T-Dongle-C5 Quick Start

Required Libraries

Library	Version	Source
TFT_eSPI	Latest	GitHub
LVGL	9.x	GitHub

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Arduino

PlatformIO (Recommended)

1. Install VS Code and the PlatformIO IDE extension
2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/T-Dongle-C5.git

3. Open platformio.ini and uncomment the target example line
4. Click ✓ to build, insert the dongle into a USB-A port, click → to upload

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Arduino IDE

1. Install ESP32 Board Support

1. Open Arduino IDE → File → Preferences
2. Add to "Additional Board Manager URLs":

   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json

3. Go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager, search esp32, install esp32 by Espressif Systems

2. Install Libraries

Install TFT_eSPI and LVGL via Tools → Manage Libraries, or copy from the project lib/ folder.

3. Board Settings

Setting	Value
Board	ESP32C5 Dev Module
Upload Speed	921600
USB CDC On Boot	Enable
CPU Frequency	240 MHz
Flash Mode	QIO
Flash Size	16 MB (128Mb)
Partition Scheme	16M Flash (3MB APP/9.9MB FATFS)
PSRAM	OPI PSRAM

4. Upload

Insert the dongle into a USB-A port, open an example, and click Upload.
If upload fails: hold BOOT, press and release RST, then release BOOT to enter download mode.

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Examples

Example	Description
Display_Test	ST7735 TFT display test
TF_Card	TF card read/write
LVGL_Demo	LVGL 9 UI demo
WiFi6_Scan	Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 scan
BLE_Scan	Bluetooth 5.0 LE scan
Factory	Full factory test

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Peripheral Examples

Hello World (TFT_eSPI)

#include <TFT_eSPI.h>

TFT_eSPI tft;

void setup() {
    tft.init();
    tft.setRotation(1);
    tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);
    tft.setTextColor(TFT_WHITE, TFT_BLACK);
    tft.setTextSize(2);
    tft.setCursor(5, 65);
    tft.println("T-Dongle C5");
}

void loop() {}

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LVGL

T-Dongle-C5 uses an ESP32-C5 chip and pairs with LVGL v9. The display is a 0.96-inch ST7735 IPS TFT (80 × 160) driven by TFT_eSPI.

Configure lv_conf.h

Copy lv_conf.h from the project to sit beside the lvgl folder in your Arduino libraries directory. Key settings:

#define LV_COLOR_DEPTH     16

Minimal LVGL v9 Example

#include <TFT_eSPI.h>
#include <lvgl.h>

TFT_eSPI tft;

#define SCREEN_W  80
#define SCREEN_H 160

static lv_display_t *disp;
static lv_color_t buf[SCREEN_W * SCREEN_H / 10];

void my_disp_flush(lv_display_t *disp, const lv_area_t *area, uint8_t *px_map) {
    uint32_t w = area->x2 - area->x1 + 1;
    uint32_t h = area->y2 - area->y1 + 1;
    tft.startWrite();
    tft.setAddrWindow(area->x1, area->y1, w, h);
    tft.pushColors((uint16_t *)px_map, w * h, true);
    tft.endWrite();
    lv_display_flush_ready(disp);
}

void setup() {
    tft.init();
    tft.setRotation(1);
    tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);

    lv_init();

    disp = lv_display_create(SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H);
    lv_display_set_flush_cb(disp, my_disp_flush);
    lv_display_set_buffers(disp, buf, NULL, sizeof(buf), LV_DISPLAY_RENDER_MODE_PARTIAL);

    lv_obj_t *label = lv_label_create(lv_screen_active());
    lv_label_set_text(label, "T-Dongle C5");
    lv_obj_center(label);
}

void loop() {
    lv_timer_handler();
    delay(5);
}

Factory Example

Open the LVGL_Demo or Factory example from the repository for a production-ready LVGL integration reference.

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FAQ

Q: Upload keeps failing?
A: Hold BOOT, press and release RST, then release BOOT to enter download mode.

Q: Does T-Dongle-C5 support Matter?
A: Yes. The ESP32-C5 supports Thread and Zigbee 3.0, which are the key protocols for Matter-based smart home ecosystems.

Q: What is the difference from T-Dongle-S3?
A: The C5 uses the newer ESP32-C5 with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (including 5 GHz) and Thread/Zigbee support. The S3 uses ESP32-S3 with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5 LE only.