The LCD Display Shield is a 3.2-inch TFT display module with a resolution of 480x320 pixels and an HX8357C driver IC. It is designed to be used as a shield on top of an Arduino board, making it easy to connect and use. The module has a 16-bit parallel interface and requires a power supply of 5V. It does not have touch functionality, The module does not have touch functionality, and consumes 80-110 mA of power.

 

Package Includes:

• 1 x LCD Display Shield HX8357C 3.2-inch TFT

 

Features:

• The HX8357C driver IC used in this display shield offers excellent color reproduction and fast refresh rates, making it suitable for use in multimedia applications and games.
• The display shield features a 16-bit parallel data bus, which allows for fast data transfer between the display and the host device.
• The shield is designed to be compatible with both 5V and 3.3V logic levels, which makes it easy to integrate into a wide range of projects.
• With the SD card adapter on the back of the shield, it is easy to store and retrieve images, videos, or other data without needing to use additional hardware.
• The shield is designed to be easily connected to an Arduino Mega or Arduino Due board, with a simple plug-and-play setup process.
• The shield does not have touch functionality, which means it may not be suitable for projects that require touch-based input.
• The display size of 3.2 inches is large enough to display detailed information, but small enough to be used in projects with limited space.
• The backlight of the display shield is composed of 6 LEDs, which provide even lighting across the entire display.
• The shield has low power consumption, with a maximum power draw of 110mA, which is important for projects that require long battery life.

 

Description:

The Display Shield 3.2 inch TFT 480x320 HX8357C is a high-quality display module designed for use in various microcontroller-based projects. This display shield features a 16-bit parallel data bus that allows for fast data transfer between the display and the host device. This makes it ideal for use in applications that require real-time graphics, such as gaming, multimedia, or data visualization. The HX8357C driver IC used in this display shield offers excellent color reproduction and fast refresh rates, making it suitable for displaying detailed and vibrant images, videos, and animations. The driver IC supports various features such as hardware scrolling, windowing, and anti-aliasing, which further enhance the display's visual quality. One of the standout features of the Display Shield is its SD card adapter on the back, which allows for easy storage and retrieval of images, videos, or other data without requiring additional hardware. This feature is especially useful in projects that require displaying a large number of images or videos. The shield is designed to be compatible with both 5V and 3.3V logic levels, which makes it easy to integrate into a wide range of projects. The shield has a maximum power draw of 110mA, making it an energy-efficient choice for battery-powered applications.

 

Principle of Work:

 

The Display Shield 3.2 inch TFT 480x320 HX8357C operates using a combination of the display module and the HX8357C driver IC. The display module is made up of multiple layers including the glass substrate, a color filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. When an electrical charge is applied to the thin-film transistor layer, it controls the passage of light through the color filter layer to create the displayed image. The HX8357C driver IC acts as a bridge between the microcontroller and the display module. It receives digital signals from the microcontroller and converts them into analog signals that are sent to the display module. The driver IC also contains advanced features such as hardware scrolling, windowing, and anti-aliasing that enhance the display's visual quality. To operate the display shield, a microcontroller such as an Arduino Mega or Due is connected to the shield's 16-bit parallel data bus. The microcontroller sends digital signals to the HX8357C driver IC, which converts them into analog signals that are sent to the display module. The module then displays the desired image or graphics on the screen. The SD card adapter on the back of the shield allows for easy storage and retrieval of images, videos, or other data without requiring additional hardware.

 

Pinout of the Module:

 

The components on the Display Shield 3.2 inch TFT 480x320 HX8357C include:

1. 3.2 inch TFT display module with a resolution of 480x320 pixels
2. HX8357C driver IC for controlling the display
3. 16-bit parallel data bus for fast data transfer between the display and the host device
4. SD card adapter for easy storage and retrieval of images, videos, or other data
5. 6-LED backlight for even lighting across the display
6. 36-pin header for connecting the shield to an Arduino Mega or Arduino Due board
7. 3.3V regulator to ensure compatibility with both 5V and 3.3V logic levels
8. Power and ground pins for connecting external power and ground sources
9. Reset button for resetting the shield
10. Contrast adjustment potentiometer for adjusting the display contrast.

 

Applications:

1. Multimedia: The shield's SD card adapter allows for easy storage and retrieval of images and videos, making it suitable for use in multimedia applications.
2. Data visualization: The shield's large display size and high resolution make it suitable for displaying complex data visualizations, such as charts and graphs.
3. Industrial automation: The shield's high-quality display can be used in industrial automation applications for displaying machine status, process parameters, and other important information.
4. Medical devices: The shield can be used in medical devices for displaying vital signs, medical images, and other medical information.
5. Home automation: The shield can be used in home automation applications for displaying status information, controlling home appliances, and monitoring energy usage.
6. Educational projects: The shield can be used in educational projects for displaying text, images, and other educational content.
7. DIY electronics projects: The shield can be used in various DIY electronics projects that require a high-quality display for displaying information, graphics, or animations.

 

Circuit:

 

No need fo circuit just plug the shield in the Arduino MEGA and you are good to go.

 

Library: 

To install the libraries for the Display Shield, you can download the pre-built libraries from the link below. The libraries are written by Henning Karlsen and are designed to work with specific Arduino boards. Make sure to choose the library that matches the board you are using.

For Arduino Mega, you can download the library from: https://github.com/Bodmer/TFT_HX8357

For Arduino Due, you can download the library from: https://github.com/Bodmer/TFT_HX8357_Due

Once you have downloaded the library, you can install it by following the steps below:

1. Open the Arduino IDE and go to Sketch > Include Library > Add .ZIP Library.
2. Browse to the location where you downloaded the library and select the .ZIP file.
3. Click "Open" to install the library.

After installing the library, you can include it in your project by going to Sketch > Include Library > TFT_HX8357.

 

Code:

This code initializes the Display Shield 3.2 inch TFT 480x320 HX8357C using the TFT_HX8357 library and displays the text "Techmaze. ae" in the center of the screen. The code sets up the display, sets the text size and color, positions the cursor, and prints the text. 

#include "TFT_HX8357.h"

TFT_HX8357 tft = TFT_HX8357();  // Create an instance of the library

void setup() {
  tft.init();                   // Initialize the display
  tft.setRotation(1);           // Set the display rotation (optional)
  tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);    // Fill the screen with black color
  tft.setTextSize(2);           // Set the text size
  tft.setTextColor(TFT_WHITE);  // Set the text color to white
  tft.setCursor(80, 120);       // Set the cursor position to the center of the screen
  tft.print("Techmaze.ae");      // Print the text
}

void loop() {
  // Nothing to do here
}

• #include "TFT_HX8357.h": This line includes the TFT_HX8357 library, which provides functions for interacting with the display shield.
• TFT_HX8357 tft = TFT_HX8357();: This line creates an instance of the TFT_HX8357 library called "TFT".
• void setup() {: This line begins the setup function, which runs once when the program starts.
• tft.init();: This line initializes the display by communicating with the driver IC.
• tft.setRotation(1);: This line sets the display rotation to 1, which means the display is oriented in landscape mode.
• tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);: This line fills the screen with black color.
• tft.setTextSize(2);: This line sets the text size to 2, which is a medium-sized font.
• tft.setTextColor(TFT_WHITE);: This line sets the text color to white.
• tft.setCursor(80, 120);: This line sets the cursor position to (80, 120), which is approximately the center of the screen.
• tft.print("Techmaze.ae");: This line prints the text "Techmaze.ae" on the display.
• }: This line ends the setup function.
• void loop() {: This line begins the loop function, which runs repeatedly after setup.
• // Nothing to do here: This line is a comment and indicates that there is no code to run in the loop function.
• }: This line ends the loop function.

 

 

Technical Details: 

• Size: 3.2 inches
• Resolution: 480x320 pixels
• Active view size: 67.68(W)*42.12(L) (mm)
• Drive IC: HX8357C
• PIN No.: 36Pin (Compatible for Mega2560)
• Backlight: 6 LED
• Touch: No
• Data Bus: 16-bit parallel interface
• Module power: 5V/3.3V
• Power consumption: 80-110 mA
• SD card adapter on the back for storage and retrieval of data
• Compatible with both 5V and 3.3V logic levels

 

Resources:

• Tutorial

 

Comparisons:

The HX8357 and ILI9481 Overall, are two different driver ICs and both are popular driver ICs that are suitable for a range of microcontroller-based projects. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of the project and the available budget, here are some of the differences between the two:

• Color Reproduction: The HX8357 has better color reproduction than the ILI9481, with support for 16 million colors as opposed to the ILI9481's support for 65K colors. This means that the HX8357 can display more vibrant and accurate colors.
• Refresh Rate: The HX8357 has a faster refresh rate compared to the ILI9481. This means that the HX8357 can display fast-moving graphics with less lag and motion blur.
• Price: The HX8357 is generally more expensive than the ILI9481, which may be a consideration for some projects.