This blog post provides the comparison of various IOT modules. Additionally, links to their various online resources are provided below:
| VoCore | Carambola 2 | ESP8266 module | |
| Company | Vonger | 8 devices | Esspressif |
| WiFi SOC | RT5350 | AR9331 | ESP8266 |
| WiFi Standard | 802.11 n | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n |
| WiFi Frequency (GHz) | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4/ 5 |
| SOC Clock Frequency (MHz) | 360 | 400 | ? |
| Antenna | Chip antenna | uFL connector | Microstrip |
| Max Output Power (dBm) | 15 (?) | 21 | 19.5 |
| SRAM Memory | NA | NA | 80KB |
| DRAM Memory | 32 MB (133 MHz) |
64 MB | NA |
| Flash Memory | 8 MB / 16 MB (Serial – 104 MHz) |
16 MB (Serial) |
512KB / 1MB (onchip) |
| Dimensions (mm) | 25.4 x 25.4 | 28 x 38 | Depends on module, but similar |
| Encryption | WEP 64/128, WPA, WPA2, WAPI | WEP, TKIP, AES, WAPI | WPA, WPA2, WPS |
| Access point mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB interface | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 (Host/Slave) |
NA |
| Ethernet interface | Two ports 10/100M |
Two ports 10/100M |
NA |
| Other interfaces | Serial Port, SPI, I2C, I2S, PCM, JTAG |
Serial Port, I2S, SLIC, SPDIF |
SDIO 1.1/ 2, UART, SPI, |
| Operating System | openWRT | openWRT | None |
| Preloaded Software | openWRT | openWRT | AT command firmware |
| Integrated Protocol Stack | – | – | TCP/IP |
| Mother board available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital IOs | 28 (Multiplexed) |
23 (Multiplexed) |
Min 2 |
| Cost of Module | $20 (Free shiping through China Post)$10 (Approx, Bulk, 2K Units) | $25$15 (Approx, Bulk, 2K Units) | $5-$8 |
| Cost of Module with Base board | $45 | $43 / $69 | $5-$8 |
| Order Page | Order Page | Order Page | |
| Module Datasheet | Vocore DS | Carambola 2 DS | ESP8266 DS |
| SOC Datasheet | RT5350 | AR9331 | ESP8266 DS |
| Resources | More Info | More Info | More Info |
VoCore Resources:
- Home Page : http://www.vocore.io/wiki/index
- VoCore How To : http://www.elecrom.com/2015/04/22/vocore-how-to/
- WikiDevi : https://wikidevi.com/wiki/VoCore
Carambola 2 Resources:
- Home Page : http://www.8devices.com/carambola-2
- Using OpenWrt with Carambola 2 : http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/8devices/carambola2
- OpenWrt build system for Carambola 2 : https://github.com/8devices/carambola2
ESP8266 Resources:
- Wiki : http://www.esp8266.com/wiki/doku.php
- List of modules from various manufacturers : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESP8266
- Githun Wiki : https://github.com/esp8266/esp8266-wiki/wiki
Do you want comparison for any other IOT modules? Let us know.