With a High-Resolution IPS Color Display & CircuitPython Support

While there are many ESP32 dev boards on the market, we here at Morpheans found ourselves lamenting the scarcity of such boards for the new ESP32-S2. So we decided to build one. Introducing MorphESP 240, an easy-to-use, Arduino- and CircuitPython-compatible, open hardware ESP32-S2 dev board with a built-in high-resolution, IPS-color display.

Our target was minimalism with room to grow, and—after squeezing the following specs into a 20 g, 89 x 28 x 6 mm package—we believe we’ve hit the bullseye:

• An ESP32-S2 WROOM with
  • A 240 MHz single-core microcontroller
  • 128 KB of ROM
  • 320 KB of SRAM
  • 802.11 b/g/n/ 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
• An on-board, SPI-driven, 240 x 240 pixel ST7789 display
• A classic, multi-color WS2812B RGB LED
• A built-in, JST-connected battery with a USB charging module
• A 5 V to 3.3 V regulator to feed additional modules
• Plenty of GPIOs to play with

MorphESP 240 Pinout

(Click to expand)

A Standalone Board for Education & Innovation

Whether you’re a student, a maker, or a product designer, MorphESP 240 provides an affordable, versatile, fully-integrated platform with Wi-Fi connectivity. Learn, experiment, and create while avoiding overpriced, proprietary hardware with limited functionality.

The world of possible applications for MorphESP 240 includes IoT gateways, sensor networks, test and measurement equipment, wireless input devices, radio communication platforms, media streaming appliances, imaging technologies, and prototyping projects for just about anything.

Open Hardware

MorphESP 240 is open source to its core. Please help yourself to our schematics; our KiCAD project source; and the DXF, STL, and Solidworks files you’ll need if you want to lasercut or 3D print yourself an enclosure. And if you want to fabricate your own dev shield, have at it! We only ask that you let us know if you make any improvements.

Develop with CircuitPython or Arduino

MorphESP 240 is fully compatible with both Arduino and CircuitPython, so you can take advantage of (and contribute to!) the collective work of C++ and Python developers around the world. Whether you’re learning or creating, you’ll be able to reuse thousands of pre-made tools and libraries with very little adaptation.

Help Us Build a Community

We invite you to help us deliver a cool, all-in-one device with fully transparent source materials: code, 3D models, project files, Gerbers, and anything else we happen to write down on our way to production. We’re looking to build a community of makers who are passionate about this platform, and we very much hope you’ll be a part of that community. We’ve been rowing hard, and we’re almost home, but we need your hands on an oar if we’re going to bring this ship to port.

Comparisons

Stretch Goals!

The Dev Shield

If we receive support from 1,000 backers, we will include breadboard-friendly adapter along with all orders. It has everything you need to accelerate your prototyping work: all GPIO and grouped (I²C and SPI) connectors—naturally—but also an on-PCB 868/916 MHz UHF antenna and an RFM95 LoRa® transceiver footprint so you can easily test long-range IoT applications.

The Enclosure

If we reach 2,000 backers, every MorphESP 240 we ship will also come with this laser-cut acrylic, open-frame enclosure designed protect your MorphESP 240 from the dangers of your pocket, your shoulder bag, and your benchtop.

Support & Documentation

Please visit us on GitHub! And, if you have a question or a suggestion, you can join our community on Facebook (which is already 3,000 members strong!) or reach out through the Ask a technical question link on our campaign page. For additional technical information about MorphESP 240, you can find the ESP32-S2 WROOM specs and the specs for our IPS color display online.

Manufacturing Plan

We expect to have all crowdfunding orders at Mousers’ warehouse—and ready for fulfillment to backers—less than three months after the end of the campaign. Broadly speaking, our manufacturing plan involves five steps:

• Step 1 (done): Ensure the availability of all components, establish a
  fabrication and assembly partner—PCBWay in China, with whom we've worked on
  several projects in the past—and send them the BOM and specifications.
• Step 2: PCBWay sends us ten production boards for testing and validation.
• Step 3: After reaching our funding goal, we check in with PCBWay,
  establish a time line, and ensure that all parts have been ordered.
• Step 4: We continue to monitor the manufacturing process throughout.
• Step 5: PCBWay sends all crowdfunding and stock units to our warehouse in
  France, where we test and verify them.
• Step 6: We send crowdfunding and stock boards to Mouser's warehouse in the
  United States.

Fulfillment & Logistics

Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, will handle shipping to backers. You can learn more about Crowd Supply’s shipping process in the Crowd Supply Guide. And remember to keep your shipping address updated in your Crowd Supply account!

Risks & Challenges

As with any venture, this one involves a few risks, but our design is extremely stable at this point, so our main concerns are possible sourcing, logistics, and shipping issues. Fortunately, this project is our team’s primary focus, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that manufacturing and fulfillment both go according to plan. We will communicate any delays clearly and promptly through regular project updates.

LoRa® is a trademark of Semtech Corporation or its subsidiaries.