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[on:]

I have 3 of these lcds and don't know how to use them, all my searches bring up just an ebay result(saying there worth 90$ ) but anyway I tried assuming it was like a regular 16 pin lcd with the lcd library and its definetly not, the pinout is different although it has 16 pins
I have one original board it was in but it offers me no clue as it went to a processor that I also couldn't find any data on
I could probably spend more time on tracing it out but even the protocol will probably be different and id rather not just throw the regular code at it and hope it works
The board just writes "no signal" to it once and I hopelessly tried sniffing with my 25 year old oscope which proved fruitless
anyone find this device familiar?

[Reply #1 on:]

Hi, was wondering if you have had any luck with these LCDs ?  I recently purchased one and have been trying to figure it out....

Through some "reverse engineering" I have gotten text to display on it..... here is what I have so far.....

Code:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

//                rs  en d0 d1 d2 d3 d4 d5 d6 d7
LiquidCrystal lcd(11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2);

// Pins on 2387SBGTNZ-A
//  1 - (+) Backlight
//  2 - (-) Backlight
//  3 - LCD Ground
//  4 - LCD Power
//  5 - Vee ??? Contrast ???
//  6 - Register Select ???
//  7 - R/W ???
//  8 - Enable ???
//  9 - Data 0
// 10 - Data 1
// 11 - Data 2
// 12 - Data 3
// 13 - Data 4
// 14 - Data 5
// 15 - Data 6
// 16 - Data 7

void setup()
{
  // Print a message to the LCD.
  lcd.begin(16, 2);
  delay(2000);
  lcd.print("hello, world!");
}

void loop()
{
}

I have to look carefully, because the contrast is messed up and I don't think the backlight comes on.... but I can see the text being displayed.

TJ

[Reply #2 on:]

Lol I think you bought that from me, I had three and I figure thts more than enough for something I don't know how to use
that's really impressive how you figured all that out, I tried the regular pinout and gave up at that, I wouldn't even know where to start
maybe ill try that code and see if I can get farther with it

[Reply #3 on:]

All I found in my brief search was a photo that shows that the connections are in the lower left corner of the PC board. 

From what I can tell the devices with the pins in this corner use an HD44780 compatible controller and are therefore compatible with the LiquidCrystal library.  The problem is that although the pin numbers are consistent with other devices, the order of the pins on the PC board is not.  In addition it seems that the boards with the pins in this corner may not be consistent with others by a different manufacture either.

So your real problem is to identify the pins, once you do that you can use the LiquidCrystal library.

Don

[Reply #4 on:]

Well, I did a little more playing around... and it looks like my pin out is correct....

putting a 10K resistor between pin 5 and ground should give you a clear read out on the lcd....

I have yet to get the LED backlight to work yet though... not sure if it is just dead or what... but it should have been the easiest thing to make work.... it may also need more than 5v.... I have yet to try that.... I just guessed it was LED due to the 5v that the unit seems to like and the existence of 220K resistors between pin 1 and Backlight+  Guess its possible it may not be LED....

[Reply #5 on:]

I just tested to be sure that LiquidCrystal library "4 pin data" works also... if I could only get the backlight I would happy

[Reply #6 on:]

Im gonna try the other two I have for the backlight, perhaps that one doesn't work
what sort of voltage should I try first? Would 5v be good or an I better of finding a 3v source in case its not current limited?

[Reply #7 on:]

You can try 3.3v first.... although I am expecting, assuming yours also has the 220 ohm resistors, that 5v would be the correct voltage for an LED backlight.  If you try 3.3v and get nothing out of it, I would go ahead and try 5v.

I am going to remove the front bezel on mine later today - see if I can find anything....

TJ