ESP32Thing RF Control Board "ESP BUDDY"
The ESP Buddy is a ESP32-S3 based board that can be wired up to a ESP32 CYD, a common and cheap display. The ESP Buddy has a NRF24L01 2.H GHz Antenna, A PN532 NFC and RFID Module, a lipo power system to charge the board and a battery.
It is currently wired on a perfboard, but I will later design a integrated PCB.
This repo focuses on the hardware, not custom firmware.
Perf Board: (not all wiring visible under screen)
I had to move some stuff to get the battery out of the way so I can show underside, and some of the nrf cables are wired from under the screen using little jumper wires.
Build Log: 11/28 – Came up with the idea for the project. Looked at other people’s designs online to understand common approaches and nailed down the overall scope and features I wanted to include.
11/30 – Spent time studying the datasheets for each component and mapped out which pins would go where. Started outlining the wiring plan and identifying any conflicts.
12/1 – Continued digging through datasheets to double-check compatibility and requirements. Began drafting the schematic. Some of the parts arrived, so I started laying them out and planning the physical build.
12/2 – Finished the full schematic and verified the connections. Started soldering the first batch of components onto the board.
12/3 – Messed up the battery circuit on the first pass, so I had to troubleshoot and correct it. Got it fixed and wrapped up the rest of the wiring for the build.
Firmware: Any esp32 firmware should function but you made to configuire pins, I would highly recomend bruce though. sweet and simple. https://bruce.computer/flasher
Readable BOM: Bill of Materials (Table) Item Qty Model / Part Number Description Notes CYD Board 1 T-Display-S3 / CYD-2432S028 ESP32 display module Main MCU + touchscreen NRF24L01+ Module 1 NRF24L01+ PA/LNA 2.4GHz RF transceiver SPI, high-power version recommended PN532 NFC Module 1 PN532 (Seeed 113020005) NFC reader/writer I2C/SPI selectable LiPo Battery 1 803048 (2000mAh) 3.7V LiPo cell Choose size based on enclosure TP4056 USB-C Board (no LEDs) 1 TP4056-USB-C-LDLESS LiPo charger LED-less version MT3608 Boost Converter 1 MT3608 DC-DC Boost converter Only if 5V rail required On/Off Switch 1 SS12F15 Mini slide switch Main power cutoff Perfboard 1 0.1" pitch 5×7 cm Prototype board Perfboard version Jumper Wires 20 24AWG solid core Solid-core wire Perfboard wiring Rubber Bands 2 N/A Generic Holding parts during prototyping