HMI LCD selection for ESP32-S3 base datalogger

[Ahtisham_A]

Hello Engineers!

I am in the process of creating a data logger using the ESP32 S3 mini, where I will connect various sensors and control some outputs. I am looking for an HMI display for my project.

Why do I need an HMI display?

I need it for the customer user interface, where users can set parameters such as Modbus RS485 settings and Wi-Fi credentials. This is just one example. The HMI display will also allow us to present important information.

What are my thoughts?

I considered using an OLED display with buttons; however, the complexity of the code required to create a graphical user interface (GUI) on the ESP32 would significantly increase the size of the code and consume a lot of memory, making it complicated and unprofessional. I also explored some HMI LCD panels that are ESP32-compatible and looked into DWIN displays, but these options are quite expensive compared to the overall cost of my PCB.

What are my limitations?

I have no GPIO pins available, so I need a display that supports I2C communication. I plan to manage this using a master-slave configuration.

Additionally, cost is a restriction, as I am looking for an affordable yet effective solution.

What help do I need from you?

Please suggest a better I2C-based HMI display for the ESP32 that fits my application and budget(5-10$). Thank you!

[Sprite]

For that amount of money, I'd go with a minimal small monochrome OLED screen (e.g. 128x64 pixel) and a simple text-only user interface. Add a I2C port expander to connect the buttons and you should be done for a few bucks.

[MicroController]

Why do I need an HMI display?

I need it for the customer user interface, where users can set parameters such as Modbus RS485 settings and Wi-Fi credentials. This is just one example.

Another 'cheap' way to provide rich UI is via the user's webbrowser, i.e. HTTP server + HTML, no hardware needed besides the ESP itself - and no IO pins used.