Quick Answer
This XIAO round display tutorial covers the Seeed Studio Round Display, a 1.28-inch circular colour touchscreen that plugs directly into any XIAO board. It includes an RTC for timekeeping, a TF card slot, a battery charge circuit, and a JST 1.25 connector. Install the Seeed Arduino library, connect your XIAO, and run the HardwareTest example to get started.
What is the Round Display?
The Round Display is an expansion board designed for the Seeed Studio XIAO form factor. It turns any XIAO board into a self-contained gadget with a screen, storage, and battery management. The circular shape suits watch-style projects, desktop gauges, and smart home panels where a rectangular display would look out of place.
The touchscreen uses the FT6236 driver, well-supported in Arduino. The display controller is a GC9A01, capable of 65K colours at 240x240 resolution. An onboard PCF8563 RTC keeps time even when the main board loses power.
Key Features
- 1.28-inch round TFT: 240x240 pixels, 65K colours, GC9A01 driver
- Capacitive touch: FT6236 controller, single-point and gesture input
- RTC chip: PCF8563 keeps time with coin cell backup
- TF card slot: Store images, fonts, or log data locally
- Battery charge IC: Charge a LiPo cell via USB-C while the display runs
- JST 1.25 connector: Direct battery connection for portable projects
Getting Started with Arduino
Install the Seeed Arduino Round Display library. In Arduino IDE, go to Sketch, Include Library, Manage Libraries, and search for "Seeed Arduino Round display". Install it along with any prompted dependencies.
Connect your XIAO nRF52840 Plus to the Round Display. The board slots into the display's connector. Check the small power switch on the side of the display is set to ON. Open File, Examples, Seeed Arduino Round display, HardwareTest. Select your XIAO board and port, then upload. The test sketch cycles through colours, draws shapes, and tests the touch panel.
If you have not set up your XIAO board in Arduino IDE yet, follow our Arduino setup guide first.
Project Ideas
The Round Display opens up project types that are awkward with a standard breakout board and separate screen:
- Smart watch: Combine the XIAO nRF52840 Sense Plus (step counting via the onboard IMU) with the Round Display for a DIY wearable. The RTC handles time display and the battery circuit keeps it portable.
- Desktop clock or weather station: Fetch data via Bluetooth from a phone or Wi-Fi gateway and display it on the round screen. The TF card can store custom icons or backgrounds.
- Smart home control panel: Build a wall-mounted controller with touch buttons for lights, heating, or music. The small circular form factor looks intentional on a wall, unlike a bare breakout board. Browse the maker project collection for compatible sensors and boards.
- Meshtastic node with a screen: Pair the Round Display with a Meshtastic LoRa kit to display incoming messages, node list, or signal strength. See our Meshtastic setup guide for the LoRa side.
Using LVGL for Advanced UIs
For polished interfaces, the Round Display supports LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library). LVGL provides buttons, sliders, charts, and animations that run on the XIAO's processor. The Seeed library includes LVGL examples for drawing dials, gauges, and interactive menus. This is the right approach if you want a refined UI rather than simple text and shapes.
What to Buy
- Seeed Studio Round Display for XIAO - 1.28-inch round touchscreen with RTC and battery charging
- Seeed XIAO nRF52840 Plus - Wireless IoT board to drive the display
- XIAO nRF52840 Sense Plus - Same board with IMU and microphone for motion-aware projects
FAQ
Q: Does the Round Display work with all XIAO variants?
A: Yes. It is designed for the standard 21x17.8mm XIAO footprint and works with nRF52840, RP2040, SAMD21, and ESP32 variants.
Q: Can I power the display from the battery connector?
A: Yes. Connect a 3.7V LiPo cell to the JST 1.25 connector. The USB-C port charges the battery while the display is powered on. The charge IC handles switching automatically.
Q: How much current does the display draw?
A: The backlight at full brightness draws around 20mA. With the backlight dimmed or off (controlled via PWM), power consumption drops significantly for portable builds.