2.4" TFT LCD Breakout with Touch - getting started

This page provides the essential information for getting started, including board and library installation.

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Arduino library

To install the Arduino library, you can use the Arduino library manager or download it from the GitHub repository:

Soldered TFT LCD Arduino Library

TFT LCD Arduino library by Soldered

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First-time Arduino user? For a detailed tutorial on how to get started with Arduino, see this section of our docs:

Getting started with Arduino

A full, comprehensive tutorial on how to fully set up and upload code for the first time on an Arduino board, from scratch!

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How to Connect the TFT LCD Breakout 2.4"

The TFT LCD Breakout 2.4" with Touch display can be connected to any ESP32 or other microcontroller with SPI support. It uses standard SPI for display data and an additional SPI chip select pin for touch input. Below is a general guide for wiring and initializing the display and touchscreen using user-defined GPIO pins.

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Pin Connection Table

TFT LCD Pin	Function	Microcontroller Role / Pin Type	Notes
VCC	Power	3.3V or 5V power output	Powers the display and backlight.
GND	Ground	GND	Common ground connection.
CLK	SPI Clock	SPI Clock (SCK)	Shared with other SPI devices if needed.
DI	SPI Data (MOSI)	SPI MOSI	Sends data to the display.
D0	SPI Data (MISO)	SPI MISO	Required for touchscreen functionality.
CSL	TFT Chip Select	Any free digital GPIO	Used in display constructor as TFT_CSL.
DC	Data/Command Select	Any free digital GPIO	Used in display constructor as TFT_DC.
RST	Reset (optional)	Any GPIO or -1	Set to -1 in code if not connected. Optional hardware reset.
CST	Touch Chip Select	Any free digital GPIO	Used in touchscreen constructor: TFTTouch ts(<pin>).
BL	Backlight	VCC or PWM-capable GPIO	Connect to 3.3V or 5V for always-on, or a PWM pin for dimming.

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Example Code

#include "SPI.h"
#include "Adafruit_GFX.h"
#include "TFT-LCD-Breakout-2.4-With-Touch-SOLDERED.h"

// User-defined pins
#define TFT_CSL  25  // TFT Chip Select
#define TFT_DC   33  // TFT Data/Command
#define TFT_RST  -1  // Use -1 if RST not connected
#define TOUCH_CS 5   // Touchscreen Chip Select

// Use VSPI on ESP32
SPIClass vspi(VSPI);

// Initialize display and touchscreen
TFTDisplay tft(TFT_CSL, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);
TFTTouch ts(TOUCH_CS);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);

  // Initialize VSPI with SCK, MISO, MOSI
  vspi.begin(18, 19, 23);

  // Optionally set SPI speed (e.g., 40 MHz)
  vspi.setFrequency(40000000);

  // Begin display and touch
  tft.begin();
  ts.begin();

  // Optional touchscreen calibration
  ts.calibrate(540, 1000, 34, 460); // Adjust values as needed

  // Clear screen
  tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK);
}

void loop() {
  // Your code here: draw shapes, detect touch, etc.
}

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Tips

• The D0/MISO pin must be connected for the touchscreen to function properly.
• Use vspi.setFrequency(40000000); to manually adjust SPI speed if necessary.
• Ensure your board has stable power—some displays may require up to 100mA during full backlight and drawing operations.