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[on:]

Hi everyone, my first post so forgive my ignorance.

I have a LCD module here (details at the following URL) http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=QP5520&CATID=&keywords=qp5520&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=.

Am I correct in thinking that this is not a serial device and therefore would use up lots of pins of the Urduino?  Can someone help me with interfacing this module?  Even an explination of the pinouts and their functions would be great.

I am reasonably comfortable with the software side so assume some knowledge there, but when it comes to hardware.... Please assume no knowledge what so ever...  But that is the challenge that is driving me - I want to learn

I would just like to do a simple "Hello World" application.

Thankyou  

[Reply #1 on:]

Hi,
not much information for this Display from the manufacturers. You are right, its not a serial display. But nothing on the seller site says what kind of controller it has, its hard to tell how it can be interfaced from the Arduino.
Examples for non-serial Lcd's are here
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/LCD

If you already bought it : You should go through the examples on this page. If your controller is HD44780 compatible, they should work, otherwise ??

If you have not ordered yet, try to find a different display that is : explicitly HD44780 compatible and comes with a more complete datasheet .
Eberhard

[Reply #2 on:]

Look at the PDF file in the lower corner.

It has 16 pins, all named the same as all  HD44780  compatible displays i have seen, so i think that it most likely will work with the code i the Arduino playground (NOT the serial code).

[Reply #3 on:]

Hi,

Look at the PDF file in the lower corner.

It has 16 pins, all named the same as all  HD44780  compatible displays i have seen, so i think that it most likely will work with the code i the Arduino playground (NOT the serial code).

But be careful:
The backlighting pins(15/16) are labeled +5V/Gnd. On every Lcd-Display I have seen so far, you must add an resistor here to limit  the led-current for the backlight. Otherwise you leds will immediatly die!

The datasheet on the sellers site is a joke!  
Eberhard

[Reply #4 on:]

Yes the current limiting resistor is mandatory.

I  forgot mine and the display got very warm before i realized what i was doing. Fortunately it survived.
The resistor was not mentioned in the datasheet - thats just too stupid.

[Reply #5 on:]

Thanks everyone.

Ok, so it is a Parallel device.. The tutorial helped thanks for the link Eberhard.  I will give that a try and see how I go.  I also read a few more articles and one on Multiple digital outs with a 595 Shift Register sparked my interest.. If I can control lots of LEDS with a small number of output pins then why not a parallel LCD, saving my Arduino pins for something else... Is this possible or am I on completely the wrong track...  If I am correct, and get a result I will prepare a turorial... If I am on the wrong track let me know..


I did some googleing using some of the silkscreen information on the back of the LCD and tracked it down to this http://www.sdec.com.tw/products_e.php?pro_no=157.  It is looks the same, however partnumber is slightly different

For interest the silk screen reference is  P-B2A16CT-E 94V-0  There is also a sticker on the back of the module with BSC2A16ULGY 2K06-15

Anyhow, the pinouts are the same and their is a much more detailed data sheet.

BTW... I grabed this out of the shops clearance bin at a price I couldn't resist, so I guess you get what you pay for in terms of data sheets and I didn't pay much... ;D  But I do suspect that paying more would not have given me any more information.

[Reply #6 on:]

For interest the silk screen reference is  P-B2A16CT-E 94V-0

Somewhat off-topic, but, I was intrigued to see the "94V-0" marking listed as one of the markings on the LCD module as I had seen the same marking on a completely different LCD module and PCB I had pulled out of an old fax machine.

From a little Googling I discovered "94V-0" refers to an Underwriters Laboratories rating for plastic flammability:

By far the most stringent and also the most widely accepted of such tests is the Underwriters' Laboratory Standard for safety, UL 94, for electrical devices. The test, involving the burning of a specimen in the vertical position, is the one by which most flame-retardant (FR) plastics are rated. In this test, the best rating is UL 94V-0, which defines a flame duration of 0 to 5 sec, an afterglow of 0 to 25 sec, and the presence of no flaming drips that ignite the dry, absorbent cotton located below the test specimen.
  -- (source)

I have added a few more links with information about this on the page on my site linked above.

A minor detail, but I learned something so there's one less mystery in the world. :-)

--Phil.

[Reply #7 on:]

Thankyou.. I love little bits of trivia...

[Reply #8 on:]

If I can control lots of LEDS with a small number of output pins then why not a parallel LCD, saving my Arduino pins for something else... Is this possible or am I on completely the wrong track...  If I am correct, and get a result I will prepare a turorial... If I am on the wrong track let me know..

Right track. Here is sample code.
http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1193829468

I'm working on a version atm which powers 4 LCDs with individual backlight control with 2 595's.
Capable of doing 10 LCDs without backlight control.

[Reply #9 on:]

You are a legend! ;D