RP2040 VS ESP32 VS STM32[Video]: What are the differences between them?

RP2040 brings our distinctive values of high performance, low cost, and ease of use to the microcontroller arena. Because of its large on-chip memory, symmetric dual-core processing complex, deterministic bus fabric, and complete peripheral set reinforced with our unique Programmable I/O (PIO) subsystem, it provides professional users with unequaled power and flexibility. It has a low entry barrier for new and inexperienced users, with detailed documentation, a polished MicroPython port, and a UF2 bootloader in ROM.

The RP2040 is a stateless device with execute-in-place functionality cached in external QSPI memory. This design choice allows you to choose the optimum nonvolatile storage density for your application while simultaneously taking advantage of commodity Flash's low pricing. The RP2040 is based on a cutting-edge 40nm process node that offers outstanding performance, low dynamic power consumption, and minimal leakage, as well as a variety of low-power modes for prolonged battery life.

Espressif Systems' ESP32 is a low-cost, low-power system on a chip (SoC) series with Wi-Fi and dual-mode Bluetooth functionality! The ESP32 family includes the chips ESP32-D0WDQ6 (and ESP32-D0WD), ESP32-D2WD, ESP32-S0WD, and the system in package (SiP) ESP32-PICO-D4. At its core is a Tensilica Xtensa LX6 dual-core or single-core CPU with a clock rate of up to 240 MHz. The ESP32 includes antenna switches, RF baluns, power amplifiers, low-noise receive amplifiers, filters, and power management modules. To achieve ultra-low power consumption, the ESP32 is developed for mobile devices, wearable electronics, and IoT applications, and it employs power-saving technologies such as fine resolution clock gating, various power modes, and dynamic power scaling.

STMicroelectronics' STM32 32-Bit ARM® Cortex®-M MCUs are based on the Arm Cortex-M processor and are designed to provide MCU users with new levels of freedom. A 32-bit version of the MCUs is available, which combines high performance, real-time capability, digital signal processing, and low-power, low-voltage operation. This is done while maintaining complete integration and development simplicity.

Arm Cortex-M cores (M0, M0+, M3, M4, and M7), as well as other options, are now available in the STM32 series. This gives developers the option of selecting the optimal STM32 for their needs. The ability to transfer apps from one device to another receives specific attention. The binary compatibility of the STM32 series, together with the similar pinout assignment, hardware IP proliferation, and higher-level programming language, makes the development work substantially easier.

RP2040 Features:

• Dual ARM Cortex-M0+ @ 133MHz

• 264kB on-chip SRAM in six independent banks

• Support for up to 16MB of off-chip Flash memory via dedicated QSPI bus

• DMA controller

• Fully-connected AHB crossbar

• Interpolator and integer divider peripherals

• On-chip programmable LDO to generate a core voltage

• 2 on-chip PLLs to generate USB and core clocks

• 30 GPIO pins, 4 of which can be used as analog inputs

• Peripherals

ESP32 Features:

Processors:

• CPU: Xtensa dual-core (or single-core) 32-bit LX6 microprocessor, operating at 160 or 240 MHz and performing at up to 600 DMIPS

• Ultra-low-power (ULP) co-processor

• Memory: 320 KiB RAM, 448 KiB ROM

• Wireless connectivity:

• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n

• Bluetooth: v4.2 BR/EDR and BLE (shares the radio with Wi-Fi)

Security:

• IEEE 802.11 standard security features are all supported, including WPA, WPA2, WPA3 (depending on the version)[5] and WAPI

• Secure boot

• Flash encryption

• 1024-bit OTP, up to 768-bit for customers

• Cryptographic hardware acceleration: AES, SHA-2, RSA, elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), random number generator (RNG)

Power management:

• Internal low-dropout regulator

• Individual power domain for RTC

• 5 μA deep sleep current

• Wake up from GPIO interrupt, timer, ADC measurements, capacitive touch sensor interrupt

STM32 Features:

• ARM® 32-bit Cortex®-M3 CPU Core

• Memories

• Clock, reset and supply management

• Low-power

• 2 x 12-bit, 1 µs A/D converters (up to 16 channels)

• DMA

•Up to 80 fast I/O ports

• Debug mode

• 7 timers

• Up to 9 communication interfaces

• CRC calculation unit, 96-bit unique ID

• Packages are ECOPACK®

RP2040 Pinout

ESP32 Pinout

STM Pinout

RP2040 Block Diagram

ESP32 Block Diagram

STM Block Diagram

As others have indicated, the ESP32 can be used for simple networking (BLE and WiFi), whereas the STM32 can be utilized for a wider range of applications. STM32 + Other chipsets are widely used in product communication and sensing applications. The RP2040 features a larger flash memory than the STM32, with 2MB compared to 64KB. The operating temperature of the STM32 is higher than that of the RP2040. The temperature range of the RP2040 is -20°C to +85°C, while the temperature range of the STM32 is -40°C to +85°C. The Raspberry Pi Pico is a beginner-friendly microcontroller board that uses MicroPython to give you a taste of the Internet of Things and microcontrollers. The RP2040 is a well-designed microprocessor that can be utilized in almost any Internet of Things project. On the other side, the ESP 32 is a compact but capable microcontroller board. Because of its low cost, low power consumption, and tiny size, it is a well-developed microprocessor that may be used in a range of IoT applications.

• RP2040 Datasheet

• ESP32 Datasheet

• STM32 Datasheet

  
  

RP2040 Package information

ESP32 Package information

STM Package information