Has anyone got these cheap LCD's to work with arduino? (ST7735R)

Nice price available to my location and look like they could be good to shrink some projects down! Anyone ever tried these eBay specials?

No but I wonder if the interface chip it uses ST7735R is compatible with the ST7735 (nothing immediately
springs out when comparing the datasheets). The UTFT library supports ST7735 serial from what I can
glean. Spend some time comparing the two datasheets perhaps?

Good idea I will take a look when I find some spare time

The ebay URL you supplied contains a download link to a file that appears to contain an Arduino library and example sketches for the device. The example sketches are .pde extension instead of .ino so the libraries may need modifying to work with Arduino IDE v1.0+

Ah right, I just found the link you mentioned. Is it easy to update the libs?

dtokez:
Ah right, I just found the link you mentioned. Is it easy to update the libs?

After downloading them to check what may need changing and I read they are Adafruit libraries so I suggest getting them direct from them to ensure latest versions. You need two libraries, this GitHub - adafruit/Adafruit-GFX-Library: Adafruit GFX graphics core Arduino library, this is the 'core' class that all our other graphics libraries derive from and this GitHub - adafruit/Adafruit-ST7735-Library: This is a library for the Adafruit 1.8" SPI display http://www.adafruit.com/products/358 and http://www.adafruit.com/products/618 I downloaded and compild them without problem but don't have a display to test them.

Hi Riva, that's good news! I think I will order a display then as it seems there should be a way to get them working :slight_smile:

Can't go wrong for that price really!

Hi
I did :slight_smile:
They are superb :smiley: The PCB layout is easy to design and make. Now you can get this lcd on ready pcb adapter for few bucks.
I already ordered 3 of them. Adafruit library works wery well :slight_smile:
i bought 2

and one

so cheap as dirt :smiley:

Thats great stuff! So basically the cheaper one has no PCB but the slightly more expensive one is ready to be run from an arduino?

Yes :slight_smile: I tested already one without pcb (I made my own) and its doing fine :slight_smile:

Sounds perfect I will try one out, thanks :slight_smile:

This one looks interesting: 2.8" inch 320x240 Touch TFT LCD Display Module, SPI Interface, ILI9320 at USD14

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-8-inch-320x240-Touch-TFT-LCD-Display-Module-SPI-Interface-ILI9320-/181008290930?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a24ef5472

I think that SPI can be for touch controler not the LCD

zachwiej:
I think that SPI can be for touch controler not the LCD

The pinout suggest that there is another variant of the board supporting SPI (LCDB rather than LCDA) - perhaps
same vendor has this one too?

I've got this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-8-Serial-128X160-SPI-TFT-LCD-Module-Display-PCB-Adapter-SD-Socket-/261150773094?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D4648364954718621766%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D3%26sd%3D280937300096%26

working nice with the latest adafruit's ST7735 library.
The only issue I see is it uses BGR565 color coding (the driver does expect RGB565 coded colors).. :~
p.

No the ST7735 driver is an SPI device only. The more expensive of the two form OP's post is identical to one from Adafruit to the SD card and footprint for the 8 pin eprom on the back side. the real difference is the $15.00 price difference.

Bob

EDIT: Done some more searching (a lot more lol) and managed to work out the wiring, and also get the adafruit libs installed and now it is working, very impressive little screen!

Hi all. The display has just arrived :slight_smile: I got one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-8-Serial-128X160-SPI-TFT-LCD-Module-Display-PCB-Adapter-SD-Socket-/261150773094

I'm not sure how to wire it up though :frowning: Just looked at the adafruit tutorial and the board has different pin definitions?

OK, first question has arisen already :cold_sweat:

I notice when you send data to the screen it stays until something is written over it. When sending variable data text strings to the TFT, the results just keep overlaying each other. Sending tft.fillScreen(ST7735_BLACK); is very slow and it seems pointless re-writing any static text also.

Is there a simple way around it? I guess you could just write black squares over areas but that sounds like a nightmare to implement :frowning:

Also the wrong as some of you mentioned would be the case.

There is a method to speed up communication
In Adafruit_ST7735.cpp search for
SPI.setClockDivider(SPI_CLOCK_DIV4);

and change it to
SPI.setClockDivider(SPI_CLOCK_DIV2);

That will speed up SPI bus

I was using it on 3.3v 8mhz atmega328p, not on 16mhz so it may not work

Is that using the hardware SPI pins? I have just looked at the code and again and realised I am not using them?

// You can use any (4 or) 5 pins
#define sclk 4
#define mosi 5
#define cs   6
#define dc   7
#define rst  8  // you can also connect this to the Arduino reset

#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>    // Core graphics library
#include <Adafruit_ST7735.h> // Hardware-specific library
#include <SPI.h>

// Option 1: use any pins but a little slower
Adafruit_ST7735 tft = Adafruit_ST7735(cs, dc, mosi, sclk, rst);

// Option 2: must use the hardware SPI pins
// (for UNO thats sclk = 13 and sid = 11) and pin 10 must be
// an output. This is much faster - also required if you want
// to use the microSD card (see the image drawing example)
//Adafruit_ST7735 tft = Adafruit_ST7735(cs, dc, rst);