Arduino - SSD1309 OLED Display
An OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display offers self-emitting pixels that deliver deep blacks, high contrast, and wide viewing angles — making it a great upgrade over traditional LCDs. The SSD1309 is the driver IC commonly found on 2.42-inch (sometimes labeled 2.4-inch) 128×64 I2C OLED modules.
In this step-by-step guide you will learn how to connect and program the SSD1309 OLED 128×64 with an Arduino board using the DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 library. Specifically, we will cover:
- Wiring the 2.42-inch SSD1309 OLED to Arduino via I2C
- Printing text and numbers on the screen
- Centering text both vertically and horizontally
- Drawing geometric shapes (lines, rectangles, circles, triangles, rounded rectangles)
- Rendering monochrome bitmap images
- Hardware scrolling in four directions
- Adjusting contrast and dimming the display
- Using custom external fonts from the Adafruit GFX font collection
Hardware Required
Or you can buy the following kits:
| 1 | × | DIYables STEM V3 Starter Kit (Arduino included) | |
| 1 | × | DIYables Sensor Kit (30 sensors/displays) | |
| 1 | × | DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays) |
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Additionally, some links direct to products from our own brand, DIYables .
Additionally, some links direct to products from our own brand, DIYables .
About the SSD1309 2.42-Inch OLED Display
The SSD1309 is a single-chip CMOS OLED driver IC designed for 128×64 dot-matrix panels. It is register-compatible with the widely-used SSD1306, so many existing code examples carry over with minimal changes. The key hardware differences are:
- No built-in charge pump — the SSD1309 requires an external VCC rail, though virtually all breakout boards (including 2.42-inch and 2.4-inch modules) ship with an onboard boost converter, so this is transparent to you.
- Higher voltage tolerance — the SSD1309 accepts up to 16 V VCC, whereas the SSD1306 is limited to roughly 4.2 V.
The 2.42 inch (2.4 inch) OLED module commonly uses the SSD1309 driver and features a 128×64 pixel resolution with I2C interface. Panel color (white, blue, yellow, green, or dual-zone) is determined by the physical OLED material and is not software-controllable.
This tutorial communicates with the display over the I2C bus, which only requires two signal wires (SDA and SCL) and can share the bus with other I2C peripherals.
SSD1309 OLED Pinout (I2C Module)
The typical 2.42-inch SSD1309 I2C OLED module exposes four pins:
- GND — Connect to the Arduino ground rail.
- VCC — Power input. Wire to the Arduino 5 V (or 3.3 V, depending on the module's onboard regulator).
- SCL — I2C clock line.
- SDA — I2C data line.
※ NOTE THAT:
- Pin ordering varies between manufacturers. Always verify the labels silk-screened on your module before wiring.
- This tutorial has been verified with the 2.42 inch SSD1309 OLED display from DIYables. Other SSD1309-based 2.4/2.42-inch modules should work identically.
Wiring Diagram — Arduino & SSD1309 OLED 128×64
- Schematic wiring between Arduino and the 2.42 inch SSD1309 OLED 128×64
This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image
- Photograph of the actual wiring between Arduino and SSD1309 OLED 128×64
This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image
When using a different Arduino variant, the I2C pins change. The table below lists the correct connections:
| OLED Module | Arduino Uno, Nano | Arduino Mega |
|---|---|---|
| Vin | 5V | 5V |
| GND | GND | GND |
| SDA | A4 | 20 |
| SCL | A5 | 21 |
Getting Started — SSD1309 OLED with Arduino
Step 1: Install the DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 Library
- Open the Arduino IDE and click the Libraries icon in the left sidebar.
- Type "DIYables_OLED_SSD1309" in the search box and locate the library published by DIYables.
- Click the Install button.
- The IDE will prompt you to install the required dependency (Adafruit GFX Library). Click Install All to proceed.
Step 2: Basic Programming Pattern
Every sketch that drives the SSD1309 follows the same pattern: include headers, create a display object, initialise it in setup(), draw into the off-screen buffer, then push the buffer to the screen with display().
- Include the required headers:
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
- Set the screen dimensions (128×64 for the 2.42-inch module):
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128 // OLED display width, in pixels
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64 // OLED display height, in pixels
- Create the display object (pass -1 when no reset pin is connected):
// Create an SSD1309 display instance on the default I2C bus
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 oled(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, -1);
- Initialise the display inside setup():
// Initialise the SSD1309 — use address 0x3C (default for most modules)
if (!oled.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, 0x3C)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
while (true);
}
- After this, you are free to call any drawing function (clearDisplay(), drawPixel(), print(), etc.) followed by oled.display() to update the screen.
※ NOTE THAT:
All example code in this tutorial targets the SSD1309 OLED 128×64 (2.42 inch) and uses the DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 library.
Arduino Code — Hello World on SSD1309 OLED
The simplest starting point: print a few lines of text at different sizes.
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – Hello World
* Prints text in two sizes on the 2.42 inch 128x64 I2C OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
display.clearDisplay();
display.setTextSize(1); // 6x8 pixels per character
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON); // turn pixels on
display.setCursor(0, 0);
display.println(F("Hello, World!"));
display.println();
display.setTextSize(2); // 12x16 pixels per character
display.println(F("DIYables"));
display.setTextSize(1);
display.println();
display.println(F("SSD1309 OLED 128x64"));
display.display(); // push buffer to screen
}
void loop() { }
Arduino Code — Display Text on SSD1309 OLED
The following example demonstrates more text features — multiple sizes, number formatting, and the F() macro for saving RAM.
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – Display Text Demo
* Demonstrates text display features on 2.42" SSD1309 128x64 I2C OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
delay(2000); // wait for initializing
display.clearDisplay(); // clear display
display.setTextSize(1); // text size = 1
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON); // set text color
display.setCursor(0, 10); // set position to display
display.println(F("Text size = 1")); // display text
display.display(); // update display
delay(2000);
display.setTextSize(2); // text size = 2
display.setCursor(0, 30); // set position to display
display.println(F("Size = 2")); // display text
display.display(); // update display
delay(2000);
display.clearDisplay(); // clear display
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setCursor(0, 0);
display.println(F("Display integer:"));
display.println(12345);
display.println();
display.println(F("Display float:"));
display.println(1.2345);
display.println();
display.println(F("Display HEX:"));
display.println(0xABCD, HEX);
display.display(); // update display
}
void loop() {
}
Useful Display Functions Reference
Below is a quick-reference list of the most frequently used functions when working with the SSD1309 OLED through the DIYables library:
- oled.clearDisplay() — wipe the frame buffer (all pixels off).
- oled.display() — transfer the buffer to the OLED so changes become visible.
- oled.drawPixel(x, y, color) — set or clear an individual pixel.
- oled.setTextSize(n) — scale the font by factor *n* (1 = 6×8, 2 = 12×16, …, up to 8).
- oled.setCursor(x, y) — move the text cursor to pixel coordinates *(x, y)*.
- oled.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON) — text foreground only (background is transparent).
- oled.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_OFF, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON) — text with an explicit background colour.
- oled.println("message") — print a string and advance to the next line.
- oled.println(number) — print an integer in decimal.
- oled.println(number, HEX) — print an integer in hexadecimal.
- oled.startscrollright(start, stop) — hardware-scroll right between page *start* and page *stop*.
- oled.startscrollleft(start, stop) — hardware-scroll left.
- oled.startscrolldiagright(start, stop) — hardware-scroll diagonally right.
- oled.startscrolldiagleft(start, stop) — hardware-scroll diagonally left.
- oled.stopscroll() — halt any active hardware scroll.
- oled.setContrast(value) — adjust display brightness (0–255).
- oled.dim(true/false) — quickly dim the display to minimum or restore the previous contrast.
- oled.invertDisplay(true/false) — hardware-level colour inversion (on pixels ↔ off pixels).
How to Vertically and Horizontally Center Text on the SSD1309 OLED
Arduino Code — Draw Shapes on SSD1309 OLED
Because the DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 library extends Adafruit_GFX, you get a complete set of shape-drawing primitives: pixels, lines, rectangles, filled rectangles, circles, filled circles, triangles, filled triangles, and rounded rectangles. The sketch below cycles through all of them with animated demos.
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – Draw Shapes
* Cycles through every shape primitive on the 2.42" SSD1309 128x64 OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
display.clearDisplay();
}
void loop() {
// --- Pixels ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.width(); i += 4) {
display.drawPixel(i, i * display.height() / display.width(), SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Lines ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.width(); i += 8) {
display.drawLine(0, 0, i, display.height() - 1, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.height(); i += 8) {
display.drawLine(0, 0, display.width() - 1, i, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Rectangles ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.height() / 2; i += 4) {
display.drawRect(i, i, display.width() - 2 * i, display.height() - 2 * i,
SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Filled rectangles (inverse) ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.height() / 2; i += 6) {
display.fillRect(i, i, display.width() - 2 * i, display.height() - 2 * i,
SSD1309_PIXEL_INVERSE);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Circles ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = max(display.width(), display.height()) / 2; i > 0; i -= 5) {
display.drawCircle(display.width() / 2, display.height() / 2, i,
SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Filled circles (inverse) ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = max(display.width(), display.height()) / 2; i > 0; i -= 6) {
display.fillCircle(display.width() / 2, display.height() / 2, i,
SSD1309_PIXEL_INVERSE);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Rounded rectangles ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.height() / 2 - 2; i += 4) {
display.drawRoundRect(i, i, display.width() - 2 * i,
display.height() - 2 * i, display.height() / 4,
SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Filled rounded rectangles (inverse) ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < display.height() / 2 - 2; i += 4) {
display.fillRoundRect(i, i, display.width() - 2 * i,
display.height() - 2 * i, display.height() / 4,
SSD1309_PIXEL_INVERSE);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Triangles ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = 0; i < max(display.width(), display.height()) / 2; i += 5) {
display.drawTriangle(
display.width() / 2, display.height() / 2 - i,
display.width() / 2 - i, display.height() / 2 + i,
display.width() / 2 + i, display.height() / 2 + i, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
// --- Filled triangles (inverse) ---
display.clearDisplay();
for (int16_t i = max(display.width(), display.height()) / 2; i > 0; i -= 6) {
display.fillTriangle(
display.width() / 2, display.height() / 2 - i,
display.width() / 2 - i, display.height() / 2 + i,
display.width() / 2 + i, display.height() / 2 + i, SSD1309_PIXEL_INVERSE);
}
display.display();
delay(1500);
}
Arduino Code — Hardware Scrolling on SSD1309 OLED
The SSD1309 has a built-in scrolling engine that shifts the display contents without any CPU load. The DIYables library exposes four scroll directions: right, left, diagonal-right, and diagonal-left. Each takes a start page and stop page parameter (pages are 8-pixel-high horizontal strips numbered 0–7 on a 64-pixel-tall display).
※ NOTE THAT:
Always call display() to push your content to the OLED before starting a scroll. Avoid drawing new content while scrolling is active — call stopscroll() first.
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – Scroll Text
* Demonstrates all four hardware scroll directions on the 2.42" OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
display.clearDisplay();
display.setTextSize(2);
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.setCursor(10, 24);
display.println(F("DIYables"));
display.display();
delay(2000);
}
void loop() {
// Scroll right across all pages
display.startscrollright(0x00, 0x07);
delay(3000);
display.stopscroll();
delay(500);
// Scroll left
display.startscrollleft(0x00, 0x07);
delay(3000);
display.stopscroll();
delay(500);
// Diagonal scroll right
display.startscrolldiagright(0x00, 0x07);
delay(3000);
display.stopscroll();
delay(500);
// Diagonal scroll left
display.startscrolldiagleft(0x00, 0x07);
delay(3000);
display.stopscroll();
delay(500);
}
Arduino Code — Display Bitmap Image on SSD1309 OLED
To render a bitmap on the SSD1309 OLED you first need to convert your image into a C byte array. Use the free image2cpp online tool to do this:
- Upload your image (PNG, JPG, BMP, etc.).
- Set the canvas size to 128×64 (or smaller).
- Choose Arduino code as the output format.
- Copy the generated array into your sketch.
The example below alternates between a 16×16 heart icon and a full-width DIYables logo:
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – Display Image Demo
* Displays bitmap images on the 2.42" SSD1309 128x64 I2C OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
// 16x16 heart bitmap
const unsigned char heart16x16[] PROGMEM = {
0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xc0, 0x0f, 0xf0, 0x1f, 0xf8, 0x3f, 0xfc, 0x7f, 0xfe,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x7f, 0xfe, 0x3f, 0xfc,
0x1f, 0xf8, 0x0f, 0xf0, 0x03, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00
};
// 128x64 DIYables logo bitmap
const unsigned char diyablesLogo[] PROGMEM = {
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff,
0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff,
0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff,
0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff,
0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff,
0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff,
0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff,
0xfc, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff,
0xf8, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x7f,
0xf0, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x7f,
0xf0, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x3f,
0xe0, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x07, 0x80, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x1f,
0xe0, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x03, 0x80, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x1f,
0xc0, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x03, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x1f,
0xc0, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x0f,
0xc0, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x00, 0x0f,
0xc0, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x0f,
0x80, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x07,
0x80, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x07,
0x80, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x07,
0xc0, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x0f,
0xc0, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x0f,
0xc0, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x0f,
0xe0, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x03, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x1f,
0xe0, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x07, 0x80, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x1f,
0xe0, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x3f,
0xf0, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x3f,
0xf8, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x7f,
0xf8, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x7f,
0xfc, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff,
0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff,
0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff,
0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff, 0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff,
0xff, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x07, 0xff,
0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff,
0xff, 0xe0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff,
0xff, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff,
0xff, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x01, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xfe, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3f, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x0f, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xc0, 0x03, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff
};
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
delay(2000);
display.setCursor(0, 0);
}
void loop() {
// Display 16x16 heart icon
display.clearDisplay();
display.drawBitmap((SCREEN_WIDTH - 16) / 2, (SCREEN_HEIGHT - 16) / 2, heart16x16, 16, 16, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.display();
delay(2000);
// Display full-screen DIYables logo
display.clearDisplay();
display.drawBitmap(0, 0, diyablesLogo, 128, 64, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.display();
delay(2000);
// Invert display
display.invertDisplay(true);
delay(2000);
display.invertDisplay(false);
delay(500);
}
※ NOTE THAT:
- The bitmap dimensions must not exceed the screen resolution (128×64 for the 2.42 inch module).
Arduino Code — Contrast and Dim on SSD1309 OLED
The SSD1309 supports 256 levels of contrast (0–255). The DIYables library provides setContrast() for fine-grained control and dim() for a quick toggle between minimum brightness and the previously-configured level.
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – Contrast & Dim
* Sweeps contrast from 0→255→0 then toggles dim mode on the 2.42" OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
// Draw a test pattern so the contrast changes are visible
display.clearDisplay();
display.fillRect(0, 0, 64, 32, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.fillRect(64, 32, 64, 32, SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_INVERSE);
display.setCursor(16, 28);
display.println(F("Contrast Demo"));
display.display();
delay(2000);
}
void loop() {
// Ramp up
for (int c = 0; c <= 255; c += 5) {
display.setContrast((uint8_t)c);
delay(30);
}
delay(1000);
// Ramp down
for (int c = 255; c >= 0; c -= 5) {
display.setContrast((uint8_t)c);
delay(30);
}
delay(1000);
// Quick dim toggle
display.dim(true); // minimum brightness
delay(2000);
display.dim(false); // restore
delay(2000);
}
Arduino Code — Custom External Fonts on SSD1309 OLED
The Adafruit GFX library ships with dozens of scalable FreeFont typefaces (Serif, Sans, Mono — each in Regular, Bold, Italic, and four sizes). You can activate any of them on the SSD1309 display by including the corresponding header and calling setFont().
※ NOTE THAT:
- When an external font is active, the cursor Y coordinate refers to the text baseline, not the top-left corner. This is different from the built-in 5×7 font.
- External fonts are stored in flash (PROGMEM). On memory-limited AVR boards (Arduino Uno = 32 KB flash), use them sparingly.
/*
* Created by ArduinoGetStarted.com
*
* This example code is in the public domain
*
* Tutorial page: https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-ssd1309-oled-display
*/
/*
* DIYables OLED SSD1309 – External Fonts
* Cycles through three FreeFont typefaces on the 2.42" SSD1309 OLED.
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <DIYables_OLED_SSD1309.h>
#include <Fonts/FreeSerif9pt7b.h>
#include <Fonts/FreeSansBold12pt7b.h>
#include <Fonts/FreeMono9pt7b.h>
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3C
DIYables_OLED_SSD1309 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!display.begin(SSD1309_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS)) {
Serial.println(F("SSD1309 allocation failed"));
for (;;);
}
display.clearDisplay();
display.display();
}
void loop() {
// ── Built-in 5×7 font ──
display.clearDisplay();
display.setFont(NULL);
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.setCursor(0, 0);
display.println(F("Built-in 5x7 font"));
display.println();
display.setTextSize(2);
display.println(F("DIYables"));
display.display();
delay(3000);
// ── FreeSerif 9pt ──
display.clearDisplay();
display.setFont(&FreeSerif9pt7b);
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.setCursor(0, 14); // Y = baseline
display.println(F("FreeSerif 9pt"));
display.setCursor(0, 38);
display.println(F("DIYables OLED"));
display.setCursor(0, 58);
display.println(F("Hello World!"));
display.display();
delay(3000);
// ── FreeSansBold 12pt ──
display.clearDisplay();
display.setFont(&FreeSansBold12pt7b);
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.setCursor(0, 20);
display.println(F("SansBold"));
display.setCursor(0, 52);
display.println(F("DIYables"));
display.display();
delay(3000);
// ── FreeMono 9pt ──
display.clearDisplay();
display.setFont(&FreeMono9pt7b);
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setTextColor(SSD1309_PIXEL_ON);
display.setCursor(0, 14);
display.println(F("FreeMono 9pt"));
display.setCursor(0, 34);
display.println(F("0123456789"));
display.setCursor(0, 54);
display.println(F("!@#$%^&*()"));
display.display();
delay(3000);
}
SSD1309 OLED Troubleshooting
If nothing appears on the 2.42 inch SSD1309 OLED after uploading your sketch, work through these checks:
- Verify wiring — confirm SDA, SCL, VCC and GND are connected to the correct Arduino pins.
- Confirm the driver chip — this library is designed for the SSD1309. If your module uses a different controller (e.g. SH1106), it will not respond correctly.
- Check the I2C address — most SSD1309 modules default to 0x3C, but some use 0x3D. Run the I2C scanner sketch below to detect the actual address:
// I2C address scanner — prints every detected device to the Serial Monitor
#include <Wire.h>
void setup()
{
Wire.begin();
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.println("I2C Scanner");
}
void loop()
{
byte error, address;
int nDevices = 0;
Serial.println("Scanning...");
for (address = 1; address < 127; address++)
{
Wire.beginTransmission(address);
error = Wire.endTransmission();
if (error == 0)
{
Serial.print("I2C device found at address 0x");
if (address < 16)
Serial.print("0");
Serial.print(address, HEX);
Serial.println(" !");
nDevices++;
}
else if (error == 4)
{
Serial.print("Unknown error at address 0x");
if (address < 16)
Serial.print("0");
Serial.println(address, HEX);
}
}
if (nDevices == 0)
Serial.println("No I2C devices found");
else
Serial.println("done");
delay(5000);
}
Expected Serial Monitor output when the SSD1309 is detected:
COM6
Scanning...
I2C device found at address 0x3C !
done
Autoscroll
Clear output
9600 baud
Newline
- Make sure display() is called — the SSD1309 uses a frame buffer. Drawing functions only modify the buffer in RAM; nothing appears on screen until you call oled.display().
- Check power supply — the 2.42 inch module draws more current than smaller OLEDs. Ensure your power source can provide sufficient current (typically 20–40 mA at full brightness).