The ESP32-C6 is Espressif's RISC-V SoC for 2.4 GHz tri-radio: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 and IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee 3.0 / Thread 1.3) integrated in the chip, plus a USB Serial/JTAG controller (USB 2.0 full speed). In MCUID's hardware chain — chip → module → board — this page describes what the chip provides; the capability rows cite what the official board guide states about the chip; datasheet-level detail is linked, not restated.
Start from a board: ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 — the board this site documents for the chip. Official entry: ESP-IDF Get Started.
- Tri-radio — Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz band), Bluetooth 5, IEEE 802.15.4 with Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3, on-chip.
- Native USB — the chip's USB Serial/JTAG controller: USB 2.0 full speed (≤12 Mbps, no 480 Mbps high-speed mode), implementing a host-connected CDC-ACM serial port plus JTAG debugging; fixed-function hardware, not reconfigurable to generic USB/OTG. On the DevKitC-1 it has its own Type-C connector used for power, flashing, console and JTAG.
- Strapping pins — MTMS (GPIO4), MTDI (GPIO5), GPIO8, GPIO9, GPIO15 select chip functions at power-up/reset.
Capabilities — what the chip provides
Each row is one capability: the official wording, what it means in development, and the source.
Capabilities
| Capability | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5 + 802.15.4 | 'supporting Wi-Fi 6 in 2.4 GHz band, Bluetooth 5, and IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3)' (official wording) Stated for ESP32-C6-WROOM-1 modules built around the ESP32-C6 chip; radio capability is on-chip. | ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 v1.2 User Guide · docs/en/esp32-c6-devkitc-1/user_guide.rst#description-of-components |
| Strapping pins MTMS(GPIO4)/MTDI(GPIO5)/GPIO8/GPIO9/GPIO15 | 'MTMS, MTDI, GPIO8, GPIO9, and GPIO15 are strapping pins of the ESP32-C6 chip.' (official wording) Guide footnote points to the ESP32-C6 datasheet 'Strapping Pins' section for behavior. | ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 v1.2 User Guide · docs/en/esp32-c6-devkitc-1/user_guide.rst#header-block |
| Native USB 2.0 full-speed controller | 'The USB Type-C port on the ESP32-C6 chip compliant with USB 2.0 full speed. It is capable of up to 12 Mbps transfer speed (Note that this port does not support the faster 480 Mbps high-speed transfer mode).' (official wording) Used on the board for power, flashing, USB-protocol communication and JTAG debugging. | ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 v1.2 User Guide · docs/en/esp32-c6-devkitc-1/user_guide.rst#description-of-components |
Before you rely on a capability — scope and limits
- Chip capability is not header availability. Which pins reach a header is module and board wiring; on the DevKitC-1 all five strapping GPIOs reach the J1/J3 headers (GPIO8 drives the on-board RGB LED).
- Native USB speed is full speed only. The official wording explicitly notes the port "does not support the faster 480 Mbps high-speed transfer mode" — plan USB throughput accordingly.
- Strapping pins are shared with normal use. After boot they work as ordinary GPIO; unexpected levels during power-up or reset can change boot behavior — see the ESP32-C6 datasheet's Strapping Pins section.
Modules and boards built on the ESP32-C6
Modules using this chip
Boards using this chip
Start developing
- ESP-IDF (official SDK) — the ESP-IDF Get Started flow installs the toolchain and walks through the first project.
- Which USB port for what? The first-flash guide for C3/C6 explains the DevKitC-1's two Type-C ports and their different roles.
Common questions this site answers
Sources and evidence
- Chip capabilities — the table cites the official ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 v1.2 user guide (snapshot 2026-11-14): component description and header-block strapping footnote.
- Strapping-pin behavior — the guide footnote refers to the ESP32-C6 datasheet Strapping Pins section; MCUID links the datasheet entry point via the Espressif ESP32-C6 documentation index.