The ESP8266 ESP-01/03 Flash/Proto v1.4 boards arrived today. I set about building one up to test it and it all checks out.

ESP-01-03 Flash-Prototype Board v1.4

I used my usual SMD soldering technique of placing blobs of solder paste on each of the connections with a pointed tool and using an SMD rework station to melt the solder.

SMD Soldering by hand

It’s not pretty but the PCB is readily cleaned with Acetone after all soldering is done (Read safety guidelines before using Acetone). My SMD soldering process is more fully explained in my earlier post: SMD Soldering Technique on my other website www.ProjectHAB.co.uk

The ESP8266 Flash/Proto boards were fabricated by the excellent Hackvana to their usual standard. Even the smallest silkscreen text is readable, even if I do need a magnifying glass to read it!

Having now tested the first board, I’m have published the design files on their own page: ESP8266 ESP-01/03 Flash Prototyping Board