LCD screen hookup without solder

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello,

I am working on an Arduino project with a 16x2 LCD screen. I am running the "Hello World" LiquidCrystal program (http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/LiquidCrystal) and using an Arduino Uno. Everything is hooked up correctly, and the screen turns on, but the screen is usually completely blank. I will move the screen around and sometimes it will display random characters, instead of the correct "Hello World" and milliseconds. since reset, like Question Marks, Backslashes, and periods. I think that maybe the connections aren't strong enough and that I may have to solder, but the pins are less than 1 mm wide and I am afraid I would mess up, as I do not know how to solder and neither does anyone who I know. If the only solution is soldering, I will attempt to learn. But if not, please tell me! I would definitely appreciate help, as this project is due in less than 2 weeks. Thanks!
Help, Please!

2

FYI, this post is not a Project Guidance post, it is a Displays post. Are you saying the display is wired like the one in the tutorial ?
Is the contrast potentiometer working (you can increase/decrease the display intensity?). Are you running the LiquidCrystal code ?

3

SnakoM:
Hello,
If the only solution is soldering, I will attempt to learn.
[/quote]

Yes, it is - almost. The other option is to buy an LCD on a shield, thereby absolving you from any soldering, and ensure it will arrive and everything will be together in the time available. One thing you can be pretty sure about is that it won't take two weeks to learn how to solder.

An LCD shield is a pretty good idea and something you might have latched onto before since "use shields - not solder" is a major feature of the Arduino concept, but soldering isn't that hard and, if you intend to continue in the Arduino arena, the skill will eventually be an asset.

I assume the display in your hand has a row of holes along the edge. You could get by with just soldering a pinrow in same . This has a plastic strip to hold the pins straight while you work. Once done, everything else can be done with jumper wires, possibly using a breadboard as well. If you take that path, you need male/male as well as male/female jumpers. Alternatively, you could simply cut some jumpers and solder the bare ends into the display. Whatever you do, you never need to solder into the Uno.