Lilygo T-Beam Supreme

The T-Beam Supreme offers a solid platform on which to build Lora-based mesh communication solutions. The Lilygo T-Beam Supreme is a very solid option for mesh node firmware, and is what we put in the ChatterBox GPS Mesh Node.

Mesh Node with GPS

The Lilygo T-Beam Supreme is an ESP32-based LoRa development board that is ready to run mesh firmware right out of the box. All you need to add is a battery and a case, and you’re ready to go.

Good Things

  • Integrated GPS

  • OLED Display

  • Dedicated Realtime Clock

  • SX1262 transceiver performs very well

  • Ready to run (just add battery)

  • Easy to find 3D printable enclosures

  • Board design allows drop-in installation to enclosures

  • Integrated 18650 battery holder / charger

The OLED Display

A few images of the OLED display in action as shown here.

As you can see, it allows around 3-4 lines of small text, which is enough to display a little bit of what the node is doing.

Not so Good

  • Without power, RTC only maintains time for a few days

  • GPS cannot be easily disabled/disconnected to save power

  • Grove connector appears already occupied by GPS…so why is it there?

  • Consumes more power than other options, mainly due to integrated GPS

  • Pigtail connector for LoRa and GPS antennas

Specs

The Lilygo T-Beam Supreme is an ESP32-based LoRa development board that is ready to run mesh firmware right out of the box. All you need to add is a battery and a case, and you’re ready to go.

  • Platform: ESP32-S3 FN8

  • Flash: 8MB, PSRAM: 8MB

  • SD Card Reader

  • Realtime Clock

  • OLED

  • Power Management

  • WiFi/Bluetooth

  • IMU & Magnetometer (I did not test)

  • Available with UBLOX or L76 GPS

  • Available Frequencies: 433, 144, 868, 915

Rating: Very GOod

If you plan to stay connected to power most of the time or have a good solar charging system in place, this is a very easy to use and solid option for off-grid mesh communication systems. Under typical use, the battery life is around 24 hours with the ChatterBox mesh node firmware.

If you need GPS capability in your mesh node, this is also good option.

If you don’t need GPS, you may want to consider a lower-power option, such as the T3S3, for longer battery life and easier solar charging.

Previous

Lilygo T-Deck Plus
Next

Lilygo T3S3 E-Paper