Overview
The ShillehTek 1.8" TFT LCD Display is a 128 × 160 pixel color display based on the popular ST7735 controller. It speaks SPI, runs from 3.3V, and is pre-soldered on both sides for a clean, breadboard-friendly hookup. With 65,536 colors (16-bit RGB565), it's a great upgrade from monochrome OLEDs when you need full-color graphs, logos, or small UI screens.
The board includes a built-in microSD card slot on the back, sharing the same SPI bus as the display. That makes it easy to load BMP images, log data, or stream sprites — without adding a separate SD breakout board.
This module works with Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Pico, and STM32 using the ubiquitous Adafruit_GFX + Adafruit_ST7735 (or TFT_eSPI) libraries. With pre-soldered headers on both sides, you can drop it directly into a breadboard or solder it to a custom PCB without rework.
At a Glance
Resolution
128 × 160 px
Colors
65,536 (RGB565)
Controller
ST7735
Interface
SPI
Operating Voltage
3.3V
SD Card
microSD slot
Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
| Display Size | 1.8" diagonal |
| Resolution | 128 × 160 pixels |
| Color Depth | 16-bit (RGB565), 65k colors |
| Display Controller | ST7735 / ST7735S |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3V (logic and supply) |
| Logic Tolerance | 3.3V (use level shifter on 5V boards) |
| Interface | 4-wire SPI |
| Backlight | White LED (LED pin to 3.3V) |
| Onboard Storage | microSD card slot (separate SPI CS) |
| Driver Pins | VCC, GND, CS, RESET, A0/DC, SDA/MOSI, SCK, LED |
| SD Card Pins | SD_CS, SD_MOSI, SD_MISO, SD_SCK |
| PCB Color | Red, V1.1 |
| Module Dimensions | ~57 × 35 × 7 mm |
Pinout Diagram
Wiring Guide
Arduino Wiring
The ST7735 expects 3.3V logic. The Arduino Uno is a 5V board, so the safe approach is to drive the display through a logic-level converter or a 1k/2k voltage divider on each input line. Connect the display's VCC to the Arduino 5V — the on-board regulator brings it down to 3.3V for the display chip.
| TFT Pin | Arduino Pin | Details |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | 5V | On-board regulator drops to 3.3V |
| GND | GND | |
| CS | Digital 10 | Via 1k/2k divider |
| RESET | Digital 9 | Via 1k/2k divider |
| A0 (DC) | Digital 8 | Via 1k/2k divider |
| SDA (MOSI) | Digital 11 | Via 1k/2k divider |
| SCK | Digital 13 | Via 1k/2k divider |
| LED | 3.3V | Backlight, can be PWM-controlled |
Warning: Many ST7735 modules accept 5V logic without trouble, but the official datasheet calls for 3.3V logic. Using a level shifter or 1k/2k dividers on each MOSI/CS/DC/RESET/SCK line is the safest approach and prevents long-term damage.
Tip: Use the Adafruit_ST7735 + Adafruit_GFX libraries. Specify "INITR_BLACKTAB" in tft.initR() — that's the option that matches this red 1.8" board.
ESP32 Wiring
The ESP32 is 3.3V native, so no level shifters are needed. Use the ESP32's hardware SPI bus (VSPI: SCK=18, MOSI=23) for best performance.
| TFT Pin | ESP32 GPIO |
|---|---|
| VCC | 3.3V |
| GND | GND |
| CS | GPIO 5 |
| RESET | GPIO 4 |
| A0 (DC) | GPIO 2 |
| SDA (MOSI) | GPIO 23 |
| SCK | GPIO 18 |
| LED | 3.3V |
Tip: Use the TFT_eSPI library for ESP32 — it's significantly faster than Adafruit_ST7735 thanks to DMA. You configure the pins in User_Setup.h once and forget about them.
Raspberry Pi Wiring
The Raspberry Pi has hardware SPI on its 40-pin GPIO header. Use SPI0 (MOSI=GPIO10, SCLK=GPIO11). Enable SPI in raspi-config first.
| TFT Pin | Raspberry Pi Pin | Details |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | Pin 1 (3.3V) | |
| GND | Pin 6 (GND) | |
| CS | Pin 24 (GPIO 8 / CE0) | |
| RESET | Pin 22 (GPIO 25) | |
| A0 (DC) | Pin 18 (GPIO 24) | |
| SDA (MOSI) | Pin 19 (GPIO 10) | |
| SCK | Pin 23 (GPIO 11) | |
| LED | Pin 17 (3.3V) |
Info: The Python library "luma.lcd" supports the ST7735 and works on Raspberry Pi over SPI. Install with: pip install luma.lcd.
Raspberry Pi Pico Wiring
The Pico is a 3.3V board so you can drive the display directly. Use SPI0 on GP18 (SCK) and GP19 (MOSI). The Pico's MicroPython framebuf module pairs nicely with ST7735.
| TFT Pin | Pico Pin |
|---|---|
| VCC | 3V3 (Pin 36) |
| GND | GND |
| CS | GP17 |
| RESET | GP20 |
| A0 (DC) | GP16 |
| SDA (MOSI) | GP19 (SPI0 TX) |
| SCK | GP18 (SPI0 SCK) |
| LED | 3V3 |
Tip: The MicroPython st7735py library by GuyCarver works well on the Pico. With the framebuf module, you can build sprite engines directly in MicroPython without C extensions.
Code Examples
Arduino — Adafruit ST7735 Hello World
tft18_arduino.ino
// 1.8" TFT LCD ST7735 - Arduino Example
// Libraries: Adafruit_GFX, Adafruit_ST7735, SPI
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_ST7735.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#define TFT_CS 10
#define TFT_RST 9
#define TFT_DC 8
Adafruit_ST7735 tft = Adafruit_ST7735(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);
void setup() {
// Use INITR_BLACKTAB for the red 1.8" 128x160 board
tft.initR(INITR_BLACKTAB);
tft.setRotation(1);
tft.fillScreen(ST77XX_BLACK);
tft.setCursor(8, 8);
tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_WHITE);
tft.setTextSize(2);
tft.println("ShillehTek");
tft.setCursor(8, 36);
tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_GREEN);
tft.setTextSize(1);
tft.println("1.8\" TFT 128x160");
tft.drawRect(4, 4, 152, 120, ST77XX_RED);
}
void loop() {}
ESP32 — TFT_eSPI
tft18_esp32.ino
// 1.8" TFT LCD ST7735 - ESP32 with TFT_eSPI
// Configure your pins in TFT_eSPI/User_Setup.h:
// #define ST7735_DRIVER
// #define TFT_WIDTH 128
// #define TFT_HEIGHT 160
// #define ST7735_BLACKTAB
// #define TFT_MOSI 23
// #define TFT_SCLK 18
// #define TFT_CS 5
// #define TFT_DC 2
// #define TFT_RST 4
#include <TFT_eSPI.h>
TFT_eSPI tft = TFT_eSPI();
void setup() {
tft.init();
tft.setRotation(1);
tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);
tft.setTextColor(TFT_WHITE);
tft.setTextSize(2);
tft.setCursor(8, 8);
tft.println("ShillehTek");
tft.setTextColor(TFT_CYAN);
tft.setTextSize(1);
tft.setCursor(8, 36);
tft.println("ESP32 + ST7735");
}
void loop() {}
Raspberry Pi Pico (MicroPython)
tft18_pico.py
# 1.8" TFT LCD ST7735 - Pico MicroPython Example
# Requires st7735py.py and sysfont.py from GuyCarver/MicroPython_ST7735.
# Pins: SCK=GP18, MOSI=GP19, DC=GP16, RST=GP20, CS=GP17
from machine import Pin, SPI
import st7735
spi = SPI(0, baudrate=20_000_000,
sck=Pin(18), mosi=Pin(19))
display = st7735.ST7735(
spi,
width=128, height=160,
cs=Pin(17, Pin.OUT),
dc=Pin(16, Pin.OUT),
rst=Pin(20, Pin.OUT),
)
display.fill(st7735.color565(0, 0, 0))
display.text("ShillehTek", 8, 8, st7735.color565(255, 255, 255))
display.text("Pico ST7735", 8, 24, st7735.color565(0, 255, 0))
display.show()
Frequently Asked Questions
My screen is white or shows random colors. What's wrong?
Three common causes: (1) wrong tab color in tft.initR() — try INITR_BLACKTAB, INITR_GREENTAB, or INITR_REDTAB until the colors look right; (2) reset line not connected — without RESET being toggled at startup, the controller may stay in an undefined state; (3) MOSI/SCK swapped — double-check those two lines.
Can I use the microSD card slot at the same time as the display?
Yes. The display and the SD card share the SPI bus (MOSI, MISO, SCK) but each has its own chip-select line (TFT_CS for the display, SD_CS for the card). Wire SD_MOSI to your MCU's MOSI as well, and add a SD_MISO connection (the display itself has no MISO).
Can I drive it from a 5V Arduino?
Sometimes — many ST7735 modules tolerate 5V on logic lines despite spec — but the safest approach is to use a TXS0108E or a 1k/2k voltage divider on each input line (CS, RESET, DC, MOSI, SCK). Powering VCC from 5V is fine because the on-board 3.3V regulator handles it.
What's the difference between A0 and DC?
They're the same pin with different names. "A0" comes from the original ST7735 datasheet, where it stands for "Address 0". In modern Adafruit/Arduino lingo it's called "DC" for "Data/Command select". Wire it to the same MCU pin you call TFT_DC in the code.
How do I rotate the display?
Use tft.setRotation(0..3). On Adafruit_ST7735, rotation 0 is portrait (128 wide × 160 tall), rotation 1 is landscape (160 × 128), 2 and 3 are flipped variants. Most TFT_eSPI sketches default to rotation 0 — adjust to taste.
How fast can I update the screen?
On Arduino Uno, expect 5-15 frames per second for full-screen updates. On ESP32 with TFT_eSPI and DMA, you can hit 30+ FPS. The Pico falls between those two. For best performance, use partial updates (only redraw what changed) and avoid drawing text in tight loops.
Can I dim the backlight?
Yes — connect the LED pin to a PWM-capable GPIO instead of straight to 3.3V, and use analogWrite or PWM to control brightness. Keep in mind some boards have the backlight LED hard-wired to 3.3V — check by tracing the LED pin to a resistor on the back of the PCB.