The LILYGO T-Echo Plus is another off-grid LoRa communicator, similar to Blackout Comms, ThinkNode M2, and Wio Tracker L1 Pro, but it features a metal attachment loop (designed like a climbing hook) for use in hiking, cycling, and off-grid environments.
Built around a Nordic Semi nRF52840 MCU, it supports Bluetooth 5, Thread, Zigbee, and 802.15.4. It also adds an SX1262 LoRa transceiver, a 1.54-inch 200×200 SPI E-Paper display, and an L76K GNSS module. Other features include a 6-axis IMU (BHI260AP), a vibration motor, a buzzer, and a larger 2400mAh battery, along with a 1/4-inch mount and a “climbing finger loop” for gear attachment. Additional features include an optional BME280 sensor, Grove expansion, all in a rugged and compact enclosure with a long external antenna for extended LoRa range.
LILYGO T-Echo Plus Specifications:
SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840
CPU – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 64 MHz
Memory/Storage – 2 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM
Wireless – Bluetooth 5, Thread, ANT, Bluetooth Mesh, 802.15.4 (Zigbee), 2.4 GHz proprietary
Display – 1.54-inch SPI gray E-Paper display with 200 × 200 resolution with 2Hz refresh rate
Audio – Buzzer
Wireless
LoRa transceiver – Semtech SX1262 with global coverage support: 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz, 920 MHz
Modulation – LoRa / (G)FSK
TX power up to +22 dBm; sensitivity to –148 dBm
RX current ≈ 4.2 mA (active receive)
External SMA antenna connector
GNSS module – Quectel L76KB Multi-System receiver supports GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS
USB – USB Type-C port with ESD protection for power and data
Expansion
8-pin external header with 6x GPIO pins (from MCU I/O bank)
2x MFP (Multi-Function Port) connectors for GPIO expansion
Debug – SWD debug header (SWDIO/SWCLK) for firmware upload
Expansion – Grove interface
Sensors
BHI260AP 6-axis IMU
Optional BME280 temperature/pressure sensor
Misc
Power button
Vibration motor
RTC
1/4-inch tripod mount
Climbing loop
Battery monitoring
2x 2.5mm M2 mounting holes
E-Paper backlight (BL) control
2x LEDs and 4 buttons in the front (Not confirmed by LILYGO)
Power
2400 mAh rechargeable battery
USB-C port used for charging
Dimensions
Main body – 89 × 53 × 45 mm
Antenna length – 174 mm
LILYGO T-Echo Plus all side view
Hardware Overview
LILYGO mentions that firmware, sample code, and documentation are available on their GitHub repository for the original T-Echo rather than the new T-Echo Plus. However, since both the T-Echo and T-Echo Plus are based on the Nordic nRF52840 SoC and feature similar hardware, they should be compatible with all the provided example code and firmware, although new features like the vibration motor, the buzzer, and the battery capacity indicator may or may not be implemented. It should also work with open-source projects such as fobe-nrf52-arduino and fobe-nrf52-platformio, both of which use Adafruit’s nRF52 core. The T-Echo Plus should also work with SoftRF / SkyTracker, and it also benefits from Zephyr RTOS support through Nordic’s official SDK and examples.
This is not the first LoRa communicator from LILYGO; previously, they have released T-Echo, T-Echo Meshtastic, and T-Echo Lite, and the new “Plus” version adds a climbing hook and a few extra features, as just mentioned.
The T-Echo Plus is available on AliExpress for $79.98 and on Amazon for $70.00. It can also be purchased from the LILYGO store for $64.22 plus shipping. If you already own a T-Echo, you can purchase the T-ECHO extension module as a ~$26 upgrade.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.