# 0.96” SPI Colour LCD (160x80) does not work **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [July 26, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095 "2019-07-26T12:31:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/1 "2019-07-26T12:31:37Z")
Hi I’m a noob with limited skills, knowledge, and I’ve got the same blank screen as all the others ( [https://forums.pimoroni.com/search?q=0.9spi%20category%3A5](https://forums.pimoroni.com/search?q=0.9spi%20category%3A5) ) I’m using a Rpi zero, with clean install of latest Rasperian, Have enabled SPI I’m not using a break out garden, (so have backlight=18 set to suit the actual BL wired to 18) My wiring goes to the right pins and can’t find any solder defects. I’ve followed all the latest installation instructions. sudo apt update sudo apt install build-essential python3-dev python3-smbus python3-pip python3-pil python3-numpy git sudo pip3 install st7735 curl [https://get.pimoroni.com/st7735](https://get.pimoroni.com/st7735) | bash Non of the examples make any effect on the screen which stays blank (you can see a sight illumination when the Rpi is on) I don’t get any error codes when running the examples so I’m stumped I’ve spent a full day trying to get this working and am getting so frustrated… any help would be greatly appreciated… I’d buy another and use solderless with a break-out garden (to rule out solder defects, or the board being bad), but having read the other threads for this screen I’ve not got much confidence in getting it working . Non of the other threads conclude with successful outcomes or solutions to get their screen working… so I have to ask … Has anyone got it working? ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/2 "2019-07-26T13:06:03Z")
Have you installed any other Hats, pHats etc on that Pi? Anything else that also uses SPI may break the LCD install. ---
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/3 "2019-07-26T13:27:17Z")
Hi I used a new Pi, with new sd card, and Rasberian installed from Noobs. I’ve not installed anything other than the installation instructions listed above, so should be pretty clean? ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/4 "2019-07-26T13:38:02Z")
I don’t own one so the best I can do is flag this for Phil @gadgetoid or Sandy @sandyjmacdonald to chime in. ---
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/5 "2019-07-26T13:42:50Z")
OK thanks… I’ve just enrolled to discord and Sandy is there. ---
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/6 "2019-07-30T19:55:01Z")
Hi, I posted pictures of how the screen is wired to Sandy (on Discord) on Friday but haven’t had any reply since then, what should I do now? ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/7 "2019-07-30T21:28:56Z")
I guess your next step is the “contact us” link at the bottom of the main Shop page? I would put a link to this thread in that e-mail. Maybe even a link to what you posted on discord? ---
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/8 "2019-07-30T21:59:04Z")
Ok thanks, I’m a little unsure of how to add links to specific discord postings, how do I do that? (is this the correct ink to this thread… [0.96” SPI Colour LCD (160x80) does not work](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/6)) ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/9 "2019-07-30T22:47:37Z")
Yes thats the link to this thread. I’ve never used discord so I can’t help you there. I’m not even sure its possible to link to it, to be honest? I’d mention discussing this issue there though, in your tech support e-mail. ---
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2019, 1:21pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/10 "2019-08-05T13:21:35Z")
For any other Noobies, like me, having trouble with a blank screen, when trying to connect their screen WITHOUT using breakout garden connectors … here’s what worked for me. The following Pimoroni installation instructions did not work -: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install python-rpi.gpio python-spidev python-pip python-imaging python-numpy because 1). apt-get doesn’t cope with buster InRelease’ changed its ‘Suite’ value from ‘testing’ to ‘stable’ 2). not for python3 3). can’t find or install the python-imaging the following installation instructions did work sudo apt update --allow-releaseinfo-change sudo apt install build-essential python3-dev python3-smbus python3-pip python3-pil python3-numpy git sudo pip3 install st7735 curl [https://get.pimoroni.com/st7735](https://get.pimoroni.com/st7735) | bash However the code in the example files do NOT work for screen connected directly without using the breakout garden hardware, because you still need to change the following -: ie in GIF.PY example line 42 cs=ST7735.BG\_SPI\_CS\_FRONT, needs to be changed to cs=ST7735.BG\_SPI\_CS\_BACK, and line 44 backlight=19, needs to be changed to backlight=18, to suit the GPIO connection instructions. ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/11 "2019-08-05T13:57:53Z")
Ah, you got it working nice. Thanks for posting what you did to get it working. ---
**Author:** ![confused1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@confused1](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/confused1)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/12 "2019-08-05T15:22:38Z")
No problem, the screen looks great now. I’m sure I won’t be the last noob to get stuck, frustrated and waste a load of time trying to get it to work… and I bet the solution above is completely obvious and basic to someone with a little knowledge…so it’s disappointing that Phil @gadgetoid or Sandy @sandyjmacdonald ignored my help request on Discord, and never responded to this post, especially given that this is a Pimoroni made product. ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/0-96-spi-colour-lcd-160x80-does-not-work/11095/13 "2019-08-05T19:16:54Z")
I can’t comment on Sandy I haven’t had very many interactions with him. Phil has helped me out with my issues numerous times though. I do believe he is a very busy lad these days. Bummer you got left hanging though. Hopefully it was just a one of those slipped through the cracks things. I am going to clip and past what you did to a text file for future reference.