Adafruit
Adafruit SHARP Memory Display Breakout - 1.3 168x144 Monochrome
The Adafruit SHARP Memory Display Breakout features a 1.3" 168×144 monochrome LCD that combines the ultra-low power consumption of e-paper with the fast refr...
The Adafruit SHARP Memory Display Breakout features a 1.3" 168×144 monochrome LCD that combines the ultra-low power consumption of e-paper with the fast refresh rates of a traditional LCD. The display shows crisp black pixels on a grey background, giving a pleasant e-reader appearance that's excellent in daylight.
The bare display is mounted on a breakout board with a 3 V regulator and level shifting, making it compatible with both 3 V and 5 V power and logic. Communication requires only 3 SPI pins (write-only), but the entire 168×144 pixel framebuffer (~3 KB) must be stored in the microcontroller's RAM.
Key Features
- 1.3" 168×144 Monochrome Display – Black-on-grey, e-reader style appearance
- Ultra-Low Power – E-paper-like power consumption with LCD-like refresh speed
- Daylight Readable – No backlight, but highly visible in ambient light
- SPI Interface – Write-only, requires only 3 data pins
- 3 V / 5 V Compatible – Onboard regulator and level shifting
- ZIF Socket Mounting – Display connects via ZIF socket with double-sided tape adhesion
- 4 Mounting Holes – Easy to attach to enclosures
Ideal For
- Low-power status displays and dashboards
- Outdoor-readable information panels
- Battery-powered wearable displays
- E-reader style interfaces
Package Contents
- 1× SHARP Memory Display Breakout (1.3" 168×144, fully assembled)
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- ESP32
- ESP32 is a family of microcontroller modules with built-in wireless features such as Bluetooth and WiFi. Knowing this product uses an ESP32-based module helps explain how it provides wireless serial communication and firmware update features.
- LCD
- LCD stands for liquid crystal display, a screen technology that uses a backlight and liquid crystals to show images or text. It matters because LCD modules usually need a display driver and enough controller pins or a bus interface to send image data.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- RAM
- RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
- SPI
- A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.
Find this product in
Brands
Displays & Screens
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
