Can't make my 4.0 tft spi 480x320 v1.1 with my esp32s3 N16R8

danmanbg · January 2, 2026, 5:46am

i am trying to make one of the examples of the TFT_eSPI library but the screen i always white (the backlight). i tried configurating the User_Setup for the driver, pins and size.

#define ILI9488_DRIVER

#define TFT_WIDTH 320
#define TFT_HEIGHT 480

(everyone told me to do the pins like that and that i dont need the miso and to set the reset to -1)
#define TFT_MOSI 11
#define TFT_SCLK 12
#define TFT_CS 10
#define TFT_DC 9
#define TFT_RST -1

but the example still doesn’t work

/*




 Example sketch for TFT_eSPI library.




 No fonts are needed.

 

 Draws a 3d rotating cube on the TFT screen.

 

 Original code was found at http://forum.freetronics.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5495

 

 */




#define BLACK 0x0000

#define WHITE 0xFFFF




#include <SPI.h>




#include <TFT_eSPI.h> // Hardware-specific library




TFT_eSPI tft = TFT_eSPI();       // Invoke custom library




int16_t h;

int16_t w;




int inc = -2;




float xx, xy, xz;

float yx, yy, yz;

float zx, zy, zz;




float fact;




int Xan, Yan;




int Xoff;

int Yoff;

int Zoff;




struct Point3d

{

  int x;

  int y;

  int z;

};




struct Point2d

{

  int x;

  int y;

};




int LinestoRender; // lines to render.

int OldLinestoRender; // lines to render just in case it changes. this makes sure the old lines all get erased.




struct Line3d

{

  Point3d p0;

  Point3d p1;

};




struct Line2d

{

  Point2d p0;

  Point2d p1;

};




Line3d Lines[20];

Line2d Render[20];

Line2d ORender[20];




/***********************************************************************************************************************************/

void setup() {




  tft.init();




  h = tft.height();

  w = tft.width();




  tft.setRotation(1);




  tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);




  cube();




  fact = 180 / 3.14159259; // conversion from degrees to radians.




  Xoff = 240; // Position the centre of the 3d conversion space into the centre of the TFT screen.

  Yoff = 160;

  Zoff = 550; // Z offset in 3D space (smaller = closer and bigger rendering)

}




/***********************************************************************************************************************************/

void loop() {




  // Rotate around x and y axes in 1 degree increments

  Xan++;

  Yan++;




  Yan = Yan % 360;

  Xan = Xan % 360; // prevents overflow.




  SetVars(); //sets up the global vars to do the 3D conversion.




  // Zoom in and out on Z axis within limits

  // the cube intersects with the screen for values < 160

  Zoff += inc; 

  if (Zoff > 500) inc = -1;     // Switch to zoom in

  else if (Zoff < 160) inc = 1; // Switch to zoom out




  for (int i = 0; i < LinestoRender ; i++)

  {

    ORender[i] = Render[i]; // stores the old line segment so we can delete it later.

    ProcessLine(&Render[i], Lines[i]); // converts the 3d line segments to 2d.

  }

  RenderImage(); // go draw it!




  delay(14); // Delay to reduce loop rate (reduces flicker caused by aliasing with TFT screen refresh rate)

}




/***********************************************************************************************************************************/

void RenderImage( void)

{

  // renders all the lines after erasing the old ones.

  // in here is the only code actually interfacing with the OLED. so if you use a different lib, this is where to change it.




  for (int i = 0; i < OldLinestoRender; i++ )

  {

    tft.drawLine(ORender[i].p0.x, ORender[i].p0.y, ORender[i].p1.x, ORender[i].p1.y, BLACK); // erase the old lines.

  }





  for (int i = 0; i < LinestoRender; i++ )

  {

    uint16_t color = TFT_BLUE;

    if (i < 4) color = TFT_RED;

    if (i > 7) color = TFT_GREEN;

    tft.drawLine(Render[i].p0.x, Render[i].p0.y, Render[i].p1.x, Render[i].p1.y, color);

  }

  OldLinestoRender = LinestoRender;

}




/***********************************************************************************************************************************/

// Sets the global vars for the 3d transform. Any points sent through "process" will be transformed using these figures.

// only needs to be called if Xan or Yan are changed.

void SetVars(void)

{

  float Xan2, Yan2, Zan2;

  float s1, s2, s3, c1, c2, c3;




  Xan2 = Xan / fact; // convert degrees to radians.

  Yan2 = Yan / fact;




  // Zan is assumed to be zero




  s1 = sin(Yan2);

  s2 = sin(Xan2);




  c1 = cos(Yan2);

  c2 = cos(Xan2);




  xx = c1;

  xy = 0;

  xz = -s1;




  yx = (s1 * s2);

  yy = c2;

  yz = (c1 * s2);




  zx = (s1 * c2);

  zy = -s2;

  zz = (c1 * c2);

}





/***********************************************************************************************************************************/

// processes x1,y1,z1 and returns rx1,ry1 transformed by the variables set in SetVars()

// fairly heavy on floating point here.

// uses a bunch of global vars. Could be rewritten with a struct but not worth the effort.

void ProcessLine(struct Line2d *ret, struct Line3d vec)

{

  float zvt1;

  int xv1, yv1, zv1;




  float zvt2;

  int xv2, yv2, zv2;




  int rx1, ry1;

  int rx2, ry2;




  int x1;

  int y1;

  int z1;




  int x2;

  int y2;

  int z2;




  int Ok;




  x1 = vec.p0.x;

  y1 = vec.p0.y;

  z1 = vec.p0.z;




  x2 = vec.p1.x;

  y2 = vec.p1.y;

  z2 = vec.p1.z;




  Ok = 0; // defaults to not OK




  xv1 = (x1 * xx) + (y1 * xy) + (z1 * xz);

  yv1 = (x1 * yx) + (y1 * yy) + (z1 * yz);

  zv1 = (x1 * zx) + (y1 * zy) + (z1 * zz);




  zvt1 = zv1 - Zoff;




  if ( zvt1 < -5) {

    rx1 = 256 * (xv1 / zvt1) + Xoff;

    ry1 = 256 * (yv1 / zvt1) + Yoff;

    Ok = 1; // ok we are alright for point 1.

  }




  xv2 = (x2 * xx) + (y2 * xy) + (z2 * xz);

  yv2 = (x2 * yx) + (y2 * yy) + (z2 * yz);

  zv2 = (x2 * zx) + (y2 * zy) + (z2 * zz);




  zvt2 = zv2 - Zoff;




  if ( zvt2 < -5) {

    rx2 = 256 * (xv2 / zvt2) + Xoff;

    ry2 = 256 * (yv2 / zvt2) + Yoff;

  } else

  {

    Ok = 0;

  }




  if (Ok == 1) {




    ret->p0.x = rx1;

    ret->p0.y = ry1;




    ret->p1.x = rx2;

    ret->p1.y = ry2;

  }

  // The ifs here are checks for out of bounds. needs a bit more code here to "safe" lines that will be way out of whack, so they don't get drawn and cause screen garbage.




}




/***********************************************************************************************************************************/

// line segments to draw a cube. basically p0 to p1. p1 to p2. p2 to p3 so on.

void cube(void)

{

  // Front Face.




  Lines[0].p0.x = -50;

  Lines[0].p0.y = -50;

  Lines[0].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[0].p1.x = 50;

  Lines[0].p1.y = -50;

  Lines[0].p1.z = 50;




  Lines[1].p0.x = 50;

  Lines[1].p0.y = -50;

  Lines[1].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[1].p1.x = 50;

  Lines[1].p1.y = 50;

  Lines[1].p1.z = 50;




  Lines[2].p0.x = 50;

  Lines[2].p0.y = 50;

  Lines[2].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[2].p1.x = -50;

  Lines[2].p1.y = 50;

  Lines[2].p1.z = 50;




  Lines[3].p0.x = -50;

  Lines[3].p0.y = 50;

  Lines[3].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[3].p1.x = -50;

  Lines[3].p1.y = -50;

  Lines[3].p1.z = 50;





  //back face.




  Lines[4].p0.x = -50;

  Lines[4].p0.y = -50;

  Lines[4].p0.z = -50;

  Lines[4].p1.x = 50;

  Lines[4].p1.y = -50;

  Lines[4].p1.z = -50;




  Lines[5].p0.x = 50;

  Lines[5].p0.y = -50;

  Lines[5].p0.z = -50;

  Lines[5].p1.x = 50;

  Lines[5].p1.y = 50;

  Lines[5].p1.z = -50;




  Lines[6].p0.x = 50;

  Lines[6].p0.y = 50;

  Lines[6].p0.z = -50;

  Lines[6].p1.x = -50;

  Lines[6].p1.y = 50;

  Lines[6].p1.z = -50;




  Lines[7].p0.x = -50;

  Lines[7].p0.y = 50;

  Lines[7].p0.z = -50;

  Lines[7].p1.x = -50;

  Lines[7].p1.y = -50;

  Lines[7].p1.z = -50;





  // now the 4 edge lines.




  Lines[8].p0.x = -50;

  Lines[8].p0.y = -50;

  Lines[8].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[8].p1.x = -50;

  Lines[8].p1.y = -50;

  Lines[8].p1.z = -50;




  Lines[9].p0.x = 50;

  Lines[9].p0.y = -50;

  Lines[9].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[9].p1.x = 50;

  Lines[9].p1.y = -50;

  Lines[9].p1.z = -50;




  Lines[10].p0.x = -50;

  Lines[10].p0.y = 50;

  Lines[10].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[10].p1.x = -50;

  Lines[10].p1.y = 50;

  Lines[10].p1.z = -50;




  Lines[11].p0.x = 50;

  Lines[11].p0.y = 50;

  Lines[11].p0.z = 50;

  Lines[11].p1.x = 50;

  Lines[11].p1.y = 50;

  Lines[11].p1.z = -50;




  LinestoRender = 12;

  OldLinestoRender = LinestoRender;




}

If somebody knows what’s going on please tell me.

horace · January 2, 2026, 6:33am

I don't have a IL9488 but your GPIOs are the same as those I used with a ESP32S3 and a IL9341 and it worked OK
when using TFT_eSPI I tend to print out GPIO settings to make sure I have the user_sertup() etc correct

void setup(void) {
  //uint16_t ID = tft.readID();
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(2000);
  Serial.println("\n\nESP32 TFT_eSPI library  example TFT_Print_Test");
  Serial.printf("TFT_MOSI %d\n", TFT_MOSI);
  Serial.printf("TFT_MISO %d\n", TFT_MISO);
  Serial.printf("TFT_SCLK %d\n", TFT_SCLK);
  Serial.printf("TFT_CS %d\n", TFT_CS);
  Serial.printf("TFT_DC %d\n", TFT_DC);
  Serial.printf("TFT_RST %d\n", TFT_RST);

TFT_eSPI can be tricky to setup
maybe worth trying a different library, e.g. ILI9488 Arduino Library

HazardsMind · January 2, 2026, 6:52am

Is the display reset connected to the reset pin on the esp32?

danmanbg · January 2, 2026, 6:56am

is there a spesific reset pin or i can choose

HazardsMind · January 2, 2026, 4:38pm

Does your board have 2 3.3v pins or just one? If you have 2, then it will be the pin right after the two 3.3v pins.

if you only have 1 3.3v pin then your board does not have a reset pin and so you will need to update the user_setup file and change it from -1 to a pin of your choosing.

You could do this either way but -1 tells the code that it will reset when the board resets as long as it is tied to the reset pin.

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Can't make my 4.0 tft spi 480x320 v1.1 with my esp32s3 N16R8

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