# ESPARGOS finds raw radio sampling capability in ESP32 chips

_Published Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 3:19 PM EDT · Products · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

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.

## Sources

- [rtl-sdr.com](https://www.rtl-sdr.com/various-projects-independently-find-hidden-sdr-capabilities-in-esp32-microcontrollers/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/H81kIj_74g45XK1aJhz1a0
Published: 2026-10-01T19:19:30.494Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-01T05:39:30.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-01T21:17:55.827Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)