Vector S3 Overview
The Vector S3 is an ESP32-S3 development board with a 5×5 RGB LED matrix, three onboard sensors, a buzzer and LiPo charging — all on a board small enough to build into a project.
Everything on this page describes rev 2.
Key Features
- ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R2 — dual-core 240 MHz, 8 MB flash, 2 MB PSRAM
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth LE 5 on a certified module, antenna past the board edge
- 5×5 RGB matrix — 25 addressable pixels with switchable power
- 6-axis IMU, barometer and compass on a shared I2C bus
- Buzzer for tones and alerts
- LiPo charging at ~300 mA, with battery voltage readable in software
- USB-C for power, programming, serial and debugging — no driver chip needed
- Qwiic / STEMMA QT port for plug-in I2C sensors
- 40-pin headers exposing GPIO, I2C, UART, JTAG, 3V3, 5V and BAT+
What's On The Board
| Part | Details |
|---|---|
| ESP32-S3 module | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R2, dual-core 240 MHz, 8 MB flash, 2 MB PSRAM |
| 5×5 RGB matrix | 25 addressable pixels. Data on GPIO3, power switched by GPIO47 |
| Motion sensor | TDK ICM-42670, 6-axis, I2C 0x68, interrupt on GPIO21 |
| Barometer | Goertek SPL07-003, pressure and temperature, I2C 0x76 or 0x77 |
| Compass | QST QMC6309, 3-axis magnetometer, I2C 0x7C |
| Buzzer | Magnetic buzzer on GPIO48, driven through a transistor |
| Battery | Single-cell LiPo, ~300 mA charging, level on GPIO4 |
| Qwiic port | JST-SH 4-pin: GND, 3.3 V, SDA, SCL |
| USB-C | Native USB on GPIO19/20 — power, programming, serial, debug |
| BOOT button | GPIO0 with a 10 kΩ pull-up. Upload mode, or a button for your code |
| RESET button | Restarts the ESP32-S3 |
The compass is a 0.8 mm chip and the QR code on the underside opens this documentation.
Pins Used By Onboard Hardware
These GPIOs are wired to onboard parts. They are not on the headers, but knowing them matters when you write code.
| GPIO | Used for |
|---|---|
| 3 | 5×5 matrix data |
| 4 | Battery voltage sense (ADC1, reads half the battery voltage) |
| 19, 20 | Native USB |
| 47 | Matrix power switch — LOW turns the LEDs on |
| 48 | Buzzer |
GPIO47 is inverted: drive it LOW to power the matrix, and HIGH or floating to cut power completely. Leaving it floating means the LEDs stay dark no matter what you write to GPIO3.
Where To Go Next
- Quick Start — plug in, upload your first program, and use the buttons
- Pinout — every header pin, what it does, and which ones need care
- Onboard Hardware — the matrix, buzzer, sensors and Qwiic port
- Power & Battery — USB, the 5V and BAT+ pins, charging, and deep sleep