Build a Tiny OLED Display Subsystem

SSD1306 Out on a Cheap Date We live in an era where huge display screens are commonplace. But embedded systems often demand small displays, hopefully with low-overhead control electronics. In this project article, Jeff endeavors to design and build a low-cost 128×64 OLED display subsystem using an 8-bit MCU and I2C interfacing. Topics Discussed How to build a low-cost 128×64 OLED display subsystem using an 8-bit MCU and I2CWhat are the choices in small displaysHow to craft a stripped down character schemeHow to implement the display modesHow to use UART interfacing and I2C Tech Used Adafruit 0.96″ 128 × 64-pixel OLEDMicrochip Technology PIC16F18313 MCU SSD1306 single-chip display driver from Solomon Systech My Uncle Bill loved to go to the drive-in. I'm not talking carhop drive-in eateries, like Sonic, but an outdoor movie theater—complete with a washboard parking lot filled with rows of poles holding speakers on tethers (Figure 1). You would park alongside a pole, crank down your window a bit (no buttons back then), and reach out, grab a speaker and hang it on the inside of the window. That took care of the sound. The movie was projected onto a giant screen, far larger than any of today's Cineplex screens. The small projection block house doubled as the concession stand for popcorn and soda. Most nights were a twin bill. The first might be a Disney movie for the kids, and the second a western with cowboys and Indians, after the little guys passed out in the back seat. FIGURE 1 - Drive-ins were a family-friendly way of going to the movies. Locally (in central Connecticut), the Mansfield Drive-In still shows twin bills every summer night. During the weekend days, it hosts a flea market to supplement income. I never said no to tagging along with my uncle's family. However, as I grew, my tastes changed. Ray Harryhausen's stop motion brought monsters alive in Jason and the Argonauts, Sinbad and Clash of the Titans.