4D Systems produces what it calls Internet of Display modules. The latest addition to the family is a 0.9-in. LCD that’s powered by the WiFi-enabled ESP8266 SoC. The IoD-09 is a full color, 80- by 160-pixel TFT LCD that can display images, animations, and icons. In modular form, it comes in two variants: through-hole (IoD-09TH) and surface-mount (IoD-09SM). The through-hole module is designed for hobbyists and prosumers, which can potentially be integrated quickly and easily into any product. The surface mount module is aimed at mass production integration.

The ESP8266, which is at the heart of the module, hails from Espressif. It comes with 802.11 b/g/e/I support as well as WPA/WPA2, WEP/TKIP/AES and STA/AP/STA+AP/P2P operational mode support. Six GPIOs are available allowing digital input/output as well as various communication protocols. Available interfaces include SPI, I2C, UART and one-wire communications. A micro-SD slot allows the use of off-the-shelf high capacity memory cards from 4 to 32 Gbytes. The module also comes with 4 Mbits of flash memory for user application code and data.

The IoD-09 series is typically powered from a 4.0- to 5.5-V source with +1-A current capability for display stability. It can be programmed with the 4D Systems Workshop4 integrated development environment (IDE) or through the Arduino IDE. The IoD-09 Starter Kit comes with an IoD module, a 4D-UPA programmer, and a 4-Gbyte micro-SD card.

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