The Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) family
"Cheap Yellow Display" is the community nickname for a line of low-cost ESP32 boards from Sunton that put a colour touchscreen, microSD and an ESP32 on a single (usually yellow) PCB. "The CYD" almost always means the 2.8" ESP32-2432S028R, but it is one of a whole family from 1.9" up to 7".
Specs are community/vendor-sourced and SKUs change; confirm a specific board before buying.
Decoding the model code
⚑ flag an errorSunton's part numbers look cryptic but encode the board. For ESP32-2432S028R:
- 2432 = display resolution shorthand (2432 = 240x320, 3248 = 320x480, 8048 = 800x480, 4827 = 480x272, 1732 = 170x320).
- S028 = panel size in inches (S019 = 1.9", S024 = 2.4", S028 = 2.8", S035 = 3.5", S043 = 4.3", S050 = 5.0", S070 = 7.0").
- R = touch type: N none, R resistive (XPT2046), C capacitive (CST820 on small panels, GT911 on large ones). Flash the firmware that matches your touch type.
- JC prefix (JC2432W328, JC3248W535…) = Guition, not Sunton — same code scheme
(
Winstead ofSbefore the size), different pinouts. See the table below.
Every variant, side by side
⚑ flag an error| Model | Size | Resolution | SoC | Display bus | Touch | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ESP32-1732S019 | 1.9" | 170x320 | ESP32 | SPI (ST7789) | capacitive | — |
ESP32-2432S024 | 2.4" | 240x320 | ESP32 | SPI (ILI9341, some batches ST7789) | N / R / C | Driver IC varies by batch |
ESP32-2432S028R/C the classic CYD | 2.8" | 240x320 | ESP32 | SPI (ILI9341) | R / C | 2-USB 'CYD2USB' revision = ST7789 (needs inversion) and its USB-C lacks CC resistors |
JC2432W328 | 2.8" | 240x320 | ESP32 | SPI (ST7789) | R / C (CST820) | Guition's capacitive CYD — NOT pin-compatible with the 2432S028R |
ESP32-2432S032 | 3.2" | 240x320 | ESP32 | SPI (ST7789) | N / R / C | 'CYD v2'; IPS panel, some revisions add an IP5306 battery-charger |
ESP32-3248S035R/C | 3.5" | 320x480 | ESP32 | SPI (ST7796) | R / C (GT911) | On the C SKU the GT911 INT pin is tied to GND — touch is poll-only |
JC3248W535 | 3.5" | 320x480 | ESP32-S3 | QSPI (AXS15231B) | capacitive (integrated) | The 'better CYD': S3 + IPS + capacitive, QSPI leaves pins free |
ESP32-4848S040 | 4" | 480x480 | ESP32-S3 | RGB + SPI init (ST7701) | capacitive (GT911) | Square 86-box wall-panel format; relay SKUs exist |
ESP32-4827S043 | 4.3" | 480x272 | ESP32-S3 | parallel RGB | N / R / C | TN panel — narrow viewing angles; the 8048S043 is the better 4.3" |
JC4827W543 | 4.3" | 480x272 | ESP32-S3 | QSPI (NV3041A) | N / R / C (GT911) | QSPI successor to the 4827S043; only 4 MB flash |
ESP32-8048S043 | 4.3" | 800x480 | ESP32-S3 | parallel RGB | N / R / C (GT911) | IPS; framebuffer in PSRAM |
ESP32-8048S050 | 5" | 800x480 | ESP32-S3 | parallel RGB | N / R / C (GT911) | Published 4.3" pinouts don't apply |
JC8048W550 | 5" | 800x480 | ESP32-S3 | parallel RGB | N / R / C (GT911, 1-point) | Guition's 5"; GT911 configured single-touch |
ESP32-8048S070 | 7" | 800x480 | ESP32-S3 | parallel RGB | N / R / C (GT911) | v1.1 vs v1.3 revisions need different init |
Linked models have a full page here (specs, gotchas, firmware support, where to buy).
The JC… codes are Guition clones of the Sunton formula — often the better
buy (capacitive touch, IPS, and on the 3.5"/4.3" a QSPI bus that leaves GPIO free) but
not pin-compatible with the Sunton boards they resemble.
Key split: the 2.8"/3.5" and smaller boards run the classic ESP32 over an SPI display. The 4.3" and larger boards step up to the ESP32-S3 with PSRAM and a parallel-RGB panel, which is what you want for big LVGL UIs, fonts and smooth graphics.
Which one should you get?
⚑ flag an error- Cheapest dashboard / first project: the 2.8" 2432S028R (ESP32, SPI). Huge community, lots of examples.
- Bigger or smoother UI (LVGL, custom fonts, images): a 4.3"+
8048S0xx(ESP32-S3 + PSRAM + RGB) for the memory and bandwidth. - Finger-friendly touch: pick a C (capacitive) SKU; R (resistive) is cheaper and stylus-friendly but needs calibration.
- Watch the USB: the classic ships as micro-USB or the newer USB-C "CYD2USB" revision.
Gotchas across the family
⚑ flag an error- The smaller (ESP32/SPI) boards have very few free GPIO left once the display, touch, SD and LEDs are wired.
- Resistive (R) panels need touch calibration; use the correct (R vs C) example/firmware for your board.
- The big RGB boards use many pins for the parallel panel; plan remaining IO carefully.
- 5 V USB power; the classic isolates the ESP32 and display with dual regulators.
Get the classic CYD
⚑ flag an errorThe 2.8" ESP32-2432S028R is the one to start with.
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Resources
⚑ flag an errorThese community projects are where the CYD knowledge lives: ready-to-flash examples, per-variant board definitions, pinouts and wiring. Start with witnessmenow's repo.