One of the limitations that currently surround Arduino, is its limited display capabilities. Absolutely, there are displays available and we often integrate them, but producing quality graphics can be a challenge. Obviously, in an Arduino board there is no on-board display processing, so an external display processor is really required for advanced display hardward.
Pushing display boundaries is part of 4D Systems’ DNA, and their latest product is no different. The IoD-09TH integrates a 0.9” TFT LCD screen, on an ESP8266 WiFi chipset. This is a powerful combination, opening the door to an amazing array of applications.
One of the great features of this amazing device is programming flexibility. In order to make use of some advanced display features, you’ll need to use their custom programming software (it’s free), which is specifically designed to enable amazing graphics and leverage the hardware to its maximum potential. However, this device can still be programmed in the standard Arduino IDE, which makes it even more flexible with a familiar environment. The unit also integrates a MicroSD card slot for storage of images and icons too, so you don’t have to worry about storage limitations either.
Now, anything you would normally task an ESP8266 to do, you can add a quality display for user feedback, input monitoring, and more. The display itself is a 80 x 160 pixel full-colour TFT display, and there’s 6 x GPIO pins available too. Programming is also made familiar with the optional 4D-UPA programming adaptor, which provides USB communication, and power.
Weighing in at just 5g, these tiny but powerful devices are going to make their mark with makers. They’re expected to be available this month.
Grab it online from 4D Systems: