ESP32-Bit-Pirate-Dock is an open-source carrier board for the Espressif ESP32-S3 DevKit, designed to complement the ESP32-Bit-Pirate firmware by geo-tp.

It provides level and voltage translation between the 3.3V ESP32-S3 and external peripherals, with support for 1.8V, 3.3V, and 5V operation. See the Hardware status section for the current revision, and grab the fabrication files to build your own.

🙏 Thanks to PCBWay

A big thank you to PCBWay for sponsoring and manufacturing the PCBs for this project. Their high-quality fabrication and assembly made bringing this dock to life possible. You can buy the Dock here and support the project.

✨ Features

• Level & voltage translation between the 3.3V ESP32-S3 and external peripherals.
• Selectable I/O voltage: 1.8V, 3.3V, and 5V operation.
• Carrier board for the original ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 as well as third-party clones.
• Designed as a companion to the ESP32-Bit-Pirate multi-protocol firmware.
• Fully open-source hardware — schematic, PCB layout, gerbers, and BOM included.
• 3D-printable enclosure — two-piece FDM case provided.

📦 Supported Devices

[!NOTE] This project requires an ESP32-S3 DevKit to be procured separately by the end user.

🔧 Hardware status

Current hardware revision: V3

The markings on the PCB for the serial number V0-YYWW-XXXXX are as follows:

• version 0
• year and week number when these PCBs were produced
• incrementing number of the current batch

An example PCB with these markings would be V3-2613-00512, where:

• version number is 3
• the year is 2026, and the week is 13
• this is the 512th PCB made in that respective week

🚀 Getting Started

1. 🛒 Source an ESP32-S3 DevKit

   • Buy a genuine board from Espressif or a compatible clone.

2. 🏭 Fabricate the dock

   • Send the gerbers in dock/gerbers/ to your PCB manufacturer of choice.
   • Use dock/BOM.csv to source the components for assembly.

3. 🖨️ Print the enclosure (optional)

   • Print the two-piece case from dock/3d_models/ on an FDM printer with a 0.4 mm nozzle.

4. 🔌 Assemble & seat the devkit

   • Insert the ESP32-S3 DevKit into the headers and select your target I/O voltage (1.8V / 3.3V / 5V).

5. ⚡ Flash the firmware

   • Install ESP32-Bit-Pirate and start probing.

📂 Repository contents

• dock/kicad/ — KiCad design files
• dock/gerbers/ — PCB fabrication outputs
• dock/schematic.pdf — exported schematic reference
• dock/BOM.csv — bill of materials
• dock/3d_models/ — 3D models for the dock and a WIP case
• c5_adapter/ — KiCad design files for the companion C5 adapter board
• images/ — presentation images

🌐 Open-source scope

This repository open-sources the dock hardware design, including:

• schematic and PCB layout source files
• fabrication outputs
• bill of materials
• project documentation and images included in this repository

🧩 Required external parts

This project requires an ESP32-S3 DevKit to be procured separately by the end user.

The ESP32-S3 DevKit is a third-party board/module and is not included as part of this hardware design repository unless explicitly stated. Vendor silicon, datasheets, trademarks, and separately licensed third-party materials remain the property of their respective owners.

These boards can be acquired through the official Espressif manufacturer and its stores, or through other third-party websites. If not buying a genuine one, make sure the dimensions fit one of the header pins on the board.

🛠️ PCB Design

Top View

🏭 Manufacturing and assembly

• To fabricate the PCB, use the files in dock/gerbers/.
• To inspect or modify the design, use the original KiCad source files in dock/kicad/.
• To source components, use dock/BOM.csv.

📐 Case Design

The current design uses two pieces, which can be printed using an FDM printer with a 0.4 mm nozzle.

🤝 Related Project

This dock is built to complement ESP32-Bit-Pirate by geo-tp — an open-source firmware that turns your device into a multi-protocol hacker's tool, inspired by the Bus Pirate project.

📜 License

Hardware design files in this repository are licensed under the CERN-OHL-W-2.0 license. See LICENSE for the full license text.

Documentation and images in this repository are licensed under CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise noted.

Any third-party trademarks, datasheets, and separately licensed materials remain the property of their respective owners.

⚠️ Warning

⚠️ Voltage Warning: External peripherals should only be connected at the selected translation voltage (1.8V, 3.3V, or 5V).

• Do not connect peripherals using other voltage levels — doing so may damage your ESP32 or the dock.
• Always confirm the selected I/O voltage before powering up connected hardware.