LILYGO T-Deck

  • ESP32-S3
  • LoRa
  • GPS
  • Trackball
  • Keyboard

T-Deck

Version History:

Version Update Date Update Description
  1. T-Deck-Plus has allocated the pins on the Grove interface for GPS module use, so the Grove interface on T-Deck-Plus cannot be used
  2. T-Deck updated the TFT_eSPI ST7789 initialization sequence on 20240726. Currently, this change has not been pushed to the TFT_eSPI upstream branch. If you encounter incorrect screen display during use, please check if this matches the initialization sequence in the repository.
Product SOC FLASH PSRAM Link
T-Deck ESP32-S3FN16R8 16MB 8MB LILYGO Mall

Table of Contents

Description

LILYGO T-Deck is a highly integrated multi-functional embedded development platform based on the ESP32-S3 main control chip, integrating a 2.8-inch 320x240 resolution ST7789 display, trackball navigation module (with directional keys and BOOT button), physical keyboard interface (via I²C communication), TF card storage expansion, LoRa wireless communication module (supporting SCK/MISO/MOSI and control pins), and ES7210 microphone array (for audio input). Its pin layout accommodates display driving (DC/BL/SPI), touch control, sensor interaction (SDA/SCL/INT), power management (BAT ADC), and modular expansion (SPI/I²C/UART), enabling rapid development of IoT terminals, portable interactive devices, or low-power wireless communication projects.

Preview

Physical Image

T-Deck

Pinout Diagram

summary

Modules

MCU

  • Chip: ESP32-S3FN16R8 Dual-core LX7 microprocessor
  • PSRAM: 8MB
  • FLASH: 16MB
  • Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 5.0 (LE)
  • Other Notes: For more information, please visit Espressif Official ESP32-S3 Datasheet

Communication Modules

  • LoRa: SX1262 chip, supports 433MHz~915MHz frequency bands (optional)
  • GPS: MIA-M10Q GNSS module
  • Wireless: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 5.0 (LE)

Display and Input

  • Screen: 2.8-inch ST7789 LCD
  • Resolution: 320×240 pixels
  • Control Method: Trackball navigation module (replaces touch screen)
  • Keyboard: Physical keyboard interface (I²C communication)

Audio System

  • Microphone: MSM381A3729H9CP microphone array
  • Audio Chip: ES7210 audio codec

Power Management

  • Battery: 2000mAh lithium polymer battery
  • Switch: Supports power switch
  • USB Power: Type-C interface

Overview

summary

The T-Deck version does not have a touch screen, using a trackball navigation module instead.

Component Description
MCU ESP32-S3FN16R8 Dual-core LX7 microprocessor
FLASH 16MB
PSRAM 8MB
LoRa SX1262 (433MHz~915MHz optional)
GPS MIA-M10Q GNSS module
Screen 2.8-inch ST7789 LCD (320×240)
Control Method Trackball navigation module
Input Physical keyboard (I²C interface)
Audio ES7210 audio codec
Microphone MSM381A3729H9CP microphone array
Battery 2000mAh lithium polymer battery
Storage TF card expansion
Wireless 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 5 (LE)
USB 1 × Type-C interface
IO Expansion 2mm pitch 6-pin expansion interface
Expansion Interface GPS expansion interface + 2 × JST GH 1.25mm + 1 × 4-pin expansion interface
Buttons 1 x RST button + 1 x BOOT button (trackball)
Switch Power switch
Mounting Holes 2mm mounting holes
Dimensions 10×6.8×1.1 cm

Quick Start

Example Support


├─Keyboard_ESP32C3       # ESP32C3 keyboard I2C slave
├─Keyboard_T_Deck_Master # T-Deck read from keyboard
├─Microphone             # Noise detection  
├─Touchpad               # Read touch coordinates 
├─GPSShield              # GPS Shield example
└─UnitTest               # Factory hardware unit testing
  1. If microphone is enabled, then the middle button on the board, GPIO0, is not available.
  2. If you encounter issues uploading sketches, you need to press the trackball middle button, then insert USB. This puts the chip in download mode, then click upload sketch.
  3. The ESP32C3 programming interface is on the 6-pin header on the RST button side. Starting from above the RST button, the order is: 3V3, GND, RST, BOOT, RX, TX.

PlatformIO

  1. Install VisualStudioCode and Python
  2. Search for the PlatformIO plugin in VisualStudioCode extensions and install it.
  3. After installation, you need to restart VisualStudioCode
  4. After restarting VisualStudioCode, select File -> Open Folder -> select the T-Deck directory
  5. Click on the platformio.ini file, in the platformio section, uncomment the example line you want to use, ensuring only one line is active
  6. Click the (✔) symbol at the bottom left to compile
  7. Connect the board to computer USB
  8. Click (→) to upload firmware
  9. Click (plug symbol) to monitor serial output

ArduinoIDE

  1. Install ArduinoIDE
  2. Copy all folders from the T-Deck/lib directory to <C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Arduino\libraries>. If there is no libraries directory, please create one. Note: do not copy the lib directory itself, but the folders inside the lib directory.
  3. Open ArduinoIDE -> Tools
    • Board -> ESP32S3 Dev Module
    • USB CDC On Boot -> Enable # Note: when not connected to USB, you need to change Enable to Disable so USB CDC does not block board startup
    • CPU Frequency -> 240MHz
    • USB DFU On Boot -> Disable
    • Flash Mode -> QIO 80MHz
    • Flash Size -> 16MB(128Mb)
    • USB Firmware MSC On Boot -> Disable
    • PSRAM -> OPI PSRAM
    • Partition Scheme -> 16M Flash(3MB APP/9.9MB FATFS)
    • USB Mode -> Hardware CDC and JTAG
    • Upload Mode -> UART0/Hardware CDC
    • Upload Speed -> 921600
  4. Insert USB to PC, click Upload <If unable to upload successfully, keep pressing BOOT button, then click RST, then click Upload. After upload completes, click RST to exit download mode>

Development Platforms

  1. VS Code
  2. Arduino IDE
  3. Platform IO
  4. Micropython

Pin Overview


    //! The board peripheral power control pin needs to be set to HIGH when using the peripheral
    #define BOARD_POWERON       10

    #define BOARD_I2S_WS        5
    #define BOARD_I2S_BCK       7
    #define BOARD_I2S_DOUT      6

    #define BOARD_I2C_SDA       18
    #define BOARD_I2C_SCL       8

    #define BOARD_BAT_ADC       4

    #define BOARD_TOUCH_INT     16
    #define BOARD_KEYBOARD_INT  46

    #define BOARD_SDCARD_CS     39
    #define BOARD_TFT_CS        12
    #define RADIO_CS_PIN        9

    #define BOARD_TFT_DC        11
    #define BOARD_TFT_BACKLIGHT 42

    #define BOARD_SPI_MOSI      41
    #define BOARD_SPI_MISO      38
    #define BOARD_SPI_SCK       40

    #define BOARD_TBOX_G02      2
    #define BOARD_TBOX_G01      3
    #define BOARD_TBOX_G04      1
    #define BOARD_TBOX_G03      15

    #define BOARD_ES7210_MCLK   48
    #define BOARD_ES7210_LRCK   21
    #define BOARD_ES7210_SCK    47
    #define BOARD_ES7210_DIN    14

    #define RADIO_BUSY_PIN      13
    #define RADIO_RST_PIN       17
    #define RADIO_DIO1_PIN      45

    #define BOARD_BOOT_PIN      0

    #define BOARD_BL_PIN        42


    #define BOARD_GPS_TX_PIN                 43
    #define BOARD_GPS_RX_PIN                 44


    #ifndef RADIO_FREQ
    #ifdef  JAPAN_MIC
    #define RADIO_FREQ           920.0
    #else
    #define RADIO_FREQ           868.0
    #endif
    #endif

    #ifndef RADIO_BANDWIDTH
    #define RADIO_BANDWIDTH      125.0
    #endif

    #ifndef RADIO_SF
    #define RADIO_SF             10
    #endif

    #ifndef RADIO_CR
    #define RADIO_CR             6
    #endif

    #ifndef RADIO_TX_POWER
    #define RADIO_TX_POWER       22
    #endif

    #define DEFAULT_OPA          100

FAQ

  • Q. I still don't know how to set up the programming environment after reading the above tutorial. What should I do?
    A. If you still don't understand how to set up the environment after reading the above tutorial, you can refer to the LilyGo-Document documentation for setup instructions.

  • Q. Why does Arduino IDE prompt me to upgrade library files when I open it? Should I upgrade or not?
    A. Choose not to upgrade library files, as different versions of library files may not be compatible with each other, so upgrading is not recommended.

  • Q. Does T-Deck have touch screen functionality?
    A. The T-Deck version does not have a touch screen, using a trackball navigation module instead of touch operation.

  • Q. Why does my board keep failing to program?
    A. Please hold the "BOOT" button and try downloading the program again.

Projects

Resources

Dependent Libraries