# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Overview
Our best-selling PiTFT just got a fancy upgrade, now we have a version with a **capacitive touchscreen!** That's right, instead of a resistive touchscreen, which requires a fingernail or stylus, you can now use a fingerpad. The screen looks much nicer, with a black bezel and glass overlay.
Featuring a 2.8" display with 320x240 16-bit color pixels and a capacitive touch overlay. The plate uses the high speed SPI interface on the Pi and can use the mini display as a console, X window port, displaying images or video etc. Best of all it plugs right in on top!
Uses the hardware I2C Pins (SDA & SCL), SPI pins (SCK, MOSI, MISO, CE0) as well as GPIO #25 and #24. All other GPIO are unused. Since we had a tiny bit of space, there's 4 spots for optional slim tactile switches wired to four GPIOs, that you can use if you want to make a basic user interface. For example, you can use one as a power on/off button. See below for the link to get the optional tact switches, they're not included.
The screen is the same size as the resistive type so you can use this with the PiTFT PiBow or any other enclosure you may already have. We also use the same SDL device and signals so PyGame and X11 based programs can be swapped in with no changes in code.
It's designed to fit nicely onto the Pi Model A or B rev 2 but also works perfectly fine with the Model B+ as long as you don't mind the PCB overhangs the USB ports by 5mm, see the photos above. Model B rev 1 have an older layout for the I2C pins and won't be able to use the touch screen
This version comes as a mini-kit, with a 2x13 extra-tall female header (to connect the plate to the Pi) and a 2x13 male header that can be used to connect an IDC cable or cobbler from the side. The photos above also show the optional installed slim tactile buttons. [The tactile buttons are not included, but you can pick up a pack of 20 here.](http://www.adafruit.com/products/1489) Some basic soldering is required to install the headers. [You can also pick up an extra-long Pi stacking header if you want to install that instead of the 2x13 female header installed.](http://www.adafruit.com/products/1112 "Link: http://www.adafruit.com/products/1112")
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Assembly
Danger:
This section is identical to the PiTFT Resistive 2.8" so please visit that page to complete assembly of this Pi Plate
[Visit the 2.8" Resistive PiTFT Assembly Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pitft-28-inch-resistive-touchscreen-display-raspberry-pi/assembly)
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Easy Install
The PiTFT requires some device tree support and a couple other things to make it a nice stand-alone display. If you just want to get going, check out the following for easy-install instructions!
Info:
# Install Raspberry Pi OS on an SD Card
You'll need to start with Raspberry Pi OS or Raspberry Pi OS Lite.
Try the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS first. If that doesn't work. the last known for-sure tested-and-working version is Dec 11, 2023 (https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspios\_lite\_arm64/images/raspios\_lite\_arm64-2023-12-11/) from [https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspios\_lite\_arm64/images/](https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspios_lite_arm64/images/)
Raspberry Pi OS does often 'break' stuff when new versions come out so to be safe, if you are having problems try this version!
# Setup Virtual Environment
If you are installing on the Bookworm version of Raspberry Pi OS or later, you will need to install your python modules in a virtual environment. You can find more information in the [Python Virtual Environment Usage on Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/python-virtual-environment-usage-on-raspberry-pi) guide. To Install and activate the virtual environment, use the following commands:
```terminal
sudo apt install python3-venv
python -m venv env --system-site-packages
```
To activate the virtual environment:
```terminal
source env/bin/activate
```
To deactivate, you can use `deactivate`, but leave it active for now.
# Installer script
This script will do all the work for you, and install both device tree overlay support as well as configure rotation and any HDMI mirroring. PiTFT no longer needs any custom kernels or modules, so you can continue to update/upgrade your Pi and it will work with the most recent releases.
Here's the commands to run. Make sure your Pi has network access, it needs to download the software!
The latest installer script was rewritten in Python, so it can be installed with just a few commands. First, start by installing a few dependencies and downloading the repo:
```terminal
cd ~
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git python3-pip
pip3 install --upgrade adafruit-python-shell click Flask-SQLAlchemy
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Raspberry-Pi-Installer-Scripts.git
cd Raspberry-Pi-Installer-Scripts
```
## Easy Single Command Install Options
The latest script allows you to specify all of your options within the command so you can sit back and watch the installation. We'll cover interactive installation below if you want to answer each prompt for a customized installation.
### **“Console Mode” Install Commands**
If you just want a Linux text console to appear on the display, use one of the following commands:
For the **PiTFT** **2.4", 2.8", or 3.2" Resistive touchscreens** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=28r --rotation=270 --install-type=console
```
For the **PiTFT** **2.8" Capacitive touchscreen** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=28c --rotation=270 --install-type=console
```
For the **PiTFT** **2.2" Display** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=22 --rotation=270--install-type=console
```
For the **PiTFT** **3.5" Resistive touchscreen** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=35r --rotation=270 --install-type=console
```
For the **Mini** **PiTFT 1.3", BrainCraft HAT, 1.3" Color TFT Bonnet, or 1.5" Display** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=st7789_240x240 --rotation=0 --install-type=console
```
For the **Mini PiTFT 1.14" Display** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=st7789_240x135 --rotation=270 --install-type=console
```
### **Mirrored Install Commands**
If you want to **mirror the HDMI output to the display** , known as “FrameBuffer Copy” or FBCP for short, use one of the following commands:
For the **PiTFT** **2.4", 2.8", or 3.2" Resistive touchscreens** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=28r --rotation=90 --install-type=mirror
```
For the **PiTFT** **2.8" Capacitive touchscreen** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=28c --rotation=90 --install-type=mirror
```
For the **PiTFT** **2.2" Display** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=22 --rotation=90 --install-type=mirror
```
For the **PiTFT** **3.5" Resistive touchscreen** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=35r --rotation=90 --install-type=mirror
```
For the **Mini** **PiTFT 1.3", BrainCraft HAT, 1.3" Color TFT Bonnet, or 1.5" Display** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=st7789_240x240 --rotation=0 --install-type=mirror
```
For the **Mini PiTFT 1.14" Display** , use the following command:
```terminal
sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=st7789_240x135 --rotation=270 --install-type=mirror
```
### Rebooting
When it asks you to **reboot** , then choose yes because the setting won't take full effect until you do so.
## Interactive Installation
For an interactive install, you can just run the script without any options:
`sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 adafruit-pitft.py`
Once you run it you will be presented with menus for configuration.
### Display Selection
Start by selecting the board that best corresponds with your PiTFT. There's lots of options and we will likely be adding more in the future.
### Rotation
Next you will be asked for the rotation you want, don't worry if you're not 100% sure which you want, you can always change this later by re-running the script
It will take a few minutes to install the software and download all the things...
# Configuring what shows where
You have a few different ways to set up the PiTFT, we ask **2** questions to figure out what you want
## PiTFT as Text Console (best for Raspberry Pi OS 'Lite')
This is the simplest to set-up type of use. Its great if you have a simple text based or pygame/SDL based interface. If you want the PiTFT to act as a text console you can expect:
- HDMI will be 'deactivated' - nothing appears on the HDMI output but a black screen
- The login prompt appears on the Pi
- The Pi is all text, not a GUI (no PIXEL desktop)
- Keyboard and mouse are used only by the PiTFT interface
- Framebuffer-capable software (such as **fbi** for displaying images, **mplayer** for videos, or pygame software, etc) appear on the PiTFT
- OpenGL accelerated software _will not appear on the PiTFT_ (it is unaccelerated framebuffer only)
- But, non-OpenGL-accelerated graphics software is a bit faster than using HDMI mirroring (not tons faster but you're not running **fbcp** which will always make it faster)
If you want that, say **Yes** to the question `Would you like the console to appear on the PiTFT display`
Then simply reboot. Once rebooted you will not see anything on HDMI, but the console will appear on the PiTFT. That's it!
## PiTFT as HDMI Mirror (Best for Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop)
This option is easier to understand. This works more like a monitor, though slightly different depending on which desktop environment you are running.
As of Bookworm with the Wayland Graphical Environment, this operates a little different than it previously did. It works more in the way that multiple monitors do on desktop systems. The display is set up as its own monitor and will extend the desktop in addition to the HDMI.
With X11, this worked more as a mirror: whatever appears on the HDMI display will be 'mirrored' to the PiTFT. Note that HDMI is much higher resolution so it's not like it turns the PiTFT into a 1080p display. This is great for when you want to run OpenGL-optimized software, PIXEL desktop software, or really anything. The down-side is its a little slower than drawing directly to the framebuffer. You may not notice it but it's worth us mentioning!
- HDMI will be 'activated' but at a lower resolution - you can change this later but it looks best at 320x240 (PiTFT 2.2", 2.4", 2.8" and 3.2") or 480x320 (PiTFT 3.5")
- The login prompt or GUI appears on both HDMI and PiTFT at the same time
- Keyboard and mouse are shared, since the display is mirrored
- All graphics appear on both HDMI and PiTFT, thanks to **fbcp**
If you want that, say **Yes** to the question **`Would you like the HDMI display to mirror to the PiTFT display?`(**or in the case of Wayland it will ask **`Would you like the to use the PiTFT as a desktop display?`)**
## PiTFT as Raw Framebuffer Device
For advanced users who are comfortable using framebuffer devices, it is possible to have the PiTFT and HDMI graphics be _both_ active and display different data.
- HDMI will be active and act like a normal Pi
- The login prompt or GUI (PIXEL) appears on the HDMI
- PiTFT appears black, nothing appears on it
- Keyboard and mouse are used by the HDMI interface but can, in theory, be captured and used to change graphics on PiTFT through programming
- Framebuffer-capable software (such as **fbi** for displaying images, **mplayer** for videos, or pygame software, etc) _can_ appear on the PiTFT if you set it up to display to **/dev/fb1**
- OpenGL accelerated software _will never appear on the PiTFT_ (it is unaccelerated framebuffer only)
If you want that, say **No** to both of the configuration questions!
Info:
## Creating Your Own Automated Command
Under the **Easy Single Command Install Options** section, there are a bunch of different installation flags that you can choose between. If you want to create your own command, you can find the latest options by typing:
`sudo python3 adafruit-pitft.py --help`
The main options to pay attention to are the `--display`, `--rotation`, and `--install-type` arguments.
For the **display** , you can either choose the number you type for the options or the display type, which has the options listed under help. For instance, to us the 2.8" Resisitive display you could use
`--display=1` or` --display=28r`
For the **rotation** , you can either choose the number you type for the options or the angle, which has the options also listed under help. To use 90 degrees, you could use
`--rotation=1` or `--rotation=90`
For **install type** , You can either choose **mirror** , **console** or **uninstall**. To mirror, you would simply supply
`--install-type=mirror`
### Automated Reboot Option
To go with a fully automated installation, you can provide a `--reboot` flag. To always reboot, use:
`--reboot=yes`
This is useful if you want to use the display right after running the script. To never reboot immediately, use
`--reboot=no`
This is useful if you want it as part of a larger script that installs many things.
### Custom User Directory
By default, it is installed under the current user directory, but you can provide the `-u` or `--user` flag along with the folder that you want to install to.
## Uninstalling The Driver
To uninstall, you would either run the script interactively and choose Uninstall or you can provide the uninstall flag:
`--install-type=uninstall`
# Unsupported Full Images
Historically, we provided full 'images' of Raspbian, which is now called Raspberry Pi OS. This worked OK until Raspbian started doing releases every few months. These are no longer supported, and won't even boot on Pi 3B+, so we recommend the script above.
There's the larger 'classic Jessie' image that will boot into X by default, and requires a 8G image, it has a lot more software installed. There's also the smaller 'Jessie Lite' that will boot into the command line, and can be burned onto a 2G card! Click below to download and install into a new SD card. [Unzip and follow the classic SD card burning tutorials](http://elinux.org/RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup)
## PiTFT 2.2" Images
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/10/23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-10-18-pitft-22.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016/10/23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-10-18-pitft-22-lite.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/03/25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_PiTFT22.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016/03/25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_Lite_PiTFT22.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2015/09/24-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-download/2015-09-24-raspbian-jessie-pitft22.zip)
- [Raspbian Wheezy 2015/09/09-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2015-05-05-raspbian-wheezy-pitft22_150909.zip)
## PiTFT 2.4"/2.8"/3.2" Resistive Images
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/9/23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-10-18-pitft-28r.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016/9/23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-10-18-pitft-28r-lite.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/03/25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_PiTFT28r.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016/03/25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_Lite_PiTFT28r.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2015/09/24-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-download/2015-09-24-raspbian-jessie-pitft28r.zip)
- [Raspbian Wheezy 2015/09/09-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2015-05-05-raspbian-wheezy-pitft28r_150909.zip)
- [Raspbian 2014/06/20-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/PiTFT28R_raspbian140620_2014_08_25.zip)
- [Raspbian 2014/09/09-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/PiTFT28R_raspbian140909_2014_09_18.zip)
## PiTFT 2.8" Capacitive
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016-09-23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-10-18-pitft-28c.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016-09-23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-10-18-pitft-28c-lite.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016-03-25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_PiTFT28c.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016-03-25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_Lite_PiTFT28c.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2015/09/24-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-download/2015-09-24-raspbian-jessie-pitft28c.zip)
- [Raspbian Wheezy 2015/09/24-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2015-05-05-raspbian-wheezy-pitft28c_150909.zip)
- [Raspbian 2014/09/18-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/PiTFT28C_raspbian140909_2014_09_18.zip)
- [Raspbian 2014/06/20-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/PiTFT28C_raspbian140620_2014_08_26.zip)
- [Raspbian image from 2015/03/03](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2015-02-16-raspbian-pitft28c_150312.zip)
## PiTFT 3.5" Images
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/9/23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-11-08-pitft-35r.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie Lite 2016/9/23-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi/2016-11-08-pitft-35r-lite.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/03/25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_PiTFT35r.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2016/03/25-based image](https://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2016-03-25_Jessie_Lite_PiTFT35r.zip)
- [Raspbian Jessie 2015/09/24-based image](https://s3.amazonaws.com/adafruit-download/2015-09-24-raspbian-jessie-pitft35r.zip)
- [Raspbian Wheezy 2015/09/24-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2015-05-05-raspbian-wheezy-pitft35r_150909.zip)
- [Raspbian 2014/09/09-based image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/PiTFT35R_raspbian140909_2014_09_18.zip)
- [Raspbian 2015/03/12 image](http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/2015-02-16-raspbian-pitft35r_150312.zip)
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Capacitive Touchscreen Configuration
Danger:
Warning:
The nifty thing about capacitive touch screens is that they **do not require calibration**! The calibration is done 'in chip' on the screen itself. However, we still do need to tell the Pi how to read the capacitive chip.
Before we start, we'll make a **udev** rule for the touchscreen. That's because the **eventX** name of the device will change a lot and its annoying to figure out what its called depending on whether you have a keyboard or other mouse installed.
First up figure out if you have the FT62X6 driver or FT6236 driver by running **dmesg | grep ft6** or **dmesg | grep EP0110M09**
## If you are running **EP0110M09** driver
Run
> `sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/95-ftcaptouch.rules`
to create a new **udev** file and copy & paste the following line in:
> `SUBSYSTEM=="input", ATTRS{name}=="EP0110M09", ENV{DEVNAME}=="*event*", SYMLINK+="input/touchscreen"`
## If you are running FT6236 driver
Run
> `sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/95-ft6236.rules`
to create a new **udev** file and copy & paste the following line in:
> `SUBSYSTEM=="input", ATTRS{name}=="ft6236", ENV{DEVNAME}=="*event*", SYMLINK+="input/touchscreen" `
## If you are running FT6X06 driver
Run
> `sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/95-ft6206.rules`
to create a new **udev** file and copy & paste the following line in:
> `SUBSYSTEM=="input", ATTRS{name}=="ft6x06_ts", ENV{DEVNAME}=="*event*", SYMLINK+="input/touchscreen" `
Reboot the Pi with `sudo reboot`
Then type `ls -l /dev/input/touchscreen`
It should point to **eventX** where X is some number, that number will be different on different setups since other keyboards/mice/USB devices will take up an event slot
[](https://learn.adafruit.com/assets/12522)
# Event Testing
Even though capacitive touch screens don't require calibration, there are some useful tools we can use to debug the touchscreen. Install the "event test" and "touchscreen library" packages with
> `sudo apt-get install evtest tslib libts-bin`
Now you can use some tools such as
> `sudo evtest /dev/input/touchscreen`
which will let you see touchscreen events in real time, press on the touchscreen to see the reports.
# AutoMagic Calibration Script
If you rotate the display you need to recalibrate the touchscreen to work with the new screen orientation. You can manually run the calibration processes in the next section, or you can re-run the installer script and select a new rotation:
Try using this default calibration script to easily calibrate your touchscreen display. Note that the calibration values might not be exactly right for your display, but they should be close enough for most needs. If you need the most accurate touchscreen calibration, follow the steps in the next section to manually calibrate the touchscreen.
# TSLIB calibration
In order to use TSLIB - basically, the touchscreen without X11 - you'll need to set the calibration for TSLIB in /etc/pointercal
With a resistive touchscreen, you have to calibrate it. Since capacitive touchscreens don't require calibration you can just input the numbers directly. Run
> sudo nano /etc/pointercal
And enter in the following values (there's a single space between each number) and hit return afterwards. Then save
> **320 65536 0 -65536 0 15728640 65536**
Next you can run
`sudo TSLIB_FBDEVICE=/dev/fb1 TSLIB_TSDEVICE=/dev/input/touchscreen ts_test`
# X11 Calibration
X11 uses a _different_ calibration system than TSLib/PyGame. [You can see how to run xtcal here](../../../../adafruit-pitft-28-inch-resistive-touchscreen-display-raspberry-pi/resistive-touchscreen-manual-install-calibrate#x-calibration) except use **EP0110M09** as the name of the device
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Console Configuration
Warning:
One fun thing you can do with the display is have it as your main console instead of the HDMI/TV output. Even though it is small, with a good font you can get 20 x 40 of text. For more details, check out [https://github.com/notro/fbtft/wiki/Boot-console](https://github.com/notro/fbtft/wiki/Boot-console "Link: https://github.com/notro/fbtft/wiki/Boot-console")
First up, we'll update the boot configuration file to use the TFT framebuffer **/dev/fb1** instead of the HDMI/TV framebuffer /dev/fb0
> `sudo nano /boot/cmdline.txt `
you can also edit it by putting the SD card into a computer and opening the same file.
At the end of the line, find the text that says `rootwait` and right after that, enter in:
`fbcon=map:10 fbcon=font:VGA8x8` then save the file.
On the next boot, it will bring up the console.
**Note that the kernel has to load up the display driver module before it can display anything on it so you won't get the rainbow screen, a NooBs prompt, or a big chunk of the kernel details since the module is loaded fairly late in the boot process.**
I think the VGA8x8 font is a bit chunky, you probably want 12x6 which is what is shown in the photo above. To change the font, run **sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup** and go thru to select Terminus 6x12
# Turn off Console Blanking
You may notice the console goes black after 30 minutes, this is a sort of 'power saving' or 'screensaver' feature.
## Raspbian Jessie
Add the following line to /etc/rc.local
> `sudo sh -c "TERM=linux setterm -blank 0 >/dev/tty0"`
on the line before the final `exit 0`
## Raspbian Wheezy
You can disable this by editing **/etc/kbd/config** and looking for
`BLANK_TIME=30`
and setting the blank time to 0 (which turns it off)
`BLANK_TIME=0`
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Playing Videos
# How To Play Videos
You can play many types of videos on the screen, using mplayer you don't even need to run X and you can script the movies to play using Python. We'll show you how to just play one video for now.
To demo, we'll use an mp4 of Big Buck Bunny for 320 pixel wide screens. Below we show you how to create/resize videos, but to make it easy, just download our version with:
`wget http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/bigbuckbunny320p.mp4`
Warning:
If you don't have **mplayer** yet, run
`sudo apt-get update`
`sudo apt-get install mplayer `
to install it. It may take a few minutes to complete
OK now you just have to run:
`sudo SDL_VIDEODRIVER=fbcon SDL_FBDEV=/dev/fb1 mplayer -vo sdl -framedrop bigbuckbunny320p.mp4`
If your video is not sized for 320 wide, you may need to add a `-zoom` after `-framedrop` so that it will resize - note that this is quite taxing for the Pi, so it may result in a choppy or mis-synced video!
# Converting/Resizing Videos
It's possible to play full length videos on the TFT plate, but since the screen is small and the Pi cant use hardware accelleration to play the videos its best to scale them down to 320x240 pixels. This will be easier for the Pi to play and also save you tons of storage space. For this demo, we'll be using the famous [Big Buck Bunny](http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/) video, which is creative commons and also very funny!
You can download it from the link above, we'll be using the 720p AVI version.
To do the conversion itself, we suggest [HandBrake](http://handbrake.fr/) which works great and is open source so it runs on all operating systems! Download and install from the link. Then run the installed application and open up the AVI file from before. The app will pre-fill a bunch of information about it.
Under **Destination** click **Browse...** to select a new MP4 file to save. Then under **Picture** change the **Width** to 320 (the height will be auto-calculated)
Click **START** to begin the conversion, it will take a minute or two.
That's it! You now have a smaller file. Don't forget to play it on your computer to make sure it plays right before copying it to your Pi
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Displaying Images
You can display every day images such as GIFs, JPGs, BMPs, etc on the screen. To do this we'll install **fbi** which is the **frame buffer image** viewer (not to be confused with the FBI agency!)
**sudo apt-get install fbi** will install it
Grab our lovely wallpapers with
> `wget http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/adapiluv320x240.jpgwget http://adafruit-download.s3.amazonaws.com/adapiluv480x320.png`
For 320x240 PiTFTs (2.2", 2.4", 2.8" or 3.2") view it with
> `sudo fbi -T 2 -d /dev/fb1 -noverbose -a adapiluv320x240.jpg`
or for 3.5" PiTFTs:
> `sudo fbi -T 2 -d /dev/fb1 -noverbose -a adapiluv480x320.png`
That's it!
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Using FBCP
**The Ideal:** Adafruit’s PiTFT displays are razor sharp. Whereas small composite screens on the Raspberry Pi usually require some video scaling (resulting in blurriness), PiTFT uses the GPIO header, digitally controlled pixel-by-pixel for a rock steady image. Though not a _lot_ of pixels, it works great for retro gaming (and the display neatly stacks above the board, no side protuberances for video cables).
**The Downside:** this GPIO link entirely bypasses the Pi’s video hardware, including the graphics accelerator. Many games and emulators _depend_ on the GPU for performance gains. So the PiTFT has traditionally been limited to just a subset of specially-compiled emulators that can work and run well enough without the GPU.
**The Solution:** our latest PiTFT drivers, along with a tool called _fbcp_ (framebuffer copy), careful system configuration, and (optionally) the more potent Raspberry Pi 2 board open the doors to many more gaming options. Existing emulator packages (such as RetroPie, with _dozens_ of high-performance emulators and ports) — previously off-limits to the PiTFT — can run quite effectively now!
[Click here to go to our FBCP tutorial!](https://learn.adafruit.com/running-opengl-based-games-and-emulators-on-adafruit-pitft-displays/)
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Backlight Control
Unlike the resistive PiTFT, the capacitive version does not have a resistive touch controller chip that we can take advantage of as an extra backlight control pin. Instead, you can set up GPIO #18 as an on/off or PWM control.
Note that if you are playing audio out the headphone jack, you can't use the PWM capabilities of GPIO #18 at the same time, the PWM function is reassigned to do audio. However, you can use it as a simple on/off pin
**To enable using GPIO #18 as a backlight, solder closed the #18 backlight jumper on the PiTFT capacitive PCB!**
OK now you can use the PWM output on GPIO 18. There's python code available for controlling the PWM pin but you can also just use the WiringPi shell commands.
With these basic shell commands, you can set the GPIO #18 pin to PWM mode, set the output to 100 (out of 1023, so dim!), set the output to 1000 (out of 1023, nearly all the way on) and 0 (off)
```
gpio -g mode 18 pwm
gpio -g pwm 18 100
gpio -g pwm 18 1000
gpio -g pwm 18 0
```
Try other numbers, from 0 (off) to 1023 (all the way on)!
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Extras!
## Making it easier to click icons in X
If you want to double-click on icons to launch something in X you may find it annoying to get it to work right. In LXDE you can simply set it up so that you only need to single click instead of double.
From LXDE launch the file manager (sorry these pix are grayscale, still figuring out how to screenshot the framebuffer!)
Then under the **Edit** menu, select **Preferences**
Then select **Open files with single click** and close the window (you'll need to drag it over to get to the X button
## Right-click on a touchscreen
Obviously if you have a touchscreen, it cannot tell what finger you are pressing with. This means that all 'clicks' are left clicks. But if you want a right-click, you _can_ do it.
Just add the following lines into your InputClass of **/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-calibration.conf** after the calibration section
`Option "EmulateThirdButton" "1"Option "EmulateThirdButtonTimeout" "750"Option "EmulateThirdButtonMoveThreshold" "30"`
So for example your file will look like:
`Section "InputClass" Identifier "calibration" MatchProduct "stmpe-ts" Option "Calibration" "3800 120 200 3900" Option "SwapAxes" "1" Option "EmulateThirdButton" "1" Option "EmulateThirdButtonTimeout" "750" Option "EmulateThirdButtonMoveThreshold" "30"EndSection`
This makes a right mouse click emulated when holding down the stylus for 750 ms.
([Thx adamaddin!](https://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=77528&p=393280#p393322))
## Python Button Inputs with Blinka
If you would like to use the buttons on the TFT, Python is the easiest way to receive input . With Blinka, you can wait for input and run system processes or control other hardware. Since Python is such a flexible language, you can add some effects such as fading the backlight in or fading it out. First make sure you have Blinka installed. For the Raspberry Pi, you can follow our [CircuitPython Libraries on Linux and Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-raspberrypi-linux) guide. To receive input and display the button that was pressed, you can use this simple demo script:
```python
import time
import board
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Pull
buttons = []
for pin in (board.D17, board.D22, board.D23, board.D27):
button = DigitalInOut(pin)
button.switch_to_input(pull = Pull.UP)
buttons.append(button)
while True:
for i, button in enumerate(buttons):
if not button.value:
print(f"Button {i + 1} pressed")
time.sleep(0.01)
```
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Gesture Input
With the PiTFT touchscreen and [xstroke](http://cworth.org/~cworth/papers/xstroke/ "Link: http://cworth.org/~cworth/papers/xstroke/") you can enter text in applications by drawing simple character gestures on the screen! Check out the video below for a short demonstration and overview of gesture input with xstroke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8NW-1QFjBU
## Installation
Unfortunately xstroke hasn't been actively maintained for a few years so there isn't a binary package you can directly install. However compiling the tool is straightforward and easy with the steps below. Credit for these installation steps goes to [mwilliams03 at ozzmaker.com](http://ozzmaker.com/2014/06/17/raspberry-pi-with-stroke-and-gesture-recognition/ "Link: http://ozzmaker.com/2014/06/17/raspberry-pi-with-stroke-and-gesture-recognition/").
First install a few dependencies by opening a command window on the Pi and executing: ```
sudo apt-get -y install build-essential libxft-dev libxpm-dev libxtst-dev
```
Now download, compile, and install xstroke by executing:
```
cd ~
wget http://mirror.egtvedt.no/avr32linux.org/twiki/pub/Main/XStroke/xstroke-0.6.tar.gz
tar xfv xstroke-0.6.tar.gz
cd xstroke-0.6
./configure
sed -i '/^X_LIBS = / s/$/ -lXrender -lX11 -lXext -ldl/' Makefile
make
sudo make install
```
If the commands above execute successfully xstroke should be installed. If you see an error message, carefully check the dependencies above were installed and try again.
Once xstroke is installed you will want to add a couple menu shortcuts to start and stop xstroke. Execute the following commands to install these shortcuts:
```
wget https://github.com/adafruit/PiTFT_Extras/raw/master/xstroke.desktop
wget https://github.com/adafruit/PiTFT_Extras/raw/master/xstrokekill.desktop
sudo cp xstroke*.desktop /usr/share/applications/
```
## Usage
To use xstroke I highly recommend using a plastic stylus instead of your finger. Also [calibrate the touchscreen for X-Windows](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pitft-28-inch-resistive-touchscreen-display-raspberry-pi/touchscreen-install-and-calibrate "Link: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pitft-28-inch-resistive-touchscreen-display-raspberry-pi/touchscreen-install-and-calibrate") so you have the best control over the cursor possible.
Danger:
Start X-Windows on the PiTFT and open the LXDE menu by clicking the icon in the lower left corner. Scroll up to the **Accessories** menu at the top and notice the new **XStroke** and **XStroke Kill** commands.
Click the **XStroke** menu option to start xstroke. You should see a small pencil icon appear on the bottom right side of the screen. The pencil icon means xstroke is running, however by default it's not yet looking for gesture input.
Open an application that takes text input, such as LXTerminal. To enable gesture input click the xstroke pencil icon. You should see the pencil turn green and the text 'abc' written over top of the icon. You might need to click the icon a few times to get the click to register in the right spot.
When xstroke is looking for gesture input you can drag the mouse cursor in a gesture anywhere on the screen to send specific key strokes. Here's a picture of the possible gestures you can send:
(credit to Carl Worth for the image above)
To draw a gesture from the above image, press anywhere on the screen, start from the circle in the gesture, and follow the gesture pattern towards the arrow. As you draw a gesture you should see a blue line displayed that shows what you've drawn. Lift up the stylus when you get to the end of the gesture at the arrow. If xstroke recognizes the gesture it will send the appropriate key press to the active window. Try drawing a few characters from the image above to get the hang of writing gestures.
A few very useful gestures are backspace (which deletes a character), return/enter, and space. To draw a backspace gesture just draw a line going from the right side of the screen to the left side. The gesture for return/enter is a diagonal line from the top right to bottom left. Finally a space is a straight line from the left to the right.
Note that when xstroke is looking for gestures you might not be able to click or control the cursor as you normally would expect. To stop xstroke's gesture recognition carefully press the xstroke pencil icon again until the 'abc' text disappears. I've found this process can be a little finicky as the icon is very small and any movement will be interpreted as a gesture. Use a light touch and try a few times to click the icon.
If you get stuck completely and can't disable xstroke by clicking the icon, connect to the Raspberry Pi in a terminal/SSH connection and run 'killall xstroke' (without quotes) to force xstroke to quit. The normal way to stop xstroke is to navigate to the **Accessories** -\> **XStroke Kill** command, but you might not be able to do that if xstroke is listening for gesture input.
Have fun using xstroke to control your Pi by writing gestures on the PiTFT screen!
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## PiTFT PyGame Tips
Since the PiTFT screen is fairly small, you may need to write custom UI programs. Pygame is the easiest way by far to do this.
[Jeremy Blythe has an excellent tutorial here on getting started.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160514225159/http://jeremyblythe.blogspot.com/2014/09/raspberry-pi-pygame-ui-basics.html)
However, _before_ you follow that link you'll want to set up pygame for the best compatibility:
# Install pip & pygame
Install Pip: **sudo apt-get install python3-pip**
Install Pygame: **sudo apt-get install python3-pygame**
(this will take a while)
# Running SDL 1.2
If you experience issues with the current version of SDL, you can try running an older version.
Some versions of SDL 2.x and SDL 1.2.15-10 have some serious incompatibilities with touchscreen. You can force SDL 1.2 by running a script. ([Thanks to heine in the forums!](https://web.archive.org/web/20160514225159/https://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=76169&p=439894#p435225))
Edit a new file with **sudo nano** **installsdl.sh**
and paste in the following text:
```auto
#!/bin/bash
# enable wheezy package sources
echo "deb http://legacy.raspbian.org/raspbian wheezy main
" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wheezy.list
# set stable as default package source (currently buster)
echo "APT::Default-release \"stable\";
" > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10defaultRelease
# set the priority for libsdl from wheezy higher then the buster package
echo "Package: libsdl1.2debian
Pin: release n=buster
Pin-Priority: -10
Package: libsdl1.2debian
Pin: release n=wheezy
Pin-Priority: 900
" > /etc/apt/preferences.d/libsdl
# install
apt-get update
apt-get -y --allow-downgrades install libsdl1.2debian/wheezy
```
run
**sudo sh ./installsdl.sh**
it will force install SDL 1.2
OK **now** you can continue with pygame
# Using the Capacitive touch screen in PyGame
The 2.8" Capacitive touch screen driver may not work by default in pygame, but this handy script shows how you can capture the device messages in python to create a UI
- [https://github.com/nift4/pigame](https://github.com/nift4/pigame)
For examples:
[https://github.com/nift4/Raspberry-Pi-Testing](https://github.com/nift4/Raspberry-Pi-Testing)
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## F.A.Q.
###
Check that you installed the right image, there's one for resistive and one for capacitive PiTFT's
If that doesn't help, you can verify your RasPi model number with the command **cat /proc/cpuinfo** , if it's revision # **0002** or **0003** [that means it's a rev 1 Model B,](http://elinux.org/RPi_HardwareHistory) and will not work due to the I2C pins changing.
###
Nope! This capacitive touch screen is single-touch only.
###
The chip does in fact support multitouch, but the screen layout itself is single-touch.
We'll keep looking for a low cost multitouch screen, but we found that at the small size of this screen, single-touch is pretty good! Also, very few linux programs support MT.
###
Check out the [2.8" resistive PiTFT FAQ](../../../../adafruit-pitft-28-inch-resistive-touchscreen-display-raspberry-pi/faq) for an answer to this common question.
###
Check out the 2.8" Resistive PiTFT FAQ page for some other questions you may want answered
[Visit the 2.8" Resistive PiTFT FAQ page](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pitft-28-inch-resistive-touchscreen-display-raspberry-pi/faq)
# Adafruit 2.8" PiTFT - Capacitive Touch
## Downloads
# Files
- [The latest kernel fork that adds all the TFT, touchscreen, and other addons is here on github](https://github.com/adafruit/adafruit-raspberrypi-linux "Link: https://github.com/adafruit/adafruit-rpi-fbtft/")
- [Datasheet for the 'raw' 2.8" TFT display](http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/MI0283QT-11%20V1.1.PDF "Link: http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/MI0283QT-11%20V1.1.PDF")
- [FT6206 Datasheet](http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/FT6x06%20Datasheet_V0.1_Preliminary_20120723.pdf) & [App note](http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/FT6x06_AN_public_ver0.1.3.pdf) (capacitive chip)
- [EagleCAD PCB files on GitHub](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-PiTFT-Plus-2.8-PCB)
# Schematic for Pi 1 Version
# Schematic for PiTFT Plus (B+/Pi 2 shape)
# Fabrication Print (Pi 1 Version)
Dimensions in Inches
# Fabrication Print (B+/Pi 2 Version)
Dimensions in mm
## Featured Products
### PiTFT 2.8" TFT 320x240 + Capacitive Touchscreen for Raspberry Pi
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**Discontinued** **-** **but check out the** [**Adafruit PiTFT Plus 320x240 2.8" TFT + Capacitive Touchscreen**](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2423)
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Is this not the cutest little display for the Raspberry Pi? It features a 2.8" display with 320x240 16-bit color pixels and a capacitive touch overlay. That's right, instead of a resistive touchscreen, which requires a fingernail or stylus, you can now use a fingerpad. The screen...
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### Tactile Switch Buttons (6mm slim) x 20 pack
[Tactile Switch Buttons (6mm slim) x 20 pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1489)
Slim clicky momentary switches are standard input "buttons" on electronic projects. These are half the width of classic 6mm tactile switches so they line up better on a breadboard, just plug them into every-other row. These work best in a PCB but
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[PiTFT Pibow kit for Raspberry Pi Model B Computer](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1723)
**What's better than our [PiTFT 2.8 display?](http://www.adafruit.com/products/1601) How about a custom-designed enclosure for said PiTFT+Pi, in handsome midnight-blue?**
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Complete your Pi setup with our custom designed faceplate specifically designed to fit your 2.8" PiTFT and Adafruit Pi B+ / Pi 2 case base! This **Faceplate and Buttons Pack** is a simple way to enclose your 2.8" PiTFT and Pi safely and in style. The faceplate...
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## Related Guides
- [OpenClaw on Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/openclaw-on-raspberry-pi.md)
- [PiTFT Python + Pillow Animated Gif Player](https://learn.adafruit.com/pitft-linux-python-animated-gif-player.md)
- [Kali Linux on the Raspberry Pi with the PiTFT](https://learn.adafruit.com/kali-linux-on-the-raspberry-pi-with-the-pitft.md)
- [Processing on the Raspberry Pi & PiTFT](https://learn.adafruit.com/processing-on-the-raspberry-pi-and-pitft.md)
- [Pi Hole Ad Detection Display with PiTFT](https://learn.adafruit.com/pi-hole-ad-pitft-tft-detection-display.md)
- [Running OpenGL-based Games & Emulators on Adafruit PiTFT Displays](https://learn.adafruit.com/running-opengl-based-games-and-emulators-on-adafruit-pitft-displays.md)
- [Monitor PiCam and temperature on a PiTFT via adafruit.io](https://learn.adafruit.com/monitor-picam-and-temperature-on-a-pitft-via-adafruit-dot-io.md)
- [RasPipe: A Raspberry Pi Pipeline Viewer, Part 2](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspipe-a-raspberry-pi-pipeline-viewer-part-2.md)
- [Adafruit DACx578 - 8 x Channel I2C DAC](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-dac7578-8-x-channel-12-bit-i2c-dac.md)
- [Adafruit 1.3" and 1.54" 240x240 Wide Angle TFT LCD Displays](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-1-3-and-1-54-240-x-240-wide-angle-tft-lcd-displays.md)
- [Adafruit Rotary Trinkey](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-rotary-trinkey.md)
- [PiGlass](https://learn.adafruit.com/piglass-wearable-raspberry-pi-computer.md)
- [Adafruit OPT4048 XYZ Color Sensor](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-opt4048-xyz-color-sensor.md)
- [Adafruit 1.9" Color IPS TFT Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-1-9-color-ips-tft-display.md)
- [Butterfly Bench with Edge Lit Acrylic](https://learn.adafruit.com/butterfly-bench-with-edge-lit-acrylic.md)