LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus

Overview

The LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus is an upgraded version of the original T-Embed CC1101, adding an nRF24L01 2.4GHz transceiver alongside the existing CC1101 sub-GHz radio. This dual-radio configuration makes it particularly versatile for RF research, penetration testing, and multi-band communication projects.

The board is powered by the ESP32-S3 with 16MB Flash and 8MB SRAM, providing plenty of resources for complex RF signal processing tasks. A 1.9-inch ST7789 IPS color TFT LCD display (170x320 resolution) is built in for real-time data visualization. IR transmit and receive capability adds further versatility for infrared remote control applications. Battery voltage monitoring is available on IO04.

The combination of CC1101 (sub-GHz) and nRF24L01 (2.4GHz) radios, along with the ESP32-S3's built-in WiFi and BLE, makes this board capable of operating across multiple radio bands simultaneously, ideal for signal analysis and custom RF protocol development.

Firmware Compatibility

• Arduino IDE — Use the ESP32 Arduino core with SmartRC-CC1101-Driver-Lib and RF24 libraries.
• ESP-IDF — Full Espressif SDK for advanced firmware development.
• Flipper Zero-inspired projects — The CC1101 + nRF24 combination mirrors popular RF hacking tool configurations.

Flashing Guide

1. Install the ESP32 Arduino core in Arduino IDE.
2. Connect the T-Embed CC1101 Plus via USB-C.
3. Select ESP32S3 Dev Module as the board target.
4. Set Flash to 16MB and configure PSRAM settings.
5. Install required libraries: SmartRC-CC1101-Driver-Lib, RF24, and display libraries for ST7789.
6. Upload your sketch. Hold BOOT button if the device doesn't enter download mode automatically.