LILYGO T-Display-S3 ESP32-S3 1.9" LCD Development Board (Non-Soldered, No Touch)

Specifications

• Microcontroller: ESP32-S3R8 Dual-core LX7 (up to 240 MHz)

• Wireless: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) & Bluetooth 5.0 (LE / Mesh)

• Flash Memory: 16MB

• PSRAM: 8MB (OPI)

• Display Size: 1.9 inches diagonal

• Display Driver: ST7789V (8-Bit Parallel Interface)

• Resolution: 170 (H) x 320 (V) pixels

• Power/Data Interface: USB Type-C

• Battery Connector: JST-GH 1.25mm 2-Pin (3.7V LiPo support)

• Expansion Ports: STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST-SH 1.0mm 4-PIN

• Onboard Functions: Boot button, Reset button, Programmable IO14 Button

Key Applications and Projects

• Network Status Monitors: Displaying live ping, IP addresses, and bandwidth usage for a home server rack.

• Portable Crypto/Stock Tickers: Connecting to Wi-Fi to pull live API data and displaying real-time financial charts on your desk.

• Wearable Badges: Creating digital, programmable name tags for conventions using the slim non-soldered profile and a small LiPo battery.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The Smart Home Command Center: Don't just log data—visualize it beautifully! Evolve your standard sensor node into a sleek desktop dashboard. By utilizing the massive 8MB of PSRAM on this board, you can easily implement the LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) to create a fluid, smartphone-like user interface. Connect the ESP32-S3 to your local Home Assistant server via Wi-Fi. You can program the 1.9-inch screen to display live weather, room temperatures, and push-button interfaces for your smart lights. Design a custom 3D-printed case, power it with a small LiPo battery, and you have a portable, professional-grade smart home remote!

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x LILYGO T-Display-S3 Board (1.9" LCD, Non-Touch, Non-Soldered)

• 2 x Male Header Pins (Unattached)

• 1 x JST 1.25mm 2-Pin Battery Cable

Downloads & Links

• T-Display-S3 Github Link

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What microcontroller drives this board? It is powered by the Espressif ESP32-S3R8 Dual-core LX7 microprocessor, running at up to 240 MHz.

2. What are the specifications of the onboard screen? The screen is a 1.9-inch diagonal full-color TFT LCD display. It has a resolution of 170x320 pixels and is driven by the ST7789V chip via an 8-bit parallel interface.

3. Does this version have a touchscreen? No. This specific variant is the "Basic Edition" with a non-touch screen.

4. Are the header pins pre-soldered? No. This is the "Non-Soldered Pin" version. The male header pins are included loose in the package, allowing you to solder them on if you wish to use a breadboard.

5. How much memory does the board have? It features a massive 16MB of Flash memory and 8MB of OPI PSRAM, providing plenty of room for large graphical assets and firmware.

6. Can I power this board with a battery? Yes. The board includes a JST-GH 1.25mm 2-pin connector designed for a standard 3.7V Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery.

7. Does the board charge the attached battery? Yes. It features an onboard battery management and charging circuit. When plugged into USB power, it will safely charge the connected LiPo battery.

8. Why does the screen stay black when I power it strictly from the battery? When powered by a battery, the backlight pin (GPIO15) must be set to HIGH in your code to turn on the screen's backlight. Add pinMode(15, OUTPUT); digitalWrite(15, HIGH); to your setup() function.

9. How do I program this board? You connect it to your computer via the onboard USB Type-C port. It can be programmed using the Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, MicroPython, or the ESP-IDF framework.

10. What settings should I use in the Arduino IDE? Select the "ESP32S3 Dev Module" (or the specific "Lilygo T Display S3" board if available in your core). Ensure you set "USB CDC On Boot" to Enabled, Flash Size to 16MB, and PSRAM to OPI PSRAM.

11. Is there an easy way to connect I2C sensors? Yes. The board features a tiny STEMMA QT / Qwiic compatible JST-SH 1.0mm 4-PIN connector, allowing you to plug in external I2C sensors without any soldering.

12. Does it support Wi-Fi? Yes, it features 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n).

13. Does it support Bluetooth? Yes, the ESP32-S3 chip supports Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE + BT mesh).

14. What do the buttons on the board do? There are three physical buttons: a Reset button, a Boot button (IO00, used for entering flashing mode manually), and a user-programmable button tied to IO14.

15. How do I put the board into bootloader mode if it fails to flash? Hold down the "Boot" button, press and release the "Reset" button, and then release the "Boot" button. The board will now be in download mode.

16. Can I monitor the battery voltage? Yes. The battery voltage is internally routed to GPIO04 via a voltage divider, allowing you to read the battery level directly in your software.

17. What logic voltage do the GPIO pins use? Like all ESP32 chips, the GPIO pins operate strictly on 3.3V logic. Do not apply 5V directly to any GPIO pin, or you will destroy the microcontroller.

18. What GUI libraries work well with this board? Because of its high speed and 8MB of PSRAM, this board is highly recommended for use with LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) and TFT_eSPI.

19. What does the green LED indicate? The green LED is the V3V indicator. In USB mode, it stays on continuously. In battery mode, it is controlled by GPIO15.

20. What does the red LED indicate? The red LED is the charge indicator. It turns on while a connected battery is charging and turns off when the battery is fully charged.