ESP32 is a term that is often used very broadly. If you want to be accurate, ESP32 is a very specific integrated circuit that contains a lot of stuff needed for computation and packaged in a single chip made by Espressif. This chip, usually called SoC/MCU contains the CPU, RAM, ROM, and other peripherals, even wireless communication and encryption primitive.
ESP32 itself contains the following spec:
Dual core 32-bit CPU with clock speed up to 240MHz
520KB of SRAM
448KB of ROM
Now, for comparison, the Apollo programs consist of a lot of systems. But arguably, the computer that is responsible to make the landing possible is the guidance computer.
Let’s take a look at the spec from wikipedia:
15-bit CPU with a clock of 2.048 MHz
2048 words RAM (2048×15 = ~30KBit)
36864 words ROM (~553KBit)
That alone should give you an idea of how powerful computers have come to. Not to mention the size difference (ESP32 only around 5mm×5mm), power consumption, and a lot of other factors.
Thank you! I was reading the wiki about the “landing” and could “understand” how a current phone would be vastly more than sufficient. I got lost trying to find how an “ESP32” was designed… and then how processor’s were (normally) designed nowadays… and how it all worked together. I guess I was asking if a single “chip” could include all of those things (CPU, RAM, ROM), or if it was multiple “chips”. An integrated circuit is what I think I was trying to dissect. I’m still curious about the inter-workings, but you cleared a whole lot up for me.
I really appreciate the breakdown, because I didn’t have the terminology to properly search. I guess it still kinda blows my mind how far it’s all progressed
Edit: And now I’m learning the difference between “Integrated circuit” and “circuit board”… seems silly in hindsight, but the terminology had me a bit confused. Super cool, nonetheless.
ESP32 is a term that is often used very broadly. If you want to be accurate, ESP32 is a very specific integrated circuit that contains a lot of stuff needed for computation and packaged in a single chip made by Espressif. This chip, usually called SoC/MCU contains the CPU, RAM, ROM, and other peripherals, even wireless communication and encryption primitive.
ESP32 itself contains the following spec:
Now, for comparison, the Apollo programs consist of a lot of systems. But arguably, the computer that is responsible to make the landing possible is the guidance computer.
Let’s take a look at the spec from wikipedia:
That alone should give you an idea of how powerful computers have come to. Not to mention the size difference (ESP32 only around 5mm×5mm), power consumption, and a lot of other factors.
Thank you! I was reading the wiki about the “landing” and could “understand” how a current phone would be vastly more than sufficient. I got lost trying to find how an “ESP32” was designed… and then how processor’s were (normally) designed nowadays… and how it all worked together. I guess I was asking if a single “chip” could include all of those things (CPU, RAM, ROM), or if it was multiple “chips”. An integrated circuit is what I think I was trying to dissect. I’m still curious about the inter-workings, but you cleared a whole lot up for me.
I really appreciate the breakdown, because I didn’t have the terminology to properly search. I guess it still kinda blows my mind how far it’s all progressed
Edit: And now I’m learning the difference between “Integrated circuit” and “circuit board”… seems silly in hindsight, but the terminology had me a bit confused. Super cool, nonetheless.