Waveshare · ESP32-S3 · 2.8" · 480×640

Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch LCD 2.8" Type B specifications

The ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2.8B is the high-resolution sibling of Waveshare's 2.8-inch SPI board: instead of 240×320 it packs 480×640 pixels into the same diagonal and drives them over a 16-bit RGB interface with an ST7701 controller. Text and icons look noticeably crisper, and full-screen animations are smoother than on SPI.

Touch is handled by a GT911 capacitive controller. The ESP32-S3R8 provides 8 MB of PSRAM and 16 MB of flash, and Waveshare adds a PCF85063 RTC, a QMI8658 6-axis IMU, a buzzer, a TCA9554 I/O expander and a microSD slot on the back.

Power comes from USB-C or a lithium cell with on-board charging, through an MP1605 module rated for 2 A. A 2×12-pin 2.54 mm header plus separate UART and I2C connectors carry the remaining signals.

Screen
2.8" · 480×640
Chip
ESP32-S3
Memory
16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM
Input
capacitive touch
Design a UI for this board Buy from Waveshare (affiliate link)

Key features

  • 2.8-inch 480×640, ST7701 over RGB
  • Capacitive touch (GT911)
  • ESP32-S3R8: 8 MB PSRAM, 16 MB flash
  • PCF85063 RTC, QMI8658 IMU, buzzer
  • LiPo charging, 2 A power module
  • 2×12-pin header, UART and I2C connectors, microSD

Specifications

Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch LCD 2.8" Type B technical specifications
ManufacturerWaveshare
Screen size2.8"
Resolution480×640 px
Colour depth16-bit
Display controllerST7701 (RGB Parallel + 3-wire SPI init)
Display interfaceRGB565 Parallel (DPI) + SPI init sequence
TouchGT911 (I2C)
MicrocontrollerESP32-S3
ModuleESP32-S3R8
CPU clock240 MHz
Internal SRAM512 KB
PSRAM8 MB
Flash16 MB
Wi-FiYes
BluetoothYes
Display typeTFT, RGB interface (RGB565, 65K colours in practice)
TouchCapacitive, GT911 (I2C)
RTCPCF85063A with backup battery header
IMUQMI8658 6-axis
AudioOn-board buzzer
PowerMP1605GTF-Z module, 2 A max; lithium charge manager
Expansion2×12-pin 2.54 mm header, UART and I2C connectors
Dimensions52.9 × 71.3 mm with touch
Development platforms (manufacturer)Arduino IDE, ESP-IDF 5.3.1+, LVGL, SquareLine Studio

GPIO pinout

The GPIOs the board itself uses — display, touch and on-board peripherals — as published in the manufacturer’s documentation.

Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch LCD 2.8" Type B GPIO pinout
GPIOFunction
GPIO 1LCD_MOSI (init SPI)
GPIO 2LCD_CLK (init SPI)
GPIO 3LCD_DATA12 (RGB)
GPIO 4BAT_ADC (battery voltage)
GPIO 5LCD_DATA0 (RGB)
GPIO 6Backlight (LCD_Backlight_PIN)
GPIO 7I2C_SCL (Touch/RTC/IMU)
GPIO 8LCD_DATA13 (RGB)
GPIO 9LCD_DATA10 (RGB)
GPIO 10LCD_DATA9 (RGB)
GPIO 11LCD_DATA8 (RGB)
GPIO 12LCD_DATA7 (RGB)
GPIO 13LCD_DATA6 (RGB)
GPIO 14LCD_DATA5 (RGB)
GPIO 15I2C_SDA (Touch/RTC/IMU)
GPIO 16TOUCH_INT (GT911)
GPIO 17LCD_DATA15 (RGB)
GPIO 18LCD_DATA14 (RGB)
GPIO 19USB D- (on the header, usable as GPIO only without native USB)
GPIO 20USB D+ (on the header, usable as GPIO only without native USB)
GPIO 21LCD_DATA4 (RGB)
GPIO 38LCD_HSYNC
GPIO 39LCD_VSYNC
GPIO 40LCD_DE
GPIO 41LCD_PCLK
GPIO 42SD_MISO (microSD; MOSI / SCK share GPIO 1 / 2 with the LCD init bus, CS on EXIO4)
GPIO 45LCD_DATA1 (RGB)
GPIO 46LCD_DATA11 (RGB)
GPIO 47LCD_DATA3 (RGB)
GPIO 48LCD_DATA2 (RGB)

Source: www.waveshare.com. Always check against your board revision before wiring.

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.

Free GPIO pins of the Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch LCD 2.8" Type B
PinCapabilitiesNote
GPIO 0GPIO, BOOTBOOT button — also on the 2x12 pin header
GPIO 43/TXGPIO, UART_TXUART0 TX — on the UART connector and the 2x12 pin header (only when the USB-to-UART Type-C port is not connected)
GPIO 44/RXGPIO, UART_RXUART0 RX — on the UART connector and the 2x12 pin header (only when the USB-to-UART Type-C port is not connected)
  • 2x12 pin header — GPIO 0, 43, 44 (IO0, TX, RX)

    The header also carries USB D- / D+ (GPIO 19 / 20) and the I2C bus (GPIO 15 / 7) — GPIO 0 is the BOOT button (keep it high at power-up)

  • UART connector — GPIO 43, 44 (TX, RX)

    Only when the USB-to-UART Type-C port is not connected

  • I2C connector — GPIO 15, 7 (SDA, SCL)

    Same I2C bus as the touch controller, the IO expander, the RTC and the IMU (addresses 0x15/0x5D, 0x20, 0x51, 0x6B, 0x7E taken)

Good to know before you start

  • The I2C bus (GPIO 15/7) is shared by touch, I/O expander, RTC and IMU — 0x15/0x5D, 0x20, 0x51, 0x6B and 0x7E are taken, and Waveshare notes these pins cannot be used as general GPIO.
  • Practically all ESP32-S3 pins are used by the RGB display; expand over I2C.
  • Waveshare's Arduino examples need a special board package (esp32-XIP); the LCD Ultra Pro export README lists the settings it was compiled with.
  • The microSD slot is on the rear side.

What it is good for

  • •Detailed dashboards in a small format
  • •Smooth animated interfaces
  • •Portable instruments with a clock
  • •Smart home panels with sharp text

LVGL support in LCD Ultra Pro

LVGL and LCD Ultra Pro support for the Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch LCD 2.8" Type B
Driver statusMatched to the manufacturer’s official demo, compile-tested
Arduino exportComplete LVGL 8.4 project with the display driver
USB Live previewNo
Orientations0°
Brightness controlHardware backlight dimming

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

What is the difference between the Waveshare 2.8-inch and 2.8B?

The 2.8B uses a 480×640 RGB display (ST7701) and GT911 touch, while the standard 2.8-inch is a 240×320 SPI display (ST7789) with CST328 touch and audio.

Which I2C addresses are used on the 2.8B?

0x15/0x5D (touch), 0x20 (I/O expander), 0x51 (RTC), 0x6B and 0x7E (IMU).

Does it have a battery charger?

Yes, an MX1.25 header for a 3.7 V lithium cell with an on-board charge manager.

Sources

Specifications cross-checked against the manufacturer’s documentation (last checked 2026-10-27):

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