Olimex ESP32-P4-PC: An Open-Source HDMI + USB Host Dev Board for Panels, Kiosks, and Edge Control
The Olimex ESP32-P4-PC is a feature-dense, open-source development board built around the ESP32-P4NRW32 module. It combines HDMI video output, 10/100 Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 host ports in a compact footprint, targeting real-world builds like smart home panels, POS terminals, industrial HMIs, and camera/controller interfaces.
TL;DR
If you need a microcontroller-class platform that can drive a monitor over HDMI, talk to wired Ethernet, and host multiple USB peripherals (keyboard/mouse, scanners, storage, adapters) without immediately moving to a Linux SBC, the ESP32-P4-PC is one of the most direct ways to prototype it. It’s open-source hardware, supports MIPI camera/display expansion, and includes microSD and flexible power options.
- “Microcontroller PC” vibe: HDMI + 4x USB host + Ethernet in one board
- HMI-first SoC: ESP32-P4 is designed around display/camera interfaces and UI workloads
- Deployment-friendly power: USB-C power, LiPo UPS-style operation, optional PoE expansion
- Open hardware: schematics + KiCad sources published
SEO + GEO toolbox (optional, keep or delete)
Primary keyword: Olimex ESP32-P4-PC
Secondary keywords: ESP32-P4 HDMI board, ESP32-P4 USB host board, open-source HMI dev board, ESP32-P4 Ethernet dev board, ESP32-P4 kiosk controller
Suggested meta description: Olimex ESP32-P4-PC is an open-source ESP32-P4 dev board with HDMI, 10/100 Ethernet, four USB 2.0 host ports, MIPI CSI/DSI, microSD, and flexible power options for panels, kiosks, POS, and controllers.
Suggested slug: olimex-esp32-p4-pc-hdmi-usb-ethernet
GEO angle ideas: Mention global shipping/availability, sourcing options, and deployment contexts (retail kiosks, school/office panels, industrial HMIs) in a way that matches your audience’s region. If you’re publishing for a local audience, add a short “Where to buy locally” note with reputable distributors.
Olimex ESP32-P4-PC specs at a glance (clean table)
This table focuses on what matters when you’re deciding whether a board can become a real product prototype: compute/memory, display, I/O, networking, storage, and power.
| Board | Olimex ESP32-P4-PC (open-source hardware) |
|---|---|
| Module / SoC | Espressif ESP32-P4NRW32 module (dual-core RISC-V @ 400 MHz class) |
| RAM / PSRAM | 768 KB RAM (on-module) + 32 MB PSRAM |
| Flash / Storage | 16 MB SPI flash + microSD slot |
| Display | HDMI output (via onboard converter) + LCD interface via MIPI DSI |
| Camera | Camera interface via CSI (MIPI CSI) |
| USB | 4x USB 2.0 host ports + USB JTAG for programming/debugging |
| Networking | 10/100 Mbps Ethernet (MACPHY) + optional PoE via extension |
| Audio | 3.5 mm audio output |
| Expansion | UEXT connector + 20-pin GPIO header (2.54 mm pitch) for free GPIOs |
| Power | USB-C power input + LiPo battery charger/step-up (UPS-style operation) + battery/external power sensing |
| Physical | 90 x 60 mm, three mounting holes (3.3 mm) |
| Store status (as listed) | Price: 24.95 EUR; pre-order; expected availability date: 23 Feb 2026 |
One sentence summary
The ESP32-P4-PC is built for “screen + wired network + multiple USB peripherals” projects where a microcontroller can be enough, and where open-source hardware files are a feature, not an afterthought.
Why the ESP32-P4-PC is different (and why it matters)
Most microcontroller dev boards feel like they’re designed for one of two worlds: (1) headless IoT nodes (sensors, relays, actuators) or (2) small-screen UI gadgets with a built-in TFT and a handful of buttons. The Olimex ESP32-P4-PC leans into a third world: peripheral-heavy, display-forward, wired embedded systems.
In practical terms, it aims at builds where you want to connect: a monitor (HDMI), a stable network link (Ethernet), and multiple human or machine interfaces (USB devices), while still programming in the “firmware” mindset (ESP-IDF/RTOS) rather than maintaining a Linux image.
ESP32-P4: built for HMI pipelines
The ESP32-P4 family is positioned by Espressif as an HMI-oriented SoC with support for MIPI camera and display interfaces (CSI/DSI), plus parallel camera/display compatibility for broader panel and sensor support. Espressif also notes the platform can handle up to 1080p resolution for both display and camera pipelines, which is a big signal: this isn’t “just another IoT MCU.” It’s designed to sit at the boundary of UI, media, and control.
What you gain vs typical MCU boards
- Fewer adapters: HDMI output and multiple USB host ports reduce “dongle creep”
- More realistic prototypes: You can test real kiosk/POS peripherals early
- Wired-first stability: Ethernet is often more reliable than Wi-Fi in fixed installations
- Open hardware leverage: easier to audit, customize, and productize
What you give up vs Linux SBCs
- No “apt install” lifestyle: you’re building firmware, not assembling packages
- Different UI stack: you’ll likely use embedded GUI libraries and render pipelines
- USB ecosystem is narrower: HID/storage is easy; niche devices may need drivers
- Browser-based UI is not the default: kiosk web apps are simpler on Linux
Best use cases: where the ESP32-P4-PC actually shines
Olimex positions the board for applications like smart home panels, POS systems, and controllers. Those aren’t random examples. They share a pattern: local UI + multiple peripherals + stable networking. Below are four build archetypes that map cleanly to the board’s strengths.
1) Smart home wall panel (wired dashboard)
Think of a wall-mounted controller that shows a room dashboard, schedules, sensor readouts, and a few big “scenes.” HDMI lets you choose a display that fits your install (monitor, small TV, or HDMI panel), while Ethernet keeps the experience stable. USB host gives you options for a touch controller, a keyboard for setup, or even a small USB audio device (depending on your stack).
- Why it fits: HDMI + Ethernet + input devices, with a microcontroller power profile
- Typical integrations: MQTT, local REST endpoints, home automation hubs, room sensors
- Bonus: LiPo UPS-style power can soften power dips and reduce “panel reboot drama”
2) POS / kiosk controller (real peripherals, early)
POS and kiosk projects often die a slow death when you prototype on “nice dev peripherals” but deploy with “real hardware” like barcode scanners, receipt printers, cash drawers, and admin keypads. Four USB host ports means you can bring those devices into the prototype stage immediately, without relying on USB hubs.
- Why it fits: multiple USB peripherals + wired network + local display
- Typical peripherals: HID scanners, keyboard/keypad, printers (varies), USB storage
- Security note: if you’re even near payment flows, plan your security model early (keys, boot trust, updates)
3) Industrial HMI / machine panel
Industrial panels often need deterministic control behavior and simple, robust UI pages rather than a full-blown OS. A microcontroller-first design can be attractive when you value predictable boot behavior, faster recovery, and fewer moving parts. You can drive a display, monitor inputs, log to microSD, and talk over Ethernet to PLCs or gateway devices.
- Why it fits: HMI features + Ethernet + expandable GPIO
- Typical protocols: Modbus TCP (via application stack), MQTT, custom TCP/UDP
- Deployment tip: design for field updates (staged rollouts, safe rollback)
4) IP camera controller / vision edge UI
The board includes MIPI CSI for cameras and MIPI DSI for LCD panels, so you can build a controller that previews video, overlays UI elements, triggers events, and ships data over Ethernet. If you’re building a camera controller or a “camera plus local monitor” appliance, the combination of MIPI + HDMI + Ethernet is a strong prototyping base.
- Why it fits: camera interface + display output + wired network
- Typical tasks: preview, capture, control interface, alerting, local storage to microSD
- Reality check: camera pipelines can be the hardest part; validate sensors/displays early
Who should consider a different platform?
If your “UI” is mostly a web app and you want a browser kiosk with minimal firmware work, a Linux SBC can still be the faster path. Likewise, if you need high-level desktop frameworks, abundant third-party drivers, or heavy multitasking, microcontroller firmware will feel limiting.
Software + development workflow (what to expect)
A board like this looks like a tiny PC, but you should approach it like an embedded system: you’re building a firmware image, defining your UI stack, and deliberately selecting which peripherals you support. This mindset is what makes the ESP32-P4-PC powerful: you can ship a focused product experience without carrying a full OS.
Start with your “minimum viable kiosk”
Before you build features, confirm the basics in a tight loop. A disciplined bring-up sequence prevents “month two surprises.”
- Flash + debug first: validate USB JTAG programming/debug workflow, basic logging, and repeatable builds.
- Ethernet link-up: bring up the network stack, confirm DHCP/static IP, and measure stability over hours.
- Display output: prove your chosen display path (HDMI output or MIPI DSI panel) early.
- One USB device: start with a simple HID (keyboard/mouse) and confirm enumeration and event handling.
- Storage path: validate microSD read/write and a simple logging format (time-series events, crash logs).
UI stack: your most important decision
On HMI-oriented embedded platforms, the UI stack is where complexity accumulates. Choose a UI strategy that matches your product: static screens vs dynamic dashboards, local vs network-driven content, touch-first vs peripheral-first input.
Good fits for embedded UIs
- LVGL-style approach: portable UI components, good for dashboards and control panels
- Framebuffer + custom renderer: best when you need tight control and limited widgets
- Scene-based UI: ideal for kiosks with a handful of “flows” and predictable navigation
Plan for these from day one
- Input mapping: keyboard/mouse/touch events into a unified UI event model
- Watchdog strategy: UI stalls should trigger recovery without corrupting storage
- Update pipeline: versioning, safe update, rollback, and field diagnostics
Open-source hardware advantage (for product teams)
If you’re not just “tinkering,” open hardware matters. Olimex publishes the user manual, schematics, and KiCad sources for the ESP32-P4-PC, and the GitHub repository states the licensing approach (CERN OHL v2 strongly reciprocal for hardware, CC BY-SA for docs, MIT for software). For teams, that means faster audits, easier revisions, and clearer documentation ownership.
Display strategy: HDMI output vs MIPI DSI panels
The ESP32-P4-PC gives you two display “roads,” and the right choice depends on your product constraints: installation environment, display availability, and UI performance targets.
Option A: HDMI output (fastest for prototyping)
HDMI is the easiest way to get something visible quickly because it connects to widely available monitors and TVs. For prototypes and demos, HDMI is gold: you can iterate on UI without waiting for a specific LCD panel shipment.
- Best for: quick bring-up, dev benches, demo rigs, kiosk prototypes
- Tradeoff: HDMI is typically implemented via a converter/bridge, so configuration and timing matter
- Practical tip: standardize on one or two monitor models during development to reduce display quirks
Option B: MIPI DSI (best for product enclosures)
MIPI DSI shines when you’re building a compact enclosure and want a dedicated panel: thin cables, clean integration, and fewer external connectors. If your end product is a wall panel or a sealed HMI device, MIPI DSI is often the more “product-ready” path.
- Best for: embedded panels, wall controllers, compact industrial HMIs
- Tradeoff: panel selection and driver configuration becomes part of your engineering scope
- Practical tip: validate panel availability and lifecycle early (panels change faster than dev boards)
A simple rule
If your goal is to validate UX flows and peripheral behavior quickly, start with HDMI. If your goal is to validate a product enclosure and panel integration, start with MIPI DSI as early as possible (even if it slows the first demo).
USB host reality check (what works best first)
Four USB host ports are a big selling point, but the success of a USB-heavy embedded product depends on choosing devices with predictable behavior and clearly defining which classes you will support.
Start with the “boring” USB classes
When you’re proving the platform, pick peripherals that tend to behave well across many stacks: keyboards, mice, and simple HID devices are usually the fastest route to a stable input system. USB storage devices can also be a solid early test, but file system choices and power draw can complicate things.
Good first peripherals
- Keyboard + mouse (HID): quick enumeration, reliable event model
- Barcode scanners (HID mode): many scanners can act as “keyboard wedges”
- USB flash drive: validate logging/export workflows
Peripherals to validate carefully
- Receipt printers: many use class drivers, but quirks are common
- Audio USB devices: depends heavily on your audio pipeline
- USB hubs: can work, but add negotiation complexity
Define your product’s USB “support contract”
If you’re productizing, write down your USB support boundaries: which device classes are supported, which models are validated, and how you handle unknown devices. This reduces field failures and keeps your firmware scope controlled.
Power + deployment notes (the part that decides real-world success)
In prototypes, power is “whatever adapter you found.” In products, power is often the biggest source of instability. The ESP32-P4-PC includes multiple power-related features that are unusually practical for a dev board: USB-C input, LiPo charging + step-up for battery-backed operation, sensing for battery and external power, and an optional PoE route.
Three deployment patterns that make sense
Pattern 1: Simple USB-C powered panel
Best when your install already has stable 5V power. The simplest wiring, easiest to troubleshoot, and great for non-critical panels.
- Use a known-good 5V supply
- Standardize cable length and connectors
- Log brownout events to microSD
Pattern 2: Battery-backed “UPS-style” controller
Ideal when you want graceful recovery, reduced corruption risk, or resilience to brief power interruptions. Think kiosks and panels in areas with occasional power dips.
- Use battery sensing to trigger safe state
- Design a clean shutdown policy
- Keep a minimal “recovery UI” available
Pattern 3: PoE-powered installations
Great for managed environments: one cable for power + data, cleaner installs, fewer adapters. PoE is especially strong in offices and industrial settings.
- Validate PoE module availability early
- Plan heat dissipation in enclosures
- Use Ethernet stability as a product feature
Practical enclosure tip
If you’re using HDMI + multiple USB devices, your cable strain and connector mounting become “mechanical engineering” fast. Use mounting holes, strain relief, and a predictable cable path. A stable enclosure often matters more than a faster CPU.
Comparison table: ESP32-P4-PC vs the obvious alternatives
To choose correctly, compare by what actually changes outcomes: display strategy, peripheral support, networking, and development model. The table below is intentionally practical rather than spec-obsessed.
| Platform | Display | USB | Networking | Wireless | Best for | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olimex ESP32-P4-PC | HDMI out + MIPI DSI | 4x USB 2.0 host | 10/100 Ethernet (optional PoE) | No onboard Wi-Fi/BLE (add via expansion) | Wired panels, kiosks, POS controllers with many peripherals | Firmware-first development; USB device support is a deliberate scope |
| Waveshare ESP32-P4-WIFI6-POE-ETH | MIPI DSI (panel-focused) | USB OTG (varies by design) | Ethernet + PoE | Wi-Fi 6 + BLE via companion radio | Smart panels and gateways that need built-in wireless | No HDMI-centric workflow; panel selection matters |
| Espressif ESP32-P4-Function-EV-Board | Multimedia dev focus (display/camera workflows) | USB 2.0 supported by platform | Depends on board variant / setup | Board ecosystem may include wireless via companion modules | Learning, evaluation, multimedia prototyping using official kits | Less “PC-like I/O” emphasis than Olimex’s HDMI + 4x USB host layout |
| Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W | Mini HDMI (Linux graphics) | USB OTG (host via adapters/hubs) | Ethernet via USB adapters | Built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth | Web kiosks, browser-based dashboards, fast app iteration on Linux | Higher software stack complexity; different reliability/power profile |
| ESP32-S3 touch LCD boards | Built-in small TFT + touch | Limited host; often device/OTG oriented | Usually no Ethernet | Built-in Wi-Fi/BLE | Compact smart panels with small screens | Not comparable for HDMI + multi-USB peripheral builds |
How to interpret the table (choose by your bottleneck)
- If your bottleneck is peripherals: pick the ESP32-P4-PC (4 USB host ports are the point).
- If your bottleneck is wireless connectivity: consider a P4 board paired with a Wi-Fi 6 companion module.
- If your bottleneck is “I need a browser kiosk now”: a Pi-class Linux SBC is usually faster to ship.
- If your bottleneck is enclosure-ready panel integration: MIPI-first boards can be the more direct route.
FAQ (structured for rich results)
Does the Olimex ESP32-P4-PC run Linux like a Raspberry Pi?
It’s best to think of it as a firmware-first embedded platform, not a general-purpose Linux SBC. You typically build an application/firmware image using embedded tooling and libraries rather than installing a full OS and desktop apps. If your product depends on a browser kiosk, Linux SBCs are usually the faster path.
What’s the main reason to choose this board over other ESP32 dev boards?
The unique “combo” is the story: HDMI output plus four USB host ports plus Ethernet on an open-source hardware ESP32-P4 platform. That combination is aimed at panel/kiosk/controller builds where peripherals and wired stability matter more than Wi-Fi convenience.
Does it have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth onboard?
The ESP32-P4 itself is positioned for HMI and high-performance control with wired connectivity options, and the ESP32-P4-PC board focuses on Ethernet. If you need wireless, plan for it via expansion modules or companion radios depending on your design.
What kinds of USB devices should I test first?
Start with simple HID devices like a keyboard and mouse to validate enumeration and input handling. Next, test a USB flash drive to prove storage workflows. For POS projects, prefer barcode scanners that can operate in HID “keyboard wedge” mode for the smoothest early integration.
Should I use HDMI or a MIPI DSI display?
HDMI is typically the fastest path for prototyping because monitors are easy to source and swap. MIPI DSI is often the better path for product enclosures because it enables cleaner, more compact panel integration. A common strategy is to start with HDMI for UX iteration and move to MIPI DSI once your UI stabilizes.
Is this board really open-source hardware?
Olimex publishes board documentation and design files, and their GitHub repository states a hardware license (CERN OHL v2 strongly reciprocal), documentation license (CC BY-SA 4.0), and software license (MIT). That makes it unusually friendly for audit, customization, and long-term maintenance.
What is the “best” project to build first with ESP32-P4-PC?
Build a minimal wired dashboard: Ethernet + HDMI output + one USB input device. Once that pipeline is stable, add microSD logging, then your real peripherals. That sequence quickly reveals whether the board matches your product’s reality.
What does the LiPo + step-up power feature help with?
It enables battery-backed operation and UPS-style behavior: your device can ride through brief power interruptions and protect storage from corruption. For kiosks and fixed panels in less stable power environments, this can noticeably improve reliability and user trust.
FAQ schema
This post includes an FAQPage JSON-LD block at the very end (after the styling), which can help eligible search results display FAQ rich snippets. Keep your questions short, specific, and aligned to real search queries.
Bottom line
The Olimex ESP32-P4-PC is not trying to be a cheap Raspberry Pi. It’s aiming at a different sweet spot: a focused embedded controller that can power a real display, handle multiple USB peripherals, and sit on a wired network, without dragging a full Linux stack into the product.
If your project looks like a wall panel, kiosk, POS controller, or “camera/control UI” appliance, this board is a strong prototype platform, especially if you value open-source hardware design files and want a path from prototype to a customized derivative. If your project is basically a web kiosk and your biggest constraint is development speed, a Linux SBC still wins on convenience.
Want a fast build plan?
Share your exact target (smart home wall panel, POS setup, industrial HMI, camera controller) and list the peripherals you need (scanner, printer, touch, etc.). I’ll map the first 10 milestones and the “risk tests” that keep you from discovering integration problems too late.