Adafruit Qualia ESP32-S3 for RGB-666 Displays

Use the new Qualia ESP32-S3 to add a higher resolution Dot Clock RGB-666 Display to your next project

by M. LeBlanc-Williams and Jeff Epler

published October 06, 2023, last edited July 01, 2025
last major update December 13, 2023

posted in CircuitPython LCDs & Displays/ Graphic TFTs Programming/ MicroPython / CircuitPython

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Intermediate

Product guide

Arduino Product Demo

Here are demos from the product page available for the Qualia ESP32-S3 that run in Arduino. Below is the code.

This currently will not compile with version 3.0.0 of the ESP32 Board Support Package. Please use version 2 of the BSP.

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// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Limor Fried for Adafruit Industries
//
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

#include <Arduino_GFX_Library.h>
#include "Adafruit_FT6206.h"

Arduino_XCA9554SWSPI *expander = new Arduino_XCA9554SWSPI(
    PCA_TFT_RESET, PCA_TFT_CS, PCA_TFT_SCK, PCA_TFT_MOSI,
    &Wire, 0x3F);

Arduino_ESP32RGBPanel *rgbpanel = new Arduino_ESP32RGBPanel(
    TFT_DE, TFT_VSYNC, TFT_HSYNC, TFT_PCLK,
    TFT_R1, TFT_R2, TFT_R3, TFT_R4, TFT_R5,
    TFT_G0, TFT_G1, TFT_G2, TFT_G3, TFT_G4, TFT_G5,
    TFT_B1, TFT_B2, TFT_B3, TFT_B4, TFT_B5,
    1 /* hync_polarity */, 46 /* hsync_front_porch */, 2 /* hsync_pulse_width */, 44 /* hsync_back_porch */,
    1 /* vsync_polarity */, 50 /* vsync_front_porch */, 16 /* vsync_pulse_width */, 16 /* vsync_back_porch */);

Arduino_RGB_Display *gfx = new Arduino_RGB_Display(
/* 3.4" square */
//    480 /* width */, 480 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, tl034wvs05_b1477a_init_operations, sizeof(tl034wvs05_b1477a_init_operations));
/* 3.2" bar */
//    320 /* width */, 820 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, tl032fwv01_init_operations, sizeof(tl032fwv01_init_operations));
/* 4.0" 720x720 square */
//    720 /* width */, 720 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, NULL, 0);
/* 4.0" 480x480 square */
//    480 /* width */, 480 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, tl040wvs03_init_operations, sizeof(tl040wvs03_init_operations));
// 2.1" round
    480 /* width */, 480 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, TL021WVC02_init_operations, sizeof(TL021WVC02_init_operations));


Adafruit_FT6206 ctp = Adafruit_FT6206();  // This library also supports FT6336U!
#define I2C_TOUCH_ADDR 0x15
bool touchOK = false;

void setup(void)
{
  //while (!Serial) delay(100);

#ifdef GFX_EXTRA_PRE_INIT
  GFX_EXTRA_PRE_INIT();
#endif

  Serial.println("Starting touch paint");

  // Init Display
  Wire.setClock(400000); // speed up I2C
  if (!gfx->begin()) {
    Serial.println("gfx->begin() failed!");
    while (1) yield();
  }

  gfx->fillScreen(BLACK);

  expander->pinMode(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, OUTPUT);
  expander->digitalWrite(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, HIGH);

  Serial.println("Hello!");
  gfx->fillScreen(BLACK);
  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 - 75);
  gfx->setTextSize(5);
  gfx->setTextColor(WHITE);
  gfx->println("Hello World!");

  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 - 25);
  gfx->setTextColor(RED);
  gfx->println("RED");

  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 + 25);
  gfx->setTextColor(GREEN);
  gfx->println("GREEN");

  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 + 75);
  gfx->setTextColor(BLUE);
  gfx->println("BLUE");

  if (!ctp.begin(0, &Wire, I2C_TOUCH_ADDR)) {
    //gfx->setTextColor(RED);
    //gfx->println("\nTouch not found");
    Serial.println("No touchscreen found");
    touchOK = false;
  } else {
    gfx->setTextColor(WHITE);
    gfx->println("\nTouch found");
    Serial.println("Touchscreen found");
    touchOK = true;
  }

  expander->pinMode(PCA_BUTTON_UP, INPUT);
  expander->pinMode(PCA_BUTTON_DOWN, INPUT);
}

void loop()
{
  if (touchOK && ctp.touched()) {
    TS_Point p = ctp.getPoint(0);
    Serial.printf("(%d, %d)\n", p.x, p.y);
    gfx->fillRect(p.x, p.y, 5, 5, WHITE);
  }

  // use the buttons to turn off
  if (! expander->digitalRead(PCA_BUTTON_DOWN)) {
    expander->digitalWrite(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, LOW);
  }
  // and on the backlight
  if (! expander->digitalRead(PCA_BUTTON_UP)) {
    expander->digitalWrite(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, HIGH);
  }

}

// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Limor Fried for Adafruit Industries
//
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

#include <Arduino_GFX_Library.h>
#include "Adafruit_FT6206.h"

Arduino_XCA9554SWSPI *expander = new Arduino_XCA9554SWSPI(
    PCA_TFT_RESET, PCA_TFT_CS, PCA_TFT_SCK, PCA_TFT_MOSI,
    &Wire, 0x3F);

Arduino_ESP32RGBPanel *rgbpanel = new Arduino_ESP32RGBPanel(
    TFT_DE, TFT_VSYNC, TFT_HSYNC, TFT_PCLK,
    TFT_R1, TFT_R2, TFT_R3, TFT_R4, TFT_R5,
    TFT_G0, TFT_G1, TFT_G2, TFT_G3, TFT_G4, TFT_G5,
    TFT_B1, TFT_B2, TFT_B3, TFT_B4, TFT_B5,
    1 /* hync_polarity */, 46 /* hsync_front_porch */, 2 /* hsync_pulse_width */, 44 /* hsync_back_porch */,
    1 /* vsync_polarity */, 50 /* vsync_front_porch */, 16 /* vsync_pulse_width */, 16 /* vsync_back_porch */);

Arduino_RGB_Display *gfx = new Arduino_RGB_Display(
/* 3.4" square */
//    480 /* width */, 480 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, tl034wvs05_b1477a_init_operations, sizeof(tl034wvs05_b1477a_init_operations));
/* 3.2" bar */
//    320 /* width */, 820 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, tl032fwv01_init_operations, sizeof(tl032fwv01_init_operations));
/* 4.0" 720x720 square */
//    720 /* width */, 720 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, NULL, 0);
/* 4.0" 480x480 square */
//    480 /* width */, 480 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
//    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, tl040wvs03_init_operations, sizeof(tl040wvs03_init_operations));
// 2.1" round
    480 /* width */, 480 /* height */, rgbpanel, 0 /* rotation */, true /* auto_flush */,
    expander, GFX_NOT_DEFINED /* RST */, TL021WVC02_init_operations, sizeof(TL021WVC02_init_operations));


Adafruit_FT6206 ctp = Adafruit_FT6206();  // This library also supports FT6336U!
#define I2C_TOUCH_ADDR 0x15
bool touchOK = false;

void setup(void)
{
  //while (!Serial) delay(100);

#ifdef GFX_EXTRA_PRE_INIT
  GFX_EXTRA_PRE_INIT();
#endif

  Serial.println("Starting touch paint");

  // Init Display
  Wire.setClock(400000); // speed up I2C
  if (!gfx->begin()) {
    Serial.println("gfx->begin() failed!");
    while (1) yield();
  }

  gfx->fillScreen(BLACK);

  expander->pinMode(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, OUTPUT);
  expander->digitalWrite(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, HIGH);

  Serial.println("Hello!");
  gfx->fillScreen(BLACK);
  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 - 75);
  gfx->setTextSize(5);
  gfx->setTextColor(WHITE);
  gfx->println("Hello World!");

  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 - 25);
  gfx->setTextColor(RED);
  gfx->println("RED");

  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 + 25);
  gfx->setTextColor(GREEN);
  gfx->println("GREEN");

  gfx->setCursor(100, gfx->height() / 2 + 75);
  gfx->setTextColor(BLUE);
  gfx->println("BLUE");

  if (!ctp.begin(0, &Wire, I2C_TOUCH_ADDR)) {
    //gfx->setTextColor(RED);
    //gfx->println("\nTouch not found");
    Serial.println("No touchscreen found");
    touchOK = false;
  } else {
    gfx->setTextColor(WHITE);
    gfx->println("\nTouch found");
    Serial.println("Touchscreen found");
    touchOK = true;
  }

  expander->pinMode(PCA_BUTTON_UP, INPUT);
  expander->pinMode(PCA_BUTTON_DOWN, INPUT);
}

void loop()
{
  if (touchOK && ctp.touched()) {
    TS_Point p = ctp.getPoint(0);
    Serial.printf("(%d, %d)\n", p.x, p.y);
    gfx->fillRect(p.x, p.y, 5, 5, WHITE);
  }

  // use the buttons to turn off
  if (! expander->digitalRead(PCA_BUTTON_DOWN)) {
    expander->digitalWrite(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, LOW);
  }
  // and on the backlight
  if (! expander->digitalRead(PCA_BUTTON_UP)) {
    expander->digitalWrite(PCA_TFT_BACKLIGHT, HIGH);
  }

}

This sketch was written for either of the 2.1" Round 480x480 RGB-666 displays.

Now upload the sketch to your Qualia ESP32-S3 and make sure a round display is connected. You may need to press the Reset button to reset the microcontroller. You should now see text appear on the display like in the image below.