Olimex ESP32-P4-PC gets Arduino LTE demo and ESP-IDF hardware test suite

Brief written by the FOSSWire AI editor from Olimex How we write

October 20, 2026 1 min read

Key Takeaway

Olimex released two open-source demos for its ESP32-P4-PC board: an Arduino sketch for 4G LTE modem connectivity and an ESP-IDF application that interactively tests all major onboard peripherals.

Summary

Olimex added two software demos to the ESP32-P4-PC GitHub repository. The first is an Arduino demo connecting the board to Olimex's USB-LTE4G-EU LTE Cat 1 bis modem over UART, requiring the new UEXT-LVL-SHIFT board to bridge 1.8 V and 3.3 V logic levels. The second is an ESP-IDF application that tests HDMI output, microSD, USB host, audio, and Ethernet without needing a PC or test fixture, producing a PASS/WARN/FAIL/SKIP summary.

What the two demos cover

LTE demo: Arduino-based, communicates with Quectel EG800K-EU modem via UART at 1.8 V; probes modem info, SIM status, signal quality; supports interactive AT commands through Serial Monitor
Level shifter required: UEXT-LVL-SHIFT board (4.95 EUR) bridges 1.8 V modem logic to 3.3 V UEXT; handles UART, SPI, I2C up to 420 Mbps
Hardware test demo: ESP-IDF v5.5.5, outputs 1280×720 @ 60 Hz via LT8912B DSI-to-HDMI bridge
Five automated tests: microSD 4-bit SDMMC at 20 MHz, USB host on any of four ports, ES8311 audio loopback, IP101 Ethernet with DHCP/ping
No PC software needed: BOOT button controls test flow; results display on HDMI and serial console

Why it matters

The ESP-IDF hardware test suite lowers the barrier for verifying board functionality during bring-up or manufacturing, while the LTE demo extends the ESP32-P4-PC into cellular IoT applications where Wi-Fi and Ethernet are unavailable.

Original reference: olimex.wordpress.com →