The ST7789 LCDs (liquid crystal displays) are available in various shapes and sizes, from the widely accepted 240x240px LCD to the 172x320px rounded-corner LCD. Various embedded systems utilize these LCDs for different purposes.
You can develop a project for many applications that use the ST7789 LCD to visualize the device parameters. Let's look at the ST7789 LCDs and explore the projects that utilize them.
Introduction to ST7789 LCD
The ST7789 is a single-chip controller for TFT (thin film transistor) LCDs. An ST7789 LCD is a small color display module used in embedded systems and consumer electronics.
An ST7789 LCD has a resolution of up to 320x240 pixels and supports color depths of 65K and 262K. It supports SPI (serial peripheral interface) and 8080 parallel interfaces. Besides, it features low power consumption and a built-in frame buffer that reduces the need for continuous data transfer.
The ST7789 LCDs are versatile and cost-effective modules. You can see the common ST7789 LCD modules below.
240x240px LCD
The 240x240px ST7789-controlled LCD has a high resolution and provides details in a small form factor. It can be used for wearable and handheld devices.
The 1.3-inch version without the breakout board costs roughly $1.75 on AliExpress. However, if you want a high-end, 1.54-inch version with the breakout board from Adafruit, prepare to pay $17.50 on the official Adafruit website.
172x320 Rounded-corner LCD
The 172x320px ST7789 LCD can be used in compact space and fits well in wearable devices. A 172x320px ST7789-controlled rounded-corner LCD without the breakout board can be bought on AliExpress for around $2.84.
320x240px LCD
A 320x240px ST7789-controlled LCD operates at 3.3V. It is used in embedded systems, portable devices, IoT devices, and consumer electronics. The price of that LCD without the breakout board starts at roughly $3.9 on AliExpress.
Breakout PCBs of ST7789-controlled LCDs
Breakout PCBs are used for prototyping testing, allowing designers and engineers to test and integrate components quickly. Someone made the two-sided breakout PCBs for ST7789-controlled LCDs. Let's examine them.
The first PCB is designed to accommodate the 1.3-inch 240x240px ST7789-controlled LCD, enabling it to interact with the microcontroller using the SPI bus.
The PCB has the soldering pad for the 12-pin LCD connector as well as the pads for the SMD components and pins that are connected to the MCU.
The second PCB is designed to accommodate the 2-inch 320x240px ST7789-controlled LCD, enabling it to interact with the microcontroller using the SPI bus. Similar to the previous one, this PCB has the soldering pads for the 12-pin LCD connector, SMD, and pins.
Application of ST7789 LCDs
ST7789-controlled LCDs are used in embedded systems, IoT devices, wearable devices, and consumer electronics. In the electronics community, below are many ST7789 LCD projects showing what this TFT display module can do. Each project below demonstrates a specific application of the ST7789-controlled LCD.
n-watch v2.0 (Smart Watch)
The n-watch v2.0 (Smart Watch) is an open-source, ESP32-D0WDQ6-V3-based DIY smartwatch. It benefits from a custom double-sided PCB on which all components are placed. The watch employs the 240x240px ST7789-controlled display, 150mah LiPo battery, SHT20 temperature sensor, TP4054 battery charger, CP2104 USB to UART IC, and W25Q32JVZPIQ Flash IC.
ESP32 custom board with ST7789 LCD
The "ESP32 custom board with ST7789" is a DIY development board based on the ESP32. Its PCB is also two-sided, allowing more efficient use of the available space. On the PCB, there are the 240x240px ST7789-controlled LCD, 8MB of PSRAM, buttons, SD card slot, and other components mounted.
Midbar (STM32F401CCU6 + Arduino Uno Version)
Midbar (STM32F401CCU6 + Arduino Uno Version) is a hardware data vault. It is designed to make unauthorized access to personal data very difficult. It uses a sophisticated encryption algorithm with incorporated integrity verification.
Midbar securely stores sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card details, notes, and phone numbers. Access requires a master password and four RFID cards.
It has a 320x240px ST7789-controlled LCD. The LCD shows the lock screen, input tabs, the device menu, decrypted records, and various inscriptions.
BLE Smart Notification for Riding
The "BLE Smart Notification for Riding" project utilizes the 1.3-inch 240x240px ST7789-controlled display, ESP32 development board, and the DC step-down buck converter, all placed inside the waterproof case. The 1.3-inch 240x240px ST7789-controlled display shows the notifications from the phone.
DIY IoT Electronic Shelf Label With Google Firebase V2.0
The "DIY IoT Electronic Shelf Label With Google Firebase V2.0" project is a budget-friendly electronic shelf labeling solution. It is designed to display product information in retail settings. It uses the ESP8266 microcontroller to communicate with Google Firebase. It downloads the necessary image from Firebase, decrypts it, and stores the decrypted image.
Arduino Watch
The "Arduino Watch" project is an Arduino-based watch that consists of a Sparkfun Pro Micro 3.3V 8MHz development board, a 240x240px ST7789-controlled 1.3-inch IPS LCD, a DS3231M real-time clock (RTC), a LiPo battery, and other parts. The display ST7789-controlled TFT LCD utilized by this project shows the clock face, as well as three arrows.
The B.U.R.N. Meter: Rechargeable Arduino UV Index Meter
The "B.U.R.N. Meter: Rechargeable Arduino UV Index Meter" measures UV radiation using the GUVA-S12SD UV sensor. It calculates the UV index based on these measurements. The device has a 240x240px ST7789-controlled 1.3-inch LCD. This screen displays the current UV index, recommended exposure time before a sunburn, battery level, and a color-changing image based on the radiation level.
Game & MINTIA
The Game & MINTIA project is a DIY NES-style game console built using a TTGO T7 v1.3 board, a 240x240px ST7789-controlled 1.54-inch LCD, a Lipo 303040 battery, a MAX98357 I2S DAC, and a tiny speaker.
Build Your Own Temperature Monitor with Meadow
The "Build Your Own Temperature Monitor with Meadow" project utilizes the Meadow F7 development board, LM35 temperature sensor, and a 240x240px ST7789-controlled LCD that displays the room temperature read by the LM35 sensor.
One-stop PCBA Manufacturer for IoT Systems, Wearable Devices, etc.
The above projects show that the ST7789 LCD can be used in IoT systems, wearable devices, consumer electronics, etc. However, they are DIY projects. If you develop a project using ST7789-controlled LCD for business purposes, you can work with PCBONLINE, which ensures the success of your project design and provides one-stop PCBA manufacturing.
Founded in 1999, PCBONLINE has two large advanced PCB manufacturing bases, one PCB assembly factory, stable supply chains, and an R&D team. By working with PCBONLINE, you can not only have your project put in one-stop manufacturing from prototypes to bulk production but also improve your design and ensure the project's success.
PCBONLINE offers free DFM (design for manufacturing) in the R&D and prototyping phases, including BOM and PCB design checks, solving potential manufacturing and testing issues, reducing component procurement costs, etc.
PCBONLINE can provide both the R&D and electronics manufacturing and assembly for your IoT project using ST7789 LCD.
You can have turnkey PCBA manufacturing for your IoT project, including prototyping, PCB fabrication, component sourcing, PCB assembly, IC burning-in programming, comprehensive testing, enclosures, and box-build assembly.
High-quality IoT PCBA manufacturing certified with ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, RoHS, REACH, UL, and IPC-A-610 Class 2/3.
PCBONLINE offers free final product samples, PCBA functional testing, and R&D for bulk production orders.
PCBONLINE has rich R&D and manufacturing experience for IoT PCBA, wearable devices, embedded systems, and consumer electronics. Whether your project uses ST7789 or not, we can ensure the success of your design and project manufacturing through DFM and one-on-one engineering support. To get a quote, please email info@pcbonline.com.
Conclusion
The ST7789-controlled LCDs are convenient to add to your project. If one is not enough for you, you can even add several of them simultaneously. ST7789-controlled LCDs are used in IoT systems, wearable electronics, consumer electronics, and embedded systems. To turn your ST7789 LCD PCBA project idea into reality, work with PCBONLINE at one stop and ensure success.
PCB assembly at PCBONLINE.pdf
