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Flipper Zero 5G Expansion Board — Complete Guide

One-liner: the 5G Expansion Board bolts a dual-band 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz WiFi tool onto your Flipper Zero — an ESP32-C5 running Marauder firmware, plus a GPS receiver and an on-board battery, in one compact module.

Specs at a glance​

ItemSpecification
WiFi moduleESP32-C5 (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), pre-flashed with Marauder 5G firmware
GPSOn-board GPS module with automatic power switching (Flipper power when attached, battery power when detached)
Battery800 mAh, charging indicator on the board
ProtectionTVS diodes on every signal pin
AntennasWiFi 3 dBi dual-band (11 cm), GPS 20 dBi, SMA internal-pin connectors
FlashingUSB-C port (front-left); hold the button on the back-right, then insert USB to enter flash mode
ControlFlipper Zero apps: WiFi Marauder, GPS

What this board is for​

The ESP32-C5 is the WiFi workhorse: with Marauder firmware it can scan access points and clients, sniff beacons and probe requests, run deauth and PMKID capture tests, and log WiFi activity — now including 5 GHz networks, which older ESP32 boards cannot see. The GPS module turns your wardriving sessions into mapped data, and the small battery lets the WiFi side run without draining the Flipper.

Use it on your own networks and equipment. Deauth attacks and probe sniffing are disruptive to others and regulated in most countries — this is a lab/teaching tool.

Before you start​

  • The Flipper needs a custom firmware that includes the Marauder and GPS apps — Momentum, Unleashed or Xtreme. (See the Flipper Zero section for firmware basics.)
  • Install the modules on the Flipper as described in the vendor quick-start (some versions include a 433 MHz sub-GHz module and/or a 2.8″ Marauder screen — read your board's note).

Setup: GPIO pins (Momentum firmware)​

On Momentum:

  1. Open Protocol Settings → GPIO Pin Settings.
  2. Set the GPS pins to 13 and 14 (UART pins; some board revisions use 15/16 — check your vendor quick-start).
  3. Set the ESP32 / ESP8266 pins to 13 and 14 (or 15/16 per the board revision) — this is the UART that talks to the ESP32-C5.
  4. Exit settings and reboot the Flipper.

Using the board​

WiFi Marauder​

  1. With the board attached, open Apps → GPIO → [ESP32] WiFi Marauder.
  2. Run Scan AP: nearby access points appear with SSID, channel, RSSI and encryption.
  3. Run Scan PSD (packet sniff) to watch beacon/probe traffic.
  4. Channel hopping and wardriving (with GPS) produce logs you can export.

Expected first screen after scanap:

SSID              CH  RSSI  ENC  AUTH
yupitek-lab       6   -55   WPA2 PSK
Campus_Guest      11  -72   OPEN
...

GPS​

  1. Attach the GPS antenna, point it at the sky (near a window is fine; outdoors is better).
  2. Open Apps → GPIO → GPS. Wait — first fix can take a few minutes.
  3. When satellites are acquired, position data flows. Combined with Marauder, you get location-tagged WiFi logs.

Updating the ESP32-C5 firmware​

  1. Enter flash mode: press and hold the button on the back-right, then plug in the USB-C cable.
  2. Flash Marauder 5G via your preferred tool (vendor instructions / ESP flasher / FZEasyMarauderFlash-style tool for ESP32).
  3. Unplug, reboot the Flipper, reopen the Marauder app.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemCauseFix
App says "no module"GPIO pins not setRe-check GPIO Pin Settings; reboot Flipper
GPS never gets a fixAntenna not attached / indoorsAttach the GPS antenna, go near a window/outdoors, wait 3–5 min
Marauder scans nothingWrong pin set for ESP UARTSet ESP32 pins per board revision; reboot
Board charges but Flipper sees nothingFlipper firmware lacks the appInstall Momentum/Unleashed/Xtreme
5 GHz networks invisibleESP32 (not C5) firmwareConfirm the board runs ESP32-C5 firmware (5 GHz-capable)

More help: the SDRLAB troubleshooting hub.