# 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.

- Category: Interface (build)
- Made by: [muki01](https://github.com/muki01) on GitHub
- Original: https://github.com/muki01/Car-Dashboard-ESP32-CYD
- On Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/esp32-cheap-yellow-display-as-a-car-gauge-cluster

## Can I build this?

- Difficulty: Beginner
- AI-buildability: 5/5 (The firmware is open source and runs on an off-the-shelf board over USB, so AI tools can handle nearly all of the LVGL and Arduino work, and demo mode needs no car or wiring.)
- Time: A weekend
- Cost: $15–30
- Parts: ESP32-2432S028R Cheap Yellow Display, ILI9341 / ST7789 2.8in TFT touchscreen, XPT2046 resistive touch, OBD-II adapter
- Tools: Arduino IDE, USB cable

Estimates based on the original write-up. How the AI-buildability score works: https://afterware.xyz/ai-buildability

## 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.
```

## 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.

## Resources

- [Repository](https://github.com/muki01/Car-Dashboard-ESP32-CYD)
- [Latest release](https://github.com/muki01/Car-Dashboard-ESP32-CYD/releases/latest)
- [OBD2 CAN Bus Library](https://github.com/muki01/OBD2_CAN_Bus_Library)
- [OBD2 Diagnostic UI](https://github.com/muki01/OBD2-Diagnostic-UI)
- [ESP web flasher](https://espressif.github.io/esptool-js/)

Tags: esp32, cheap yellow display, lvgl, obd-ii, gauge cluster, car dashboard

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