Example Code for Arduino - Drive a Display on ESP32-S3
Last revision 2026/02/05
Hardware Preparation
FireBeetle 2 ESP32-S3 AI Board with OV2640 Camera x 1
Software Preparation
When you use the ESP32 for the first time, you need to know the following steps:
-
Add the ESP32 development board in Arduino IDE (How to add the ESP32 board to Arduino IDE?)
-
Select the development board and serial port
-
Burn the program
Sample Code
The example is for driving 1.8”128x160 IPS TFT LCD on ESP32-S3. Please download DFRobot_GDL library before use.
#include "DFRobot_GDL.h"
#define TFT_DC 3
#define TFT_CS 18
#define TFT_RST 38
DFRobot_ST7735_128x160_HW_SPI screen(/*dc=*/TFT_DC,/*cs=*/TFT_CS,/*rst=*/TFT_RST);
/* M0 mainboard DMA transfer */
//DFRobot_ST7735_128x160_DMA_SPI screen(/*dc=*/TFT_DC,/*cs=*/TFT_CS,/*rst=*/TFT_RST);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
screen.begin();
}
void loop(){
testLine();
testFastLines(COLOR_RGB565_PURPLE,COLOR_RGB565_YELLOW);
testRects(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK,COLOR_RGB565_WHITE);
testRoundRects();
testCircles(24,COLOR_RGB565_BLUE);
testTriangles(COLOR_RGB565_YELLOW);
testPrint();
}
void testLine(){
uint16_t color = 0x00FF;
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
for (int16_t x=0; x < screen.width(); x+=6) {
screen.drawLine(/*x0=*/screen.width()/*Screen width*//2, /*y0=*/screen.height()/*Screen height*//2, /*x1=*/x, /*y1=*/0, /*c=*/color+=0x0700);
}
for (int16_t y=0; y < screen.height(); y+=6) {
screen.drawLine(screen.width()/2, screen.height()/2, screen.width(), y, color+=0x0700);
}
for (int16_t x = screen.width(); x >= 0; x-=6) {
screen.drawLine(screen.width()/2, screen.height()/2, x,screen.height(), color+=0x0700);
}
for (int16_t y = screen.height(); y >= 0; y-=6) {
screen.drawLine(screen.width()/2, screen.height()/2, 0, y, color+=0x0700);
}
}
void testFastLines(uint16_t color1, uint16_t color2) {
for (int16_t y=0; y < screen.height(); y+=4) {
screen.drawFastHLine(/*x=*/0, /*y=*/y, /*w=*/screen.width(),/*c=*/color2);
delay(10);
}
for(int16_t x=0; x < screen.width(); x+=3) {
screen.drawFastVLine(/*x=*/x, /*y=*/0, /*h=*/screen.height(), /*c=*/color1);
delay(10);
}
}
void testRects(uint16_t color1, uint16_t color2) {
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
int16_t x=screen.width()-12;
for (; x > 100; x-=screen.width()/40) {
screen.drawRect(/*x=*/screen.width()/2 -x/2, /*y=*/screen.height()/2 -x/2 , /*w=*/x, /*h=*/x, /*color=*/color2+=0x0F00);
delay(100);
}
screen.fillRect(/*x=*/screen.width()/2 -x/2, /*y=*/screen.height()/2 -x/2 , /*w=*/x, /*h=*/x, /*color=*/color2);
delay(100);
for(; x > 6; x-=screen.width()/40){
screen.drawRect(screen.width()/2 -x/2, screen.height()/2 -x/2 , x, x, color1);
delay(100);
}
}
void testRoundRects() {
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
int color = 0xF00F;
int i;
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
int w = screen.width()-3;
int h = screen.height()-3;
for(i = 0 ; i <= 10; i+=2) {
screen.drawRoundRect(/*x0=*/x, /*y0=*/y, /*w=*/w, /*h=*/h, /*radius=*/20, /*color=*/color);
x+=5;
y+=5;
w-=10;
h-=10;
color+=0x0100;
delay(50);
}
for(i = 0 ; i <= 10; i+=2) {
screen.fillRoundRect(/*x0=*/x, /*y0=*/y, /*w=*/w, /*h=*/h, /*radius=*/10, /*color=*/color);
x+=5;
y+=5;
w-=10;
h-=10;
color+=0x0500;
delay(50);
}
}
void testCircles(uint8_t radius, uint16_t color) {
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
for (int16_t x=radius; x <=screen.width()-radius; x+=radius*2) {
for (int16_t y=radius; y <=screen.height()-radius; y+=radius*2) {
screen.drawCircle(/*x0=*/x, /*y0=*/y, /*r=*/radius, /*color=*/color);
if(x == y ||x == -y ||x == y + 2*radius)
screen.fillCircle(/*x0=*/x, /*y0=*/y, /*r=*/radius, /*color=*/color);
color += 800;
delay(100);
}
}
}
void testTriangles(uint16_t color){
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
for (int16_t i=0; i <=screen.width(); i+=24)
screen.drawTriangle(/*x0=*/i,/*y0=*/0,/*x1=*/0,/*y1=*/screen.height()-i,/*x2=*/screen.width()-i,/*y2=*/screen.height(), /*color=*/color);
for (int16_t i=0; i <screen.width(); i+=24)
screen.drawTriangle(screen.width(),i*4/3,0,screen.height()-i*4/3,i,0, color);
for (int16_t i=0; i <screen.width(); i+=24)
screen.drawTriangle(screen.width(),i*4/3,i,0,screen.width()-i,screen.height(), color);
color = COLOR_RGB565_RED;
for (int16_t i=0; i <=screen.width(); i+=24)
screen.fillTriangle(/*x0=*/i,/*y0=*/0,/*x1=*/0,/*y1=*/screen.height()-i,/*x2=*/screen.width()-i,/*y2=*/screen.height(), /*color=*/color+=100);
for (int16_t i=0; i <screen.width(); i+=24)
screen.fillTriangle(screen.width(),i*4/3,0,screen.height()-i*4/3,i,0, color+=100);
for (int16_t i=0; i <screen.width(); i+=24)
screen.fillTriangle(screen.width(),i*4/3,i,0,screen.width()-i,screen.height(), color+=100);
}
void testPrint() {
int16_t color = 0x00FF;
screen.setTextWrap(false);
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
screen.setCursor(0, 50);
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
screen.setTextSize(0);
screen.println("Hello World!");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
screen.setTextSize(1);
screen.println("Hello World!");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
screen.setTextSize(2);
screen.println("Hello World!");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
screen.setTextSize(3);
screen.println("Hello World!");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000)
screen.setTextSize(4);
screen.println("Hello!");
screen.setTextSize(5);
screen.print("Hello!");
delay(2000);
screen.setCursor(0, 0);
screen.fillScreen(COLOR_RGB565_BLACK);
screen.setTextSize(2);
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
screen.print("a = ");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
int a = 1234;
screen.println(a, 1);
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x3000);
screen.print(8675309, HEX);
screen.println("this is HEX!");
screen.println("");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x0F00);
screen.println("running for: ");
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x0F00);
screen.print(millis());
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x0F00);
screen.println("/1000 seconds.");
char text[] = "Hi DFRobot!";
screen.setTextColor(color+=0x0F00);
screen.setTextWrap(true);
screen.setTextSize(3);
screen.println(text);
//screen.setFonts((const gdl_Font_t *)SIMKAIFont18ptBitmaps);
screen.println(text);
delay(2000);
}
Other Supplementary Information
The DFRbot dedicated GDI display interface is for connecting a screen using a 18pin-FPC wire.
Displays that support GDI:
- 1.54" 240x240 IPS wide viewing angle TFT display
- 1.8" 128x160 IPS TFT LCD Display
- 2.0" 320x240 IPS wide viewing angle TFT display
- 2.8" 320x240 IPS TFT resistive touch display
- 3.5" 480x320 IPS TFT capacitive touch display
- 1.51" OLED Transparent Display with Converter
The pin list for using GDI display interface is shown below:
| FPC PINS | Beetle ESP32 S3 Pins | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | 3V3 | 3.3V |
| LCD_BL | 21/D13 | Backlight |
| GND | GND | GND |
| SCLK | 17/SCK | SPI clock |
| MOSI | 15/MOSI | Host output, slave input |
| MISO | 16/MISO | Host input, slave output |
| LCD_DC | 3/D2 | Data/command |
| LCD_RST | 38/D3 | Reset |
| LCD_CS | 18/D6 | TFT Chip Select |
| SD_CS | 9/D7 | SD card chip select |
| FCS | 7/D6 | Font library chip select |
| TCS | 12/D12 | Touch chip select |
| SCL | 2/SCL | I2C clock |
| SDA | 1/SDA | I2C data |
| INT | 13/D11 | INT |
| BUSY | 4/D10 | Tearproof pins |
| X1 | NC | Custom pin 1 |
| X2 | NC | Custom pin 2 |
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