T-Connect get it now

Overview

T-Connect is an industrial-grade multi-protocol communication board based on ESP32-S3-R8 (16 MB Flash, 8 MB PSRAM). Integrates up to three independent RS485 channels and one CAN bus channel, APA102 LED strip controller, 10 A relay, and QWIIC expansion interface. Supports switching between CAN and RS485 modules. 7–12 V DC wide-range input. 94 × 83 × 13 mm. Suitable for IoT gateways, industrial automation, and smart lighting scenarios.

Quick Start

Example Support

Example	PlatformIO/Arduino	ESP-IDF	Description
Original_Test	✓		Factory test program
APA102_Blink	✓		APA102 LED blink example
CAN	✓		CAN bus communication
RS485	✓		RS485 communication

PlatformIO

1. Install Visual Studio Code and Python
2. Search for and install the PlatformIO IDE extension in VS Code
3. Clone the T-Connect repository
4. Open platformio.ini and under [platformio] uncomment the desired environment
5. Click ✓ to compile, click → to upload

Arduino

1. Install Arduino IDE
2. Add ESP32 boards URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json
3. Copy the project libraries folder to your Arduino libraries folder
4. In Tools → Board, configure:

Arduino IDE Setting	Value
Board	ESP32S3 Dev Module
Upload Speed	921600
USB Mode	Hardware CDC and JTAG
USB CDC On Boot	Enabled
USB Firmware MSC On Boot	Disabled
USB DFU On Boot	Disabled
CPU Frequency	240 MHz (WiFi)
Flash Mode	QIO 80 MHz
Flash Size	16MB (128Mb)
Core Debug Level	None
Partition Scheme	16M Flash (3MB APP/9.9MB FATFS)
PSRAM	OPI PSRAM
Arduino Runs On	Core 1
Events Run On	Core 1

5. Click Upload

Development Platforms

1. PlatformIO
2. Arduino IDE

Video

Key Features

• ESP32-S3-R8 dual-core LX7 @ 240 MHz, 16 MB Flash, 8 MB PSRAM, Wi-Fi + BT 5.0
• Up to 3 × RS485 + 1 × CAN bus, switchable configuration
• APA102 RGB LED strip controller
• 10 A relay output
• 7–12 V DC input, 4 × mounting holes, 94 × 83 × 13 mm

Product Parameters

Feature	Specification
MCU	ESP32-S3-R8
Flash	16 MB
PSRAM	8 MB (Octal SPI)
Communication	RS485 (up to 3 ch) + CAN (TWAI)
LED Driver	APA102
Relay	10 A output
Wi-Fi	2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0 LE
USB	1 × Type-C (USB + OTG)
Power Input	7–12 V DC or 5 V/500 mA USB
Expansion	1 × QWIIC
Buttons	RESET + BOOT
Mounting Holes	4 × 2 mm
Dimensions	94 × 83 × 13 mm

Pin Diagram

Pin Mapping

APA102	IO8 (DATA), IO3 (CLOCK)
CAN/RS485 TX_1/RX_1	IO4, IO5
CAN/RS485 TX_2/RX_2	IO6, IO7
CAN/RS485 TX_3/RX_3	IO17, IO18
CAN/RS485 TX_4/RX_4	IO9, IO10

Dimension Diagram

Schematic

• T-Connect_V1.0 Schematic

Datasheet

• ESP32-S3 Datasheet

Software Development

• T-Connect GitHub Repository

Dependent Libraries

• FastLED
• ESP32TWAI

FAQ

• Q. Why does my board keep failing to upload programs? A. Hold down the BOOT button and try uploading again.

• Q. How to configure switching between RS485 and CAN modules? A. Switching is achieved through onboard configuration jumpers or software settings. Refer to the schematic and example code.

• Q. Why is there no serial data output from the Uart interface? A. The project defaults to USB CDC as Uart0. Set USB CDC On Boot to Disabled in Arduino Tools, or change -DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=true to false in platformio.ini.

Version History

Version	Release Date	Update Description
T-Connect V1.0	—	Initial version