Guide to 0.96″ OLED Display Module (128×64) for Arduino

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Ekostra Electronics

April 10, 2025

On April 5, 2025

0.96″ OLED Display Module (128×64) Complete Guide

High-Contrast Display Solution for Arduino and ESP Projects

Introduction

The 0.96″ OLED display module is a popular, low-power display solution featuring a 128×64 pixel resolution with crisp white, blue, or yellow pixels on a black background. These displays use SSD1306 or SH1106 drivers and communicate via I2C or SPI interfaces.

Key Features

⚡ Power Efficiency

Consumes only 0.04W during operation

👁️ High Contrast

16:1 contrast ratio for excellent readability

📱 Compact Size

27.3mm × 27.8mm module dimensions

💾 Built-in Memory

GDDRAM for display data storage

Technical Specifications

Display Type	OLED (Organic LED)
Resolution	128 × 64 pixels
Driver IC	SSD1306 or SH1106
Interface	I2C (default) or SPI
Operating Voltage	3.3V – 5V
Viewing Angle	>160°

Pin Configuration

Pin	Description	Arduino Connection
GND	Ground	GND
VCC	Power (3.3V-5V)	3.3V or 5V
SCL	I2C Clock	A5 (Uno) or SCL
SDA	I2C Data	A4 (Uno) or SDA

Note: Some modules have additional pins for SPI interface (D/C, RST, CS)

Wiring with Arduino

I2C Connection

// Basic I2C Connections:
// OLED VCC → Arduino 5V
// OLED GND → Arduino GND
// OLED SCL → Arduino SCL (A5 on Uno)
// OLED SDA → Arduino SDA (A4 on Uno)

Finding I2C Address

Run this code to detect your OLED's I2C address:

#include <Wire.h>

void setup() {
  Wire.begin();
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("I2C Scanner");
}

void loop() {
  byte error, address;
  int devices = 0;
  
  Serial.println("Scanning...");
  
  for(address = 1; address < 127; address++ ) {
    Wire.beginTransmission(address);
    error = Wire.endTransmission();
    
    if (error == 0) {
      Serial.print("Device found at 0x");
      if (address<16) Serial.print("0");
      Serial.println(address,HEX);
      devices++;
    }
  }
  
  if (devices == 0) Serial.println("No devices found");
  delay(5000);
}

Arduino Library Setup

Install the Adafruit SSD1306 library from Library Manager
Adafruit SSD1306 master
1 file(s) 0.00 KB
Download
Install the Adafruit GFX library
Adafruit GFX Library master
1 file(s) 0.00 KB
Download
Include these in your sketch:

Arduino
#include <SPI.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_SSD1306.h>

Basic Display Example

#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1

Adafruit_SSD1306 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);

void setup() {
  display.begin(SSD1306_SWITCHCAPVCC, 0x3C); // Address 0x3C
  
  display.clearDisplay();
  display.setTextSize(1);
  display.setTextColor(SSD1306_WHITE);
  display.setCursor(0,0);
  display.println("Hello, OLED!");
  display.display();
  delay(2000);
}

void loop() {
  // Show sensor data or animations here
}

Advanced Features

Custom Graphics

// Draw a rectangle
display.drawRect(10, 10, 50, 30, SSD1306_WHITE);

// Draw a filled circle
display.fillCircle(64, 32, 15, SSD1306_WHITE);

Text Formatting

display.setTextSize(2); // 2x size text
display.setTextColor(SSD1306_WHITE);
display.setCursor(10, 10);
display.println("Large Text");

display.setTextSize(1);
display.println("Normal Text");

Bitmap Images

// Use LCD Assistant to convert images
static const unsigned char PROGMEM logo[] = {
  // Bitmap data here
};

display.drawBitmap(0, 0, logo, 128, 64, 1);

Animation

for(int i=0; i<128; i++) {
  display.clearDisplay();
  display.fillRect(i, 16, 10, 32, WHITE);
  display.display();
  delay(20);
}

Troubleshooting

Blank Display

Check I2C address (try both 0x3C and 0x3D)
Verify all connections are secure
Ensure contrast is set (display.ssd1306_command(SSD1306_SETCONTRAST))

Garbled Display

Check for proper voltage (3.3V-5V)
Add pull-up resistors (4.7kΩ) on SDA/SCL if needed
Reduce I2C clock speed if using long wires

Library Issues

Install latest Adafruit libraries
Modify library if using SH1106 driver
Check for conflicting libraries

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