Using LCD displays (16×2, 20×4) with Arduino

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LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) displays are widely used in many applications involving Arduino boards, providing a simple and low-cost way to display text and graphics. Here’s an overview of how to use LCD displays with an Arduino board:

1. LCD display: To use an LCD display with an Arduino board, you need an LCD display module, such as the 16×2 or 20×4 LCD display, which can be interfaced with the Arduino board using the parallel or I2C communication protocol. The LCD display module provides the physical interface for the display, including the LCD panel and the controller chip.

2. LCD library: To communicate with the LCD display module, you need to use an LCD library, such as the LiquidCrystal library, which provides functions for initializing the LCD display, sending and receiving data to and from the display, and controlling the display settings such as the cursor position and the backlight. The LiquidCrystal library is included with the Arduino IDE and can be used with most LCD display modules.

Here’s an example code to display text on a 16×2 LCD display using the LiquidCrystal library:

#include 

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2); // RS, E, D4, D5, D6, D7 pins for the LCD display

void setup() {
  lcd.begin(16, 2); // Initialize the LCD display
  lcd.setCursor(0, 0); // Set the cursor position to the top left corner
  lcd.print("Hello, world!"); // Print the text to the LCD display
}

void loop() {
  // Do nothing
}

Here’s an example code to display text on a 20×4 LCD display using the LiquidCrystal_I2C library:

#include 
#include 

LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27, 20, 4); // Address, columns, rows for the LCD display

void setup() {
  lcd.init(); // Initialize the LCD display
  lcd.backlight(); // Turn on the backlight
  lcd.setCursor(0, 0); // Set the cursor position to the top left corner
  lcd.print("Hello, world!"); // Print the text to the LCD display
}

void loop() {
  // Do nothing
}

Overall, LCD displays are a versatile and easy-to-use tool for displaying text and graphics using an Arduino board, and enable a variety of applications that involve data visualization, user interfaces, and feedback.