Adafruit AirLift Shield - ESP32 WiFi Co-Processor

Arduino-shield form-factor add-on that uses an ESP32 module as a TLS-capable WiFi co-processor, communicating with the host Arduino over SPI. Pre-loaded root certificates handle HTTPS; suitable for Metro, Uno, and compatible boards.

GNDArduino shield power header GND
Common power/logic ground for the shield.
Type · ground
3VArduino shield power header 3V
3.3 V regulator output. Adafruit states the regulator can supply 500 mA peak, with part of that used by the ESP32.
Type · powerVoltage · 3.3V
5VArduino shield power header 5V
Input to the onboard regulator.
Type · powerVoltage · 5V input
IOr / IORefArduino shield power header IORef
IORef voltage used for communication level reference.
Type · power
CLK / SCK

Add-ons

271 other options

About 270 add-ons across Pi HATs, Arduino shields, and FeatherWings. The same function — motor control, PoE, display — usually ships once per host connector family. Get the host board right first.

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Related groups

4 groups

Arduino

About 75 boards across every Arduino generation: 5V Uno/Mega/GIGA, 3.3V MKR and Portenta, plus DFRduino and Bluno compatibles. Confirm the voltage rail before stacking any shield.

Boards · Arduino boards · 76 parts

ESP32

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on a single chip, in every shape from Espressif DevKitC to Adafruit Feathers with STEMMA QT, DFRobot FireBeetles tuned for battery life, and Seeed XIAOs under a thumbnail.

Boards · ESP32 boards · 111 parts

Other MCUs

Specialists: Teensy for high-clock audio and USB, Adafruit SAMD boards running CircuitPython or the Arduino IDE, proper STM32 eval kits, and the micro:bit classroom ecosystem. Schematik builds target ESP32, Arduino Uno, and Pico; come here when you have a specific reason to.

Boards · Other MCU boards · 226 parts

Pi Pico

The Raspberry Pi MCU line — Pico, Pico 2, and third-party boards on the same silicon — plus a deep bench of Pico-pinout displays, loggers, and radio modules that do nothing without a Pico plugged in.

Boards · Pico & RP2040 boards · 44 parts

Pin	Position	Type	Function	Voltage
GND	Arduino shield power header GND	ground	Common power/logic ground for the shield.
3V	Arduino shield power header 3V	power	3.3 V regulator output. Adafruit states the regulator can supply 500 mA peak, with part of that used by the ESP32.	3.3V
5V	Arduino shield power header 5V	power	Input to the onboard regulator.	5V input
IOr / IORef	Arduino shield power header IORef	power	IORef voltage used for communication level reference.
CLK / SCK	2x3 ICSP SPI header	signal	Shared SPI clock for ESP32 AirLift and microSD interfaces; available on the 2x3 ICSP header by default with level shifting.
MISO	2x3 ICSP SPI header	signal	Shared SPI data from peripheral to host for ESP32 AirLift and microSD interfaces; level shifted.
MOSI	2x3 ICSP SPI header	signal	Shared SPI data from host to peripheral for ESP32 AirLift and microSD interfaces; level shifted.
BUSY	ESP32 control pin breakout/header	signal	Required input from AirLift indicating when it is ready for more commands; Adafruit describes it as 3.3 V logic output readable by 3 to 5 V logic.	3.3V logic out, 3-5V readable
RST	ESP32 control pin breakout/header	signal	Required output to AirLift reset, driven low to reset the ESP32 co-processor; level shifted for 3 to 5 V logic.	3-5V logic compatible
GPIO0	Optional ESP32 control pad	signal	Optional ESP32 GPIO0 / bootloading and BLE data-ready signal, connected by soldering the pad on the bottom of the shield.
RX	Optional serial control pad	signal	Optional serial data input used for firmware bootloading and BLE-mode communication; requires soldering the underside pad.
TX	Optional serial control pad	signal	Optional serial data output used for firmware bootloading and BLE-mode communication; requires soldering the underside pad.
SD / CS	microSD control pin	signal	microSD chip-select pin in addition to the shared SPI pins; Adafruit notes it can be reassigned by cutting the trace underneath and rewiring.

Pinout

Arduino

ESP32

Other MCUs

Pi Pico