Zephyr ILI9341 Display Driver Compilation Errors - Missing Devicetree Properties

[kapcina]

I'm trying to use an ILI9341 display with nRF52840 in Zephyr (v4.1.99). The build fails with multiple errors about missing Devicetree properties when compiling display_ili9xxx.c:

error: 'DT_N_S_soc_S_spi_40003000_S_ili9341_0_P_gamset_LEN' undeclared
error: 'DT_N_S_soc_S_spi_40003000_S_ili9341_0_P_ifctl' undeclared
error: 'DT_N_S_soc_S_spi_40003000_S_ili9341_0_P_etmod' undeclared
[20+ similar property errors...]

This is my overlay file:

&spi1 {
    status = "okay";
    cs-gpios = <&gpio0 15 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;

    ili9341: ili9341@0 {
        compatible = "ilitek,ili9341";
        reg = <0>;
        spi-max-frequency = <8000000>;
        
        // Add these required properties:
        spi-cpol;
        spi-cpha;
        
        dc-gpios = <&gpio0 14 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
        reset-gpios = <&gpio0 13 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
        backlight-gpios = <&gpio0 16 GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH>;

        // Add display inversion mode (try true or false)
        display-inversion;
        // or display-inversion = <1>; 
        // or display-inversion = <0>; if the first doesn't work

        width = <240>;
        height = <320>;
        rotation = <0>;
        
        // These might help if you still have issues:
        pixel-format = "rgb565";
        // cmd-data-gpios = <&gpio0 14 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>; // Alternative to dc-gpios
    };
};

I tried fixing the issue by modifying the prj.conf file, but it's still not working. Here's my current prj.conf:

CONFIG_SPI=y
CONFIG_GPIO=y
CONFIG_DISPLAY=y
CONFIG_DISPLAY_INIT_PRIORITY=90
CONFIG_ILI9341=y

This is part from zephyr.dts which include spi1:

spi1: spi@40004000 {
			compatible = "nordic,nrf-spi";
			#address-cells = < 0x1 >;
			#size-cells = < 0x0 >;
			reg = < 0x40004000 0x1000 >;
			interrupts = < 0x4 0x1 >;
			max-frequency = < 0x7a1200 >;
			easydma-maxcnt-bits = < 0x10 >;
			status = "okay";
			pinctrl-0 = < &spi1_default >;
			pinctrl-1 = < &spi1_sleep >;
			pinctrl-names = "default", "sleep";
			cs-gpios = < &gpio0 0xf 0x1 >;
			ili9341: ili9341@0 {
				compatible = "ilitek,ili9341";
				reg = < 0x0 >;
				spi-max-frequency = < 0x7a1200 >;
				spi-cpol;
				spi-cpha;
				dc-gpios = < &gpio0 0xe 0x1 >;
				reset-gpios = < &gpio0 0xd 0x1 >;
				backlight-gpios = < &gpio0 0x10 0x0 >;
				display-inversion;
				width = < 0xf0 >;
				height = < 0x140 >;
				rotation = < 0x0 >;
				pixel-format = "rgb565";
			};
		};

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi,

 

It looks like you are setting up a legacy way of declaring a display node. Please see here for the new mipi-dpi setup:

https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/ncs-2.9.1/page/zephyr/releases/migration-guide-3.7.html#display

 

Please see here for an example implementation of your device:

https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-zephyr/blob/v4.0.99-ncs1/boards/st/stm32f429i_disc1/stm32f429i_disc1.dts#L66-L101

 

PS: you should use the NRF_SPIM hardware module instead of the NRF_SPI module that you are currently pointing towards in your device tree node.

NRF_SPIM is DMA capable, so will be much faster than the NRF_SPI.

Change this line:

compatible = "nordic,nrf-spi";

To:

compatible = "nordic,nrf-spim";

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[kapcina]

Thank you very much. This is my overlay file now. But it is still do not show anything:

/ {
    chosen {
        zephyr,display = &ili9341;
    };

    mipi_dbi {
        compatible = "zephyr,mipi-dbi-spi";
        dc-gpios = <&gpio0 13 GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH>;      // DC/RS pin
        reset-gpios = <&gpio0 28 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;    // RESET pin
        write-only;
        #address-cells = <1>;
        #size-cells = <0>;
        spi-dev = <&spi1>;

        pinctrl-0 = <&spi1_default>;
        pinctrl-names = "default";

        ili9341: ili9341@0 {
            compatible = "ilitek,ili9341";
            reg = <0>;
            mipi-max-frequency = <4000000>;
            width = <240>;
            height = <320>;
            rotation = <180>;

            pwctrla = [39 2c 00 34 02];
            pwctrlb = [00 c1 30];
            timctrla = [85 00 78];
            timctrlb = [00 00];
            pwseqctrl = [64 03 12 81];
            pumpratioctrl = [20];
            disctrl = [08 82 27 04];
            vmctrl1 = [45 15];
            vmctrl2 = [90];
            enable3g = [00];
            ifctl = [01 00 06];
            ifmode = [c2];
            gamset = [01];
            frmctr1 = [00 1b];
            pwctrl1 = [10];
            pwctrl2 = [10];
            pgamctrl = [0F 29 24 0c 0e 09 4e 78 3c 09 13 05 17 11 00];
            ngamctrl = [00 16 1b 04 11 07 31 33 42 05 0c 0a 28 2f 0f];
        };
    };
};

&spi1 {
    status = "okay";
    cs-gpios = <&gpio0 29 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>; // CS pin displeja
    pinctrl-0 = <&spi1_default>;
    pinctrl-1 = <&spi1_sleep>;
    pinctrl-names = "default", "sleep";
};

&pinctrl {
    spi1_default: spi1_default {
        group1 {
            psels = <NRF_PSEL(SPIM_SCK, 0, 31)>,       // SCK
                    <NRF_PSEL(SPIM_MOSI, 0, 30)>;      // MOSI
        };
    };

    spi1_sleep: spi1_sleep {
        group1 {
            // Sleep stanje prazno
        };
    };
};

And this is my simple main.c:

#include <zephyr/kernel.h>
#include <zephyr/device.h>
#include <zephyr/drivers/display.h>
#include <lvgl.h>

#define LOG_LEVEL CONFIG_LOG_DEFAULT_LEVEL
#include <zephyr/logging/log.h>
LOG_MODULE_REGISTER(main);

void main(void)
{
    const struct device *display_dev = DEVICE_DT_GET(DT_CHOSEN(zephyr_display));

    if (!device_is_ready(display_dev)) {
        printk("Display not ready\n");
        return;
    }

    display_blanking_off(display_dev);
    lv_obj_clean(lv_scr_act()); // Očisti ekran

    lv_obj_t *rect = lv_obj_create(lv_scr_act());
    lv_obj_set_size(rect, 240, 320);
    lv_obj_set_style_bg_color(rect, lv_color_hex(0xFF0000), 0);  // Crvena pozadina
    lv_obj_center(rect);

    while (1) {
        lv_task_handler();
        k_msleep(10);
    }
}

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi,

 

I assume you are able to successfully compile now? 

Does the log show any issues?

 

Have you probed the pins to see if the communication is as expected with the display?

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[Abdullah Javed]

I am also using same setup, nrf52840DK with ILI9341 display on ncs 2.9.0, but I get these errors:

*** Using Zephyr OS v3.7.99-1f8f3dc29142 ***
[00:00:00.587,066] <err> os: ***** MPU FAULT *****
[00:00:00.587,066] <err> os: Data Access Violation
[00:00:00.587,066] <err> os: MMFAR Address: 0x22
[00:00:00.587,097] <err> os: r0/a1: 0x00000000 r1/a2: 0x00000005 r2/a3: 0x00000001
[00:00:00.587,097] <err> os: r3/a4: 0x00000000 r12/ip: 0xffffffff r14/lr: 0x00022997
[00:00:00.587,127] <err> os: xpsr: 0x41000000
[00:00:00.587,127] <err> os: Faulting instruction address (r15/pc): 0x0002327c
[00:00:00.587,158] <err> os: >>> ZEPHYR FATAL ERROR 19: Unknown error on CPU 0
[00:00:00.587,219] <err> os: Current thread: 0x20001580 (unknown)
[00:00:01.752,471] <err> os: Halting system

[Niels Ouvrard]

I have a similar error here

It seems to be a malloc issue in lvgl_init before reaching the main.

C:\ncs\v3.1.0\modules\lib\gui\lvgl\src\draw\lv_image_decoder.c:65

 

void lv_image_decoder_init(uint32_t image_cache_size, uint32_t image_header_count)

{

    lv_ll_init(img_decoder_ll_p, sizeof(lv_image_decoder_t));

    /*Initialize the cache*/

    lv_image_cache_init(image_cache_size); // malloc of 64 works here

    lv_image_header_cache_init(image_header_count); // malloc of 64 fail here

}

 

The crash happen later, in a lv_label_set_text called in the main

[00:00:00.789,337] <err> lvgl: (0.778, +10)      lv_obj_get_style_prop: Asserted at expression: obj != NULL (NULL pointer) lv_obj_style.c:33
then

[00:00:00.705,505] <err> os: ***** BUS FAULT *****

[00:00:00.705,535] <err> os:   Precise data bus error

[00:00:00.705,535] <err> os:   BFAR Address: 0x18808fa

[00:00:00.705,535] <err> os: r0/a1:  0x018808f3  r1/a2:  0x0000005a  r2/a3:  0x2000af60

[00:00:00.705,566] <err> os: r3/a4:  0x018808f3 r12/ip:  0x00000000 r14/lr:  0x00007c17

[00:00:00.705,596] <err> os:  xpsr:  0x210f0000

[00:00:00.705,596] <err> os: Faulting instruction address (r15/pc): 0x00028b24

[00:00:00.705,627] <err> os: >>> ZEPHYR FATAL ERROR 25: Unknown error on CPU 0

[00:00:00.705,657] <err> os: Current thread: 0x20001020 (unknown)

[00:00:00.838,867] <err> os: Halting system

 

LVGL version: 9.3 (last, june 2025)

nRF Connect v3.1.0

board nRF 52840 dk
screen 2.8" TFT LCD - ILI9341

zephyr 4.1

[Håkon Alseth]

You are seeing a runtime error, probably related to a stacking issue.

Set CONFIG_THREAD_NAME=y, and adjust the stack size of the faulting thread.

 

If it still does not run as expected, please create a dedicated ticket on the matter.

 

Kind regards,

Håkon