Elecrow · ESP32 · 2.8" · 240×320
Elecrow CrowPanel ESP32 HMI 2.8" specifications
Elecrow's CrowPanel ESP32 HMI 2.8-inch keeps the 240×320 resolution of its 2.4-inch sibling but stretches it over a larger panel, which makes buttons and text noticeably easier to hit and read. The screen is driven by an ILI9341V over SPI, touch input comes from a resistive layer, and the brain is an ESP32-WROOM-32 with 4 MB of flash.
It is a complete little HMI rather than a bare module: there is a lithium battery connector with charging, a speaker output with its own amplifier, a microSD slot, and four HY2.0-4P ports for GPIO, I2C and two UARTs. That makes it a popular choice for compact control panels that need to run from a battery or talk to another device over serial.
If you are choosing between the 2.4-inch and the 2.8-inch, the electronics and the pin assignment are the same — the 2.8-inch simply gives you bigger pixels for the same 240×320 layout.
- Screen
- 2.8" · 240×320
- Chip
- ESP32
- Memory
- 4 MB flash, no PSRAM
- Input
- resistive touch
Key features
- 2.8-inch 240×320 TFT, ILI9341V, 262K colours
- Resistive touch with an included stylus
- ESP32-WROOM-32, 4 MB flash, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- LiPo connector with on-board charging circuit
- Speaker output with on-board amplifier
- microSD slot, GPIO, I2C, UART0 and UART1 ports
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Elecrow |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 2.8" |
| Resolution | 240×320 px |
| Colour depth | 16-bit |
| Display controller | ILI9341 (SPI) |
| Display interface | SPI |
| Touch | XPT2046 (resistive, SPI, shares a bus with the display) |
| Microcontroller | ESP32 |
| Module | ESP32-WROOM-32 |
| CPU clock | 240 MHz |
| Internal SRAM | 520 KB |
| PSRAM | None |
| Flash | 4 MB |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Hardware variant | All hardware versions (V1.x, V2.x, V3.0) — Elecrow uses the same code for all of them. Resistive touch. |
| Display type | TFT-LCD, 262K colours |
| Battery | Lithium cell via PH2.0-2P, with charging circuit |
| Audio | Speaker output (PH2.0-2P, GPIO 26) with on-board amplifier |
| Storage | microSD (TF) slot over SPI |
| Ports | GPIO_D (GPIO 25, 32), I2C (GPIO 21, 22), UART1 (GPIO 16, 17), UART0 / USB-C |
| Buttons | BOOT, RESET |
| Development platforms (manufacturer) | Arduino IDE, ESP-IDF, PlatformIO, MicroPython, ESPHome, Home Assistant, SquareLine Studio |
GPIO pinout
The GPIOs the board itself uses — display, touch and on-board peripherals — as published in the manufacturer’s documentation.
| GPIO | Function |
|---|---|
| GPIO 2 | TFT_DC |
| GPIO 5 | SD_CS (microSD) |
| GPIO 12 | TFT_MISO |
| GPIO 13 | TFT_MOSI |
| GPIO 14 | TFT_SCLK |
| GPIO 15 | TFT_CS |
| GPIO 18 | SD_SCK (microSD) |
| GPIO 19 | SD_MISO (microSD) |
| GPIO 23 | SD_MOSI (microSD) |
| GPIO 26 | Speaker amplifier (SPK, PH2.0-2P) |
| GPIO 27 | Backlight (TFT_BL) |
| GPIO 33 | TOUCH_CS (XPT2046, megosztott SPI busz) |
Source: www.elecrow.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.
| Pin | Capabilities | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GPIO 0 | GPIO, BOOT | Boot button / IO0 |
| GPIO 1/TX | GPIO, UART_TX | UART0 TX — on the UART0 port (HY2.0-4P), shared with the USB-C serial port |
| GPIO 3/RX | GPIO, UART_RX | UART0 RX — on the UART0 port (HY2.0-4P), shared with the USB-C serial port |
| GPIO 4 | GPIO, ADC | Presumably free |
| GPIO 16 | GPIO, PWM, UART_RX | UART1 port (HY2.0-4P) RX |
| GPIO 17 | GPIO, PWM, UART_TX | UART1 port (HY2.0-4P) TX |
| GPIO 21 | GPIO, PWM, I2C_SCL | I2C port (HY2.0-4P) SCL — not used by the board |
| GPIO 22 | GPIO, PWM, I2C_SDA | I2C port (HY2.0-4P) SDA — not used by the board |
| GPIO 25 | GPIO, PWM, DAC | On the GPIO_D port (HY2.0-4P) — ADC2, not usable as analog input while WiFi is on |
| GPIO 32 | GPIO, PWM, ADC | On the GPIO_D port (HY2.0-4P) — ADC1_CH4 |
| GPIO 34 | GPIO, ADC | Input-only, presumably free |
| GPIO 35 | GPIO, ADC | Input-only, presumably free |
| GPIO 36 | GPIO, ADC | Input-only, presumably free |
| GPIO 39 | GPIO, ADC | Input-only, presumably free |
- GPIO_D port — GPIO 25, 32
- I2C port — GPIO 22, 21 (SDA, SCL)
Not shared with the touch controller (it is on SPI) — free for sensors
- UART1 port — GPIO 17, 16 (TX, RX)
- UART0 port — GPIO 1, 3 (TX, RX)
Shared with the USB-C serial port — the serial monitor and uploads use it too
Good to know before you start
- Same resolution as the 2.4-inch model: a layout designed for one runs unchanged on the other.
- There is no PSRAM, so keep images small and avoid many full-screen bitmaps.
- For analog sensors use GPIO 32 (ADC1). GPIO 25 is ADC2 and cannot read analog values while Wi-Fi is active.
- UART0 also carries uploads and the serial monitor — connect external serial devices to UART1 instead.
What it is good for
- •Compact wall or desk control panels
- •Battery-powered remotes and portable meters
- •Projects that talk to another microcontroller or module over UART
- •Home Assistant / MQTT dashboards with a few large buttons
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 | Hardware 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 CrowPanel 2.4-inch and 2.8-inch?
Only the physical screen size. Both are 240×320 with an ILI9341V controller, resistive touch and the same ESP32-WROOM-32 pin assignment, so the same project works on both.
Which pins are free on the CrowPanel 2.8-inch?
The HY2.0-4P ports expose GPIO 25 and 32 (GPIO_D), GPIO 21 and 22 (I2C) and GPIO 16 and 17 (UART1). The I2C bus is not used by the board, so it is free for sensors.
Does it support a speaker?
Yes. There is a PH2.0-2P speaker output with an on-board amplifier, driven from GPIO 26.
Can I design the UI visually and export Arduino code?
Yes. LCD Ultra Pro has a driver for this board that is matched to Elecrow's official example code, so the exported Arduino project compiles without any driver setup.
Sources
Specifications cross-checked against the manufacturer’s documentation (last checked 2026-10-27):
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