ESP32 Forum

I am using the ESP32-C3 and I power it with two AA batteries on the Vcc pin.

Even though this works, I find that the ESP32-C3 will not operate under 3.0V.

Which I think is strange, because I have set the brown-out level at 2.51V in the sdkconfig of my IDF project. (See picture below.)

I also run the chip at 80MHz.

Why will the ESP32-C3 not run below 3.0V if the brown-out detector has been set to 2.51V?

Am I running this chip out-of-spec at this voltage level?

You might not run the ESP32C3 silicon itself out of spec, but you could be running the flash that is in the module or on-package out of spec. Additionally, non-rechargable AA batteries don't do super well with high current spikes, so you'd need a fair bit of extra capacitance to compensate for that. (Rechargable batteries are only 1.2V, two would make 2.4V and that certainly is out of bounds.)