WaveShare ESP32-S3 Round 2.1" 480×480 IPS Touch WiFi Module

Product detailed description

Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2.1 is a compact development board featuring a circular 2.1" IPS display and a capacitive touch panel, powered by the high-performance ESP32-S3 chip with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (BLE). With a resolution of 480 × 480 px, 8 MB PSRAM, and 16 MB Flash, it ensures the smooth operation of graphical interfaces using the LVGL library, making it ideal for creating HMI panels, smart home controllers, smartwatches, weather stations, or instrument gauges. The board also features a QMI8658 6-axis motion sensor, a PCF85063 RTC circuit, a microSD card slot, a buzzer, and a Li-Ion battery charging circuit, allowing the board to operate independently on battery power.

The display is connected via a parallel RGB interface, ensuring a significantly higher refresh rate than standard SPI displays and smooth animations even during full-screen redraws. The touch layer communicates via I2C including an interrupt signal, so the processor is not burdened by unnecessary polling. Program uploading is handled by a CH343P USB-to-UART converter with an automatic download circuit, allowing you to upload firmware without pressing the BOOT and RESET buttons. The second, native USB Type-C port can be used as a USB device (e.g. HID keyboard, mouse, or virtual disk). Some pins are routed to a 12-pin header along with I2C and UART connectors, making it easy to connect external sensors or peripherals. The presence of an RTC circuit with its own backup battery allows the time to be maintained even when power is disconnected, which is crucial for microSD card data logging or smart alarm clock applications. Programming is possible in Arduino IDE and ESP-IDF; ready-made sample projects, test firmware, circuit diagrams, and a 3D model are available, while SquareLine Studio support simplifies the design of the graphical interface.

Specifications:

• Chip: ESP32-S3R8 (Xtensa 32-bit LX7 dual-core, up to 240 MHz)
• Memory: 512 kB SRAM, 384 kB ROM, 8 MB PSRAM, 16 MB Flash
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 5 (BLE), integrated antenna + IPEX Gen 1 connector for external antenna (resistor soldering required)
• Display: 2.1" IPS TFT, circular, ST7701S driver, RGB interface (parallel)
• Resolution: 480 × 480 px
• Colours: 262k (due to ESP32-S3 limitations, RGB565 is used, i.e. 65k colours)
• Backlight: controlled via GPIO6 (brightness adjustable)
• Touch Layer: capacitive, CST820 controller, I2C interface with interrupt support (no multi-touch)
• Motion Sensor: QMI8658 – 6-axis (3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer)
• RTC: PCF85063 with rechargeable backup battery connector
• Memory Card: microSD (TF) slot, FAT32 format
• Other Components: buzzer, TCA9554PWR GPIO expander, FSUSB42UMX UART switch, ME6217C33M5G LDO (max. 800 mA), battery voltage measurement (GPIO4)
• Power Supply: USB Type-C 5 V or 3.7 V Li-Ion/Li-Pol battery (MX1.25 2-pin connector, including charging and discharging)
• Connectors: USB Type-C (native full-speed USB), USB-to-UART Type-C (CH343P converter with automatic upload), 12-pin header, I2C connector, UART connector
• 12-Pin Header Pins: GND, VBUS (5 V), D− (GPIO19), D+ (GPIO20), GND, 3V3, SCL (GPIO7), SDA (GPIO15), TXD (GPIO43), RXD (GPIO44), NC, GPIO0
• Buttons: RESET, BOOT, battery power button
• Indicators: power LED, charging LED
• Development Environments: Arduino IDE (esp32 board by Espressif ≥ 3.0.0, LVGL 8.3.10), ESP-IDF (Espressif IDF plugin ≥ 5.3.1), SquareLine Studio support
• Dimensions: circular board, Ø 75 mm (±0.1 mm)

Package contents:

• 1× Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2.1 development board

Note:

• Occupied addresses on the I2C bus: 0x15, 0x20, 0x51, 0x6B, 0x7E.
• SCL (GPIO7) and SDA (GPIO15) pins are connected to internal chips and cannot be used as general-purpose GPIO.
• The 4-pin UART connector is only functional when the UART Type-C port is not connected.
• The display does not support multi-touch (it recognises only a single touch).
• The RTC circuit will not maintain the time when power is disconnected unless a backup RTC battery is connected.
• microSD card and backup RTC battery are not included in the package.
• This product is not a standalone functional unit and may require professional installation.
• Product images are for illustration purposes only and may sometimes differ from the actual appearance of the item. However, this does not change their basic properties.