Install Touch Screen and Touch Calibration Program for Raspberry Pi
2025/11/8 updated｜By G Editor
Raspberry Pi has become the first choice for makers because of its compact size, low price, free and diverse software, and community resources. Although the original intention of Raspberry Pi is to assist students in computer science learning, the rapid progress of open-source software such as Linus and Python has led to many Raspberry Pi enthusiasts creating their own robots, servers, IOT devices, Industrial equipment networking devices, or even supercomputers by connecting multiple Raspberry Pi.
With the enhanced performance of the new generation Raspberry Pi 5 and the more complete support for graphical interfaces in the new version of Linux, the Raspberry Pi and touch screen applications are becoming more convenient! This article will explain in detail how to connect an external capacitive touch monitor with Raspberry Pi, and execute the touch calibration program to obtain more sensitive and precise touch operation.
1. Connect RPI to a Touch Monitor
Different generations of Raspberry Pi models feature different I/O port configurations, but they all inclue HDMI and USB ports (refer to the below table). Due to their higher power consumption, the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 require their included power adapters for operation. The Raspberry Pi 3 requires a maximum power draw of 2.5A, and can typically be powered through the USB-A port of the T1 series touch monitors.
| Model | Raspberry pi 3B | Raspberry pi 4B | Raspberry pi 5 |
| CPU | 1.4G | 1.5G | 2.4G |
| HDMI port | HDMI-A*1 | Micro-HDMI*2 | Micro-HDMI*2 |
| USB port | USB2.0*4 | USB2.0*2＋USB3.0*2 | USB2.0*2＋USB3.0*2 |
| Rating Power | 5V-2.5A | 5V-3A | 5V-5A |
② Plug the HDMI Cable into T111B and Raspberry Pi respectively
③ Plug the USB-A to USB-C Touch Signal Cable into the USB-A port on Raspberry Pi and USB-C port on T111B to transmit touch signals
④ Plug Raspberry Pi's power cable into USB-A port on T111B and Raspberry Pi's power connector
⑤ Plug the 12V power adapter included with the T111B into a power outlet.
⑥ After booting, T111B touch monitor is ready to use.
(Note: The T111B touch monitor features built-in VESA 75 holes. The picture shows the T111B mounted on an optional T1S2 stand. )
2. Display Settings of Raspberry Pi OS
The Raspberry Pi 3/4/5 now support the latest Debian 13 and new desktop environments. It is recommended to directly install the 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS with desktop environment. The 2025 edition of Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Trixie) supports USB touchscreen plug-and-play functionality. Once the system boots successfully, the touchscreen will function normally.
① Open Control Centre
Click the Raspberry Pi icon ➝ Select "Preferences" ➝Select "Control Centre"
② Select "Screens"
Select the connected monitor to bring up the display settings menu.
③ Resolution Setting
Click on Resolution: Select the appropriate resolution. For example, for T1, please select 1920x1080.
👀 Reading Comfort Setting
If the text is too small to read after setting the resolution to 1920x1080, you can go to Defaults ➝ select “Set Defaults” for Large Screens to enlarge the text.
④ Vertical Display Setting (Portrait mode)
To rotate the display and switch to portrait mode, select Orientation → select "Left" or "Right" as needed → select "Apply" → the screen will then be in portrait mode.
📢 RPI OS supports vertical touchscreen
The new version of Raspberry Pi Desktop adopts Wayland and Labwc, so the touch mapping position will automatically rotate when the display orientation is rotated, without any further settings required!
⑤ Touch setting
The Raspberry Pi Desktop also offers flexible touch modes: select Touchscreen → select Mode → choose either "Mouse Emulation" for single-point touch or "Multitouch" for multi-point touch recognition.
(Note: The T1 series touchscreen supports 10-point multi-touch)
3. Install Touch Calibration Program
Normally, the Raspberry Pi OS desktop automatically recognizes and set up touchscreen. Even after rotating the display orientation, touch functionality remains fully operational without requiring a touch calibration utility.
Because the 2025 Raspberry Pi desktop uses xwayland server, which operates at a different level from the X Window system, it does not read the calibration values generated by the xinput_calibrator program or other X-system calibration programs. If incorrect touch positioning occurs after installing the touchscreen, it is recommended to use libinput to set the initial touch values. The following are the touch value settings for Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Trixie):
① Open the configuration file of labwc-rc.xml
Raspberry Pi OS (Trixie) now uses LabWC as its graphics manager. To manually set touch mapping values, you must edit the labwc configuration file. Click the Terminal icon in the upper left corner and enter the following commands:
sudo nano ~/.config/labwc/rc.xml
② Input the initial touch values
Add a new syntax to specify the desired touch initial value: Enter the following command: (Note: The name of the Geechic touchscreen is ILITEK ILITEK-TP)
<libinput> <device device=”ILITEK ILITEK-TP”>
<calibrationMatrix>1 0 0 0 1 0</calibrationMatrix>
</device>
</libinput>
③ Restart the desktop manager
Enter the following command to restart the desktop manager and the new touch initial values works
sudo systemctl restart lightdm
📢 Caution: CALIBRATION_MATRIX of libinput
Note: LIBINPUT's CALIBRATION_MATRIX setting varies depending on the display orientation
calibrationMatrix="1 0 0 0 1 0" # default, landscape mode
calibrationMatrix ="0 -1 1 1 0 0" # 90 degree clockwise
calibrationMatrix ="-1 0 1 0 -1 1" # 180 degree clockwise
calibrationMatrix ="0 1 0 -1 0 1" # 270 degree clockwise
xinput calibration program
① Install xinput_calibrator
Enter the following command in Terminal
sudo apt-get install ximput-calibrator
② Run xinput_calibrator
Enter the following command to start the calibration
xinput_calibrator
③ Tap the crosshair in sequence on the touch screen
④ Select the obtained touch value (as shown in the red frame). Click the right button of mouse→ Copy
⑤ In /etc/X11/，create a "xorg.conf.d folder" and a "99-calibration.conf" file
Key in 〖sudo mkdir /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d〗 (watch out the Caps)
Key in〖sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-calibration.conf〗
⑥ Paste the touch value
Click right button of mouse and select "Paste"→Press "ctrol+O" to save →click "Enter"
➆ Reboot and complete
Supplement: How to install Raspberry Pi OS
Raspberry Pi supports a variety of mobile operating systems, but the most recommended for the beginners is Raspberry Pi OS (also known as Raspbian), developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation based on Debian. Beginners can simply download and install Raspbian through Raspberry Pi Imager.
After you purchase the Raspberry Pi, please prepare one SD memory card above 8G, and follow the steps below to install Raspbian.
① Install Raspberry Pi Imager on your laptop
Go tohttps://www.raspberrypi.org/software/ and choose to download Raspberry Pi Imager for Windows or Mac → insall the Raspberry Pi Imager
② Insert SD card into the laptop and run Raspberry Pi Imager
③ Choose your Raspberry PI model
④ Choose the OS version
⑤ Choose SD card
⑥ After writing, SD card is ready for use
