“A simple tutorial on how to use SSD1306 for displaying moving GIFs, in this case, cat eyes.
For those of you who are experiencing issues with the animation on the SSD1306 OLED display, here is a short tutorial.
Two SSD1306 OLED displays are showing a basic Cat Eye animation; the animation is a GIF that has been divided into smaller frames.
Here, the idea is to use a sequence of sequentially shown frames in the OLED display to provide the illusion of motion and make the image move.
Materials Required
Below are the materials used in this small setup.
- SSD1306 OLED Screens
- XIAO ESP32 MCU
- Jumper Wires
- Breadboard
SSD1306 Display
The SSD1306 is a popular monochrome OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display controller chip. It is commonly used to drive small displays in various electronic projects, such as DIY electronics, Arduino-based projects, and other microcontroller applications. The SSD1306 supports a range of display sizes and resolutions, and it communicates with a microcontroller or other host device via I2C or SPI communication protocols.
Here are some key features and information about the SSD1306 display controller:
Display Types: The SSD1306 is typically used with monochrome OLED displays, which means they can only display one color (usually white or blue) on a black background. These displays are known for their high contrast ratios and wide viewing angles.
Communication Protocols:
- I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit): This is the most common communication protocol used with the SSD1306. It requires only two wires (SDA for data and SCL for clock), making it simple to interface with microcontrollers.
- SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface): Some SSD1306 displays also support SPI for communication, which is another popular serial communication protocol.
Resolution: The resolution of SSD1306 displays can vary, but common resolutions include 128x64 and 128x32 pixels.
Interface: The SSD1306 communicates with a microcontroller or other host device through its I2C or SPI interface. This allows the host device to send commands and data to the display for rendering graphics and text.
Voltage Requirements: The SSD1306 typically operates at low voltages, making it suitable for battery-powered applications. It often works in the range of 3.3V to 5V.
Supported Fonts and Graphics: The SSD1306 supports a variety of fonts and graphics commands. This allows users to display text, numbers, and simple graphics on the OLED screen.
Library Support: Several libraries are available for different microcontroller platforms (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.) to simplify the process of interfacing with SSD1306 displays. These libraries provide functions to initialize the display, write text, draw shapes, and more.
Applications: SSD1306 displays are commonly used in DIY electronics projects, wearables, IoT devices, and other applications where a small and lightweight display is required.
When working with an SSD1306 display, it’s essential to refer to the datasheet and documentation specific to the display module you are using, as there may be variations and additional features depending on the manufacturer.
“