ILI9341 2.8 inch TFT with touch: specs and pinout
A 2.8 inch 240 x 320 colour TFT module built around the ILI9341 display driver, with a touch layer and a microSD card slot. Many modules of this type use a resistive touch layer read by an XPT2046 controller, but no maker document for this module confirms that, so check yours. No maker document for the module board was found, so only the two chip sheets are used here.
Specs
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Display driver: resolution and colours | ILI9341: 240 RGB x 320 pixels, 262,144 colours, 172,800 bytes of on-chip display RAM | source Features (page 7) |
| Display driver: interfaces | 8/9/16/18-bit parallel, 6/16/18-bit RGB and 3-line or 4-line serial (SPI) | source Features (page 7) |
| Display driver: logic supply | VDDI 1.65 V to 3.3 V (logic); VCI 2.5 V to 3.3 V (analog) | source Features, low-power architecture (page 8) |
| Display driver: absolute maximum | VCI and VDDI -0.3 V to +4.6 V; logic input -0.3 V to VDDI + 0.3 V | source Absolute Maximum Ratings (page 235) |
| Display driver: operating temperature | -40 to 85 C | source Features (page 8) |
| Touch controller type | XPT2046: 4-wire resistive touch controller, 12-bit 125 kHz SAR ADC, 4-wire serial interface | source General Description and Features (page 3) |
| Touch controller supply | VCC 2.2 V to 3.6 V (features list); digital I/O 1.5 V up to VCC; absolute maximum +6 V | source Features (page 3); Absolute Maximum Ratings (page 4) |
| Touch controller temperature and current | -40 to +85 C; low power consumption 260 uA as printed in the features list | source Features (page 3) |
Chip pins
These are the pins of the chip on the module, from the chip datasheet. The module's own header may label or expose them differently.
The 16 rows are the bare XPT2046 chip's own pins (QFN-16 numbering), NOT the module header: do not wire from them. The module board's header pin names and order, the display's SPI pins, the microSD wiring and whether an XPT2046 is fitted are not covered by an official document, so no module labels are given.
| Pin | Function | Voltage | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BUSY | Busy output; high impedance when CS is high | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 2 DIN | Serial data input, latched on the rising edge of DCLK when CS is low | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 3 CS | Chip select input; controls conversion timing and enables the serial input and output | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 4 DCLK | External clock input that runs the conversion and synchronises the serial interface | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 5 VCC | Power supply | 2.2 V to 3.6 V | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) |
| 6 XP | XP position input | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 7 YP | YP position input | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 8 XN | XN position input | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 9 YN | YN position input | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 10 GND | Ground | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 11 VBAT | Battery monitor input | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 12 AUX | Auxiliary input to the ADC | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 13 VREF | Voltage reference input or output | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 14 IOVDD | Digital I/O power supply | 1.5 V to VCC | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) |
| 15 PENIRQ | Pen interrupt | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) | |
| 16 DOUT | Serial data output, shifted on the falling edge of DCLK | XPT2046 chip pin, not a module pin | source Pin Description, Table 3 (page 9) |
Build with it
Project ideas for the ILI9341 2.8 inch TFT with touch. Each link opens Soldr with the prompt filled in; Soldr assigns the pins, checks power and shows how to wire every part.
- ESP32 touch room panel: The ESP32 is a 3.3 V board, inside the display driver's 3.3 V logic limit. Check the silkscreen for the supply range and pin order. If the module has a touch controller it shares the SPI bus on its own chip-select line. Use 3.3 V only if the module says so.
- ESP32 touch clock: The DS3231 keeps time over I2C and the ESP32 draws the clock face and touch buttons on the 240 x 320 display. 3.3 V logic matches the display driver. The module's supply range and backlight current are not documented: check the silkscreen for the supply range and use 3.3 V only if the module says so.
- Pico touch drawing pad: The Pico is a 3.3 V board. Touch is only available if your module has a touch controller; check it before planning a drawing app. The module's supply range and backlight current are not documented: check the silkscreen for the supply range and use 3.3 V only if the module says so.
- ESP32 sensor log with an on-module card slot: The card slot's wiring is not documented, so confirm the card's chip-select pin on the silkscreen and keep it on its own pin from the display and touch chip-selects. The module's supply range and backlight current are not documented: check the silkscreen for the supply range and use 3.3 V only if the module says so.
Common mistakes
- Feeding 5 V logic into the display driver: the ILI9341 allows a logic supply of 1.65 V to 3.3 V and its absolute maximum is 4.6 V, so use a 3.3 V board unless the module board is documented to shift levels (source: link, Features p.8 and Absolute Maximum Ratings p.235)
- If your module has an XPT2046 touch controller (common on this type of module, not confirmed for this one): touch is then a separate chip from the display driver, with its own chip-select, clock, data and pen-interrupt pins, so it needs its own chip-select line on the SPI bus (source: link, Pin Description p.9)
- Assuming the module's pin names, order and microSD wiring from the chip sheets: the module board is not documented, so read the silkscreen before wiring (source: link, sheet covers the ILI9341 chip only)
Not covered by the official source
- The module board (header order, regulator, level shifting, backlight current, microSD wiring and which touch chip is fitted) is not covered by an official document; an XPT2046 is common on this type of module but is not confirmed for this one.
- The ILI9341 sheet is for the bare chip, so its SPI timing and register map apply only after the module pins are identified.