ESP32 Custom PCB Works on Dev Board but Not on Custom Hardware

1

Hi everyone,

I’m developing an ESP32 project in PlatformIO that works perfectly on a development board, but I’m preparing a custom PCB and would like to avoid common bring-up issues.

What PCB-related problems have you encountered when moving from an ESP32 dev board to a custom design? Things like boot failures, flashing issues, power integrity, grounding, or RF layout problems.

I’m also reviewing some ESP32 PCB design guides from PCBWay, so I’d appreciate any lessons learned from real projects.

Thanks!

2

I recommend reading Espressif’s hardware design guidelines thoroughly, from cover to cover. (That is, don’t just skim through them, but fully understand the content.)
Almost all the information you need should be covered there.
Example: ESP Hardware Design Guidelines - ESP32-S3 - — ESP Hardware Design Guidelines latest documentation
(A PDF version is also available for download.)
I designed a board using the ESP32-S3-WROOM1 following these guidelines, and it worked perfectly without any modifications until mass production. (Except for forgetting to draw a line on the drawing.)