electronics tutorial

Arduino with OLED Display

Overview

In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to connect and program one of the most popular components in the maker community: the OLED display. Whether you are looking to display sensor data, create custom animations, in general - add a user interface to your Arduino project, this guide covers all the basics.

In the accompanying video, I walk you through:

  • Hardware Setup: Understanding I2C vs SPI and 3.3V vs 5V logic.
  • Driver Distinctions: The difference between SSD1306 and SH1106 drivers.
  • Basic Drawing: Displaying text and geometric shapes.
  • Motion: Implementing scrolling text.
  • Graphics: Converting and displaying custom images (bitmaps).

Why OLED?

OLED displays replaced LCDs in many projects because they are more energy-efficient, have better contrast and are more compact. They are also more durable and have a longer lifespan than LCDs. They are unarguably better.

Quick start

For this project, I am using an [Arduino Nano 33 BLE] Sense(https://docs.arduino.cc/hardware/nano-33-ble-sense/), but the code and wiring are compatible with the classic Arduino Uno and Nano as well.

Identifying Your Display Before wiring, check your pins to identify the communication protocol:

  • I2C (Used in this tutorial): Pins labeled SCL and SDA.
  • SPI: Pins labeled DC, CS, etc.

I2C Wiring Guide

  • VCC → Connect to 3.3V (Most displays tolerate 5V, but check your specs).
  • GND → Connect to Ground.
  • SCL (Serial Clock) → Connect to A5.
  • SDA (Serial Data) → Connect to A4.

To get the display running, you need to install two specific libraries: Adafruit GFX Library and Adafruit SSD1306 and load on of the available code snippets

More details and explanations in the video!