ESPARGOS finds raw radio sampling capability in ESP32 chips

Published Thursday, October 1, 2026 · 3:19 PM EDT

The ESPARGOS team found an undocumented feature in several ESP32 microcontrollers that lets firmware capture raw radio samples rather than use their fixed WiFi and Bluetooth functions, RTL-SDR reported. Supported chips can sample signals across 2.2-2.7 GHz, with an additional 4.8-6.0 GHz range on the ESP32-C5. The discovery also lets ESPARGOS hardware locate arbitrary signals in the 2.4 GHz band instead of only WiFi and Bluetooth transmissions. Most ESP32 models cannot export continuous samples to a computer, limiting that use to spectrum analysis. The ESP32-S31 can stream continuously at up to 16 MS/s through Gigabit Ethernet; compatible software drivers are forthcoming.

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rtl-sdr.com

Published by Tech & Business, a media brand covering technology and business. This story was sourced from rtl-sdr.com and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.

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