DFRobot - 8.8" 480×1920 DSI Bar Touch display for Raspberry Pi

1. Introduction

This is a unique 8.8-inch capacitive touch bar-type display with a resolution of 480×1920 and a distinctive aspect ratio of 4:1. It supports the Raspberry Pi DSI interface, allowing for the quick development of specialized Raspberry Pi applications.

In information display projects, the display screen is the most direct medium of experience. It needs to present information in an intuitive and neatly organized manner while accommodating richer content. Compared to conventional aspect ratio displays, bar-type displays, with their unique aspect ratio, allow for more intuitive and focused presentation of information. They are widely used in scenarios such as station advertising, supermarket advertising, elevator advertising, smart homes, and in-vehicle displays.

In terms of product quality and specifications, this bar-type display adopts IPS panel technology, optical bonding, and offers a brightness of 600cd/m², combined with a high-definition resolution of 480×1920. This ensures wide viewing angles, fast response times, fine and bright images, and high color reproduction. Additionally, the support for five-point capacitive touch makes project interaction more concise and intuitive.

So, what cool and useful applications can be created with a Raspberry Pi-supported touch bar-type display?

Counter and shelf advertising screens:

Based on the Raspberry Pi's powerful multimedia capabilities, dynamic videos of products, product introductions, and prices can be simultaneously displayed on the bar-type screen.

Desktop screens:

The study or office desk is always an important application scenario for displays. The unique aspect ratio of the bar-type display allows it to be used for functions such as photo album display, information and news push, music spectrum analyzer, video and animation playback, and weather display. It can showcase a personalized desktop in a cool way.

Measurement instruments and equipment:

In measurement devices, using a bar-type display allows for neater and more intuitive layout, with richer content displayed without the need for frequent switching or paging. Additionally, the bar-type aspect ratio allows for smaller device sizes, making installation and use more flexible.

Not limited to the above scenarios, bar-type displays have even more diverse and interesting applications, such as gaming consoles, smart home appliance modifications, advanced calculators, robot control centers, and IoT control terminals, among others.

2. Features

• 480×1920 high-definition resolution
• 1:4 bar-type display aspect ratio
• 600cd/m² high brightness
• IPS panel
• Full bonding process
• 5-point capacitive touch
• Raspberry Pi DSI driver
• Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3B/3B+/4B

3. Application

• Music spectrum analyzer
• Advanced calculator
• Mini weather station
• Simulator gaming console
• IoT terminal data panel
• Electronic photo album
• Touchscreen digital control panel
• Car modification dashboard
• Measurement instrument panel
• Robot display panel

4. Specifications

Basic Parameters

Screen Parameters

5. Dimensional Diagram

6. Function Indicator Diagram

7. Raspberry Pi User Guide

7.1 Installing the Display Driver

Before connecting the display, the Raspberry Pi needs to install the driver for this screen.

The current display driver supports the following Raspberry Pi kernel versions (only 64-bit systems are supported): 6.1.x.x and 6.6.x.x.

To check the Raspberry Pi system kernel version, enter the command uname -r in the command line terminal.

Driver Installation Steps:

1. Download the deb package and install it on the Raspberry Pi system.

   Click to download: dfrobot-8-8-inch-dsi-20240322.zip

2. Open the command line terminal and install the dependencies by executing the following command:

   sudo apt install -y make raspberrypi-kernel-headers
   

3. Install the deb package, ensuring that superuser privileges are used for installation.

   sudo dpkg -i dfrobot-8-8-inch-dsi-20240322.deb
   

4. After installation, reboot the system.

   sudo reboot
   

7.2 Hardware Connection

After the software driver installation is complete, proceed with connecting the display.

Taking the Raspberry Pi 4B as an example, the hardware connection diagram is as follows:

• Step 1: Connect the display and Raspberry Pi.

  

• Step 2: Install Raspberry Pi 4B.

  Align the four mounting holes on the Raspberry Pi with the PCB standoffs on the driver board, and secure them with installation screws. Note: After installation, please check if the spring plunger is correctly aligned with the 5V and GND pins on the Raspberry Pi.

• Step 3: Power the Raspberry Pi or display driver board.

7.3 Display Orientation Settings

Initial Display Orientation Setup

• Step 1: Click on the Start menu → Preferences → Screen Configuration → Layout → Screens → DSI-1 → Touchscreen → GT911 Touchscreen (This step is only required for the initial display orientation setup).

• Step 2: Click on the Start menu → Preferences → Screen Configuration → Layout → Screens → DSI-1 → Orientation

  Select the desired display rotation angle in the Orientation section:
  normal = 0°
  right = 90°
  inverted = 180°
  left = 270°
  

• Step 3: After selecting the desired rotation, click on Apply. A dialog box will appear, connect a mouse and click OK, otherwise the settings will not take effect. Then close the dialog box.

• Step 4: A dialog box will prompt for a restart, click OK to restart and apply the settings (This step is only required for the initial display orientation setup).

Adjusting Display Orientation Again

• Step 1: Click on the Start menu → Preferences → Screen Configuration → Layout → Screens → DSI-1 → Orientation.
• Step 2: After selecting the desired rotation, click on Apply. A dialog box will appear, connect a mouse and click OK, otherwise the settings will not take effect. Then close the dialog box to complete the setup.

7.4 Backlight Settings

This product supports software backlight adjustment and is set to the highest brightness by default.

To adjust the backlight brightness, you can use the following command:

sudo su  # Switch to superuser first
echo 255 > /sys/class/backlight/dfrobot/brightness  # The backlight adjustment range is 0-255

8. Download Resources

• FIT0941_3D_File.zip
• FIT0941_2D_CAD.zip

9. Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q: Do I need to assemble the display and Raspberry Pi together to use them?

   A: It is not necessary. They can be used separately. When using them separately, make sure to provide power to the USB-C interfaces of both the Raspberry Pi and the display individually.

2. Q: I connected the display to the Raspberry Pi, but it is not turning on. What should I do?

   A: Please check if you have correctly installed the display driver. Without the driver installed, the display will not turn on after connecting it.

For any questions, advice or cool ideas to share, please visit the DFRobot Forum.