LILYGO News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

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, […]

November 20, 2025November 26, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 – International deals, coupons, and events

Like every year since 2014, I’ll list a few international deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, as many CNX Software readers cannot benefit from promotions on Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, which will take place from November 20 to December 1. I’ve gathered various deals, discount coupon codes, and events from relevant manufacturers of single board computers, MCU development boards, mini PCs, Smart Home devices, and DIY products, as well as popular online stores, including AliExpress, Banggood, and others. AliExpress Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 event AliExpress sales event for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 has just started and will last until December 3, 2025 (although I can see until November 29 and December 4 in some places). You can use some of the coupons on the screenshot above, or some alternative coupon codes for the US and some other countries (excluding DE, RU, […]

October 20, 2025October 20, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

LILYGO T-2CAN upgrades TTGO T-CAN485 with ESP32-S3, dual Isolated CAN Bus

LILYGO T 2CAN ESP32 S3 dual CAN development board top

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 Industrial control interfaces via 2x […]

August 26, 2025August 25, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

LILYGO T-Circle-S3 – An ESP32-S3 devkit with 0.75-inch circular touch display, microphone and speaker

The LILYGO T-Circle-S3 is a circular touch display development board built around the ESP32-S3 MCU and designed for smart gadgets, IoT devices, and wearable applications. The board integrates Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.0, a MEMS microphone, a 3W Class-D audio amplifier with speaker support, an RGB LED, six rear GPIO pins, a Qwiic interface, and USB-C for charging. The board is very similar to the Waveshare RP2350-LCD-1.28, with its round display design, but it does not support wireless connectivity and audio. It also resembles SB Components’ Dual Roundy (ESP32-S3), but compared to that, the T-Circle-S3 is smaller and features a touch display, a microphone, a speaker amplifier, and an RGB LED. LILYGO T-Circle-S3 specifications: Wireless SoC – ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instruction Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 384KB ROM Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE Storage […]