Hidden pins after connecting RA8875 display shield

Using Arduino Storage
1

Hello All,
This is my first post to this forum. Please excuse me if my English is sloppy and for this long post.

I have good experience in C++ coding and recently started learning Arduino programming and new to Electronics. Started to work on a personal project for a Point Of Sale(POS) terminal machine. Purchased Arduino-due. Ordered and received a 7 inch capacitive touch TFT display from: https://www.buydisplay.com/serial-spi-arduino-7-inch-tft-lcd-touch-shield-ra8875-for-mega-due-uno.

On looking the display catalog from buydisplay.com, I decided to go for this display as I noticed there was a SD card slot thinking it will be usefull for storing the billing details so that a detailed report can be generated later based on items and date of purchase.

My requirement is as follows:

  1. A TFT touch display for inputting Item and quantity.
  2. A calculator billing program in Arduino-due to calculate the total Money for the purchase.
  3. A thermal printer to print Bill.

I started to code the screens by editing capacitative touch samples from buydisplay.com.
Following are the issues I currently encounter:

  1. Arduino - Due do not have RTC.
  2. Storing data to SD card present in the display-shield from buydisplay.com(RA8875 shield)- Samples to load and display BMP image provided in buydisplay.com compiles and uploads successfully in arduino. But the screen is blank. Hope accessing SD card slot is not supported from the purchased display.

I think connecting Data logger module will solve RTC and data storage issue. The real problem I face is: After connecting the TFT display shield to Arduino- Due, the pins from arduino are not available further to use as the display shield hides it.

I am looking for the following:
=>How to utilize the Arduino - DUE pins that are hidden under the display shield for connecting thermal printer and data logger shield. Can any one help on this please......

Thanks in advance.

2

You could insert a prototyping shield into the stack and break out the signals that you need to separate connectors. I think that you can get a data logging shield that has an RTC, SD card socket and prototyping area all on the same board. You could route the signals you need out to the board edge using one of those.

I don't know much about the DUE, so the shield I saw may not be compatible!

Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable will jump in.

UPDATE: The data logging shield I was thinking of would not work on a DUE because the shield does not include all the additional pins on the DUE. You should be able to get a DUE prototyping shield and break out the signals you need. There is probably enough clearance between the prototyping shield and your display shield to slip in an RTC module.

3

markd833:
You could insert a prototyping shield into the stack and break out the signals that you need to separate connectors. I think that you can get a data logging shield that has an RTC, SD card socket and prototyping area all on the same board. You could route the signals you need out to the board edge using one of those.

I don't know much about the DUE, so the shield I saw may not be compatible!

Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable will jump in.

UPDATE: The data logging shield I was thinking of would not work on a DUE because the shield does not include all the additional pins on the DUE. You should be able to get a DUE prototyping shield and break out the signals you need. There is probably enough clearance between the prototyping shield and your display shield to slip in an RTC module.

Thanks for the reply @markd833 Probably my next search and learning should be on Breakout board and shields.