Makerfabs · ESP32-S3 · 3.5" · 320×480
Makerfabs MaTouch ESP32-S3 SPI TFT with Touch 3.5" specifications
The Makerfabs ESP32-S3 SPI TFT with Touch 3.5-inch (SKU ESP32S3SPI35) puts a 480×320 TFT with an ILI9488 controller on a plain SPI bus, with an FT6236 capacitive touch panel on top. Makerfabs chose SPI on purpose: it is slower than a parallel bus, but it leaves far more of the ESP32-S3's pins free for your own hardware.
The board is built around an ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R2 module with 16 MB of flash and 2 MB of quad PSRAM. It has two USB-C ports — a CP2104 USB-to-UART and the ESP32-S3's native USB — a microSD slot, one I2C connector and eleven GPIOs for expansion, in a 66 × 84.3 × 12 mm package weighing 52 g.
Makerfabs' own examples show what it is meant for: images from the SD card, an indoor climate monitor with temperature, humidity and TVOC sensors, and a touch keyboard that acts as a USB HID keyboard.
- Screen
- 3.5" · 320×480
- Chip
- ESP32-S3
- Memory
- 16 MB flash, 2 MB PSRAM (QSPI)
- Input
- capacitive touch
Key features
- 3.5-inch TFT, 480×320, ILI9488 over SPI
- Capacitive touch (FT6236)
- ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R2: 16 MB flash, 2 MB quad PSRAM
- Dual USB-C: CP2104 USB-to-UART and native USB
- microSD slot, I2C and 11 GPIOs
- Portrait and landscape supported
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Makerfabs |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 3.5" |
| Resolution | 320×480 px |
| Colour depth | 16-bit |
| Display controller | ILI9488 (SPI) |
| Display interface | SPI |
| Touch | FT6236 (capacitive, I2C) |
| Microcontroller | ESP32-S3 |
| Module | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R2 |
| CPU clock | 240 MHz |
| Internal SRAM | 512 KB |
| PSRAM | 2 MB (QSPI) |
| Flash | 16 MB |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| SKU | ESP32S3SPI35 |
| Touch | Capacitive, FT6236 |
| USB | 2 × USB-C (CP2104 USB-to-UART, native USB) |
| Expansion | 1 × I2C, 11 × GPIO |
| Storage | microSD |
| Dimensions | 66 × 84.3 × 12 mm |
| Weight | 52 g |
| Development platforms (manufacturer) | Arduino IDE, LovyanGFX |
Free GPIOs and connectors
These GPIOs are not used by the display, touch or on-board peripherals, so you can wire your own sensors, buttons or relays to them.
| Pin | Capabilities | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GPIO 0 | GPIO, BOOT | Boot button |
| GPIO 1 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 2 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 3 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 4 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 5 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 6 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 7 | GPIO, ADC | Free |
| GPIO 8 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 9 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 10 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 11 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 16 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 17 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 18 | GPIO, PWM | Free |
| GPIO 43/TX | GPIO, UART_TX | UART0 TX |
| GPIO 44/RX | GPIO, UART_RX | UART0 RX |
Good to know before you start
- The module has 2 MB of quad PSRAM — select "QSPI PSRAM" (not OPI) in the Arduino IDE. The LCD Ultra Pro export README lists the exact settings.
- With only 2 MB of PSRAM, keep large full-screen images to a minimum.
- SPI is slower than the parallel version of this board; for animation-heavy interfaces Makerfabs also sells a Parallel TFT 3.5-inch with the same controller.
- LCD Ultra Pro dims this board's screen with a software layer.
What it is good for
- •Sensor dashboards with many wired inputs
- •USB HID touch keypads and macro pads
- •Indoor air-quality monitors
- •Menu-driven control panels
LVGL support in LCD Ultra Pro
| Driver status | Matched to the manufacturer’s official demo, compile-tested |
|---|---|
| Arduino export | Complete LVGL 8.4 project with the display driver |
| USB Live preview | No |
| Orientations | 0°, 90° |
| Brightness control | Software dimming layer |
Pick this board in the editor and the canvas matches its exact resolution and shape. Build the interface with widgets, add events without code, try it in Live Preview, then export it as a ready-to-compile Arduino project. See the documentation for the workflow.
Frequently asked questions
How much PSRAM does the Makerfabs ESP32-S3 SPI TFT 3.5-inch have?
2 MB of quad PSRAM on the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R2 module, plus 16 MB of flash. In the Arduino IDE select QSPI PSRAM.
Which touch controller does it use?
An FT6236 capacitive touch controller.
Why SPI instead of a parallel display bus?
SPI needs far fewer pins, so the board can offer 11 free GPIOs and an I2C connector for your own hardware.
What is the difference to the Parallel TFT 3.5-inch?
The parallel version drives the same ILI9488 over a 16-bit bus for faster refresh, but leaves fewer pins free.
Sources
Specifications cross-checked against the manufacturer’s documentation (last checked 2026-10-04):
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