LILYGO T-2CAN is an updated version of the earlier TTGO T-CAN485, with a more powerful ESP32-S3 MCU and two isolated CAN bus interfaces. Like its predecessor, it is designed for vehicle diagnostics, industrial CAN monitoring, and wireless CAN-to-cloud gateways.
The board features an ESP32-S3 MCU with 16MB Flash and 8MB PSRAM, along with two MCP2515 CAN controllers supporting CAN V2.0B at up to 1 Mb/s. It also offers Qwiic connectors and a 26-pin GPIO header (unpopulated) for expansion, and supports both USB Type-C (5V) and DC (12–24V) power inputs. Additional features include BOOT and RESET buttons, an external antenna connector, and onboard debugging via USB.
LILYGO T-2CAN specifications:
- ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U wireless module
- SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 MHz with
- 2.4 GHz 802.11n WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity
- Memory – 8MB PSRAM
- Storage – 16MB SPI flash
- IPEX antenna connector
- SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 MHz with
- Industrial control interfaces via 2x 4-pinscrew terminals
- Controller – 2x MCP2515 CAN controllers with SPI interface
- Transceiver – Isolation supported
- Protocol – Implements CAN V2.0B up to 1Mb/s
- Filters – Six 29-bit filters, two 29-bit masks
- USB – 1x USB Type-C for power, programming, and debugging
- Expansion
- Unpopulated 26-pin GPIO header giving access to UART, SPI, I2C, plus VDD, GND
- 2x Qwiic connector (I²C)
- Misc – Boot and Reset buttons
- Power
- 5V/500mA input via USB
- 12V to 24V via screw terminal
- Dimensions – 91 x 39 x 18 mm
In terms of software support, the T-2Can can be programmed with the Arduino IDE and PlatformIO, making it easy to set up and use. It works with the Arduino-MCP2515 library for CAN communication, and example codes are also available on the company’s GitHub repository. For PlatformIO users, all settings, such as USB CDC and PSRAM, are already configured in the platformio.ini file, so users simply need to select the correct board and port to start programming.
The ESP32-based LILYGO T-2CAN board is available on AliExpress for $32.98, and it may eventually become available on the company’s Amazon store. It’s not the first ESP32-S3 board that supports RS485 or CAN Bus; there are various alternatives like the EdgeBox-RPi4 industrial controller, DFRobot Edge101, MYiR Tech’s MY-EVC700S-V2, and LILYGO T-Connect Pro. Among these, the last two also support 4G/5G cellular and LoRa connectivity.
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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