“Driving a 10.1 inch 1024x600 TFT with the LT7683 controller using an ATtiny85 via I2C. Possibly the smallest microcontroller ever used for such a display.”
This project demonstrates how a minimal 8-bit microcontroller, the ATtiny85, can control a large LT7683-based TFT display (1024x600 pixels) via the I²C interface. Also works with the RA8876 controller. It serves as a proof of concept for ultra-compact embedded systems with impressive graphical output.
- ATtiny85 with only 8 KB Flash and 512 B RAM
- LT7683 graphics controller via I²C (vendor-supplied protocol)
- Technoblogy-style I2C bit-banged routines for USI on Tiny85
- Only ~3.5 KB program space used
- Completely software-driven, no external RAM or framebuffer required
- Can be used as the basis for graphical meters, terminals, dashboards
- ATtiny85 (on breakout board or DIP)
- LT7683 10" TFT panel (1024×600)
- I²C pull-up resistors (4.7kΩ recommended)
- Power supply capable of sourcing >1A for the display
- Optional: USB-to-serial adapter or programmer for ATtiny85
Switching circuitry may be required to isolate the programmer from I²C lines.
| File / Folder | Description |
|---|---|
main.ino or main.cpp |
ATtiny85 firmware |
LT7683_TinyI2C.cpp/h |
Display driver using bit-banged I2C |
README.md |
Project overview |
docs/ |
Images, hardware diagrams (optional) |
- Flash firmware to the ATtiny85 using your preferred programmer.
- Connect the display to the correct I²C pins:
- SDA → Pin 5
- SCL → Pin 7
- Power the display (separately if needed).
- Verify startup by observing the display initialize (geometric primitives, etc.)
✅ I²C proof of concept
✅ TinyNeoPixel LED output
🧪 Working on timeout handling and robustness
🧪 WindO.ino graphical environment (planned)
TODO: Add hardware photos and screenshots here.
MIT License — see LICENSE file for details.
Developed by ToSSoft_Berlin 🇩🇪
"Big displays on tiny chips"