Give any microcontroller WiFi connectivity with the Adafruit AirLift Breakout. This board uses an ESP32 as a WiFi co-processor, handling all the heavy lifting of network connections and TLS/SSL encryption so your main microcontroller can focus on your application logic.

The ESP32 communicates over 8 MHz SPI for high-speed data transfer, requiring just an SPI bus and 2 control pins. It comes pre-programmed with WiFi co-processor firmware (a variant of Arduino WiFiNINA) and has root certificates pre-burned in for secure HTTPS connections. On-board level shifting and a 3.3V regulator let you use it with both 3V and 5V microcontrollers.

Key Features

• ESP32 WiFi Co-Processor – Handles WiFi networking and TLS/SSL encryption
• 8 MHz SPI Interface – High-speed communication with just SPI + 2 control pins
• Pre-Programmed Firmware – Ready to use out of the box with Arduino and CircuitPython
• TLS/SSL Support – Root certificates pre-burned for secure connections
• 3V and 5V Compatible – On-board 3.3V regulator and level shifting circuitry
• Shared SPI Bus – Tri-state MOSI allows sharing with other SPI devices
• Breadboard-Friendly – Includes header strip for solderless breadboard use

Compatibility

• Arduino – Works with ATmega328 and up, though larger chips (SAMD51, etc.) recommended for complex tasks
• CircuitPython – Requires SAMD51/Cortex M4 minimum for sufficient RAM

Also Available

• AirLift Bitsy Add-On – Compact version designed to stack on ItsyBitsy boards

Ideal For

• Adding WiFi to existing microcontroller projects
• IoT data logging and cloud connectivity
• Web API integrations
• Secure HTTPS communication

Package Contents

• 1× Adafruit AirLift ESP32 WiFi Co-Processor Breakout (assembled and tested)
• 1× Header strip