Sourced from
docs/hardware/all-in-one-cyd.mdin the firmware repo.
Configuration B - all-in-one (Freenove CYD, screenModel = tft)
The lowest-effort way to run Nimbus: a single off-the-shelf module with the screen, touch, microSD, mic, speaker, and an RGB LED already on one board. There is nothing to wire and nothing to solder. Buy one part, plug in USB-C, flash, and it is a Nimbus.
The board is the Freenove ESP32-S3 Display, model FNK0104B (Amazon
B0FSQF6FKN): a 2.8" ILI9341 240×320 IPS capacitive touchscreen, an
ESP32-S3 N16R8 (16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM), on-board microSD, mic and speaker
through an ES8311 codec, a single WS2812 RGB LED, and USB-C. It runs the same
firmware as the hand-built boards, selected at flash time by
SOLIDE_BOARD=freenove_s3, and reports screenModel = tft.
This board is a compile-time identity: its pinout ships baked into a dedicated firmware image, so there is no display setting to choose and no risk of a mis-selected pin map. The Freenove comes in more than one panel size, and each size is its own firmware image compiled at that panel's resolution (see Supported panels). For the hand-built boards and everything shared across the lineup (power, battery sensing, the operating modes), see the hardware reference.
Supported panels
The Freenove all-in-one ships in three panel sizes. The UI renderer is parameterized by resolution, so one code path draws every size; each size is a separate OTA type and firmware image so a board is only ever offered an image that matches its glass.
| Size | Panel | Resolution | OTA type | Firmware env | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8" | ILI9341 | 320×240 | freenove-28 | esp32s3-cyd | Hardware-verified - display first-light and touch validated on the bench board. |
| 3.5" | ILI9488 | 480×320 | freenove-35 | esp32s3-cyd-35 | Host-verified only - renderer, goldens, and firmware image proven on the host; no panel owned. |
| 4.0" | 480×480 class | 480×480 | freenove-40 | esp32s3-cyd-40 | Host-verified only - renderer, goldens, and firmware image proven on the host; no panel owned. |
What "host-verified only" means. The firmware for the 3.5" and 4.0" sizes
compiles, links, and passes its own per-size golden framebuffers
(test/golden_tft/480x320/, test/golden_tft/480x480/), so the layout is proven
to reflow correctly at those resolutions. It has not run on a physical 3.5" or
4.0" panel, and the solide-drivers display driver still initializes the 2.8"
geometry - so bringing a larger panel up on hardware needs the matching driver
init (panel controller, resolution, orientation) added when a panel is in hand.
The resolution assumed for each size is the standard for that panel class and is
confirmed against hardware before any device-verified claim is made. Release notes
carry the same host-verified labels.
Happy path - buy one, flash, done
- Buy the module. One part: the Freenove ESP32-S3 Display 2.8" (FNK0104B), about $20-25. Nothing else is required for a desk-powered unit. See the bill of materials.
- Plug in USB-C. Connect the board to your computer with a data-capable USB-C cable. The board has a single USB-C port, so there is no wrong port to pick.
- Flash the firmware. Use the browser flasher (any Chromium-based browser, nothing to install) or the command-line path, and choose the all-in-one (Freenove) build. Full steps: Flash the firmware.
- Set it up. The device brings up its setup network on first boot. Follow Set up the device to join Wi-Fi and, for Orchestrator mode, add a provider key.
That is the whole build. Touch is capacitive and self-calibrating, so there is no touch calibration step, and there is nothing to wire.
Enclosure (optional 3D print)
A printed case for Nimbus Light is published alongside the classic one. It is two halves that capture the board between them, so there is nothing to fasten:
- Front:
nimbus_light_front.stl - Back:
nimbus_light_back.stl - Optional desk stand:
nimbus_light_stand.stl
Print in PLA or PETG; the bodies need no supports on most printers. GitHub renders
each STL in a 3D viewer. Print notes live in the
hardware/fab/
folder. A bare board on the desk works too; the case is optional.
Pinout
This pinout is fixed in firmware (SOLIDE_BOARD=freenove_s3). It is here for
reference and bring-up, not for wiring: on an all-in-one there is nothing to
connect.
Display and touch
| Peripheral | Bus | Pins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display ILI9341, 2.8" 240×320 | SPI | SCLK 12 · MOSI 11 · MISO 13 · CS 10 · DC 46 · BL 45 · RST tied to board reset | BGR color order, 40 MHz. |
| Touch FT6336U (capacitive) | I²C | SDA 16 · SCL 15 · INT 17 · RST 18 | I²C address 0x38. Reports pixel coordinates and is self-calibrating - no touch calibration needed. |
Audio, storage, LED, and battery
| Peripheral | Bus | Pins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio ES8311 codec (mic + speaker) | I²S + I²C | MCLK 4 · BCLK 5 · WS 7 · data-out (speaker) 8 · data-in (mic) 6 | I²C shared with touch (SDA 16 / SCL 15), address 0x18. One codec handles both record and playback. |
| microSD | SDMMC 4-bit | CLK 38 · CMD 40 · D0 39 · D1 41 · D2 48 · D3 47 | On-board slot. Format FAT32 - over-32 GB cards ship exFAT and will not mount without a reformat. |
| RGB LED single WS2812 | RMT | DIN 42 | One pixel, not a ring (see below). |
| Battery sense | ADC | GPIO 9 | Divide-by-2 divider for a single-cell (1S) Li-ion pack, if a battery is fitted. |
Notes
- No LED ring. The board has a single RGB LED, not the 45-pixel ring of the hand-built boards. So the Notifier status ring is drawn on the screen instead: each active session gets an arc in the same colors and animations the physical ring would show. The battery mode still dims it. See The screen on a board with no ring.
- Capacitive touch. The FT6336U reports pixel coordinates directly, so the resistive min/max calibration used on the hand-built Touch TFT does not apply here and is not shown for this board. The board still ships a default touch orientation; if taps land away from where you touch, correct it on the device under Settings > Display > Calibrate touch (tap the four corner targets).
- One I²C bus. Touch and the audio codec share the same I²C pins (SDA 16 / SCL 15) at different addresses.
- Audio through one codec. The ES8311 handles the microphone and the speaker together, in place of the separate I²S mic and amp on the hand-built boards.
- Backlight is a continuous draw, as on any color panel: the idle path blanks it rather than drawing a screensaver. Battery mode sets its lit level - see The screen backlight.