TFT_eSPI parity (Arduino) vs pydisplay / displayif

TFT_eSPI is an Arduino graphics library with per-board User_Setup pin tables and many chip drivers. pydisplay splits the same problem across bus drivers, chip drivers, and displayif accelerated scanout.

This document states what is implemented, what uses Python fallbacks, and what is out of scope (document only).

Bus-level mapping

TFT_eSPI mode	pydisplay (Python)	displayif (MicroPython C)	Notes
SPI (`SPI_FREQUENCY`, `TFT_*`)	`spibus.SPIBus` + chip driver (`ili9341`, `st7789`, …)	`spibus` cmod	Full parity for SPI TFT init + pixel push via `BusDisplay`
8-bit parallel 8080 (`TFT_D0`…`TFT_D7`, `TFT_WR`)	`drivers/bus/i80bus.py` (viper GPIO bitbang)	rp2: PIO+DMA `i80bus`; esp32-S3: `esp_lcd` I80; mimxrt1062: FlexIO MCULCD; samd51: GPIO bitbang (`common/i80bus`)	Native path preferred when flashed; Python path works without displayif
16-bit parallel	—	esp32-S3 `i80bus` only	TFT_eSPI 16-bit setups map to esp32 native driver, not Python
RGB / DPI parallel	—	`rgbframebuffer` (esp32 RGB LCD, mimxrt1062 eLCDIF)	Not in TFT_eSPI for RP2040; Qualia / RK043 class panels
—	—	`rgbmatrix`, `picodvi`, `mipidsi`	Not TFT_eSPI scope (HUB75, DVI/HSTX, MIPI DSI)

RP2040 / RP2350

Capability	Status
SPI TFT	Done — `spibus` + vendored chip drivers; board configs under `busdisplay/spi/`
8-bit I80	Done (native) — displayif `i80bus` PIO+DMA on rp2; example `ili9341_i80_rp2040`
8-bit I80 (Python)	Done — `i80bus.py` + `gpio_pin` (RP2040 SIO); RP2350 uses same SIO base
RGB parallel	N/A — no RP DPI peripheral; use SPI/I80 or picodvi (DVI)
MIPI DSI	N/A — RP2350 has HSTX (DVI), not DSI; use `picodvi` + HSTX board configs
DVI / HSTX	Done — `picodvi` (RP2040 PIO libdvi, RP2350 HSTX); configs: `pico2_dvi_sock`, `pico2w_dvi_sock`, `olimex_rp2350pc`, `sparkfun_iot_redboard_rp2350_hstx`, `pimoroni_pico_dv_base`, `adafruit_metro_rp2350_hstx_640x480`

drivers/bus/_rp2_wip.py was an early PIO experiment — superseded by displayif i80bus; not wired from board configs.

ESP32 (S2/S3/C3/P4, …)

Capability	Status
SPI TFT	Done — `spibus` + chip drivers
8-bit I80	Done (S3) — displayif `i80bus`; configs e.g. `t-display-s3`, `wt32sc01-plus`
RGB parallel	Done (RGB LCD SoCs) — displayif `rgbframebuffer`; Qualia, `t-rgb_480`
MIPI DSI	Done (P4) — displayif `mipidsi`; Waveshare 4B, M5 Tab5 MP config
HUB75	Done (S3) — displayif `rgbmatrix` Protomatter

PSRAM: large rgbframebuffer / mipidsi framebuffers need CONFIG_SPIRAM in sdkconfig. Enable SPIRAM for the ESP32 board before linking displayif.

mimxrt (1062 / 1176)

Capability	Status
SPI / I2C	Done — `spibus`, `i2cbus`
8-bit I80	Done (1062) — FlexIO `i80bus`
RGB parallel	Done (1062) — eLCDIF `rgbframebuffer`; RK043 EVK config
MIPI DSI	Done (1176) — `mipidsi` + TC358762 bridge; Waveshare 5″ DSI EVK config
HUB75	Done (1062) — `rgbmatrix` Protomatter

samd (SAMD51)

Capability	Status
SPI / I2C	Done
8-bit I80	Done (SAMD51) — GPIO bitbang via `common/i80bus/gpio_bitbang.c`
RGB / DSI	N/A — stubs only; no SoC DPI/DSI
HUB75	Done — `rgbmatrix` Protomatter (Matrix Portal M4 configs)

Chip drivers (TFT_eSPI `SetupNNN_*`)

TFT_eSPI bundles dozens of controller init tables. pydisplay vendors CircuitPython displayio chip drivers (ili9341, st7701, gc9a01, …) and wires them through BusDisplay / EPaperDisplay — equivalent role, different file layout. Adding a new panel is a driver + board_config pair, not a User_Setup.h edit.

Board config coverage (MP + CP)

Board	MP	CP
M5 Tab5 ILI9881C (early)	`m5stack_tab5_ili9881c`	`cp/fbdisplay/m5stack_tab5_ili9881c`
M5 Tab5 ST7123 (current)	`m5stack_tab5_st7123`	—
Pico 2 + DVI Sock / PiCowbell HSTX	`pico2_dvi_sock_640x480`	`cp/fbdisplay/pico2_dvi_sock_640x480`
Pico 2 W + DVI Sock / PiCowbell HSTX	`pico2w_dvi_sock_640x480`	`cp/fbdisplay/pico2w_dvi_sock_640x480`
Olimex RP2350pc (onboard HDMI)	`olimex_rp2350pc_640x480`	`cp/fbdisplay/olimex_rp2350pc_640x480`
SparkFun IoT RedBoard + HSTX→DVI	`sparkfun_iot_redboard_rp2350_hstx_640x480`	`cp/fbdisplay/sparkfun_iot_redboard_rp2350_hstx_640x480`
Metro RP2350 HSTX	`adafruit_metro_rp2350_hstx_640x480`	`cp/fbdisplay/adafruit_metro_rp2350_hstx_640x480`
Pimoroni Pico DV (RP2040 PIO)	`pimoroni_pico_dv_base_640x480`	`cp/fbdisplay/pimoroni_pico_dv_base_640x480`
LilyGO T-RGB	`t-rgb_480`	— (MP-focused)

When not to port TFT_eSPI features

ESP8266 — out of pydisplay scope
AVR — out of scope
PSRAM-less ESP32 large framebuffers — hardware limit; use smaller buffers or SPI TFT
ST7123 Tab5 on MicroPython — use m5stack_tab5_st7123; hardware validation pending