16x2 display showing random things instead of variables

Projects Programming
1

I'm currently working on a stroboscope project right now, which features a Duty and Delay cycle.
The compiling works already and everything, but my problem is, that the LCD shows random characters instead of the variables.
I mean, the other thing of the code as lcd.write(); work fine, but when I try do display the variables, which are updated every 500ms, my display shows ASCII characters. I've read that it can be that the arduino is sending the ASCII numbers instead of the characters I want to display, but how can I fix it?

Here is the code, I also marked the region where the printing of the variables happens:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
const int rs = 12, en = 11, d4 = 5, d5 = 4, d6 = 3, d7 = 2;
LiquidCrystal lcd(rs, en, d4, d5, d6, d7);

int period = 500 ;
unsigned long time_now = 0;

#define mosfet 13
#define pot A0
#define pot1 A1
int wait = 0;
int wait1 = 1;

void setup() {

pinMode(5,OUTPUT);
pinMode(A0,INPUT);
pinMode(A1,INPUT);
Serial.begin(250000);
lcd.begin(16, 2);
lcd.setCursor(2, 0);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system.. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system... ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system.. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Initializing"), lcd.setCursor(4, 1), lcd.write("system... ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(3, 1), lcd.write("Oscillator. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(3, 1), lcd.write("Oscillator.. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(1, 1), lcd.write("MOSFET system... ");
delay(667);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(2, 1), lcd.write("Serial Debug ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(2, 1), lcd.write("Serial Debug. ");
delay(333);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(2, 1), lcd.write("Serial Debug.. ");
delay(50);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(1, 1), lcd.write("PWM Modulator... ");
delay(283);
lcd.write("Loading"), lcd.setCursor(1, 1), lcd.write("PWM Modulator ");
delay(333);
lcd.clear();
lcd.setCursor(4, 0), lcd.write("Loading "), lcd.setCursor(3, 1), lcd.write("complete! ");
delay(1200);
lcd.clear();
delay(1000);
lcd.setCursor(2, 1), lcd.write("Starting OS ");
delay(1500);
lcd.clear();
}

void loop() {
while(analogRead(A2) < 550) {
lcd.setCursor(4, 0);
lcd.write("Battery low! ");
lcd.setCursor(2, 1);
lcd.write("Please charge! ");
}
int pRead = analogRead(pot); //begin each loop by reading the position of the pot
int pRead1 = analogRead(pot1);
wait = map(pRead,0,1000,1,200); //map the analog read to a value between 1mS to 200ms
wait1 = map(pRead1,0,1000,1,200);
if(millis() > time_now + period){
time_now = millis();

}
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.write("Freq: "), lcd.setCursor(7, 0), lcd.write(wait), lcd.setCursor(12, 0), lcd.write("ms ");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.write("Duty: "), lcd.setCursor(7, 1), lcd.write(wait1), lcd.setCursor(12, 1), lcd.write("ms ");
digitalWrite(mosfet,HIGH); //flash the MOSFET
delay(wait1); //wait for the Duty time
digitalWrite(mosfet,LOW); //shut off the MOSFET
delay(wait); //wait for the Delay time
}

20191016_170512.jpg
20191016_170512.jpg2560×1440 651 KB

2

Try using lcd.print instead of lcd.write

3

Thanks for your reply wildbill, but still it doesn't change anything to it. Still has the same problem.

4

That's odd. Can you post your revised code?

5

Shanged write to print;

lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
   lcd.write("Freq: "), lcd.setCursor(7, 0), lcd.print(wait), lcd.setCursor(12, 0), lcd.write("ms  ");
   lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
   lcd.write("Duty: "), lcd.setCursor(7, 1), lcd.print(wait1), lcd.setCursor(12, 1), lcd.write("ms  ");
   digitalWrite(mosfet, HIGH);                       //flash the MOSFET

Prints:
Freq: 171 ms
Duty: 168 ms
on my display with A2 tied high (5V) and A0 and A1 floating.

6

Oh my, I'm such a stupid person!
I used print on Duty: and Freq: instead of the wait and wait1 commands!
Sorry for my incompetence.
Thanks for making my project usable, wildbill and groundFungus!
This community is awesome, not asking for something akward, just helping at the points where it is needed.