Using the SSD1306 OLED display in Arduino code on the Pi Pico
(Updated at 01/05/2023)
The SSD1306 is an OLED display widely used in DIY electronics projects. Since it uses OLED technology, there is no need for backlighting, and each pixel consumes power only when turned on: the SSD1306 consumes less energy than a conventional LCD screen of the same size. It also has excellent contrast, even in dark places
The major drawback is that, the modules commonly used in DIY projects generally have pixels of only one color (white), sometimes 2 (yellow and blue). Your interfaces will not be very colorful
Nevertheless, it is the perfect candidate to replace the classic 16x2 LCD screen to benefit from more pixels while taking up much less space and consuming less power.
The different variants of the SSD1306 screen
Tip
Could you check that the module you have is an SSD1306? There is a very similar model, the SH1106, which is only compatible with some of the libraries available for the SSD1306. The screen panel is the same, but the chip behind it is different.
The SSD1306 OLED display is available on the market in several variations:
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