LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus ESP32-S3 Development Board

1. Safety Information

Please read this manual carefully before using the LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus. This device is an electronic development board and should be handled with care. Improper use may result in damage to the device or personal injury.

• Avoid exposure to water, moisture, or extreme temperatures.
• Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the device beyond what is described in this manual.
• Use only compatible power sources (USB Type-C) and accessories.
• Keep out of reach of children.

2. Package Contents

The LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus package includes the following items:

• 1 x LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus Development Board
• 1 x User Manual

Figure 2.1: LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus package contents, including the device and user manual.

3. Product Overview

The LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus is a versatile development board featuring an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, a 1.9-inch IPS TFT LCD, and various wireless communication modules. Its compact design includes a transparent shell and a magnetic attraction design for easy assembly.

Key Features:

• MCU: ESP32-S3 Dual-core LX7 microprocessor
• Wireless Connectivity: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, BLE 5
• Transceivers: CC1101 Low-Power Sub-1 GHz RF Transceiver, PN532 NFC (13.56MHz) HF transceiver module, nRF24L01 Worldwide 2.4GHZ ISM
• Display: 1.9 inch ST7789V IPS TFT LCD (170(H)x320(V) resolution)
• Audio: Microphone
• Power Supply: USB/Li-Po Battery Dual Power Supply (1300mAh Li-Po battery included)

Figure 3.1: Overview of the LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus, highlighting key features like the ESP32-S3 MCU, wireless connectivity, transceivers, display, and power supply.

Figure 3.2: Detailed pinout diagram for the LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus, showing connections for LCD, LORA, SD Card, Microphone, RGB LED, Encoder, PN532, and USB Type-C.

4. Setup

4.1 Initial Setup and Assembly

The LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus comes with a transparent shell that uses a magnetic attraction design for easy assembly and disassembly. The device includes a built-in 1300mAh Li-Po battery.

Figure 4.1: The LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus with its transparent shell disassembled, showing the internal components and battery.

4.2 Powering On/Off

To power on the device, locate the power button on the board inside the shell. This may require removing the back cover. Once powered on, the device will boot up and display the user interface.

4.3 Basic Operation

The device features a round encoder with a button for navigation and interaction with the 1.9-inch IPS TFT LCD. Rotate the encoder to scroll through menus and press the button to select options.

5. Operating Instructions

5.1 User Interface Navigation

Use the rotary encoder to navigate through the menus and select options. The 1.9-inch IPS TFT LCD provides visual feedback for all operations.

5.2 Wireless Connectivity

The device supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and BLE 5. Access the 'Wireless' menu to configure Wi-Fi networks or manage Bluetooth connections.

5.3 NFC Functionality

The integrated PN532 NFC module allows for near-field communication. Access the 'NFC' menu to interact with NFC tags or devices.

5.4 Sub-1 GHz RF Transceiver (CC1101)

The CC1101 module enables Sub-1 GHz radio frequency communication. This can be used for various applications within its supported frequency bands (300-348 MHz, 387-464 MHz, 779-928 MHz).

5.5 Infrared (IR) Transceiver

The device includes IR TX and RX capabilities, allowing for infrared communication. This can be used for remote control applications or data transfer.

5.6 Music Playback

The device supports music playback. Ensure music files are in MP3 format and have English names for proper functionality.

5.7 Microphone FFT

The built-in microphone can be used for Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis, allowing for visualization of audio waveforms.

6. Firmware Installation

The LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus is an open-source development board. Firmware can be installed or updated using various development environments. The source code and 3D models are available on the official GitHub repository: github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/T-Embed-CC1101.

6.1 PlatformIO Installation/Burn

PlatformIO is a professional development environment for embedded systems. To install and burn firmware using PlatformIO:

1. Install Python from python.org.
2. Install Git from git-scm.com.
3. Install Visual Studio Code from code.visualstudio.com.
4. Open VS Code, go to Extensions, search for "PlatformIO IDE" and install it.
5. Download the T-Embed source code from GitHub.
6. Open the downloaded project in PlatformIO.
7. Build and upload the firmware to your device.

6.2 Arduino Installation/Burn

Arduino IDE is a popular environment for ESP32 development. To install and burn firmware using Arduino IDE:

1. Download Arduino IDE from arduino.cc/en/software.
2. Follow the instructions to add ESP32 board support to the Arduino IDE. This typically involves adding a board manager URL in preferences and installing the ESP32 boards package.
3. Download the T-Embed source code from GitHub.
4. Open the Arduino sketch (.ino) file from the downloaded source code in Arduino IDE.
5. Select the correct board (ESP32-S3 Dev Module) and COM port.
6. Upload the firmware to your device.

6.3 Micropython Installation/Burn

Micropython allows you to program the ESP32-S3 using Python. To install and burn Micropython firmware:

1. Download Thonny IDE from thonny.org.
2. Download the ESP32-S3 Micropython firmware (.bin file) from micropython.org.
3. Use the ESP32 Download Tool from espressif.com to flash the Micropython firmware onto your device.
4. Connect your device to Thonny IDE and upload your Python scripts.

6.4 ESP-IDF Installation/Burn

ESP-IDF is Espressif's IoT Development Framework. To install and burn firmware using ESP-IDF:

1. Follow the official ESP-IDF Getting Started Guide for your operating system: docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/get-started/index.html.
2. This involves installing prerequisites (Git, Python), getting ESP-IDF, and setting up the environment variables.
3. Download the T-Embed source code from GitHub.
4. Navigate to the project directory in your terminal.
5. Run `idf.py build` to compile the project.
6. Run `idf.py flash` to flash the firmware to your device.
7. Run `idf.py monitor` to view serial output.

7. Specifications

8. Troubleshooting

• Device not powering on: Ensure the battery is charged or the device is connected via USB-C. Check the internal power button.
• Firmware upload issues: Verify that all drivers are installed correctly and the correct board and COM port are selected in your IDE. Ensure the device is in download mode if required.
• Wireless connectivity problems: Check Wi-Fi credentials and ensure the device is within range of the network. For Bluetooth, ensure the device is discoverable.
• Display not working: Ensure the display ribbon cable is securely connected.

9. Warranty and Support

LILYGO provides product service and support. If you have any questions or suggestions about the product, please feel free to contact us. We will answer your question as soon as possible.

For further assistance, please refer to the official LILYGO website or contact customer support.