Espressif Systems has announced the ESP32-E22, its first Wi-Fi 6E connectivity co-processor and the starting point of a new product line targeting higher-performance wireless designs. The company positions the device as a radio co-processor that offloads Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking functions from a host processor, allowing the host to focus on application-level tasks.

ESP32-E22 integrates tri-band Wi-Fi 6E support across the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, marking Espressif’s first product to enable operation in the 6 GHz spectrum.

The Wi-Fi subsystem supports 160 MHz channel bandwidth, 2×2 MU-MIMO, beamforming, and advanced link-layer scheduling, which Espressif says are intended to support high throughput and low-latency operation in dense wireless environments.

In addition to Wi-Fi, the chip integrates a Bluetooth controller supporting Bluetooth Classic (BR/EDR) and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4.

Espressif indicates that coexistence mechanisms are implemented to maintain reliable operation when Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios are active at the same time, enabling compatibility with both legacy and newer Bluetooth devices.

ESP32-E22 Connectivity

ESP32-E22 is built around a dual-core 500 MHz RISC-V processor developed in-house by Espressif. The processing resources are dedicated to handling the wireless protocol stacks internally, including security, authentication, scanning, roaming, and Bluetooth host functionality.

Support for advanced modulation schemes such as 1024-QAM is also listed, with data rates of up to 2.4 Gbps.

ESP32-E22 Other Features

As a radio co-processor, ESP32-E22 interfaces with host processors through high-speed connections such as PCIe 2.1 and SDIO 3.0. This architecture allows the device to be paired with Espressif SoCs or third-party processors while keeping the networking stack isolated within the connectivity subsystem.

Espressif highlights the ESP32-E22 for applications such as high-bandwidth streaming, smart-home hubs, industrial automation systems, wireless bridging solutions, and AR/VR accessories requiring low-latency communication.

Further Information

Pricing was not disclosed in the official announcement. Engineering samples of the ESP32-E22 are available, with further information provided through Espressif’s customer support channels.