Elecrow ESP32-S3 rotary displays combine round IPS touchscreen, knob, and press input

Elecrow has added two new ESP32-S3-powered rotary displays to its CrowPanel Advance lineup, which come in 1.28-inch (240×240) and 2.1-inch (480×480) sizes, and feature a round IPS screen with rotary, touch, and press input.

Both rotary displays feature IPS capacitive touchscreens, rotary input with a smooth feel, knob-press operation, ambient lighting, USB-C (5V) power, and expansion capabilities via UART, I²C, and FPC connectors. These features make them suitable for DIY projects, IoT prototypes, and embedded product development across various applications, including smart home appliances, industrial control, and UI training scenarios.

Elecrow CrowPanel 1.28-inch and 2.1-inch rotary display specifications:

• SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8
  • CPU – Dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor @ up to 240 MHz
  • Memory – 512 KB SRAM, 8 MB PSRAM
  • Wireless
    • Wi-Fi 4 (802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz)
    • Bluetooth 5.0 LE
• Storage – 16 MB flash
• Display
  • Two options
    • 1.28-inch IPS touchscreen, 240 × 240 resolution
    • 2.1-inch IPS touchscreen, 480 × 480 resolution
  • Shared features
    • Capacitive touch input
    • Rotary knob with clockwise/counterclockwise rotation and press input
    • LED ambient lighting
• USB – USB interface via 1.25 mm pitch MX-style connector for power and programming
• Expansion via FPC connector
  • 12-pin FPC connector can be used for power/programming
    • UART,  I2C
    • USB
    • 2x GPIO(IO4, IO12)
  • 2nd 1.25 mm pitch MX-style connector for UART
  • 2nd 1.25 mm pitch MX-style connector for I2C
• Misc
  • Boot, Reset, and knob press buttons
  • Power indicator LED
  • M2.5 screw terminals
• Power
  • 5V/1A input via USB (charging/programming)
  • Operating Voltage – 5V module, 3.3V main chip
• Dimensions and Weight
  • 1.28-inch – 48 × 48 × 33 mm | 50 grams
  • 2.1-inch –  79 × 79 × 30 mm | 80 grams
• Temperature Range
  • Operating – -20°C to 65°C
  • Storage – -40°C to 80°C
• Build materials – Aluminum alloy + plastic + acrylic shell

In terms of software support, the rotary displays can run/be programmed with the Arduino IDE, the ESP-IDF framework, MicroPython, PlatformIO, Lua RTOS, or ESPHome firmware for Home Assistant integration. They also support the LVGL graphics library and SquareLine Studio for custom UI design. More information about the devices can be found on the 2.1-inch and 1.28-inch displays’ wiki.

We have also written about other ESP32-S3 rotary displays, including the  MaTouch rotary display, the MaTouch SmartKnob, the M5Stack M5Dial, the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Knob-Touch-LCD-1.8, the Makerfabs rotary display controller, and many others. So there are plenty of options to get started.

The Elecrow ESP32-S3 rotary displays are available on AliExpress for $37.99 (1.28-inch model) and $43.99 (2.1-inch variant). It can also be purchased for $29.00 (1.28-inch) and $35.70 (2.1-inch) from the Elecrow store.

Debashis Das

Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication

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