Interfaceby storagebits · GitHub · LVGLInterface · build
ESP32 Cheap Yellow Display as a car gauge cluster
CarCYD turns a ~$15 ESP32-2432S028R Cheap Yellow Display into a digital tachometer, speedometer and OBD-II diagnostic screen. Built with LVGL 9 and the Arduino IDE, with a demo mode that runs without a car.
Can I build this?Beginner · AI 5/5 · $15–30
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- AI-buildability
- 5/5
- Time
- A weekend
- Cost
- $15–30
The whole project is firmware for an off-the-shelf ESP32 board with no required wiring, so AI tools can write and debug nearly all of it.
Parts
Tools
Arduino IDEUSB cable
Starter prompt
Based on "ESP32 Cheap Yellow Display as a car gauge cluster" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/esp32-cheap-yellow-display-as-a-car-gauge-cluster
Write Arduino firmware for an ESP32-2432S028R Cheap Yellow Display using LVGL 9 and LovyanGFX. Draw a 270 degree tachometer ring with a red zone, a digital speed readout and a gear indicator. Add a demo mode that simulates RPM and speed changes so the screen can be tested without a car.
Estimates based on the original write-up. How AI-buildability is scored. Building with an AI assistant? Connect it to Afterware (free MCP server).
Story
CarCYD is open-source firmware that runs on the ESP32-2432S028R, a small 2.8 inch 320x240 touchscreen board often sold as the Cheap Yellow Display. The firmware is written with LVGL 9 and the Arduino IDE. It draws a 270 degree tachometer ring with a red zone, a digital speed readout, a gear indicator and a flashing shift light.
The project covers more than the gauges. It has six mini-gauge and cluster views, live engine data with real-time charts, a fault code reader that can read and clear DTCs, a trip computer with a 0-100 km/h timer, and debounced driver alerts with sound and LED output. The author describes the architecture as a commercial automotive HMI, with a DMA display driver, persistent settings and touch calibration.
A built-in demo mode simulates a car being driven, so the screen can be checked before connecting to a vehicle. The README notes that the board cannot read the OBD-II port on its own, and that live vehicle connection is the next step on the roadmap.
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