Using the ST7735 1.8″ Color TFT Display with Arduino

Hi guys, welcome to today’s tutorial. Today, we will look on how to use the 1.8″ ST7735  colored TFT display with Arduino. The past few tutorials have been focused on how to use the Nokia 5110 LCD display extensively but there will be a time when we will need to use a colored display or something bigger with additional features, that’s where the 1.8″ ST7735 TFT display comes in.

Using the ST7735 1.8″ Color TFT Display with Arduino

The ST7735 TFT display is a 1.8″ display with a resolution of 128×160 pixels and can display a wide range of colors ( full 18-bit color, 262,144 shades!). The display uses the SPI protocol for communication and has its own pixel-addressable frame buffer which means it can be used with all kinds of microcontroller and you only need 4 i/o pins. To complement the display, it also comes with an SD card slot on which colored bitmaps can be loaded and easily displayed on the screen.

Other features of the display include:

  • 1.8″ diagonal LCD TFT display
  • 128×160 resolution, 18-bit (262,144) color
  • 4 or 5 wire SPI digital interface
  • Built-in microSD slot – uses 2 more digital lines
  • 5V compatible! Use with 3.3V or 5V logic
  • Onboard 3.3V @ 150mA LDO regulator
  • 2 white LED backlight, a transistor connected so you can PWM dim the backlight
  • 1×10 header for easy breadboarding
  • 4 x 0.9″/2mm mounting holes in corners
  • Overall dimensions: 1.35″ x 2.2″ x 0.25″ (34mm x 56mm x 6.5mm)
  • Current draw is based on LED backlight usage: with full backlight draw is ~50mA

The goal of this tutorial is to demonstrate the abilities of the TFT to display images and text in different colors and some animation.

Required Components

The following components are needed for this tutorial:

  1. ST7735 Color TFT display 
  2. Cheap Arduino Uno
  3. Small Breadboard
  4.  Wires

As usual, the exact components used for this tutorial can be bought by following the link attached to each of the components above.

Schematics

The schematics for this project is fairly easy as the only thing we will be connecting to the Arduino is the display. Connect the display to the Arduino as shown in the schematics below.

Read more: Using the ST7735 1.8″ Color TFT Display with Arduino


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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