embedded projects
• Interactive information displays

Waveshare specifically positions its MIPI display and camera capabilities for areas including HMI, computer vision, machine vision and control-panel applications.

Compatibility

Display: Compatible with supported 2-lane MIPI-DSI displays when panel interface, timings, initialization and software support match. Waveshare specifically lists compatible 5", 7", 8" and 10.1" DSI screen options.

HDMI: No direct HDMI output. HDMI displays require a suitable active MIPI-DSI-to-HDMI bridge, with LT8912B currently supported by Espressif.

Camera: Waveshare identifies OV5647 as a compatible MIPI-CSI camera example. Other MIPI-CSI sensors may require connector, pinout, electrical and driver verification.

Storage: Supports TF/microSD storage through the onboard SDIO interface.

Networking: Provides onboard 100Mbps wired Ethernet plus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity through the ESP32-C6-MINI-1.

Software: ESP-IDF is the primary development environment. Peripheral support should be verified for the specific ESP-IDF version, display, camera or other hardware being used.

Package Contents

• 1 × Waveshare ESP32-P4-NANO Development Board
• 1 × Speaker 8Ω 2W

FAQs

1. What is the Waveshare ESP32-P4-NANO Development Board?
The ESP32-P4-NANO is a high-performance Waveshare development board based on the ESP32-P4 RISC-V platform. It includes 32MB PSRAM, 16MB Flash, MIPI-DSI display, MIPI-CSI camera, Ethernet, USB, microSD and extensive peripheral connectivity.

2. Does the ESP32-P4-NANO have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
Yes. The board includes an ESP32-C6-MINI-1 wireless co-processor that provides Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are provided by the ESP32-C6 module rather than directly by the ESP32-P4 processor.

3. How much RAM and Flash does the ESP32-P4-NANO have?
This Waveshare ESP32-P4-NANO configuration features 32MB stacked PSRAM and 16MB onboard NOR Flash.

4. Can I connect a touchscreen display to the ESP32-P4-NANO?
Yes, compatible displays can be connected through the board's 2-lane MIPI-DSI interface. Display compatibility depends on the connector pinout, controller, resolution, timings and software support.

5. Can I connect a normal HDMI display to the ESP32-P4-NANO?
Not directly. The ESP32-P4-NANO provides MIPI-DSI rather than native HDMI output. A compatible active MIPI-DSI-to-HDMI bridge is required. Espressif provides support for a solution based on the Lontium LT8912B bridge.

6. Can I use an HDMI touch screen with the ESP32-P4-NANO?
Yes, when a compatible MIPI-DSI-to-HDMI bridge and supported display configuration are used. HDMI carries the video signal, while touch input may require a separate USB or other touch-controller connection, depending on the touchscreen.

7. Which camera can I use with the ESP32-P4-NANO?
The board provides a 2-lane MIPI-CSI camera interface, and Waveshare documents the OV5647 as a compatible camera example. Other MIPI-CSI cameras may work when their electrical interface, pinout and software driver are compatible.

8. Is the OV5647 camera 5MP?
Yes, the OV5647 is a 5-megapixel image sensor. However, this does not mean the ESP32-P4 provides 5MP H.264 encoding. Waveshare documents ESP32-P4 camera processing/encoding up to 2MP, including H.264 up to 1080p at 30fps.

9. Does the ESP32-P4-NANO have Ethernet?
Yes. The board includes an onboard RJ45 100Mbps Ethernet interface for wired networking applications.

10. Does the ESP32-P4-NANO support PoE?
The board has a reserved interface for an external PoE module. PoE should not be described as built in unless the required PoE hardware/module is installed.

11. Does the ESP32-P4-NANO support a microSD card?
Yes. It includes an onboard TF/microSD card slot using an SDIO interface for storage expansion.

12. Is a speaker included with the Chip.pk ESP32-P4-NANO?
Yes. The current Chip.pk stock includes 1 × ESP32-P4-NANO Development Board and 1 × speaker.

13. What can I build with the ESP32-P4-NANO?
It is suitable for HMI and touchscreen systems, camera and vision projects, multimedia devices, smart control panels, embedded networking, edge computing, IoT gateways and other processing-intensive embedded applications.