December 10, 2013

Make a Serial LCD module for your Arduino

If you're running out of digital I/O pins in your Arduino project and still need to add an LCD module, the answer could be to use a serial version. This involves using a separate microcontroller for the LCD module which communcates with the host board via single wire hardware or software serial line, and the procedure do this has been published by enthusiast Pranjal Joshi. 

The code is quite simple, and the required MCU for the LCD can range from an ATmega8 to a '328 - leaving plenty of scope for incorporating special functions for the LCD. The included Arduino library covers the normal functions, along with brightness via PWM and more. Pranjal demonstates this in the following video:

For more information, including the hardware details and required code - visit Pranjil's sourceforge website. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If you need an LCD for your Arduino and don't need a serial interface - save time and move forward with the Freetronics LCD & Keypad shield which contains a bright 16x2 character LCD and five buttons that can be read from only one analogue input pin:

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