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[on:]

Hi everyone, i am kinda new to the Arduino world, i am wanting to start a project but have already hit a brick wall.
It is a controller which i am wanting to produce with a lcd touch screen that will control temp, humidity and light.
i am wanting to use a Arduino Mega 2560, ITB02 Arduino mega shield and a 3.2 inch tft lcd module touch panel with sd card.
Once all these items are put together, all the pins are being used (i think) what is there i can get or make so i can use pins 20sda,21scl and some digital pins or pwm pins to connect some ssr's?

All help would be much appreciated

Thanks for reading

[Reply #1 on:]

Once all these items are put together, all the pins are being used (i think)

You've used 54 IO pins

Surely that lot doesn't use that many.

For example you can to the LCD and touch with 2 pins if you get the right screen.
_____
Rob

[Reply #2 on:]

I have searched high and low for a similar screen that uses less pins and have found nothing.
Did you take a look at those items I have chosen? Can someone confirm weither they do use up all pins on the arduino mega.

Thanks

[Reply #3 on:]

From what I can see that shield uses A4 and 5 which as you know are the I2C pins.

I'd say you are shafted then.

Do you need the SPI function for the SD card? If not you may be able to modify their code to use two of those pins.

Another option may be to use an Arduino Mega, it's I2C pins are on different a header.

EDIT: But you said you wanted to use a Mega, so I don't think you have a problem, the I2C pins are free as are about 30 other IO pins.

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Rob

[Reply #4 on:]

I am no slightly confused, the board in the middle uses the pins from the side while forwarding the end IDE pins to the screen right? So how would there be pins left? Could you make a small little diagram as I would understand better that way.

Thanks in advance for your time

[Reply #5 on:]

the board in the middle uses the pins from the side while forwarding the end IDE pins to the screen right?

At first I thought that too, that the LCD board used the end header on the Mega, but it doesn't.

The LCD board has a 40-pin connector that just happens to look like the large connector on the end of the Mega, however I think it plugs onto their adapter shield.

From what I can see that adapter shield uses all of the standard Arduino headers but not the extra Mega headers. Therefore you have access to the extra Mega headers which include the i2c pins and about 30 other general-purpose IO pins.

It' a bit confusing but I think you are good to go.

______
Rob

 

[Reply #6 on:]

I have just realised there is a new Arduino Shield 1.3.  The 1.1 was the one I was looking at which uses up all pins ect, the new 1.3 uses like you said just the pins that appear on the arduino UNO.
Thanks for your replies