How to Use Adafruit PyPortal Titano: Examples, Pinouts, and Specs

The Adafruit PyPortal Titano is an advanced Internet of Things (IoT) development board designed for creating interactive projects and applications. With its integrated 3.2" color TFT display, ESP32-S2 WiFi module, and multiple sensors, the PyPortal Titano is a versatile platform suitable for a wide range of applications, including home automation, data logging, and custom user interfaces.

• Smart home control panels
• Interactive art installations
• Educational tools for teaching programming and electronics
• Data visualization for sensor networks
• Custom interfaces for IoT devices

• Display: 3.2" color TFT with 320x240 resolution
• Wireless Module: ESP32-S2 with WiFi support
• Sensors:
  • Light sensor
  • Temperature sensor (thermistor)
• Audio: Built-in 1W speaker
• Touch Interface: 3 capacitive touch pads
• Microcontroller: ATSAMD51J20 32-bit Cortex M4 core running at 120 MHz
• Memory: 8 MB SPI Flash storage
• I/O Pins: 3 x Analog or Digital GPIO, I2C, SPI, 8 x PWM
• Power Ratings:
  • Input Voltage: 5V DC via USB or LiPo battery
  • Logic Level: 3.3V

1. Powering the Device:
   • Connect the PyPortal Titano to a power source via the USB port or attach a LiPo battery to the VBAT pin.
2. Connecting to WiFi:
   • Utilize the onboard ESP32-S2 module to connect to a WiFi network for internet access.
3. Displaying Information:
   • Use the display to show text, images, or animations.
4. Interacting with Sensors:
   • Read values from the light and temperature sensors to use in your applications.
5. Using Capacitive Touch Pads:
   • Assign functions to the touch pads for user interaction.

• Always ensure that the power supply is within the specified voltage range to prevent damage.
• When programming the device, make sure to select the correct board and port in your development environment.
• Use proper ESD precautions when handling the PyPortal Titano to avoid static damage to the sensitive electronics.
• For battery-powered projects, monitor the battery voltage to prevent deep discharge.

• Display Not Working:
  • Check the power supply and connections.
  • Ensure that the display code is correctly implemented.
• WiFi Connection Issues:
  • Verify WiFi credentials and signal strength.
  • Reset the WiFi module if necessary.

• If the device is unresponsive, try resetting it using the onboard reset button.
• For coding issues, refer to the Adafruit PyPortal Titano documentation and examples.
• Ensure that the latest firmware and libraries are installed.

Q: Can I power the PyPortal Titano with a battery? A: Yes, you can use a LiPo battery connected to the VBAT pin.

Q: How do I update the firmware on the ESP32-S2? A: Follow Adafruit's guide on updating the firmware using the provided tools.

Q: What programming language is used for the PyPortal Titano? A: You can use CircuitPython or Arduino IDE to program the PyPortal Titano.

Below is a simple example code snippet that demonstrates how to initialize the display on the PyPortal Titano using the Arduino IDE. This code assumes you have installed the necessary libraries for the display.

#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>    // Core graphics library
#include <Adafruit_ST7789.h> // Hardware-specific library for ST7789

// Define the pins for the PyPortal Titano
#define TFT_CS        10
#define TFT_RST       9 // Or set to -1 and connect to Arduino RESET pin
#define TFT_DC        8

// Initialize the ST7789 TFT display
Adafruit_ST7789 tft = Adafruit_ST7789(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  tft.init(320, 240);           // Initialize screen with width and height
  tft.fillScreen(ST77XX_BLACK); // Fill screen with black color
}

void loop() {
  // Code to update the display goes here
}

Remember to wrap the code comments to limit line length to 80 characters, as shown above. This example is a starting point and does not include WiFi or sensor functionality. For more advanced features, refer to the Adafruit PyPortal Titano libraries and examples.