Build Instructions

Collapse

• 1

  Watch the Video

  Before you start this project it might be a good idea to watch the video I made.

  Watched the video? Let's get the parts you'll need!

• 2

  Get the Parts You'll Need

  This project contains two main parts, a Raspberry Pi Pico and an ILI9488 TFT with touchscreen. You can buy these from various resellers. I have provided some links where you can get them. You will also need a way to connect the screen to the Pico. You can use a breadboard and breadboard wires, use a prototype board and solder everything together, or you can use a combiner PCB I designed.

  Raspberry Pi Pico: Buy from the PiHut

  ILI9488 TFT with Touch: Buy on AliExpress *

  
  You can order the PCB directly from PCBWay, or download the Gerber files and use your favorite PCB manufacturer.

  Order from PCBWay: Pico + TFT Combiner *

  Download Gerbers: Download from Github

  Not all ILI9488 TFT screens are created equally. It is important to make sure you have selected a screen with touch! *Full disclosure: these are affiliate links

• 3

  Hardware: Connect the TFT Screen to the Pico

  The wiring may seem a bit daunting at first. But don't let all the wires scare you. It is pretty straight forward. The images above will help you when you wire your TFT + Touchscreen to your Pi Pico.

  This is also decision making time. There are few options when it comes to connecting the two together. You can use a breadboard, you can use prototyping board or you can order a PCB specifically to connect the ILI9488 + touch to the Pi Pico. I'd like to point out that the breadboard option is only an option for testing your connections and screen. It is not very practical to have on your desk and loose connections can cause problems.

  It is important to know that these screens run at 3.3V. Connecting them to 5V can cause damage!

  These are the connection from the Pi Pico to the TFT:

  3.3V -> VCC and LED

  GND -> GND

  GP20 -> CS

  GP21 -> RESET

  GP22 - > DC/RS

  GP3 -> SDI(MOSI) and T_DIN

  GP2 -> SCK and T_CLK

  GP14 -> T_CS

  GP0 -> T_DO

  GP15 -> T_IRQ

  SDO(MISO) is not used for the TFT screen, so you are left with one unconnected pin on the TFT module. That's ok!

  If you are using the Pico + TFT Combiner, there is only one way it will fit. My advise it to use header pins so you can unplug your Pico and screen to use it in a different project, or if for some reason the screen or Pico do not work you can replace them.

  If you decide to solder the Pico and screen directly to the combiner board, It is important to solder the Pico to the board first! Because if you solder the TFT first, you won't be able to solder the Pico to the board anymore!

View all 8 instructions