Working with Arduino
This chapter contains the following sections. Please read as needed:
Arduino Getting Started
New to Arduino ESP32 development and looking for a quick start? We have prepared a comprehensive Getting Started Tutorial for you.
- Section 0: Getting to Know ESP32
- Section 1: Installing and Configuring Arduino IDE
- Section 2: Arduino Basics
- Section 3: Digital Output/Input
- Section 4: Analog Input
- Section 5: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
- Section 6: Serial Communication (UART)
- Section 7: I2C Communication
- Section 8: SPI Communication
- Section 9: Wi-Fi Basics
- Section 10: Web Server
- Section 11: Bluetooth
- Section 12: LVGL GUI Development
- Section 13: Comprehensive Project
Note: This tutorial uses the ESP32-S3-Zero as a reference example, and all hardware code is based on its pinout. Before you start, we recommend checking the pinout of your development board to ensure the pin configuration is correct.
Setting Up Development Environment
1. Installing and Configuring Arduino IDE
Please refer to the tutorial Installing and Configuring Arduino IDE Tutorial to download and install the Arduino IDE and add ESP32 support.
2. Installing Libraries
- When installing Arduino libraries, there are typically two methods: Online Installation and Offline Installation. If the library installation requires offline installation, you must use the provided library file.
- For most libraries, users can easily search and install them through the online Library Manager in the Arduino software. However, some open-source libraries or custom libraries are not synchronized to the Arduino Library Manager, so they cannot be acquired through online searches. In this case, users can only manually install these libraries offline.
- The sample program package for the ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-3.49 development board can be downloaded from here. The
Arduino\librariesdirectory within the package already includes all the library files required for this tutorial.
| Library/File Name | Description | Version | Installation Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| LVGL | Graphical library | v8.3.11/v9.3.0 | |
| SensorLib | Sensor library | v0.3.1 | "Install Online" or "Install Offline" |
There are strong dependencies between versions of LVGL and its driver libraries. For example, a driver written for LVGL v8 may not be compatible with LVGL v9. To ensure stable reproduction of the examples, it is recommended to use the specific versions listed in the table above. Mixing different library versions may cause compilation failures or runtime exceptions.
3. Arduino Project Parameter Settings

Demo
The Arduino demos are located in the Arduino/examples directory of the demo package.
| Demo | Basic Program Description | Dependency Library |
|---|---|---|
| 01_ADC_Test | Get the voltage value of the lithium battery | - |
| 02_I2C_PCF85063 | Print real-time time of RTC chip | SensorLib |
| 03_I2C_QMI8658 | Print the raw data from IMU | SensorLib |
| 04_SD_Card | Load and display the information of the TF card | - |
| 05_WIFI_AP | Set to AP mode to obtain the IP address of the access device | - |
| 06_WIFI_STA | Set to STA mode to connect to WiFi and obtain an IP address | - |
| 07_BATT_PWR_Test | Control power via the PWR button when powered solely by the lithium battery | - |
| 08_Audio_Test | Play the sound recorded by the microphone through the speaker | - |
| 09_LVGL_V8_Test | LVGLV9 demo | LVGL V8.4.0 |
| 10_LVGL_V9_Test | LVGLV8 demo | LVGL V9.3.0 |
01_ADC_Test
Demo Description
- The analog voltage connected through the GPIO is converted to digital by the ADC, and then the actual lithium battery voltage is calculated and printed to the terminal.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
adc_bsp_init(void): Initializes ADC1, including creating an ADC one-shot trigger unit and configuring Channel 3 of ADC1.adc_get_value(float *value,int *data): Reads the value from Channel 3 of ADC1, calculates the corresponding voltage based on the reference voltage and resolution, and stores it at the location pointed to by the passed pointer. Stores 0 if the read fails.adc_example(void* parameter): After initializing ADC1, creates an ADC task. This task reads the ADC value every second and calculates the system voltage from the raw ADC reading.
Operation Result
-
After the program is compiled and downloaded, you can view the printed ADC values and voltage output by opening the Serial Monitor, as shown in the following image:

02_I2C_PCF85063
Demo Description
- Through the I2C protocol, initialize the PCF85063 chip, set the time, and then periodically read the time and print it to the terminal
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
void i2c_rtc_loop_task(void *arg): Creates an RTC task to implement the RTC function, reading the clock of the RTC chip every second and outputting it to the terminal.
Operation Result
-
After the program is compiled and downloaded, open the serial port monitoring to see the RTC time of the printout, as shown in the following figure:

03_I2C_QMI8658
Demo Description
- Initialize the QMI8658 chip via the I2C protocol, then read the corresponding attitude information every 200ms and print it to the terminal.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
void i2c_qmi_loop_task(void *arg): Creates a QMI task to acquire attitude information. The task reads and prints accelerometer and gyroscope data at 200ms intervals, and outputs the results to the serial console.
Operation Result
-
Open the serial monitor to view the raw data output from the IMU (Euler angles require conversion), as shown in the figure below:

04_SD_Card
Demo Description
- Drive the TF card through SDMMC, and print the TF card information to the terminal after successfully mounting.
Hardware Connection
- Install a FatFs-formatted into the board before powering on
Code Analysis
sdcard_init(void): Initializes the TF card using 1-line SDMMC mode.loop(): Task for testing TF card read/write function. To enable, uncomment the macro definition#define sdcard_write_Test.//#define sdcard_write_Test
Operation Result
-
Click on the serial port monitoring device, you can see the output information of the TF card, as shown in the figure below:

05_WIFI_AP
Demo Description
- This demo can set the development board as a hotspot, allowing phones or other devices in STA mode to connect to the development board.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
-
In the
05_WIFI_AP.inofile, locatessidandpassword. Phones or other STA mode devices can then connect to the board using this SSID and password.const char *ssid = "ESP32_AP";
const char *password = "12345678";
Operation Result
-
After flashing the program, open the Serial Terminal. If a device successfully connects to the hotspot, the MAC address of that device will be output, as shown:

06_WIFI_STA
Demo Description
- This example can configure the development board as a STA device to connect to a router, thereby enabling access to the system network.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
-
In the
06_WIFI_STA.inofile, locatessidandpassword, and modify them to match the SSID and Password of an available router in your current environment.const char *ssid = "you_ssid";
const char *password = "you_password";
Operation Result
-
After flashing the program, open the serial terminal, if the device is successfully connected to the hotspot, the IP address obtained will be output, as shown in the figure:

07_BATT_PWR_Test
Demo Description
- Demonstrates how to control the system power via the PWR button when powered by the lithium battery.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
setup_ui(lv_ui *ui): Initializes the UI interface for visual control.tca9554_init(): Initialize the lithium battery control IO port.button_Init(): Initialize buttons and various trigger events.example_button_pwr_task(void* parmeter): Task that waits for button event triggers.
Operation Result
-
After the program is flashed, disconnect the USB power supply and connect the lithium battery. Power on by pressing and holding the PWR button, as shown in the figure:
tip- Press and hold the PWR button, wait for the screen to display "On", which means that the startup is successful, and release the button
- Press and hold the PWR button again, wait for the screen to display "Off", which means that the power is turned off successfully, and release the button
08_Audio_Test
Demo Description
- Demonstrates how to get data from the microphone and then play it through the speaker
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
i2c_master_Init(): Initializes the I2C bus.tca9554_init(): Initializes the I/O ports for audio amplifier CTRL control.lvgl_port_init(): Initializes the LVGL interface.user_audio_bsp_init(): Initializes the audio interface.
Operation Result
-
After the program is flashed, as shown in the figure:
tip- Click Recording to enter recording mode, speak into the MIC, and it will automatically end after 3 seconds
- Click Play to play the sound you just recorded
09_LVGL_V8_Test
Demo Description
- Helps users quickly implement UI design by porting LVGL V8.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
- If a 90-degree display rotation is needed, locate the
#define Rotatedmacro in theuser_config.hfile and assign the value"USER_DISP_ROT_90". - If backlight testing is required, locate the
#define Backlight_Testingmacro in theuser_config.hfile and assign the value"true".#define Backlight_Testing 0
#define USER_DISP_ROT_90 1
#define USER_DISP_ROT_NONO 0
#define Rotated USER_DISP_ROT_NONO //Rotation via software
Operation Result
-
After the program is flashed, the device operation result is as follows:

10_LVGL_V9_Test
Demo Description
- Helps users quickly implement UI design by porting LVGL V9.
Hardware Connection
- Connect the board to the computer using a USB cable
Code Analysis
- If a 90-degree display rotation is needed, locate the
#define Rotatedmacro in theuser_config.hfile and assign the value"USER_DISP_ROT_90". - If backlight testing is required, locate the
#define Backlight_Testingmacro in theuser_config.hfile and assign the value"true".#define Backlight_Testing 0
#define USER_DISP_ROT_90 1
#define USER_DISP_ROT_NONO 0
#define Rotated USER_DISP_ROT_NONO //Rotation via software
Operation Result
-
After the program is flashed, the device operation result is as follows:
