1.8 Inch SPI TFT LCD Display Module 128x160 for Arduino

A small colour display with a card slot

This 1.8 inch SPI TFT LCD module is a small, colourful display breakout that uses 4-wire SPI communication with a pixel-addressable frame buffer. The ST7735R driver shows full 18-bit colour, giving 262,144 shades.

A 3.3 V regulator and a 3/5 V level shifter make it safe to use with both 3.3 V and 5 V microcontrollers, and a micro SD holder lets you load bitmaps from FAT16 or FAT32 cards.

Using it

The module has a white backlight with a backlight control circuit and needs at least four I/O pins on your microcontroller. It is compatible with the QD-UTFT library for Arduino and many other ST7735 libraries. The resolution is 128 x 160 and the input voltage is 3.3 to 5 V.

For a first test, wire power, ground, clock, data, chip select and reset, then run a library's graphics demo to draw text and shapes. Use the SD socket to display photos once the basic display works.

Who it is for

Hobbyists who want a small, cheap colour display for gauges, badges and small dashboards on Arduino and other boards.

Wiring tips

Connect the module's VCC to 3.3 V or 5 V, GND to ground and the SPI pins (SCK, MOSI, CS, DC and RESET) to your microcontroller. If the colours look wrong, swap the red and blue order in the library settings. For smooth graphics, draw only the parts of the screen that change instead of clearing the whole display each time.

Questions buyers ask

What is the resolution?

128 x 160 pixels.

Which driver does it use?

An ST7735R.

What voltage does it accept?

3.3 to 5 V.

Does it have an SD card socket?

Yes.

How many pins does it need?

At least four I/O pins for SPI.