# Waveshare ESP32-S3 development board, capacitive touch, round IPS LCD, 2.8 inch, 480x480, WiFi and Bluetooth

- Page: https://sigmanortec.ro/en/waveshare-esp32-s3-development-board-capacitive-touch-round-ips-lcd-28-inch-480x480-wifi-and-bluetooth
- Price: 386.10 RON
- Availability: Out of stock
- Reference: 88293 · EAN: 5949705694747
- Category: Mechatronics and IoT > Development Board > Boards with Display and Camera
- Specifications: Microcontroller: ESP32-S3; Wireless connectivity: WiFi + Bluetooth; Screen size: 2.8 inch; Screen resolution: 480x480; Display type: IPS; Touchscreen: Capacitiv
- Package (shipping data): 0.095 kg
- Updated: 2026-09-23
- Shop: [Sigmanortec.ro](https://sigmanortec.ro/en/llms.txt)
- Prices: RON, VAT included; prices and stock as of 2026-10-22 04:49 (Europe/Bucharest)

## Description

Development board with ESP32-S3 and a 2.8-inch round capacitive touchscreen, 480x480, ideal for HMI interfaces, dashboard panels, and IoT projects with a compact display. It offers 2.4GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 5, generous 16MB Flash and 8MB PSRAM for smooth graphics with LVGL, includes microSD, RTC, and a 6-axis IMU sensor, and supports easy programming via USB-C.
The Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2.8C development board integrates an ESP32-S3 microcontroller and a 2.8-inch round capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 480 resolution, making it suitable for HMI graphical interfaces, smartwatches, DIY dashboards, and other applications that require a compact display and wireless connectivity.
The board is built around the 32-bit dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor, with a clock speed of up to 240 MHz, and provides 2.4GHz WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5 (LE) via the integrated antenna. Memory includes 512KB SRAM, 384KB ROM, 16MB Flash, and 8MB PSRAM, enough to run graphical libraries such as LVGL smoothly. The display uses the ST7701 controller over a parallel RGB interface, and the panel supports 262K colors, but due to ESP32-S3 limitations it is practically used in RGB565 format, meaning 65K colors. Touch control is handled by the GT911 chip over I2C, with interrupt support.
The board also includes a QMI8658 6-axis orientation sensor (3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer), a PCF85063 RTC circuit with a separate connector for a backup battery, a buzzer, a TF card slot, a charger management circuit for a 3.7V Li-Ion/Li-Po battery with an MX1.25 connector and battery voltage measurement. Power and programming are handled through two USB Type-C ports, one native full-speed USB and one through the CH343P converter with an automatic download circuit, which eliminates the need to press the BOOT and RESET buttons manually. Expansion is provided through the 12-pin multifunction connector, plus dedicated I2C and UART connectors. An IPEX Gen 1 connector allows an external antenna to be mounted after resoldering the selection resistor.
The board is compatible with Arduino IDE and ESP-IDF, as well as with LVGL-based projects, SquareLine Studio, MicroPython, or ESPHome for integration into Home Assistant, using the appropriate drivers for ST7701 and GT911.
Specifications:
Microcontroller: ESP32-S3R8, 32-bit dual-core Xtensa LX7, up to 240 MHz
Supply voltage: 5 VDC via USB Type-C, logic at 3.3 VDC
Connectivity: 2.4GHz WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 5 (LE), integrated antenna
Memory: 512KB SRAM, 384KB ROM, 16MB Flash, 8MB PSRAM
Display: 2.8-inch round IPS, 480 x 480 resolution, 262K colors (RGB565 in practice)
Display controller: ST7701, RGB interface
Touch: capacitive GT911, I2C interface, with interrupt
Orientation sensor: QMI8658, 6 axes (3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer)
RTC circuit: PCF85063, with backup battery connector
GPIO expander: TCA9554PWR, used entirely internally, not brought out to connectors
USB-UART converter: CH343P, with automatic download circuit
Regulator: ME6217C33M5G, LDO, 800 mA maximum output current
Other features: buzzer, TF card slot (microSD), battery charging manager, MX1.25 battery connector for 3.7V
Interfaces: 2 x USB Type-C, 12-pin connector, I2C connector, UART connector, IPEX Gen 1
Total assembly diameter: 95.86 mm (tolerance 0.15 mm)
Active display area: 70.13 x 70.13 mm
PCB dimensions: 66.00 x 65.34 mm
Mounting holes: 4 x M2
Pinout:
12-pin multifunction connector pinout:
No.
Pin
Function
Description
1
GND
Ground
2
VBus
5 VDC
5 VDC USB power
3
D-
USB differential (GPIO19)
USB differential line or usable as GPIO
4
D+
USB differential (GPIO20)
USB differential line or usable as GPIO
5
GND
Ground
6
3V3
3.3 VDC
3.3 VDC power output
7
SCL
SCL (GPIO7)
I2C clock line, cannot be used as a regular GPIO
8
SDA
SDA (GPIO15)
I2C data line, cannot be used as a regular GPIO
9
TXD
TXD (GPIO43)
UART transmit line or usable as GPIO
10
RXD
RXD (GPIO44)
UART receive line or usable as GPIO
11
NC
Not connected
12
IO0
GPIO0
GPIO pin available for general use
I2C connector pinout
Pin
Function
Description
GND
Ground
3V3
3.3 VDC
3.3 VDC power output
SCL
SCL (GPIO7)
I2C clock line, cannot be used as a regular GPIO
SDA
SDA (GPIO15)
I2C data line, cannot be used as a regular GPIO
UART connector pinout
Pin
Function
Description
GND
Ground
3V3
3.3 VDC
3.3 VDC power output
TXD
TXD (GPIO43)
UART transmit line or usable as GPIO
RXD
RXD (GPIO44)
UART receive line or usable as GPIO
Layout:
No.
Description
1
ESP32-S3R8, dual-core processor with a clock speed of up to 240 MHz
2
QMI8658 orientation sensor, 6-axis IMU
3
TCA9554PWR, GPIO expander, used entirely internally and not brought out to connectors
4
FSUSB42UMX, UART selection circuit. The 4-pin UART connector is disabled when the Type-C UART port is connected
5
CH343P, USB-UART converter with automatic download circuit
6
16 MB Flash memory
7
PCF85063, real-time clock circuit
8
Battery charging manager
9
ME6217C33M5G, LDO regulator with 800 mA maximum output current
10
USB Type-C connector
11
2-pin MX1.25 battery connector for 3.7 V Li-Ion/Li-Po battery, with charging and discharging
12
12-pin multifunction connector
13
IPEX Gen 1 connector, allows an external antenna by resoldering the antenna selection resistor
14
TF card slot (microSD)
15
Connector for the rechargeable RTC battery
16
I2C connector, connected to internal circuits. Supports only I2C peripherals and cannot be remapped
17
UART connector, available only when the USB-UART Type-C port is not connected
18
USB Type-C port for USB-UART, used for power, programming, and debugging
19
Buzzer
20
Charging indicator, on while charging and off when fully charged. Without a battery connected, the LED state may be undefined
21
Power indicator
22
Battery power control button
23
RESET button
24
BOOT button
Main internal connections
Signal
ESP32-S3 Pin
LCD_BL (backlight)
GPIO6
LCD_SDA
GPIO1
LCD_SCL
GPIO2
LCD_RST
EXIO1 (via TCA9554)
LCD_CS
EXIO3 (via TCA9554)
PCLK
GPIO41
DE
GPIO40
VSYNC
GPIO39
HSYNC
GPIO38
TP_SDA
GPIO15
TP_SCL
GPIO7
TP_INT
GPIO16
TP_RST
EXIO2 (via TCA9554)
TF Card MISO
GPIO42
TF Card MOSI
GPIO1
TF Card SCLK
GPIO2
TF Card CS
EXIO4 (via TCA9554)
QMI8658 SCL / SDA
GPIO7 / GPIO15
PCF85063 SCL / SDA
GPIO7 / GPIO15
Buzzer
EXIO8 (via TCA9554)
Battery voltage measurement
GPIO4
Usage:
Connect the board to a computer using a USB Type-C cable. For programming and debugging, use the port labeled UART, which goes through the CH343P converter.
Install the CH343 driver for Windows or macOS, then check the COM port assigned in Device Manager.
In Arduino IDE, install ESP32 board support and select an ESP32-S3 model, then configure 16MB Flash and 8MB PSRAM (OPI PSRAM).
Insert a FAT32-formatted microSD card if you want to test the TF slot or load graphical resources.
Upload a simple example for verification, then move on to the LVGL demos provided by the manufacturer for full peripheral testing.
For the graphical interface, use the LVGL library together with the ST7701 driver for the display and GT911 for touch. The 8MB PSRAM allows smooth operation of graphical buffers.
If uploading fails, hold down the BOOT button, briefly press RESET, release RESET, then BOOT to enter programming mode manually.
For standalone power, connect a 3.7V Li-Ion or Li-Po battery to the MX1.25 connector and use the battery power control button. The battery voltage can be read on GPIO4.
To keep time after disconnecting the main power supply, connect a rechargeable battery to the dedicated RTC connector; otherwise, the clock resets at every startup.
If you need better radio coverage, mount an external antenna on the IPEX connector and reposition the antenna selection resistor.
Dimensions diagram:
Package contents:
1 x ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2.8C development board
1 x 12-pin SH1.0 cable, approximately 100 mm
2 x 4-pin SH1.0 cable, approximately 100 mm
Official documentation: https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2.8C