Your Image on an Arduino! – TFT LCD Screen Guide

Have you ever heard of TFT LCD screens?  They are great ways to display information from your Arduino, or display pictures.  The Arduino team just released an official TFT LCD screen with their new Robot at Maker Faire 2013.  It’s very easy to get started with!!  This tutorial will show you how to get the LCD up and running, load information from the SD card, and make a few simple projects.

The TFT LCD screen is a great way to detach your computer, and have the Arduino relay information that you need to know onto the LCD.  A great part of the LCD is that it has a built in microSD card socket.  You can store images on the microSD card socket, and even some text!If you like this Instructable, please vote for me in the Arduino contest by clicking the orange ribbon in the upper right hand corner, then vote!!!

Step 1: Parts & Tools

Tools:

USB-B Cable
Laptop
microSD Card Adapter & USB SD card reader

Step 2: TFT LCD Basics

TFT LCD Screens (Thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display) are great graphical displays to display information.  They are a variant of a liquid crystal display (LCD) which uses TFT technology to improve image qualities such as addressability and contrast.  They are used often in video games, smartphones, cell phones, and sometimes even TV’s.  Now, with the technology and accessibility today, you can use one with your Arduino!

LCDs, or liquid crystal displays, are easy to use with your Arduino.  They are a very simple ways of telling the user data from the Arduino.  Standard 16×2 character LCDs are found in grocery stores, when the display tells you what you bought as the cashier scans each item, and how much it costs.

Step 3: Displaying Instructables Logo

For the first example, let’s put the Instructables Logo on our TFT display!  Download the zip file below, and put it onto a microSD Card (2GB).  You will probably a microSD to SD Card adapter.  There is no special software needed, just copy and paste it onto the card.

Next, open up the Arduino IDE.  You’ll need Arduino 1.0.5 or better to run the sketches.  Open up the InstructablesTFT example.

Hook up the circuit above from the Arduino TFT LCD to your Arduino UNO.

Then, upload the sketch.  After you open the Serial Monitor, the LCD should have the Instructables Logo on it!

Step 4: Sensor Readings

Let’s try another example.  This time, we’ll be mimicking the Serial Monitor on our TFT LCD.  Keep the same circuit, and then upload the new code below.

This sketch will gather the reading from the ArduSensor Pot, and then relay it onto the TFT LCD screen 10 times per second.  This is a great way to display data without a computer.

 

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