LILYGO News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

July 28, 2026July 28, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

LILYGO T-Display C5 board features 1.9-inch IPS color LCD, battery support, Qwiic expansion connectors

LILYGO T-Display C5 is an ESP32-C5 board with a 1.9-inch IPS color LCD, a USB-C port for power and programming, Lithium battery support, and GPIO expansion via headers and two Qwiic expansion connectors. The main benefit of using an ESP32-C5 chip is support for dual-band WiFi 6 connectivity (2.4/5.0 GHz), and it also keeps Bluetooth LE 5.x and the 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee/Thread/Matter found in the ESP32-C6. LILYGO T-Display C5 specifications: Wireless module – Espressif Systems ESP32-WROOM-C5-1U-N16R8 SoC – ESP32-C5HR8 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ 40 MHz acting as the main processor for power-sensitive applications Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 320 KB ROM Wireless Connectivity Dual-band (2.4GHz/5 GHz) 802.11ax WiFi 6, with 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 standard fallback Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy (LE) 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3 Storage – 16MB flash Antenna – […]

April 25, 2026April 25, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Melody Machine firmware transforms LILYGO T-LoRa Pager into a portable MP3 player and Internet radio

Melody Machine is an open-source firmware that converts the ESP32-S3-based LILYGO T-LoRa Pager into a portable MP3 player and internet radio rather than a LoRa-based messenger running Meshtastic or Meshcore. Highlights of the Melody Machine firmware: LVGL-based graphical user interface with four themes WiFi Manager — Non-blocking WiFi with network list, password entry via on-screen keyboard, and auto-reconnect MP3 playback from SD card with folder browser, shuffle, repeat modes, and seek Internet Radio via M3U over WiFi (ICY metadata support) Seek — rewind / fast-forward MP3 tracks with the rotary encoder (±5 s per step) Dual-core audio/task design MP3 decoding runs on Core 0 via FreeRTOS UI and WiFi manager on Core 1 Settings — Saved as JSON on SD card in /melody_machine/settings.json; survives reboots and reflashes Auto power-off – Configurable idle power-off timer: 15 minutes to 2 hours The rotary encoder and built-in keyboard allow plenty of controls: Rotary […]

April 20, 2026April 20, 2026 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

LILYGO T-Watch Ultra – An IP65-rated ESP32-S3 smartwatch with 2.01-inch AMOLED, LoRa, and GNSS

LILYGO’s T-Watch Ultra is an ESP32-S3-based smartwatch development platform that appears to be an upgrade over the previous T-Watch-S3 Plus (1.3-inch display and a 940mAh battery), with a larger 2.01-inch AMOLED touch display, a higher-capacity 1,100mAh battery, and an IP65 waterproof and dustproof rating. The device integrates a u-blox MIA-M10Q GNSS module for positioning, a SX1262 LoRa transceiver for long-range communication, and a Bosch BHI260AP smart sensor for motion-based AI applications. Additionally, it features an RTC chip, NFC, a built-in microphone, a haptic driver, a microSD card slot, and a USB Type-C port for programming and charging. The watch targets applications such as Meshtastic nodes, GPS tracking, wearable IoT interfaces, edge AI sensing, and custom smartwatch firmware development. LILYGO T-Watch Ultra specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi […]

April 13, 2026April 14, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Trail Mate open-source firmware leverages Meshtastic and MeshCore for ESP32 off-grid handhelds

vicliu624’s Trail Mate is an open-source firmware for off-grid communication and GPS coordinates sharing, leveraging the Meshtastic, MeshCore, and other projects, and designed for ESP32 handhelds such as LILYGO’s T-LoRa Pager or M5Stack’s Tab5 with a LoRaWAN module. The Trail Mate firmware provides a fixed north-up GPS map, direct LoRa text messaging through Meshtastic or MeshCore mesh networks without relying on a smartphone, and prioritizes stability, efficiency, and interoperability over feature density. Trail Mate user interface highlights: Simple main menu with four icons: GPS, LoRa chat, tracker, and system utilities. GPS map Fixed North-Up map orientation (no rotation) Fully offline map rendering from SD card tiles (png/jpg files) Three switchable base layers: OSM / Terrain / Satellite Optional contour overlay for terrain shape awareness Real-time position marker for the current GPS fix Discrete zoom levels optimized for embedded systems Simple breadcrumb trails for path awareness Fast in-page layer switching via […]

March 31, 2026March 30, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

T-Display-P4 smartphone-like devkit features ESP32-P4 MCU, ESP32-C6 wireless SoC, and SX1262/LR2021 LoRa transceiver

LILYGO T-Display-P4 is a feature-rich ESP32-P4 + ESP32-C6 devkit, but with a smartphone-like design and support for GPS, Ethernet, and LoRaWAN through SX1262 or LR2021 LoRa transceiver, besides the usual WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.x, and 802.15.4 wireless connectivity. The T-Display-P4 is offered with either a 4.05-inch IPS display and a 2MP front-facing camera or a 4.1-inch AMOLED with a 2MP rear camera. The devkit is equipped with 32MB PSRAM and 16MB NOR flash for the ESP32-P4, a microSD card slot, a built-in microphone and speaker, a 3.5mm audio jack, a few USB ports, and a 9-axis motion sensor, as well as a GPIO port and two Qwiic connectors for expansion. T-Display-P4 specifications: MCU – ESP32-P4 CPU Dual-core RISC-V microcontroller @ 360 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU Single-RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core @ up to 40 MHz GPU – 2D Pixel Processing Accelerator (PPA) VPU – H.264 and […]

January 21, 2026January 21, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

LilyGO T-Display S3 Pro LR1121 devkit adds Sub-GHz and 2.4GHz LoRa, audio support

LilyGO has recently released the T-Display S3 Pro LR1121, a new ESP32-S3 development kit with a Semtech LR1121 transceiver for universal LoRa connectivity across the sub-GHz and 2.4GHz bands. The board is an update to the earlier T-Display S3 Pro, which features a slimmer design and a 2.33-inch touchscreen display, but this new LR1121 variant adds sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz LoRa/(G)FSK support along with a voice communication kit that includes a MAX98357A I2S speaker amplifier, a PDM/I2S digital microphone, vibration motor, and a RTC. There are also programmable buttons, Qwiic connectors, and a 1/4-inch tripod mount, as well as a 2000 mAh Li-ion battery, USB-C for power, and ultra-low sleep current. These features make it suitable for applications such as LoRa walkie-talkies, Meshtastic nodes, voice-enabled IoT devices, portable dashboards, and experimental long-range wireless systems. T-Display S3 Pro LR1121 specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller […]

January 12, 2026January 13, 2026 by Debashis Das - 10 Comments

LILYGO T-Beam 1W – An ESP32-S3 + SX1262 high-power LoRa dev board with 32 dBm output, GNSS support

The LILYGO T-Beam-1W is an ESP32-S3-based high-power LoRa development board featuring an SX1262 RF transceiver, an onboard 1W power amplifier (32 dBm), a L76K GNSS module, a 1.3-inch SH1106 OLED, a microSD slot, USB-C, Qwiic connectors, and an AXP2101 PMU. The board runs on a 7.4V battery and includes a cooling fan for high-power RF operation. We first wrote about the original LILYGO T-Beam (then branded as TTGO) in 2018, and since then, the company introduced various revisions of the T-Beam as it became popular. The T-Beam 1W is the most powerful version so far, with a built-in 1 Watt amplifier that allows the board to transmit data over longer distances without needing to buy separate, bulky amplifiers. LilyGO T-Beam-1W Specifications: Core module – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core LX7 processor with up to 240MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 384KB ROM Wireless – […]

December 19, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

LILYGO T-Echo Plus off-grid LoRa communicator features a climbing hook for hiking, cycling, and remote communication

The LILYGO T-Echo Plus is another off-grid LoRa communicator, similar to Blackout Comms, ThinkNode M2, and Wio Tracker L1 Pro, but it features a metal attachment loop (designed like a climbing hook) for use in hiking, cycling, and off-grid environments. Built around a Nordic Semi nRF52840 MCU, it supports Bluetooth 5, Thread, Zigbee, and 802.15.4. It also adds an SX1262 LoRa transceiver, a 1.54-inch 200×200 SPI E-Paper display, and an L76K GNSS module. Other features include a 6-axis IMU (BHI260AP), a vibration motor, a buzzer, and a larger 2400mAh battery, along with a 1/4-inch mount and a “climbing finger loop” for gear attachment. Additional features include an optional BME280 sensor, Grove expansion, all in a rugged and compact enclosure with a long external antenna for extended LoRa range. LILYGO T-Echo Plus Specifications: SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 CPU – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 64 MHz Memory/Storage – 2 MB Flash, […]