LILYGO T-Encoder Shield V1.0

Overview

The LILYGO T-Encoder Shield V1.0 is an expansion board designed to pair with the T-Encoder base unit. It features a CH552 8-bit USB microcontroller (8051 core) that enables USB HID device functionality, allowing the shield to act as a programmable macro keyboard. Two customizable macro keys and an APA102 addressable RGB LED round out the feature set.

The CH552 is programmed using ch55xduino (an Arduino-compatible framework for CH55x chips), making it accessible to Arduino developers. Its native USB HID support means the shield can enumerate as a keyboard, mouse, or custom HID device without any additional USB chip. The APA102 LED uses a 4-wire SPI interface that supports very high PWM frequencies (up to 20kHz), resulting in flicker-free brightness control.

This shield is available as a standalone unit (H563) or bundled with female pin headers for the T-Encoder (H563+H535). It is also compatible with the T-U2T for initial CH552 programming. The combination of rotary encoder from the T-Encoder base and macro keys from this shield creates a compact desktop controller suitable for audio mixing, video editing, lighting control, and custom keyboard macros.

Firmware Compatibility

• ch55xduino: Primary development framework for the CH552 MCU. Install via the Arduino IDE board manager and use the USB HID examples to create custom keyboard macros and LED effects.