How to Configure 0.6" OLED Full Color Display for Teensy 4.x

[Thundercat]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a project where I want to use a very tiny OLED screen, just 0.6", that is also full color. The screen comes as a bare screen, or with a module.

It would be trivial to hook it up using the module, but the problem is space is at a premium. I don't understand why these companies make tiny screens and then the PCB module doubles the size of it all. I need a PCB to be same size as the screen, or slightly larger.

So I'm posting here becauseI don't know how to design it for this screen. I've designed PCBs, and I have the pinouts of the FPC connector from the manufacturer, but I'm not sure how to correlate them with output for the Teensy 4.x.

Also one more point - the module the manufacturer makes has all sorts of resistors, a big capacitor (looks like), I think a voltage regulator - all stuff I could add, but I don't know what goes where.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure this out.

Here's a link to the screen to start:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005393885200.html

I'm also posting some pix and data that come along with it (they are on that link too):

And here's the pinout data:

For example I have no idea what VCOMH is, or IREF, or VDD or VSS...

Here's a pic of the module they make for it with their pins:

And the rear of the unit with all the resistors and regulator etc:

Is this a huge ask for help in figuring out how to reverse engineer the module so I can make my own PCB? The module they make is just too huge and won't fit the project, and I dearly want to use this screen. I even found a great library for it, a port of the famous Bodmer TFT eSPI, which is thrilling because it's such a great library.

I mean worst case I could buy the module and beep it out, but I've never done that before and I'm concerned I might miss something important or accidentally screw it up. I believe they add all those components for a reason.

Thanks in advance for any ideas, comments, advice, etc.

Mike

 

[BriComp]

It might be useful if you could find out what U2 is.
Is there a U1 lurking somewhere?

 

[skpang]

Looking at the components around U2, there is an inductor (L1) there which suggest it is a power supply of some sort. Most probably a boost converter.
Have a look at this board, it has a similar power supply:

OLED Breakout Board - 16-bit Color 1.5" w/microSD holder

We love our black and white monochrome displays but we also like to dabble with some color now and then. Our big 1.5" color OLED displays are perfect when you need a small display with ...

www.adafruit.com

 

[Angelo]

Looking for SSD1357Z, I found a datasheet: https://cdn.sparkfun.com/assets/4/d/0/2/7/DriverDatasheet_SSD1357_1_0__Wisechip_.pdf

 

[Thundercat]

Thank you guys - for the data sheet (@Angelo) and the wisdom (@BriComp)! I so appreciate it! @skpang I appreciate that link and I'll check it out.

I'll spend some time with the data sheet and see if I can start to understand how to handle this - but this would be a first for me, so any kind hand-holding would be appreciated.

If anyone has any more input I'm all ears!

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Thundercat]

So, question, do we think the bare screen already has support for SSD1357? Or the backing PCB module needs to have a chip that works with it? Sorry if this is obvious.

Also, in the data sheet from @Angelo, what product exactly is this for? It seems to be for an IC chip for a screen that supports SDD1357 but I'm not sure how it relates here. Do I need to find an IC chip for SSD1357z?

Also I see much higher voltages in the datasheet, 12V or higher.

Thanks for any insights,

Mike

 

[Thundercat]

So I found another data sheet for (ostensibly) the exact screen - I imagine there's probably just one maker of this one and it looks the same. That's an assumption tho.

Here's a link to that datasheet: https://www.buydisplay.com/download/manual/ER-OLED0.60-1C_Datasheet.pdf

Here's the relevant section of the data sheet for connecting the 20 position FPC connector:

And here's what I've been able to come up with so far based on all this. What you're seeing on the top part of the schematic is the 20 position FPC connector that will connect to the screen. On the bottom is an 18 position FPC connector I will use to then connect to another PCB board. I've used 18 positions just because it's a nice size and I have a few laying around:

As you can see, I don't know what values to put for the resistors and capacitors, and the data sheet doesn't say.

What do you think so far? Any suggestions? This seems a long way off from what they are doing in their own PCB module version.

Just wondering if anyone has any additional advice or suggestions.

Thank you,

Mike

 

[skpang]

Your schematic like that is not going to work. If you look at the OLED module there is U2 and L1. You haven't got there on your schematic.
On the OLED panel pin 2 is VCC. Look at datasheet section 4.3 page 10. VCC requires a voltage of 12v. You are connecting it to 3.3v

Have a look at the Adafruit's schematic and see what value they used for resistor for IREF and the capacitor value.

 

[BriComp]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a project where I want to use a very tiny OLED screen, just 0.6", that is also full color. The screen comes as a bare screen, or with a module.

It would be trivial to hook it up using the module, but the problem is space is at a premium. I don't understand why these companies make tiny screens and then the PCB module doubles the size of it all. I need a PCB to be same size as the screen, or slightly larger.

So I'm posting here becauseI don't know how to design it for this screen. I've designed PCBs, and I have the pinouts of the FPC connector from the manufacturer, but I'm not sure how to correlate them with output for the Teensy 4.x.

Also one more point - the module the manufacturer makes has all sorts of resistors, a big capacitor (looks like), I think a voltage regulator - all stuff I could add, but I don't know what goes where.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure this out.

Here's a link to the screen to start:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005393885200.html

I'm also posting some pix and data that come along with it (they are on that link too):

View attachment 36259

And here's the pinout data:

View attachment 36260

For example I have no idea what VCOMH is, or IREF, or VDD or VSS...

Here's a pic of the module they make for it with their pins:

View attachment 36262
And the rear of the unit with all the resistors and regulator etc:


View attachment 36263

Is this a huge ask for help in figuring out how to reverse engineer the module so I can make my own PCB? The module they make is just too huge and won't fit the project, and I dearly want to use this screen. I even found a great library for it, a port of the famous Bodmer TFT eSPI, which is thrilling because it's such a great library.

I mean worst case I could buy the module and beep it out, but I've never done that before and I'm concerned I might miss something important or accidentally screw it up. I believe they add all those components for a reason.

Thanks in advance for any ideas, comments, advice, etc.

Mike

Looking at the picture it is almost possible to see the tracks.
I would suggest that you buy the display with the mounted control circuit and try to figure out the circuit from there,
It will also give you a completed part to compare with yours when you program it.
I would get the Chinese one working(programmed) first then move onto yours.

 

[Thundercat]

Your schematic like that is not going to work. If you look at the OLED module there is U2 and L1. You haven't got there on your schematic.
On the OLED panel pin 2 is VCC. Look at datasheet section 4.3 page 10. VCC requires a voltage of 12v. You are connecting it to 3.3v

Have a look at the Adafruit's schematic and see what value they used for resistor for IREF and the capacitor value.

Thank you @skpang. I saw that 12V and was confused because this screen can be powered from 3.3V. So I assume there must be some voltage tripling circuit. In the tentative schematic I only included what was in the data sheet, which obvs is missing vital info.

Much appreciated.

 

[Thundercat]

Looking at the picture it is almost possible to see the tracks.
I would suggest that you buy the display with the mounted control circuit and try to figure out the circuit from there,
It will also give you a completed part to compare with yours when you program it.
I would get the Chinese one working(programmed) first then move onto yours.

I think that's a good approach.

I have also asked a couple companies that make this screen to see if I can get a schematic from them for an external module, since they already make one, albeit too large - that would be the ideal situation. I'll keep this thread updated with what I find out, and how it progresses. Maybe some of you would like to use a screen like this with a smaller footprint, so when I figure it out I'll make the schematic available. But it might take me a bit to figure this out.

Thanks again you guys,

Mike