The ESP32 (by Espressif) is a powerful Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-enabled microcontroller. To program it using the Arduino IDE, follow these steps:

1. Install Prerequisites
✅ Arduino IDE (v2.x recommended)
✅ ESP32 Board (e.g., ESP32-WROOM, NodeMCU-32S, ESP32-CAM)
✅ USB Cable (Micro-USB or USB-C, depending on the board)

2. Install ESP32 Board Support in Arduino IDE
Step 1: Add ESP32 Board Manager URL

1. Open Arduino IDE → File → Preferences.
2. In Additional Boards Manager URLs, paste:

text
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json

(If you already have other URLs, separate them with commas.)

Step 2: Install ESP32 Core

1. Go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager.
2. Search for "esp32" → Install "ESP32 by Espressif Systems".

Step 3: Select ESP32 Board

1. Connect your ESP32 via USB.
2. Go to Tools → Board → ESP32 Arduino → Select your board:

• ESP32 Dev Module (Generic ESP32-WROOM)
• NodeMCU-32S (Popular dev board)
• ESP32-CAM (For camera projects)

1. Choose Port (COM3, /dev/ttyUSB0, etc.).

3. Test with a Simple Blink Sketch

1. Open Examples → 01.Basics → Blink.
2. Modify the LED pin (ESP32 boards use GPIO2 instead of LED_BUILTIN):

cpp
void setup() {
  pinMode(2, OUTPUT); // Onboard LED is usually GPIO2
}
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(2, LOW);
  delay(1000);
}

1. Upload (→ button or Ctrl+U).

✅ Success? The onboard LED should blink every second.

4. Troubleshooting Common Issues
❌ "Failed to connect to ESP32"
Solution:

• Hold the BOOT button while uploading.
• Check USB cable (some are power-only).
• Install CP2102/CH340 drivers (Download here).

❌ "Port not recognized"
Solution:

On Linux, run:

bash
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
sudo chmod a+rw /dev/ttyUSB0

On Windows, reinstall drivers.

❌ "Invalid library" errors
Solution:

Install missing libraries via Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries.

5. Using ESP32-Specific Features
Wi-Fi Example

cpp
#include <WiFi.h>
const char* ssid = "YourWiFi";
const char* password = "YourPassword";

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }
  Serial.println("Connected!");
}

void loop() {}

Bluetooth Example

cpp
#include <BluetoothSerial.h>
BluetoothSerial SerialBT;

void setup() {
  SerialBT.begin("ESP32_BT"); // Bluetooth device name
}

void loop() {
  if (SerialBT.available()) {
    Serial.write(SerialBT.read());
  }
}

6. Alternative: Using VS Code + PlatformIO
For advanced debugging & library management:

1. Install VS Code + PlatformIO extension.
2. Create a new ESP32 project:

ini
[env:esp32dev]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
framework = arduino

1. Develop with full debugging support.

Summary

1. Install Arduino IDE + ESP32 board support.
2. Select the correct board & port.
3. Upload a test sketch (e.g., Blink).
4. Use Wi-Fi/Bluetooth with built-in libraries.

Now you’re ready to build ESP32 projects in Arduino IDE!