Wiring - ESP32 + PN532¶
The PN532 connects to the ESP32 via SPI. It shares the same SPI pins as the PN5180 (only one reader is active at runtime).
Before Wiring: Set SPI Mode¶
The PN532 module has a mode selector (DIP switch or solder jumpers). Set it to SPI mode before wiring:
| Mode | SEL0 | SEL1 |
|---|---|---|
| SPI | 0 | 1 |
| I2C | 1 | 0 |
| UART | 0 | 0 |
Check your specific board. Some have a 2-position DIP switch, others have solder pads.
Remapping pins at runtime — new in v1.8.3+
The reader pins can be reassigned from the config page (/config > NFC Reader Pins (advanced)) without a recompile. The PN532 shares the same pin slots as the PN5180 (its BUSY field is unused). Leave a field blank for the board default; invalid or conflicting pins are rejected. See the PN5180 wiring page for details. The pinouts below remain the recommended defaults.
ESP32-WROOM Pinout¶
| PN532 Pin | ESP32 GPIO | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SCK | GPIO 25 | SPI clock |
| MOSI | GPIO 27 | SPI data out |
| MISO | GPIO 26 | SPI data in |
| SS (CS) | GPIO 14 | SPI chip select |
| RST | GPIO 13 | Reset |
| VCC | 3.3V | Power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
ESP32-S3-Zero Pinout¶
| PN532 Pin | ESP32-S3 GPIO | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SCK | GPIO 8 | SPI clock |
| MOSI | GPIO 6 | SPI data out |
| MISO | GPIO 7 | SPI data in |
| SS (CS) | GPIO 5 | SPI chip select |
| RST | GPIO 4 | Reset |
| VCC | 3.3V | Power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
ESP32-S3-DevKitC Pinout¶
Shares the same SPI2 pins as the PN5180 on the S3-DevKitC.
| PN532 Pin | ESP32-S3 GPIO | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SCK | GPIO 12 | SPI clock |
| MOSI | GPIO 11 | SPI data out |
| MISO | GPIO 9 | SPI data in |
| SS (CS) | GPIO 10 | SPI chip select |
| RST | GPIO 7 | Reset |
| VCC | 3.3V | Power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
ESP32-C3 SuperMini Pinout¶
The PN532 shares the same SPI pins as the PN5180 on the C3 — only one reader is active at runtime. The C3 variant is scoped to NFC reader + I2C LCD + WS2812 only (no TFT or keypad).
| PN532 Pin | ESP32-C3 GPIO | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SCK | GPIO 4 | SPI clock |
| MOSI | GPIO 6 | SPI data out |
| MISO | GPIO 5 | SPI data in |
| SS (CS) | GPIO 7 | SPI chip select |
| RST | GPIO 0 | Reset |
| IRQ | GPIO 10 | Interrupt (optional) |
| VCC | 3.3V | Power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
RST on GPIO 0 is intentional
GPIO 2 is a C3 boot strap pin. RST is wired to GPIO 0 (non-strap) so the reader cannot hold the board in download mode at power-on.
ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 Pinout (shared SPI)¶
The PN532 uses the same shared SPI pins as the PN5180 map on this board (v1.9.0+).
| PN532 Pin | ESP32-C6 GPIO | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SS | GPIO 10 | SPI chip select — add a 10kΩ pull-up to 3V3 |
| MOSI | GPIO 7 | SPI data out (shared with TFT SDA) |
| MISO | GPIO 2 | SPI data in |
| SCK | GPIO 6 | SPI clock (shared with TFT SCL) |
| RSTPDN | GPIO 0 | Reset (optional) |
| VCC | 3V3 or 5V (per module) | Power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 Pinout (shared SPI)¶
| PN532 Pin | ESP32-C5 GPIO | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SS | GPIO 10 | SPI chip select — add a 10kΩ pull-up to 3V3 |
| MOSI | GPIO 8 | SPI data out (shared with TFT SDA) |
| MISO | GPIO 9 | SPI data in |
| SCK | GPIO 6 | SPI clock (shared with TFT SCL) |
| RSTPDN | GPIO 0 | Reset (optional) |
| VCC | 3V3 or 5V (per module) | Power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
Wiring Tips¶
PN532 uses 3.3V power
The PN532 module runs on 3.3V. Connect VCC to the ESP32's 3.3V pin (not 5V).
- Keep SPI wires short (under 15cm)
- The IRQ pin is optional (not currently used by the firmware)
- Make sure the DIP switch is set to SPI mode before powering on