This tutorial goes over how to use an ILI9341 TFT screen with the esp32-c3-32s!
Supplies
- (1) esp32-c3-32s
- (1) ILI9341 TFT Screen
- (1) Breadboard
- (8) Jumper cables
Setup
As this board is extremely small compared to the esp32 that preceded it, the pinout information is on the back of the chip.


As this is not a widely used board, I couldn't find a fritzing for it, so I am going to try and make this easy by putting both the board together for you to be able to connect via jumper cables however you please.
esp32-c3-32s Pin | TFT Pin |
---|---|
3v3 | VCC |
GND | GND |
IO7 | CS |
IO1 | RESET |
IO2 | DC |
IO6 | SDI (MOSI) |
IO4 | SCK |
LED | 3v3 |

Wiring diagram connecting ILI9341 screen to esp32-c3-32s
Code
For this project, we are using the following libraries:
- Adafruit_GFX
- Adafruit_ILI9341
For information on how to install the libraries above please visist https://www.arduino.cc/en/guide/libraries.
The following graphics test code was pulled from https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_ILI9341/blob/master/examples/graphicstest/graphicstest.ino
Flash settings
- USB CDC on boot: disabled
- Board: ESP32c3 Dev Module
- CPU Frequency: 80MHZ
- Flash Frequency: 80MHZ
- Flash Mode: DIO
- Flash Size: 4MB
- Partition Scheme: Default 4MB with spiffs
- Upload Speed: 115200
/*************************************************** This is our GFX example for the Adafruit ILI9341 Breakout and Shield ----> http://www.adafruit.com/products/1651 Check out the links above for our tutorials and wiring diagrams These displays use SPI to communicate, 4 or 5 pins are required to interface (RST is optional) Adafruit invests time and resources providing this open source code, please support Adafruit and open-source hardware by purchasing products from Adafruit! Written by Limor Fried/Ladyada for Adafruit Industries. MIT license, all text above must be included in any redistribution ****************************************************/#include "SPI.h"#include "Adafruit_GFX.h"#include "Adafruit_ILI9341.h"#define TFT_CS 7#define TFT_DC 2#define TFT_RST 1Adafruit_ILI9341 tft = Adafruit_ILI9341(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);void setup(){ Serial.begin(9600); Serial.println("ILI9341 Test!"); tft.begin(4000000); // read diagnostics (optional but can help debug problems) uint8_t x = tft.readcommand8(ILI9341_RDMODE); Serial.print("Display Power Mode: 0x"); Serial.println(x, HEX); x = tft.readcommand8(ILI9341_RDMADCTL); Serial.print("MADCTL Mode: 0x"); Serial.println(x, HEX); x = tft.readcommand8(ILI9341_RDPIXFMT); Serial.print("Pixel Format: 0x"); Serial.println(x, HEX); x = tft.readcommand8(ILI9341_RDIMGFMT); Serial.print("Image Format: 0x"); Serial.println(x, HEX); x = tft.readcommand8(ILI9341_RDSELFDIAG); Serial.print("Self Diagnostic: 0x"); Serial.println(x, HEX); Serial.println(F("Benchmark Time (microseconds)")); delay(10); Serial.print(F("Screen fill ")); Serial.println(testFillScreen()); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Text ")); Serial.println(testText()); delay(3000); Serial.print(F("Lines ")); Serial.println(testLines(ILI9341_CYAN)); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Horiz/Vert Lines ")); Serial.println(testFastLines(ILI9341_RED, ILI9341_BLUE)); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Rectangles (outline) ")); Serial.println(testRects(ILI9341_GREEN)); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Rectangles (filled) ")); Serial.println(testFilledRects(ILI9341_YELLOW, ILI9341_MAGENTA)); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Circles (filled) ")); Serial.println(testFilledCircles(10, ILI9341_MAGENTA)); Serial.print(F("Circles (outline) ")); Serial.println(testCircles(10, ILI9341_WHITE)); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Triangles (outline) ")); Serial.println(testTriangles()); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Triangles (filled) ")); Serial.println(testFilledTriangles()); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Rounded rects (outline) ")); Serial.println(testRoundRects()); delay(500); Serial.print(F("Rounded rects (filled) ")); Serial.println(testFilledRoundRects()); delay(500); Serial.println(F("Done!"));}void loop(void){ for (uint8_t rotation = 0; rotation < 4; rotation++) { tft.setRotation(rotation); testText(); delay(1000); }}unsigned long testFillScreen(){ unsigned long start = micros(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_RED); yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_GREEN); yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLUE); yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); yield(); return micros() - start;}unsigned long testText(){ tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); unsigned long start = micros(); tft.setCursor(0, 0); tft.setTextColor(ILI9341_WHITE); tft.setTextSize(1); tft.println("Hello World!"); tft.setTextColor(ILI9341_YELLOW); tft.setTextSize(2); tft.println(1234.56); tft.setTextColor(ILI9341_RED); tft.setTextSize(3); tft.println(0xDEADBEEF, HEX); tft.println(); tft.setTextColor(ILI9341_GREEN); tft.setTextSize(5); tft.println("Groop"); tft.setTextSize(2); tft.println("I implore thee,"); tft.setTextSize(1); tft.println("my foonting turlingdromes."); tft.println("And hooptiously drangle me"); tft.println("with crinkly bindlewurdles,"); tft.println("Or I will rend thee"); tft.println("in the gobberwarts"); tft.println("with my blurglecruncheon,"); tft.println("see if I don't!"); return micros() - start;}unsigned long testLines(uint16_t color){ unsigned long start, t; int x1, y1, x2, y2, w = tft.width(), h = tft.height(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); yield(); x1 = y1 = 0; y2 = h - 1; start = micros(); for (x2 = 0; x2 < w; x2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); x2 = w - 1; for (y2 = 0; y2 < h; y2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); t = micros() - start; // fillScreen doesn't count against timing yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); yield(); x1 = w - 1; y1 = 0; y2 = h - 1; start = micros(); for (x2 = 0; x2 < w; x2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); x2 = 0; for (y2 = 0; y2 < h; y2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); t += micros() - start; yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); yield(); x1 = 0; y1 = h - 1; y2 = 0; start = micros(); for (x2 = 0; x2 < w; x2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); x2 = w - 1; for (y2 = 0; y2 < h; y2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); t += micros() - start; yield(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); yield(); x1 = w - 1; y1 = h - 1; y2 = 0; start = micros(); for (x2 = 0; x2 < w; x2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); x2 = 0; for (y2 = 0; y2 < h; y2 += 6) tft.drawLine(x1, y1, x2, y2, color); yield(); return micros() - start;}unsigned long testFastLines(uint16_t color1, uint16_t color2){ unsigned long start; int x, y, w = tft.width(), h = tft.height(); tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); start = micros(); for (y = 0; y < h; y += 5) tft.drawFastHLine(0, y, w, color1); for (x = 0; x < w; x += 5) tft.drawFastVLine(x, 0, h, color2); return micros() - start;}unsigned long testRects(uint16_t color){ unsigned long start; int n, i, i2, cx = tft.width() / 2, cy = tft.height() / 2; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); n = min(tft.width(), tft.height()); start = micros(); for (i = 2; i < n; i += 6) { i2 = i / 2; tft.drawRect(cx - i2, cy - i2, i, i, color); } return micros() - start;}unsigned long testFilledRects(uint16_t color1, uint16_t color2){ unsigned long start, t = 0; int n, i, i2, cx = tft.width() / 2 - 1, cy = tft.height() / 2 - 1; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); n = min(tft.width(), tft.height()); for (i = n; i > 0; i -= 6) { i2 = i / 2; start = micros(); tft.fillRect(cx - i2, cy - i2, i, i, color1); t += micros() - start; // Outlines are not included in timing results tft.drawRect(cx - i2, cy - i2, i, i, color2); yield(); } return t;}unsigned long testFilledCircles(uint8_t radius, uint16_t color){ unsigned long start; int x, y, w = tft.width(), h = tft.height(), r2 = radius * 2; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); start = micros(); for (x = radius; x < w; x += r2) { for (y = radius; y < h; y += r2) { tft.fillCircle(x, y, radius, color); } } return micros() - start;}unsigned long testCircles(uint8_t radius, uint16_t color){ unsigned long start; int x, y, r2 = radius * 2, w = tft.width() + radius, h = tft.height() + radius; // Screen is not cleared for this one -- this is // intentional and does not affect the reported time. start = micros(); for (x = 0; x < w; x += r2) { for (y = 0; y < h; y += r2) { tft.drawCircle(x, y, radius, color); } } return micros() - start;}unsigned long testTriangles(){ unsigned long start; int n, i, cx = tft.width() / 2 - 1, cy = tft.height() / 2 - 1; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); n = min(cx, cy); start = micros(); for (i = 0; i < n; i += 5) { tft.drawTriangle( cx, cy - i, // peak cx - i, cy + i, // bottom left cx + i, cy + i, // bottom right tft.color565(i, i, i)); } return micros() - start;}unsigned long testFilledTriangles(){ unsigned long start, t = 0; int i, cx = tft.width() / 2 - 1, cy = tft.height() / 2 - 1; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); start = micros(); for (i = min(cx, cy); i > 10; i -= 5) { start = micros(); tft.fillTriangle(cx, cy - i, cx - i, cy + i, cx + i, cy + i, tft.color565(0, i * 10, i * 10)); t += micros() - start; tft.drawTriangle(cx, cy - i, cx - i, cy + i, cx + i, cy + i, tft.color565(i * 10, i * 10, 0)); yield(); } return t;}unsigned long testRoundRects(){ unsigned long start; int w, i, i2, cx = tft.width() / 2 - 1, cy = tft.height() / 2 - 1; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); w = min(tft.width(), tft.height()); start = micros(); for (i = 0; i < w; i += 6) { i2 = i / 2; tft.drawRoundRect(cx - i2, cy - i2, i, i, i / 8, tft.color565(i, 0, 0)); } return micros() - start;}unsigned long testFilledRoundRects(){ unsigned long start; int i, i2, cx = tft.width() / 2 - 1, cy = tft.height() / 2 - 1; tft.fillScreen(ILI9341_BLACK); start = micros(); for (i = min(tft.width(), tft.height()); i > 20; i -= 6) { i2 = i / 2; tft.fillRoundRect(cx - i2, cy - i2, i, i, i / 8, tft.color565(0, i, 0)); yield(); } return micros() - start;}
Upon running this you should be able to get the following output

gif of the final code running on the setup project.
For those who are running this with a hardware SPI or something that looks like
#define TFT_CS 7
#define TFT_DC 2
#define TFT_MOSI 6
#define TFT_CLK 4
#define TFT_RST 1
#define TFT_MISO 5
Adafruit_ILI9341 tft = Adafruit_ILI9341(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_MOSI, TFT_CLK, TFT_RST, TFT_MISO);
Using hardware SPI, incredibly slow. For more details visit https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_ILI9341/issues/65 This will yield incredibly slow results. This is called out in an open issue https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_ILI9341/issues/65 and was originally the most frustrating part about trying to get the esp32-c3-32s working with an ILI9341 TFT screen. After I made the changes to use a software SPI it was incredibly fast.
#define TFT_CS 7
#define TFT_DC 2
#define TFT_RST 1
Adafruit_ILI9341 tft = Adafruit_ILI9341(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);
This is using a software SPI which is way faster than hardware SPI.