Displaying text from the Serial Monitor on and LCD

Other Hardware Displays
1

My overall goal seemed simple, allow the user to write, to the serial monitor, the text they wanted to have displayed on the LCD.

My code is as follows:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);


String stringUsed = "Hello world";
int i=0;
//char wordOfTheWise[16];

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  lcd.begin(16,2);
}

void loop() {
  
if(Serial.available()>0) {
//  i=0;
  stringUsed = String(Serial.read());
  Serial.print(stringUsed);
  do{
    stringUsed= String(stringUsed + Serial.read());
    lcd.print(stringUsed);
    
//    i++;
  } while (Serial.peek()!='\n');
 
}

lcd.print(stringUsed);

lcd.autoscroll();
}

The problem that occur at the moment:

  • -text displays gibberish (i believe this is on account of the autoscroll feature and the fact that it is writing more then just one letter at a time)
  • -serial input displays improperly as well

I appreciate any help. thanks

2

Start with something simple like this:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  lcd.begin(16,2);
  lcd.autoscroll();
}

void loop() {
    if(Serial.available())
        lcd.write(Serial.read());
}

Then it will be easier to understand how incoming characters are displayed.

3

So I tried out the above, and nothing appears on the LCD.

also tried it this out.. just to get some type of response:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  lcd.begin(16,2);
  lcd.autoscroll();
}

void loop() {
    if(Serial.available()>0){
        lcd.write(Serial.read());
        Serial.print(Serial.read());
    }
}

Guess what, the serial monitor displayed -1 for every input.

4

kabuki4774:
Guess what, the serial monitor displayed -1 for every input.

Probably because you are trying to read each character twice. Read it once and store it to use twice:

void loop() {
    if(Serial.available()>0){
        int inputCharacter = Serial.read();
        lcd.write(inputCharacter);
        Serial.print(inputCharacter);
    }
}
5

-text displays gibberish (i believe this is on account of the autoscroll feature and the fact that it is writing more then just one letter at a time)

Why are you using autoscroll?

After you finish with John's exercises then try this one to get an idea how the LCD works. Don't get impatient, let it run for a while. Then follow the LCD Addressing link at http://web.alfredstate.edu/weimandn to find out why the LCD works that way.

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

//LiquidCrystal lcd(rs,en,d4,d5,d6,d7);
  LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);       // put your pin numbers here

void setup()
  {
    lcd.begin(20, 4);                          // put your LCD parameters here
    for (char i=47; i<127; i++)                // send 80 consecutive displayable characters to the LCD
      {
        lcd.print(i);
        delay(100);                            // this delay allows you to observe the addressing sequence
      }
  }


void loop()
  {  
  }

You could try adding lcd.autoscroll (just after the lcd.begin) to see what that does as well. I haven't tried it but it should be interesting.

Don