Espressif’s New ESP32-E22 Supports 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4
ESP32-E22 uses a dual-core RISC-V co-processor to manage tri-band connectivity, offering up to 2.4Gb/s peak throughput, integrated Bluetooth 5.4 stacks, and high-speed interfaces.
Espressif’s ESP32-E22 is the company’s first 6 GHz–capable SoC, enabling wider channels and lower latency. Image courtesy of Espressif Systems.
Espressif Systems has unveiled the ESP32-E22, its first SoC with 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E designed for high-performance wireless connectivity. The device is designed as a Radio Co-Processor (RCP) that runs the full Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocol stacks internally. As a result, the host MCU or MPU can focus entirely on application logic.
Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E with 6 GHz Support
With the ESP32-E22, Espressif adds 6 GHz capability to its lineup for the first time, enabling full Wi-Fi 6E operation across the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. The chip supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth, along with 2×2 MU-MIMO, beamforming, and advanced link-layer scheduling, helping maintain high throughput and low latency even in crowded RF environments.
At the PHY level, ESP32-E22 supports advanced modulation schemes such as 1024-QAM, allowing theoretical data rates of up to 2.4 Gbps. This makes it ideal for bandwidth-hungry and latency-sensitive use cases, including wireless video links and real-time data streaming.
Integrated Dual-Mode Bluetooth
In addition to Wi-Fi, ESP32-E22 integrates a dual-mode Bluetooth controller. It supports both Bluetooth Classic (BR/EDR) and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4. This allows compatibility with legacy devices while also enabling newer low-power use cases. Moreover, Espressif includes coexistence algorithms that help Wi-Fi and Bluetooth operate reliably when both radios are active at the same time. Similar to what you find on devices like Synaptics SYN20708 IoT SoC and u-blox RUBY-W2 Series.
The ESP32-E22 features a dual-core 500 MHz RISC-V processor that handles full Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 stacks. Image courtesy of Espressif Systems.
Radio Co-Processor Architecture
Like the ESP32-C6, ESP32-E22 follows a Radio Co-Processor design. It handles the entire Wi-Fi and Bluetooth stack internally, including security, authentication, scanning, roaming, and Bluetooth host functions. As a result, software complexity on the host processor is reduced, and development time can be shortened.
The chip connects to Espressif SoCs or third-party processors through high-speed interfaces such as PCIe 2.1 and SDIO 3.0. At its core, ESP32-E22 uses a dual-core 500 MHz RISC-V processor developed in-house by Espressif. This processor is optimized for real-time protocol handling and long-term product availability.
Target Applications and Availability
ESP32-E22 targets a wide range of applications. These include next-generation smart-home hubs, connected appliances, industrial automation systems, wireless bridges, and AR/VR accessories that require high-throughput and low-latency wireless links.
Engineering samples of ESP32-E22 are now available, and Espressif encourages interested customers and partners to reach out through its official support channels for more details. More information is available on the press release page.
