April 07, 2014

Controlling LCD modules with shift registers to save I/O

A group of enthusiasts behind the 42 Bots website have published a neat method of controlling typical parallel LCD modules that have a HD44780-compatible driver IC with a 74HC595 shift register. The benefit of using this method is that you only need three digital output pins on your Arduino or compatible board, and can save you having to buy a display with a serial interface. 

To experiment with this method, all the required hardware notes and code downloads are available from here. And for more, we're on facebookGoogle+, and twitter - so follow us for news and product updates as well

To make inserting a 74HC595 shift register into your prototypes easy and fast, use our EXPAND: shift register module:

It makes adding more outputs to your microcontroller simple - with a labelled breakout board and blue power LED, you can't go wrong. And if you're not sure how they work, our Quickstart guide will have you up and running in no time. For more information and to order, click here

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