Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Arduino coders will be familiar with writing Serial.print() statements peppered around their code to send debug information, or monitor the readings of sensors or other inputs, by sending it via a USB connection and displaying on the Arduino IDE Serial Monitor.
But there are many occassions when it's useful to be able to check the status of a running sketch or read configuration information directly on the device itself - and that's where these tiny little OLED screens can come in handy.
They draw very little current, are 3.3/5V tolerant, can display a surprising amount of information even on a 128x32px display, and use an I2C connection that requires only two pins on the processor.
In this example, I'll create a small status monitor that displays build information and Wi-Fi connection information from a WeMos D1 mini, but you can use the same approach on any Arduino UNO or Nano board or similar microprocessor, and use the lcdgfx library to display whatever information you like in a nice UI menu.
I'm using the following library to interface with the display: github.com/lexus2k/lcdgfx
You can buy a 128x32 pixel board like the one I'm using for about $3 from banggood.com/custlink/K3vDNrCGJP
Part of my Escape Room Tech Advent Calender for 2019!
For my Escape Room tech projects, see patreon.com/playfultech
Arduino coders will be familiar with writing Serial.print() statements peppered around their code to send debug information, or monitor the readings of sensors or other inputs, by sending it via a USB connection and displaying on the Arduino IDE Serial Monitor.
But there are many occassions when it's useful to be able to check the status of a running sketch or read configuration information directly on the device itself - and that's where these tiny little OLED screens can come in handy.
They draw very little current, are 3.3/5V tolerant, can display a surprising amount of information even on a 128x32px display, and use an I2C connection that requires only two pins on the processor.
In this example, I'll create a small status monitor that displays build information and Wi-Fi connection information from a WeMos D1 mini, but you can use the same approach on any Arduino UNO or Nano board or similar microprocessor, and use the lcdgfx library to display whatever information you like in a nice UI menu.
I'm using the following library to interface with the display: github.com/lexus2k/lcdgfx
You can buy a 128x32 pixel board like the one I'm using for about $3 from banggood.com/custlink/K3vDNrCGJP
Part of my Escape Room Tech Advent Calender for 2019!
For my Escape Room tech projects, see patreon.com/playfultech
