Wireless Tag
ESP32-S3 3.5" Touch Panel (SC01 PLUS)
Build a proper front panel, not a proof of concept. The SC01 PLUS puts a 3.5" 480x320 capacitive touchscreen on an ESP32-S3 with enough horsepower to run production-quality interfaces. LVGL renders smoothly, WiFi stays connected, and it looks like something you shipped.
The dual-core 240MHz S3 handles UI animations on one core while managing WiFi or UART communication on the other. 8MB of PSRAM gives you room to buffer charts, images, and live data without running out of memory mid-render. SquareLine Studio exports directly to firmware, so you can design visually and flash without hand-coding every widget.
Things to build with this
- OctoPrint control panel: use the WiFi stack and 480x320 display to pull live print progress, bed and hotend temps, and job status from the OctoPrint REST API, then send pause, resume, and cancel commands from on-screen LVGL buttons without touching a laptop
- GRBL machine controller: wire the broken-out UART serial port directly to a GRBL board, display real-time machine position and feed rate parsed from the GRBL status report, and issue jogging or job commands from a custom touch UI, no PC required
- Room-specific Home Assistant wall panel: flash ESPHome with SPI display and I2C touch driver config, mount flush in a junction box, and build a room-aware touch UI over MQTT that controls lights, climate, and scenes from a single panel that actually looks installed
Key Features
- ESP32-S3 dual-core 240MHz: runs LVGL rendering and WiFi tasks concurrently without frame drops
- 3.5" capacitive touchscreen at 480x320: large enough for multi-element UIs with real, tappable controls
- 8MB PSRAM: buffer images, live charts, and large data payloads without OOM crashes
- WiFi + Bluetooth 5.0: connects to Home Assistant, MQTT brokers, REST APIs, or BLE peripherals
- Dedicated UART serial port broken out: direct hardware serial to Arduino, GRBL, Raspberry Pi, or any external MCU
- USB-C for power and programming, plus hardwired 5V header pins for permanent installs
- LVGL and SquareLine Studio compatible: drag-and-drop UI design with direct firmware export
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this compare to the Sunton ESP32-S3 LVGL boards?
The SC01 PLUS runs a larger 3.5" panel versus the 2.4" to 2.8" screens typical on Sunton boards. It also exposes a dedicated hardware serial port for UART communication, which most Sunton variants do not break out. If screen real estate or direct MCU-to-MCU serial wiring matters for your build, the SC01 PLUS is the better choice.
Can I power this from a permanent 5V supply instead of USB-C?
Yes. For hardwired installs, solder directly to the 5V and GND header pins. Budget 200 to 400mA depending on screen brightness and WiFi activity, and size your supply accordingly.
Does this work with ESPHome or does it require custom firmware?
ESPHome supports the SC01 PLUS, but you will need to define the SPI display and I2C touch controller manually in your YAML config. Community configs exist for this board. For full control over the render pipeline, you can also flash it with Arduino or ESP-IDF and drive LVGL directly.
Why we stock this
Curated by Kindly Morrow. We test and vet every product before it hits the store. If we wouldn't use it in our own builds, we don't sell it.
Things to build with this
Fun projects to try once you get your hands on it.
Movie mode with one tap
NFC tag on your coffee table. Tap your phone: lights dim, TV turns on, blinds close. Tap again to undo. Feels like magic every time.
Laundry notification system
Vibration sensor on your washing machine. When it stops vibrating, your phone buzzes. No more forgetting wet clothes for 3 days.
Automatic night light path
Motion sensors in the hallway trigger dim warm lights at floor level after 10pm. Walk to the bathroom without waking up fully.
Mailbox alert
Contact sensor on the mailbox door. Home Assistant sends a notification when mail arrives. Never walk to an empty mailbox again.
