5-Inch TFT Displays: 800 × 480, 480 × 272 or 480 × 854, RGB or LVDS
A 5-inch TFT is usually one of four builds: 800 × 480 landscape, 480 × 272 landscape, 480 × 854 portrait, or a 5.5-inch 720 × 1280 portrait panel on MIPI DSI. For most industrial and instrument products the answer is 800 × 480, and the real decision is the interface: parallel RGB when the host has an RGB LCD controller and the panel sits close to the board, LVDS when the display is on a longer cable or the host has an LVDS output. Our catalogue has a reference for each case: S500MIWI-04 (800 × 480, RGB), S500MHWS2-01 (800 × 480, LVDS), S500MI4WS2-03F1 (800 × 480, 24-bit RGB, capacitive touch), S500MINI-06 (480 × 272, RGB), S500MHZI-01 (480 × 854, SPI + RGB) and S550MEKI-01 (5.5-inch, 720 × 1280, MIPI).
The 5-inch options side by side
A 5-inch diagonal is 127 mm. Pixel density and pitch follow from the resolution, and the frame buffer follows from the pixel count:
| Resolution | Density (nominal) | Pixel pitch | Frame, 16-bit | Interface on our reference | Reference outline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 480 × 272 | about 110 ppi | about 0.230 mm | 261,120 bytes | RGB (S500MINI-06) | 120.7 × 75.8 mm |
| 800 × 480 | about 187 ppi | about 0.136 mm | 768,000 bytes | RGB (S500MIWI-04), LVDS (S500MHWS2-01), 24-bit RGB with touch (S500MI4WS2-03F1) | 120.7 × 75.8 mm; 120.7 × 80.44 mm with touch |
| 480 × 854, portrait | about 196 ppi | about 0.130 mm | 819,840 bytes | SPI + RGB (S500MHZI-01) | 66.4 × 120.05 mm |
| 720 × 1280, portrait, 5.5-inch | about 267 ppi | about 0.095 mm | 1,843,200 bytes | MIPI (S550MEKI-01) | 70.25 × 127.61 mm |
The outlines are reference values from our product pages. Density and pitch are calculated from the nominal diagonal, so take the active area and viewing area from the drawing of the revision you quote.
800 × 480 or 480 × 272: sharpness against memory
480 × 272 is the native resolution of most 4.3-inch panels. Spread over 5 inches its pitch is about 0.23 mm, which is coarse: small text looks blocky, and anti-aliased fonts need larger sizes to stay legible. Its advantage is memory. One 16-bit frame is 261,120 bytes, small enough for the internal SRAM of the larger microcontrollers. 800 × 480 has 2.9 times as many pixels: 768,000 bytes per 16-bit frame, or 1,536,000 bytes double-buffered, which in practice means external SDRAM or PSRAM.
- 480 × 272 is enough for large digits, icons and simple menus read from further than about 0.8 m, and for designs where the processor has no external memory.
- 800 × 480 is the safer default for text-heavy screens, trends and charts, on-screen keyboards and anything read at arm’s length.
Normal vision resolves about one arc-minute, roughly 0.29 mm at 1 m. A 0.23 mm pitch therefore becomes visible closer than about 0.23 ÷ 0.29 ≈ 0.8 m, and a 0.136 mm pitch closer than about 0.47 m. For other sizes, use the screen size, active area and PPI calculator.
Memory size is only half of it; bandwidth is the other half. ST’s note on the STM32 LCD-TFT controller says there is no absolute maximum resolution, because the limit depends on colour depth, the memory bus width, the system clock and the other bus masters reading the same memory. Espressif gives the same warning for the ESP32-S3: when the display DMA and the CPU share PSRAM, a pixel clock set too high can starve the LCD and corrupt the image.
Worked example: 800 × 480 at 60 Hz. A common 800 × 480 timing uses 1056 clocks per line and 525 lines per frame, including blanking; Newhaven’s SSD1963 example code uses those totals. The pixel clock is 1056 × 525 × 60 Hz ≈ 33.3 MHz. The controller must read 800 × 480 × 60 ≈ 23.0 million pixels per second from the frame buffer: about 46 MB/s at 16 bits per pixel, 69 MB/s at 24 bits packed, or 92 MB/s if each pixel is stored as a 32-bit word. Over single-link LVDS each data pair carries 7 bits per pixel clock, so 7 × 33.3 MHz ≈ 233 Mbit/s per pair. Your panel’s datasheet sets the allowed timing range; check it with the pixel clock and bandwidth calculator and size the memory with the frame buffer calculator.
RGB or LVDS for an 800 × 480 panel
The pixels are the same; what differs is how they travel from the host to the panel.
| Parallel RGB | Single-link LVDS | |
|---|---|---|
| Signals | 24-bit: 24 data lines plus clock, HSYNC, VSYNC and DE, 28 in all; 16-bit: 20 | 18-bit: 3 data pairs plus a clock pair; 24-bit: 4 data pairs plus a clock pair |
| Signal type | Single-ended logic at the pixel clock | Low-voltage differential pairs, 7 bits per pair per clock |
| Distance | Short: panel close to the host board | Tolerates a longer cable or harness, with lower emissions |
| Typical host | Microcontrollers and processors with an RGB LCD controller, such as STM32 parts with LTDC or the ESP32-S3 | Processors with an LVDS output, or any RGB host plus a serializer |
| Common mistake | Long FPC or ribbon at 33 MHz, causing EMI and noise on the image | Wrong bit mapping on a 24-bit link (the two common mappings are called VESA and JEIDA), giving wrong colours |
If the host has only RGB but the display sits at the end of a harness, a serializer bridges the gap. TI’s SN75LVDS83B, for example, takes 28 parallel bits (24 colour bits plus HSYNC, VSYNC, enable and a spare) and sends them as four LVDS data channels and a clock at 7:1. A host with only MIPI DSI can drive an LVDS panel through a DSI-to-LVDS bridge; see what can be customized on a TFT module. The wider comparison is in MIPI vs LVDS vs RGB.
Portrait 480 × 854 and 5.5-inch MIPI
S500MHZI-01 is a portrait panel, 480 × 854, with “SPI + RGB”: the SPI bus sends the driver IC its initialization commands at start-up, and the RGB bus then streams pixels every frame. It is only 66.4 mm wide, which suits handhelds and narrow vertical fronts. Its 16-bit frame is 819,840 bytes, close to 800 × 480, so the host needs the same class of memory. Choose the panel in the orientation the interface will use. Rotating a portrait panel to landscape in software costs CPU time or needs a graphics engine with rotation, and the scan direction stays portrait, which can show as tearing on fast animation.
S550MEKI-01 moves to 5.5 inches and 720 × 1280 (about 267 ppi) over MIPI DSI. The pixel data alone is 720 × 1280 × 24 bits × 60 Hz ≈ 1.33 Gbit/s before blanking and packet overhead, so two lanes run above 0.66 Gbit/s each and four lanes about half that. The host needs a DSI output and enough memory for a 2.76 MB frame at 24 bits. That usually means an application processor or one of the newer microcontrollers with DSI.
One outline, three interfaces: plan the housing early
Three of our references, S500MIWI-04, S500MINI-06 and S500MHWS2-01, share the 120.7 × 75.8 mm reference outline. A product family can therefore keep one bezel and still offer 480 × 272 RGB, 800 × 480 RGB or 800 × 480 LVDS. The board side is not interchangeable, though: the FPC, connector and pin assignment differ by interface, and the catalogue asks you to confirm the connector and pinout for each project.
- Touch changes the outline. S500MI4WS2-03F1 is 120.7 × 80.44 mm, taller than the bare module, so a housing cut for the non-touch part will not take the touch version unchanged.
- Window the active area, not the outline. The nominal active area of an 800 × 480 5-inch panel is about 108.9 × 65.3 mm, leaving roughly 5 to 6 mm of border per side inside the outline. The real border is often not symmetrical, so take the viewing area and its tolerance from the drawing.
- Leave room for the FPC bend. The tail usually exits one short side and folds behind the module; see FPC vs FFC and LCD connections.
Touch, brightness and the cover lens
Capacitive touch adds a sensor, a controller on its own I²C interface and usually a cover lens; how they are stacked is covered in LCD touch screen modules. For panels used with gloves or wet hands, or behind thick glass, see capacitive touch with gloves, water and thick glass.
Brightness is set by the backlight, not by the size. Indoor equipment rarely needs more than a standard backlight, while a panel near a window or outdoors needs much more, and often optical bonding to cut reflections. Our 5-inch reference pages do not publish a luminance figure, so state the brightness you need in the request; LCD brightness in nits explains how to pick a target.
What to send for a 5-inch TFT project
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Host processor and its display outputs | Decides RGB, LVDS or MIPI, and whether a bridge is needed |
| RAM or PSRAM available for the display | Decides resolution, colour depth and buffering |
| Cable length from board to display | Long runs favour LVDS |
| Orientation of the user interface | Landscape or portrait panel |
| Viewing distance and smallest text | 480 × 272 or 800 × 480 |
| Housing drawing or bezel window | Outline, viewing area and FPC exit |
| Touch, gloves, water and cover lens | Defines the touch stack and tuning |
| Ambient light and required brightness | Backlight and bonding |
| Operating temperature range and yearly volume | Cell choice and supply planning |
Video: 5-Inch TFT Displays, 800 × 480 vs 480 × 272, RGB or LVDS
This SuccessLCD explainer compares the common 5-inch TFT builds by pixel density, frame buffer and interface, works through the 800 × 480 pixel clock, and shows what changes between our RGB, LVDS, touch, portrait and 5.5-inch MIPI references.
5-inch TFT FAQs
What resolution is a 5-inch TFT display?
Most 5-inch TFTs are 800 × 480, about 187 pixels per inch. 480 × 272 is a lower-memory option at about 110 pixels per inch, and 480 × 854 is the common portrait format. 720 × 1280 is usually found at 5.5 inches, with a MIPI DSI interface.
Should I choose RGB or LVDS for a 5-inch 800 × 480 display?
Choose RGB when the host has an RGB LCD controller and the panel sits close to the board; it needs about 20 to 28 signals. Choose LVDS when the display is on a longer cable or the host has an LVDS output; single-link LVDS uses 4 or 5 differential pairs and emits less noise.
How much memory does a 5-inch 800 × 480 display need?
One 16-bit (RGB565) frame is 768,000 bytes and one 24-bit frame is 1,152,000 bytes. Double buffering doubles that, so most microcontroller designs add external SDRAM or PSRAM. A 480 × 272 frame is 261,120 bytes at 16 bits.
Are 5-inch TFT modules interchangeable?
Not automatically. Three of our 5-inch references share a 120.7 × 75.8 mm outline, but RGB and LVDS versions use different FPCs and pinouts, and the touch version is taller. Confirm the drawing, connector and timing for each model before sharing a housing or a board.
Choosing a 5-inch TFT? Send the host processor and its display outputs, the memory available, cable length, orientation, viewing distance, touch needs and ambient light. We will suggest the 5-inch reference that fits and what to customize. Browse the TFT LCD module catalogue, see custom TFT LCD engineering, or ask about a 5-inch TFT.