Problem with 3.5 "tft screen and connection with ESP32

OsMaGa2016 · December 8, 2020, 3:14pm

Hi all.

I have bought the following 3.5 "tft screen on amazon.

and also this ESP32 module (or so I think)

I have done tests with the mcfriend library and I have executed one of the examples, specifically the graphictest_kbv and the screen ID is 9486.

but when testing it the screen does not look good. I attach an image with the running screen. Do I have the screen? Or is it wiring problem?

I have also tested it by connecting it directly to an arduino uno r3 and it happens to me exactly the same.

Thanks in advance. A greeting.

david_prentice · December 8, 2020, 4:13pm

It looks pretty broke to me. Ask for full money back for the screen.

If you want to use a screen on a Uno, buy a Uno Shield e.g. like this but preferably the Blue Uno shields with AMS1117 and LVC245 chips.

If you want to use a screen on the ESP32, buy a Red SPI board. Preferably ST7796S but other 320x480 controllers are supported by TFT_eSPI library from Bodmer.

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 8, 2020, 4:51pm

Thank you, is what I thought ... now I hope I have no problem to return ...

Another question. How about the ESP32 module?

david_prentice · December 8, 2020, 6:03pm

I doubt if anyone asks you to return the damaged item. But make sure that the Vendor pays the cost.

They have clearly supplied damaged goods.

I am sure that the ESP32 is ok. You said that it gave the same picture as the Uno.

Personally, I can’t see much point in a tiny MCU module when the project is already 3.5 inch because of the display.
I would buy an ESP32 in Arduino Uno format. Then you can plug in Arduino shields.

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 9, 2020, 10:14am

david_prentice:
I doubt if anyone asks you to return the damaged item. But make sure that the Vendor pays the cost.

They have clearly supplied damaged goods.

I am sure that the ESP32 is ok. You said that it gave the same picture as the Uno.

Personally, I can't see much point in a tiny MCU module when the project is already 3.5 inch because of the display.
I would buy an ESP32 in Arduino Uno format. Then you can plug in Arduino shields.

David.

Thanks David, indeed the same thing happens to me if I place it on top of an Arduino UNO R3. At first I thought it could be a library or wiring issue.
But putting it on top of the Arduino UNO ruled out the wiring.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 8:14am

Hello again.

Well, after changing the screen and purchasing another. This is the result....

Bad luck? Or something am I doing wrong ...

I have put it directly into an Arduino UNO and launched the MCUFriend and LCDWiki examples and selecting the drivers.

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 8:50am

Post a link to the actual display shield that you bought.

You should plug the shield into the Uno and run all the examples from MCUFRIEND_kbv.
You do not alter any example code or drivers.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 9:14am

david_prentice:
Post a link to the actual display shield that you bought.

You should plug the shield into the Uno and run all the examples from MCUFRIEND_kbv.
You do not alter any example code or drivers.

Thanks again David.
I'm a mess !!!
The screen is practically the same as the previous one and of a different brand.
I bought it on amazon.

I have run all the examples and the only change I made was to set the driver ...
I paste here the result of the example LCD_ID_readreg

10:11:38.903 -> Read Registers on MCUFRIEND UNO shield
10:11:38.950 -> controllers either read as single 16-bit
10:11:38.990 -> e.g. the ID is at readReg(0)
10:11:39.028 -> or as a sequence of 8-bit values
10:11:39.061 -> in special locations (first is dummy)
10:11:39.102 -> 
10:11:39.102 -> reg(0x0000) 00 00	ID: ILI9320, ILI9325, ILI9335, ...
10:11:39.185 -> reg(0x0004) 00 54 80 66	Manufacturer ID
10:11:39.218 -> reg(0x0009) 00 00 61 00 00	Status Register
10:11:39.258 -> reg(0x000A) 00 08	Get Power Mode
10:11:39.292 -> reg(0x000C) 00 66	Get Pixel Format
10:11:39.330 -> reg(0x0061) 00 00	RDID1 HX8347-G
10:11:39.371 -> reg(0x0062) 00 00	RDID2 HX8347-G
10:11:39.411 -> reg(0x0063) 00 00	RDID3 HX8347-G
10:11:39.444 -> reg(0x0064) 00 00	RDID1 HX8347-A
10:11:39.482 -> reg(0x0065) 00 00	RDID2 HX8347-A
10:11:39.522 -> reg(0x0066) 00 00	RDID3 HX8347-A
10:11:39.522 -> reg(0x0067) 00 00	RDID Himax HX8347-A
10:11:39.570 -> reg(0x0070) 00 00	Panel Himax HX8347-A
10:11:39.610 -> reg(0x00A1) 00 93 30 93 30	RD_DDB SSD1963
10:11:39.646 -> reg(0x00B0) 00 00	RGB Interface Signal Control
10:11:39.722 -> reg(0x00B4) 00 00	Inversion Control
10:11:39.762 -> reg(0x00B6) 00 02 02 3B 3B	Display Control
10:11:39.802 -> reg(0x00B7) 00 06	Entry Mode Set
10:11:39.842 -> reg(0x00BF) 00 00 00 00 00 00	ILI9481, HX8357-B
10:11:39.883 -> reg(0x00C0) 00 0E 0E 0E 0E 0E 0E 0E 0E	Panel Control
10:11:39.960 -> reg(0x00C8) 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00	GAMMA
10:11:39.993 -> reg(0x00CC) 00 04	Panel Control
10:11:40.034 -> reg(0x00D0) 00 00 00	Power Control
10:11:40.075 -> reg(0x00D2) 00 00 00 00 00	NVM Read
10:11:40.124 -> reg(0x00D3) 00 00 94 86	ILI9341, ILI9488
10:11:40.172 -> reg(0x00D4) 00 00 00 00	Novatek ID
10:11:40.212 -> reg(0x00DA) 00 54	RDID1
10:11:40.212 -> reg(0x00DB) 00 80	RDID2
10:11:40.252 -> reg(0x00DC) 00 66	RDID3
10:11:40.252 -> reg(0x00E0) 00 0F 21 1C 0B 0E 08 49 98 38 09 11 03 14 10 00	GAMMA-P
10:11:40.327 -> reg(0x00E1) 00 0F 2F 2B 0C 0E 06 47 76 37 07 11 04 23 1E 00	GAMMA-N
10:11:40.407 -> reg(0x00EF) 00 80 00 10 60 40	ILI9327
10:11:40.447 -> reg(0x00F2) 00 18 A3 12 02 B2 12 FF 10 00 00 00	Adjust Control 2
10:11:40.527 -> reg(0x00F6) 00 54 80 66	Interface Control

From what I can understand from the output is that my controller is an ILI9486.

On the purchase website it says that I can use ILI9486 and ILI9488, the latter I have also tried and it has not worked for me ...

Thanks!!!

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 10:03am

I have run all the examples and the only change I made was to set the driver ...

You should not alter any of the examples. They will detect the correct ID and run automatically.

Yes, you have an ILI9486. tft.readID() should report 0x9486

If you have altered an example sketch, quote sketch name and copy-paste the altered lines.

The Red 3.5 inch Mcufriend pcb is a WRONG DESIGN.

The Blue Shields like this 3.95 inch ST7796S display have proper AMS1117 regulators and 74LVC245 buffer chips.
And are available in 3.5 inch with ILI9486 e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/3-5inch-480x320-Resolution-Support-Arduino/dp/B07N4KXP5X

I own the item in the Aliexpress link. I am guessing that the Amazon screen has got LVC245 and not HC245

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 11:25am

Sorry for the link above ... I was wrong. The previous link is the first TFT I bought and this last one is the one I have now.

david_prentice:
The Blue Shields like this 3.95 inch ST7796S display have proper AMS1117 regulators and 74LVC245 buffer chips.
And are available in 3.5 inch with ILI9486 e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/3-5inch-480x320-Resolution-Support-Arduino/dp/B07N4KXP5X

I own the item in the Aliexpress link. I am guessing that the Amazon screen has got LVC245 and not HC245

How can I tell if you use LVC245 or HC245?

Is this data influential?

Thank you!!!

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 11:30am

Look at the part numbers on the integrated circuits.

You don't need to understand the numbers. Just write them in your message.
It easier for you to read from the actual chips than to take photo (which is difficult to read)

If you have altered an example sketch, quote sketch name and copy-paste the altered lines.

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 3:38pm

Thanks, David.

I have managed to see what one of the chips says AMS1117 and the other two SM245TS ....

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 4:19pm

When I search for SM245TS Google always points to a 74HC245 datasheet.

74HC245 is not input voltage tolerant but I suspect that SM245TS is tolerant.
I don't have any board with SM245TS or I could check the tolerance for myself.

If you have a Uno, you could check the tolerance.
Plug the Red shield into Uno. Run a TFT sketch. Measure the voltage on the Uno 3.3V pin with a DMM.
Plug the Blue shield into Uno. Run a TFT sketch. Measure the voltage on the Uno 3.3V pin with a DMM.

Since you want to use the Shield on an ESP32 the voltage tolerance does not matter. The Red Shield should work safely on the 3.3V ESP32. The Blue Shield will work safely on the 3.3V ESP32.

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 4:35pm

Thanks again!!

I will measure it with the blue plate since the red one I returned it because it had the same problem.

Also, is it normal for the screen to look like this? It's the second ...

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 5:10pm

No, it is not normal.

What worries me is:

I have run all the examples and the only change I made was to set the driver ...

I do not know what you mean. You should not change any code, driver, ...
You should just plug together, compile and run.

If the photo in #5 came from graphictest_kbv.ino the second shield is broken.

I would not trust anything from LCDWIKI.

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 5:46pm

Gracias, David.

Acabo de procesar la devolución. Bendita Amazona …

Es la segunda pantalla. He comprado uno con interfaz SPI de aliexpress y espero que finalmente funcione correctamente.

Aún así, ¿algún proveedor de confianza en Amazon para este tipo de productos con envío a España?

¡Gracias!

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 5:57pm

Google Translate says:

Thanks, David.

I just processed the return. Blessed Amazon ...

It is the second screen. I have bought one with SPI interface from aliexpress and hope it finally works properly.

Still, any trusted supplier on Amazon for this type of product with shipping to Spain?

I don't know about Spain.

I buy something from UK if I want it quickly.
Or buy from China if I want it cheap.

Ebay will refund you if the item is damaged.
Any company that asks you to return the item to China should pay for the service.
Returning an item to a local company is ok.

It looks as if Amazon asks you to return the screen. Then sells the damaged screen to another customer.

Seriously, please answer my question:

I do not know what you mean. You should not change any code, driver, ...
You should just plug together, compile and run.

What did you do ?

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 6:04pm

Sorry. I have not commented on it.

In the end I have reinstalled the IDE libraries (I have left only MCUFriend_kbv and Adafruit GFX) and I have run graphics_test again and this is the result ...

EDIT: In this last test I have not modified anything of the sketch ...

david_prentice · December 20, 2020, 6:11pm

Google translate says

I'm sorry. I have not commented on it.

In the end I have reinstalled the IDE libraries (I have only left MCUFriend_kbv and Adafruit GFX) and I have run graphics_test again and this is the result ...

It looks broken to me.

I would be much happier if you re-installed MCUFRIEND_kbv and Adafruit GFX via the Library Manager and showed a photo of a Shield plugged into a Uno.
It may sound silly but some people do not know how to plug male pins into female sockets (as Nature intended).

David.

OsMaGa2016 · December 20, 2020, 6:28pm

Sin ningún problema. Después de la ayuda que me estás dando es lo mínimo que puedo hacer ...

En la primera imagen, me aseguré de que los pines de 3.3V en la pantalla coincidan con los del UNO R3