LILYGO's T-Echo Lite Is a More Compact Take on the LoRa-Capable, Meshtastic-Compatible T-Echo
A smaller screen and no internal battery make the T-Echo Lite a more slimline device, but at the cost of portability.
Embedded and hobbyist electronics specialist LILYGO has launched a new, more compact take on its LoRa- and ePaper-equipped T-Echo all-in-one development board: the T-Echo Lite, now available in a more modular format.
"The T-Echo Lite is a lightweight version of the T-Echo, designed with a low-power combination of LoRa, [Nordic Semiconductor] nRF52840, and an ePaper display, making it an optimal solution for ultra-low power LoRa applications," the company writes of its new launch. "It is fully compatible with Meshtastic firmware, providing reliable long-range wireless communication."
LILYGO launched the original T-Echo back in June 2021, itself a follow-up to the earlier T-Beam. The design combined a Nordic nRF52840 microcontroller with a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver and a 1.54" low-power ePaper display. A 3D-printed housing with squat omnidirectional antenna completed the design, while an internal battery made it suitable for field use — and the gadget proved popular for those working with the community-driven Meshtastic mesh networking project.
The T-Echo Lite, brought to our attention by CNX Software, is much the same as its predecessor, packing a Nordic nRF52840, Semtech SX1262, and TDK InvenSense ICM20948 nine-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) behind a smaller 1.22" ePaper display. The external antenna is missing, though, and so is the internal battery; instead, the more compact device features connectors on its rear for an optional battery, solar panel, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module, and to provide access to unused general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, with a pair of Qwiic expansion headers and a USB Type-C port for data and power to the side.
The design is also more modular than its predecessor: a "Core" module, which features the microcontroller and LoRa transceiver plus power management, connects to a "Base" carrier that then installs inside the "Main Unit" housing with display. While the "Main Unit" configuration is likely to prove the most popular, LILYGO is also selling the "Base" carrier board and "Core" module separately for those who'd like to roll their own solution.
The T-Echo Lite has been listed on LILYGO's AliExpress store, starting at $16.18 for the Core module and rising to $40.98 for the full Main Unit bundle with GPS module; at the time of writing, however, shipping to the US was unavailable, and the device has yet to appear on LILYGO's own website.
