# LILYGO T5 e-Paper Basic pairs ESP32-S3 with 4.7-inch grayscale display

> **Key takeaway:** LILYGO's $34 T5 e-Paper Basic development board combines an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with a 960×540 16-level grayscale e-paper display for low-power wireless embedded projects.

**Published:** 2026-10-18T01:33:49+00:00 
**Source:** LinuxGizmos 
**Category:** open-hardware 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/lilygo-t5-e-paper-basic-pairs-esp32-s3-with-47-inch-grayscal.html 

## Summary
LILYGO has released the T5 e-Paper Basic, a development board built around an ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor running at up to 240MHz. The board features a 4.7-inch ED047TC1 e-paper display with 960×540 resolution and 16 grayscale levels, connected via an 8-bit parallel interface. It includes 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, a microSD slot, battery monitoring via an AXP2602 fuel gauge, and five user buttons managed by an XL9555 I/O expander. The board is priced at $34.04 and targets portable information displays and wireless embedded applications where reflective, low-power screens are advantageous.

## Hardware and software details
- **Processor**: ESP32-S3 with dual-core Xtensa LX7 at up to 240MHz, 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM
- **Display**: 4.7-inch ED047TC1 e-paper panel, 960×540 resolution, 16 grayscale levels, 8-bit parallel interface
- **Power management**: AXP2602 battery fuel gauge monitors voltage, current, state of charge, and battery health over I2C
- **I/O expansion**: XL9555 I/O expander manages five user buttons and peripheral inputs over I2C
- **Connectivity**: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy integrated in ESP32-S3
- **Storage**: microSD card slot via SPI
- **Other features**: USB Type-C for power and programming, BOOT and RESET buttons, single-cell lithium battery connection, GPIO45/GPIO46 for display power and boost-enable control
- **Development environment**: PlatformIO project for Visual Studio Code with M5GFX graphics library and SensorLib; Arduino IDE also supported

## Why it matters
The T5 e-Paper Basic enters a growing segment of ESP32-S3-based e-paper development boards, offering an alternative to the similarly specced M5Stack PaperDIY with different peripheral integration choices. Its sub-$35 price and open-source example repository lower the barrier for developers building low-power wireless displays, digital signage, and portable data terminals.