Interfacing a TFT Display with STM32

Components Required

• STM32 development board (e.g., STM32F103C8T6)
• ILI9341 TFT display
• Jumper wires
• STM32CubeIDE
• Power supply for STM32 board

Step 1: Wiring the TFT Display

Connect the ILI9341 TFT display to your STM32 board as follows:

TFT Display    | STM32 Pin
---------------|-------------
VCC            | 3.3V
GND            | GND
SDA (MOSI)     | PA7
SCK (CLK)      | PA5
DC/RS          | PA4
CS             | PA3
RESET          | PA2
        

Step 2: Set Up the STM32 Project

1. Open STM32CubeIDE and create a new STM32 project.

2. Configure the GPIO pins for the SPI interface:

• Set the mode for the pins connected to SDA, SCK, DC/RS, CS, and RESET to "Output".
• Configure the SPI peripheral (e.g., SPI1) with the correct parameters (mode, baud rate, etc.).

3. Initialize the project to include the STM32 HAL library.

Step 3: Include Required Libraries

Download and include the TFT_eSPI library or a similar library compatible with STM32 to manage the display.

// Include necessary libraries
#include "stm32f1xx_hal.h"
#include "TFT_eSPI.h" // Make sure to use a compatible library
        

Step 4: Initialize the TFT Display

In your main code file, initialize the TFT display:

TFT_eSPI tft = TFT_eSPI(); // Create TFT object

void setup() {
    HAL_Init(); // Initialize HAL
    tft.begin(); // Initialize the TFT
    tft.setRotation(1); // Set orientation
    tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK); // Clear screen with black color
}
        

Step 5: Displaying Text and Graphics

To draw text or graphics on the TFT display, use the library functions. Here’s an example of displaying text:

void loop() {
    tft.setTextColor(TFT_WHITE);
    tft.setTextSize(2);
    tft.setCursor(10, 10);
    tft.println("Hello, STM32!");
    
    // Draw a rectangle
    tft.fillRect(20, 40, 100, 50, TFT_RED);
    
    delay(1000); // Wait for a second
}
        

Step 6: Compile and Upload

Compile your project in STM32CubeIDE, ensure there are no errors, and upload the code to your STM32 board.

Conclusion

You have successfully interfaced a TFT display with an STM32 microcontroller! This setup can be expanded for more complex graphics and user interfaces.