ESP32 with 3.95" TFT

Good day,

I changed my project from using an Atmega1284P to an ESP32 but the only problem now is that i don't know how to connect my display.
The display has the following connections:

I have seen some examples but i don't have those pins on my ESP32 WRover (pin 16 for example is nowhere to be seen on my board).

Is it possible to connect this display to the ESP32?
If not, is there a 4" display i can connect?

I also have a W5500 ethernet module, RC522 RFID module, speaker, external eeprom, led etc connected so i don't have a lot of pins anymore. Is there a way to solve this or is a serial communication to an Atmega 1284 a better solution?

Thank you!

no one?

Bodmer has diagrams and instructions on how to do the hardware-mod to the TTGO / Wemos D1 R32 board.

It is the same hardware-mod to use MCUFRIEND_kbv on the TTGO / Wemos D1 R32.

TTGO / Wemos D1 R32 are very cheap. Available in UK, China, ...
Contain Arduino header sockets, USB-Serial, ...

TFT_eSPI requires the controller type to be set in User_Setup.h. He supports both ILI9486 and ST7796S
MCUFRIEND_kbv will run all supported controllers by detecting the ID.

David.

I want to use a ESP32 WRover to be soldered on a custom built pcb so i don't want to use a TTGO / Wemos. I cannot find any information how to connect the pins, if i find something, some ports are connected to some IO pins i don't even have on my ESP32 WRover

The 8080-8 interface requires 13 GPIO digital pins. And 2 of these must be able to read Analog for the Touch Panel.

You can rearrange the pins by changing the appropriate #defines.

Be realistic. ESP32 modules do not have many "spare" pins for external electronics. If you need much external GPIO you are better off with an SPI display.

God invented Arduino Shields. They plug into Arduino header sockets. Ideal for prototypes.
If you are going to make custom pcbs you can use bare TFT modules instead of a Shield.

David.

Thanks, i was also thinking about that but i can't find that much information about it. I also don't need touch function but i cannot find which pins are used for touch function.
I prefer a 3.95" display but 3.5" would also be acceptable.

Do you have any preference on which display i should use (without shield) for better compatibility?

There are lots of bare panels on AliExpress. Fiddly to connect to micro-ribbon.

There are several SPI display boards e.g. from SureNoo
Your TFT is available in SPI. I have a Red 3.95 ST7796S SPI display.

Since you have a 3.3V ESP32 there are no difficulties with level shifters.

If you want to know anything about your Blue shield, plug it into a Uno. Run MCUFRIEND_kbv examples.

David.

I have my blue shield working (connected to an Atmega328P with serial connection between the ESP32 and the Atmega328P, i am just not sure if this is a stable solution.

I have seen the red shield, the only problem it has is that the PCB is bigger than the display and i don't like that (i want the display to have as less border as needed).

I will see if i can order that one and be able to build it myself on the pcb

I am gobsmacked. It is pretty straightforward to plug all the Shield male pins into the female sockets of a Uno, Mega, Zero, Due, ...

It does not really matter whether a pcb is bigger than the screen on a prototype. Just that it WORKS.

When a prototype has been developed, debugged, tested you can design your custom pcb and hardware.

Nowadays, Arduino clones, modules, screens etc are cheap. You can make a prototype with ready-made parts and it only costs £20.
If it cost $200 but saved development time to market it would still be a no-brainer.

David.

Thanks but that is not what i meant. I have ordered an ESP32 developmentboard, red shield lcd etc. I know it doesn't matter for developing. I wanted to use the tft shield inside my pcb (soldering it on) so that is why i wanted a tft shield which was as small as possible compared to the display itself.

I will try to build the display with controllers on my PCB myself but i am not an expert in that so i have to try