micropython tft display libraries made in china

When I purchased the boards from Acelex, they provided me with a link to a STM32F4xx .rar file containing a ton of sample code and datasheets. Most of which in Chinese, but some in english. Google translate to the rescue. There were some examples with the TFT. Perhaps try contacting the seller to get a copy. It"s about 6GB uncompressed.

TFT_display_init() Perform display initialization sequence. Sets orientation to landscape; clears the screen. SPI interface must already be setup, tft_disp_type, _width, _height variables must be set.

compile_font_file Function which compiles font c source file to binary font file which can be used in TFT_setFont() function to select external font. Created file has the same name as source file and extension .fnt

We have used Liquid Crystal Displays in the DroneBot Workshop many times before, but the one we are working with today has a bit of a twist – it’s a circle!  Perfect for creating electronic gauges and special effects.

LCD, or Liquid Crystal Displays, are great choices for many applications. They aren’t that power-hungry, they are available in monochrome or full-color models, and they are available in all shapes and sizes.

Today we will see how to use this display with both an Arduino and an ESP32. We will also use a pair of them to make some rather spooky animated eyeballs!

There are also some additional connections to the display. One of them, DC, sets the display into either Data or Command mode. Another, BL, is a control for the display’s backlight.

The above illustration shows the connections to the display.  The Waveshare display can be used with either 3.3 or 5-volt logic, the power supply voltage should match the logic level (although you CAN use a 5-volt supply with 3.3-volt logic).

Another difference is simply with the labeling on the display. There are two pins, one labeled SDA and the other labeled SCL. At a glance, you would assume that this is an I2C device, but it isn’t, it’s SPI just like the Waveshare device.

This display can be used for the experiments we will be doing with the ESP32, as that is a 3.3-volt logic microcontroller. You would need to use a voltage level converter if you wanted to use one of these with an Arduino Uno.

The Waveshare device comes with a cable for use with the display. Unfortunately, it only has female ends, which would be excellent for a Raspberry Pi (which is also supported) but not too handy for an Arduino Uno. I used short breadboard jumper wires to convert the ends into male ones suitable for the Arduino.

Once you have everything hooked up, you can start coding for the display. There are a few ways to do this, one of them is to grab the sample code thatWaveshare provides on their Wiki.

The Waveshare Wiki does provide some information about the display and a bit of sample code for a few common controllers. It’s a reasonable support page, unfortunately, it is the only support that Waveshare provides(I would have liked to see more examples and a tutorial, but I guess I’m spoiled by Adafruit and Sparkfun LOL).

Open the Arduino folder. Inside you’ll find quite a few folders, one for each display size that Waveshare supports. As I’m using the 1.28-inch model, I selected theLCD_1inch28folder.

You can see from the code that after loading some libraries we initialize the display, set its backlight level (you can use PWM on the BL pin to set the level), and paint a new image. We then proceed to draw lines and strings onto the display.

After uploading the code, you will see the display show a fake “clock”. It’s a static display, but it does illustrate how you can use this with the Waveshare code.

This library is an extension of the Adafruit GFX library, which itself is one of the most popular display libraries around. Because of this, there isextensive documentation for this libraryavailable from Adafruit.  This makes the library an excellent choice for those who want to write their own applications.

As with the Waveshare sample, this file just prints shapes and text to the display. It is quite an easy sketch to understand, especially with the Adafruit documentation.

The sketch finishes by printing some bizarre text on the display. The text is an excerpt from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and it’s a sample of Vogon poetry, which is considered to be the third-worst in the Galaxy!

Here is the hookup for the ESP32 and the GC9A01 display.  As with most ESP32 hookup diagrams, it is important to use the correct GPIO numbers instead of physical pins. The diagram shows the WROVER, so if you are using a different module you’ll need to consult its documentation to ensure that you hook it up properly.

The TFT_eSPI library is ideal for this, and several other, displays. You can install it through your Arduino IDE Library Manager, just search for “TFT_eSPI”.

There is a lot of demo code included with the library. Some of it is intended for other display sizes, but there are a few that you can use with your circular display.

To test out the display, you can use theColour_Test sketch, found inside the Test and Diagnostic menu item inside the library samples.  While this sketch was not made for this display, it is a good way to confirm that you have everything hooked up and configured properly.

A great demo code sample is theAnimated_dialsketch, which is found inside theSpritesmenu item.  This demonstration code will produce a “dial” indicator on the display, along with some simulated “data” (really just a random number generator).

One of my favorite sketches is the Animated Eyes sketch, which displays a pair of very convincing eyeballs that move. Although it will work on a single display, it is more effective if you use two.

The first thing we need to do is to hook up a second display. To do this, you connect every wire in parallel with the first display, except for the CS (chip select) line.

The Animated Eyes sketch can be found within the sample files for the TFT_eSPI library, under the “generic” folder.  Assuming that you have wired up the second GC9A01 display, you’ll want to use theAnimated_Eyes_2sketch.

The GC9A01 LCD module is a 1.28-inch round display that is useful for instrumentation and other similar projects. Today we will learn how to use this display with an Arduino Uno and an ESP32.

As a 2.4inch TFT display module with a resolution of 240 * 320, it uses the SPI interface for communication. LCD has an internal controller with basic functions, which can be used to draw points, lines, circles, and rectangles, and can display English, Chinese as well as pictures.

Note: Different from the traditional SPI protocol, the data line from the slave to the master is hidden since the device only has a display requirement.

Framebuffer uses a video output device to drive a video display device from a memory buffer containing complete frame data. Simply put, a memory area is used to store the display content, and the display content can be changed by changing the data in the memory.

2.We use Dev libraries by default. If you need to change to BCM2835 or WiringPi libraries ,please open RaspberryPi\c\Makefile and modify lines 13-15 as follows:

If you need to draw pictures, or display Chinese and English characters, we provide some basic functions here about some graphics processing in the directory RaspberryPi\c\lib\GUI\GUI_Paint.c(.h).

Set points of the display position and color in the buffer: here is the core GUI function, processing points display position and color in the buffer.

The fill color of a certain window in the image buffer: the image buffer part of the window filled with a certain color, usually used to fresh the screen into blank, often used for time display, fresh the last second of the screen.

Display time: in the image buffer,use (Xstart Ystart) as the left vertex, display time,you can choose Ascii visual character font, font foreground color, font background color.;

Note: Each character library contains different characters; If some characters cannot be displayed, it is recommended that you can refer to the encoding set ro used.

For the screen, if you need to draw pictures, display Chinese and English characters, display pictures, etc., you can use the upper application to do, and we provide some basic functions here about some graphics processing in the directory STM32\STM32F103RB\User\GUI_DEV\GUI_Paint.c(.h)

Image buffer part of the window filling color: the image buffer part of the window filled with a certain color, generally as a window whitewashing function, often used for time display, whitewashing on a second

Display time: in the image buffer,use (Xstart Ystart) as the left vertex, display time,you can choose Ascii visual character font, font foreground color, font background color.

For the screen, if you need to draw pictures, display Chinese and English characters, display pictures, etc., you can use the upper application to do, and we provide some basic functions here about some graphics processing in the directory GUI_Paint.c(.h)

Display time: in the image buffer,use (Xstart Ystart) as the left vertex, display time,you can choose Ascii visual character font, font foreground color, font background color.

M5StickC PLUS is powered by ESP32-PICO-D4 with Wi-Fi and is an upgrade of the original M5StickC with a bigger screen .It is a portable, easy-to-use, open source, IoT development board. This tiny device will enable you to realize your ideas, enrich your creativity, and speed up your IoT prototyping. Developing with M5StickC PLUS takes away a lot of the pains from the development process. M5StickC Plus is one of the core devices in M5Stacks product series. The compact body is integrated with rich hardware resources, such as infrared, RTC, Microphone, LED, IMU, Buttons, PMU,etc. Improvements from the regular StickC are a buzzer, bigger screen (1.14-inch, 135 * 240 resolution LCD Screen) and more stable hardware design. This revision increases the display area by 18.7%, and the battery capacity from 95mAh to 120mAh. It also supports the HAT and Unit family of products.

You haven"t mentioned/linked to the library you are using which might help people answer. First of all, check if the library you are using has the ability to control display layout - it might already and you won"t need the following:

Somewhere in your library"s display initialisation function it will write the value 0x36 followed by another byte. The 0x36 is the MADCTL command and the following byte is the parameter that controls the display layout. You can change this value to get the effect you want. I"d suggest changing one bit at a time - it helps keep track of which bit has what effect.

Useful Arduino utilities which are too small as separate libraries, but complex enough to be shared among multiple projects, and often have external dependencies to other libraries.

Fast and compact software I2C implementations (SimpleWireInterface, SimpleWireFastInterface) on Arduino platforms. Also provides adapter classes to allow the use of third party I2C libraries using the same API.

Simple Async HTTP Request library, supporting GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE and HEAD, on top of AsyncTCP libraries, such as AsyncTCP, ESPAsyncTCP, AsyncTCP_STM32, etc.. for ESP32 (including ESP32_S2, ESP32_S3 and ESP32_C3), WT32_ETH01 (ESP32 + LAN8720), ESP32 with LwIP ENC28J60, ESP8266 (WiFi, W5x00 or ENC28J60) and currently STM32 with LAN8720 or built-in LAN8742A Ethernet.

Enable inclusion of both ESP32 Blynk BT/BLE and WiFi libraries. Then select one at reboot or run both. Eliminate hardcoding your Wifi and Blynk credentials and configuration data saved in either LittleFS, SPIFFS or EEPROM.

Simple WiFiManager for Blynk and ESP32 with or without SSL, configuration data saved in either SPIFFS or EEPROM. Enable inclusion of both ESP32 Blynk BT/BLE and WiFi libraries. Then select one at reboot or run both. Eliminate hardcoding your Wifi and Blynk credentials and configuration data saved in either LittleFS, SPIFFS or EEPROM. Using AsyncWebServer instead of WebServer, with WiFi networks scanning for selection in Configuration Portal.

Simple WebServer library for AVR, Teensy, SAM DUE, SAMD21, SAMD51, STM32F/L/H/G/WB/MP1, nRF52, SIPEED_MAIX_DUINO and RP2040-based (RASPBERRY_PI_PICO) boards using ESP8266/ESP32 AT-command shields with functions similar to those of ESP8266/ESP32 WebServer libraries

LiquidCrystal fork for displays based on HD44780. Uses the IOAbstraction library to work with i2c, PCF8574, MCP23017, Shift registers, Arduino pins and ports interchangably.

The most powerful and popular available library for using 7/14/16 segment display, supporting daisy chaining so you can control mass amounts from your Arduino!

Menu library for Arduino with IoT capabilities that supports many input and display devices with a designer UI, code generator, CLI, and strong remote control capability.

Adds tcUnicode UTF-8 support to Adafruit_GFX, U8G2, tcMenu, and TFT_eSPI graphics libraries with a graphical font creation utility available. Works with existing libraries

This library enables you to use Hardware-based PWM channels on Teensy boards, such as Teensy 2.x, Teensy LC, Teensy 3.x, Teensy 4.x, Teensy MicroMod, etc., to create and output PWM to pins. Using the same functions as other FastPWM libraries to enable you to port PWM code easily between platforms.

A simple library to display numbers, text and animation on 4 and 6 digit 7-segment TM1637 based display modules. Offers non-blocking animations and scrolling!

Monochrome LCD, OLED and eInk Library. Display controller: SSD1305, SSD1306, SSD1309, SSD1312, SSD1316, SSD1318, SSD1320, SSD1322, SSD1325, SSD1327, SSD1329, SSD1606, SSD1607, SH1106, SH1107, SH1108, SH1122, T6963, RA8835, LC7981, PCD8544, PCF8812, HX1230, UC1601, UC1604, UC1608, UC1610, UC1611, UC1617, UC1638, UC1701, ST7511, ST7528, ST7565, ST7567, ST7571, ST7586, ST7588, ST75160, ST75256, ST75320, NT7534, ST7920, IST3020, IST3088, IST7920, LD7032, KS0108, KS0713, HD44102, T7932, SED1520, SBN1661, IL3820, MAX7219, GP1287, GP1247, GU800. Interfaces: I2C, SPI, Parallel.

True color TFT and OLED library, Up to 18 Bit color depth. Supported display controller: ST7735, ILI9163, ILI9325, ILI9341, ILI9486,LD50T6160, PCF8833, SEPS225, SSD1331, SSD1351, HX8352C.

Simple WiFiWebServer, HTTP Client and WebSocket Client library for AVR Mega, megaAVR, Portenta_H7, Teensy, SAM DUE, SAMD21, SAMD51, STM32F/L/H/G/WB/MP1, nRF52, RP2040-based (Nano-RP2040-Connect, RASPBERRY_PI_PICO, RASPBERRY_PI_PICO_W, ESP32/ESP8266, etc.) boards using WiFi, such as WiFiNINA, WiFi101, CYW43439, U-Blox W101, W102, ESP8266/ESP32-AT modules/shields, with functions similar to those of ESP8266/ESP32 WebServer libraries.

I purchased a cheap Chinese ST7789 TFT (1.3in, 240x240) that is clearly identified as SPI compatible, tough it does NOT have a CS pin and also some of the pins seem weirdly named to me. I have been struggling all morning to get it working until I found a post on raspberrypi.org (not sure if I"m allowed to include a reference to this page URL here?) mentioning the same exact Chinese ST7789 TFT board and the same issue. Apparently that guy got it working after hours of fiddling, but I have yet to reproduce his solution. Can anybody help me figure it out?

I see the TFT"s backlight, so I know it is powered on and I guessed "SCL" is the SPI clock, but I tried all sorts of stuff concerning "SDA" and "DC" and could not get it to work yet. Thanks to the guy"s post, now I know "SDA" goes to the Rpi"s "MOSI" pin and that "DC" can go to any GPIO we want. The screen still remains black tough. Anybody has any suggestions I can try to get this TFT board working?

Checking a TFT lcd driver is very messy thing especially if its a Chinese manufactured TFT. TFT’s that are supplied by Chinese manufactures are cheap and every body loves to purchase them since they are cheap,but people are unaware of the problems that comes in future when finding the datasheet or specs of the particular TFT they purchased. Chinese manufactures did not supply datasheet of TFT or its driver. The only thing they do is writes about the TFT driver their lcd’s are using on their websites. I also get in trouble when i started with TFT’s because i also purchased a cheap one from aliexpress.com. After so many trials i succeeded in identifying the driver and initializing it. Now i though to write a routine that can identify the driver.

I wrote a simple Arduino Sketch that can easily and correctly identify the TFT Lcd driver. I checked it on 2.4, 3.2 and 3.8 inch 8-bit TFT lcd and it is identifying the drivers correctly. The drivers which i successfully recognized are ILI9325, ILI9328, ILI9341, ILI9335, ST7783, ST7781 and ST7787. It can also recognize other drivers such as ML9863A, ML9480 and ML9445 but i don’t have tft’s that are using this drivers.

The basic idea behind reading the driver is reading the device ID. Since all the drivers have their ID’s present in their register no 0x00, so what i do is read this register and identify which driver tft is using. Reading the register is also a complex task, but i have gone through it many times and i am well aware of how to read register. A simple timing diagram from ST7781 driver explains all. I am using tft in 8-bit interface so i uploaded timing diagram of 8-bit parallel interface. The diagram below is taken from datasheet of ST7781 tft lcd driver.

The most complex tft i came across is from a Chinese manufacturer “mcufriend”. mcufriend website says that they use ILI9341 and ILI9325 drivers for their tft’s. But what i found is strange their tft’s are using ST7781 driver(Device ID=7783). This is really a mesh. I have their 2.4 inch tft which according to their website is using ILI9341 driver but i found ST7783 driver(Device ID=7783). The tft i have is shown below.

Note:On serial monitor driver number will be displayed like if your lcd is using ST7783 controller than on serial monitor 7783 will be displayed or if tft is using ILI9341 than on 9341 will be displayed.

The code works on Arduino uno perfectly but if you are using any other board, than just change the pin numbers according to the board that you are using also check out for the Ports D and B. TFT Data Pin D0 is connected to Port-B Pin#0 and D1 is connected to Port-B Pin#1. TFT Data Pins D2 to D7 are connected to Port-D Pins 2,3,4,5,6,7. So if you are using Arduino mega than check for the Ports D and B and Make connections according to them. Arduino mega is working on ATmega2560 or ATmega1280 Microcontroller and Arduino uno is working on ATmega328p Microcontroller so both platforms have ports on different locations on arduino board so first check them and then make connections. The same process applies to all Arduino boards.

Unfortunately the typical UNO/mcufriend TFT display board maps LCD_RD, LCD_CS and LCD_RST signals to the ESP32 pins 35, 34 and 36 which are input only. To solve this I linked in the 3 spare pins IO15, IO33 and IO32 by adding wires to the bottom of the board as follows:

The Arduino board has a wide variety of compatible displays that you can use in your electronic projects. In most projects, it’s very useful to give the user some sort of feedback from the Arduino.

With the TFT display you can display colorful images or graphics. This module has a resolution of 480 x 320. This module includes the SD card socket and SPI FLASH circuit.

This is a tiny display with just 1 x 0.96 Inch. This display has a black background, and displays characters in white. There are other similar displays that can show the characters in other colors.