# LILYGO T-Dongle S3

> ESP32-S3 USB-A dongle with a 0.96-inch ST7735 color display (80×160), 16MB flash, WiFi, and BLE 5.0 — a compact plug-in development stick for IoT, media, and wireless sensor nodes.

## Quick Facts

- **Brand:** LILYGO
- **Board Type:** dev-board
- **Price:** ~$10.99
- **Product Readiness:** developer
- **CPU:** Xtensa LX7 dual-core @ 240MHz, FPU, AI vector extensions, HW crypto (AES/SHA/RSA)
- **CPU Architecture:** Xtensa LX7
- **CPU Cores:** 2
- **RAM:** 512KB SRAM
- **Flash:** 16MB
- **USB:** USB-A 2.0
- **Power:** 5V
- **Operating Voltage:** 3.3V
- **Antenna:** Built-in PCB antenna
- **SD Card:** microSD
- **Display:** 0.96" IPS LCD 80×160

## Connectivity

- **Wifi:** 802.11 b/g/n
- **Bluetooth:** BLE 5.0

## Open Source

- **Firmware:** Yes
- **Schematics:** No
- **PCB Layout:** No

## Compatible Firmware

arduino, micropython, esphome, platformio

## Use Cases

- iot
- crowd-counting
- digital-signage
- smart-home

## Components

- **ESP32-S3** (mcu): Espressif ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 at 240MHz with WiFi, BLE 5.0, and native USB OTG. — [Datasheet](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espressif.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdocumentation%2Fesp32-s3_datasheet_en.pdf&ref=openhardware.directory&product=lilygo-t-dongle-s3&source=md-export)
- **ST7735** (display-driver): Sitronix ST7735 TFT LCD driver for the 0.96-inch 80×160 color panel via 4-wire SPI. — [Datasheet](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.displayfuture.com%2FDisplay%2Fdatasheet%2Fcontroller%2FST7735.pdf&ref=openhardware.directory&product=lilygo-t-dongle-s3&source=md-export)

## Protocols

- **SPI**: MOSI: GPIO11, CLK: GPIO12, CS: GPIO10
- **UART**: TX: GPIO43, RX: GPIO44

## GPIO Map

| Pin | Name | Type | Functions |
|-----|------|------|-----------|
| GPIO0 | Boot Button | GPIO | digital-input, strapping |
| GPIO38 | Free GPIO | GPIO | digital-input, digital-output |
| GPIO39 | Free GPIO | GPIO | digital-input, digital-output |
| GPIO40 | Free GPIO | GPIO | digital-input, digital-output |
| GPIO43 | UART TX | UART | digital-output |
| GPIO44 | UART RX | UART | digital-input |

## Description

## Overview

The LILYGO T-Dongle S3 packs an ESP32-S3 Xtensa LX7 processor into a USB-A stick form factor, complete with a 0.96-inch ST7735 IPS color display at 80×160 pixels. The full-color 65K display and USB-A plug make it ideal for direct-plugging into computers, TVs, or USB hubs to run wireless applications or display output without any additional cabling.

With 16MB flash and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n plus BLE 5.0, the T-Dongle S3 can run web servers, Bluetooth scanners, badge-style applications, and USB HID or CDC devices. A microSD (TF) card slot provides expandable storage, though note this is listed as non-functional on some hardware revisions — check the GitHub repository for your specific variant.

A boot button enables firmware flashing via the native USB port. The T-Dongle S3 supports Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, and MicroPython, and the GitHub repository provides examples for display, WiFi, and Bluetooth applications.

## Where to Buy

- [LILYGO Official](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Flilygo.cc%2Fproducts%2Ft-dongle-s3&ref=openhardware.directory&product=lilygo-t-dongle-s3&source=md-export) — $10.99

## Resources

- [product](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Flilygo.cc%2Fproducts%2Ft-dongle-s3&ref=openhardware.directory&product=lilygo-t-dongle-s3&source=md-export)
- [github](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2FXinyuan-LilyGO%2FT-Dongle-S3&ref=openhardware.directory&product=lilygo-t-dongle-s3&source=md-export)
- [wiki](https://openhardware.directory/r?to=https%3A%2F%2Fwiki.lilygo.cc&ref=openhardware.directory&product=lilygo-t-dongle-s3&source=md-export)

## Tags

`esp32-s3`, `usb-dongle`, `display`, `lilygo`, `wifi`, `ble5`, `compact`

## Images

![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/7aba7edb2235.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/633bccc32afa.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/7f5c06f96819.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/3134591b6516.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/91fc7320ca33.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/008e295b5c38.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/526ebba35ef8.jpg)
![LILYGO T-Dongle S3](https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/openhardware-directory/entities/lilygo-t-dongle-s3/02760c8331f7.jpg)

---
[View full device page](https://openhardware.directory/devices/lilygo-t-dongle-s3)