Using LCD Displays with Arduino

Learn to use LCD displays with an Arduino. All types of LCDs, including I2C and display shields are covered here.
Article with code at dronebotworkshop.com/lcd-disp...
More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.com
Join the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.com
Subscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribe/
Today in the workshop we will look at Liquid Crystal Displays or LCDs.
We will examine the use of two types of LCD displays - the common LCD1602 display module and a popular LCD Keypad Shield for the Arduino. We’ll also see how to use the I2C adapter for the LCD1602 display module.
LCDs are a very simple way to add display capabilities to your Arduino project. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and very versatile. They also don’t consume a lot of current so they are ideal for battery-powered projects.
I'll show you a couple of ways to interface an LCD with an Arduino, including the use of an I2C adapter. If you’re not familiar with the I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus it’s a very versatile method of adding sensors and peripherals to your Arduino using only a few wires. I’ll give a brief explanation about the operation of the IC2 bus in the video.
To use the I2C adapter we'll make use of a library called NewLiquidCrystal. I'll show you how to install it, you'll find the link to this library in the article at github.com/fmalpartida/New-Li.... The library is actually a replacement for the Arduino LiquidCrystal library so you can use it for all your LCD sketches, not just the I2C ones.
We will also build something practical while we are at it - a digital temperature and humidity gauge. This will make use of the I2C adapter and the DHT22 Temperature and Humidity sensor.
The video, and the accompanying article, will also show you how to use a very common LCD Keypad Shield for the Arduino Uno. The neat thing about this device is how the pushbuttons are wired. I’ll explain that and show you a demonstration sketch that you can build upon for your own projects.
Here is the Table of Contents for this video:
00:00 - Introduction
04:27 - The LCD1602 Display Module
07:04 - Hooking up the LCD and Arduino
09:49 - Demo Sketch 1 - Hello World
12:59 - Demo Sketch 2 - Scroll
15:39 - Demo Sketch 3 - Custom Characters
20:00 - Introducing I2C
23:44 - Hooking up the I2C Adapter
26:15 - I2C Address Test
27:08- I2C Display Test
32:48 - Building the Temperature & Humidity Gauge
37:39 - LCD Keypad Shield
41:00 - LCD Keypad Shield Demo Sketch
By the way, I should mention I had a “slip of the tongue” while narrating this video. During the “Custom Character” demo I described the LCD as having a 5 x 7 matrix, it’s actually 5 x 8. Sorry about that! One extra row for you to define your custom characters.
The article accompanying this video contains a link to a very handy resource, an online custom character generator that you can use to write the code to define your own custom characters. You’ll want to check that out.
As usual, the article has links to more resources and to a ZIP file with all of the code you see displayed here.
Hope you enjoy this video and that you use it to display something wonderful in your next Arduino project!

[@TheAmpair]

I2C finally makes sense. I've waited 78 years for this, the first few decades were useless, then there was confusion for a few years until suddenly; tonight my code decodes itself and does what I want. Woo Hoo! Thank you.

[@Scanito]

Hello Sir, just wanted to thank you for your extremely high quality and comprehensive tutorial videos. It is really a pleasure following them as you provide all required information and background needed. You accomplish this at an optimal speed with friendly and clear voice. One of the best tutorials I've ever seen. Keep on with the great work! Regards from Mexico City.

[@gordonmooney487]

I wanted to say Thank You! I have learned so much from watching your educational videos. I think I have watched this video 4 or 5 times in the last couple of years, and every time I watch it I gain a little bit more understanding of how the programming works. Thanks again

[@SANTINIIO]

Awesome video! What I like is that you go through and explain everything instead of just making a 5 minute video showing what wires to connect. Thanks!

[@Polypropellor]

Wow! You are amazing. This has to be the very best KZbin tutorial on Arduino ever. Highly professional, clear, - to the point! Thank you x 1000!

[@TheHellfiremissile]

Im glad I found your videos, they are the best for learners like me. Slow and fully descriptive, with time to absorb what your teaching. Many thanks. VK2KWW

[@magicmedia7950]

Check out Paul machoughtors vids too

[@puneethkumar703]

wokwi.com/playground/lcd1602-i2c I hope this helps to try out a few examples :)

[@lgflanang]

Thank you. The tutorial's resolution is concise, unhurried and not spotty. Great job ,sir.

[@YTbxg]

Your video tutorials are the best I have come across so a big thanks for them. Quite astonishing quality actually. Very well thought out, excellent speaking voice and all documented as well. I look forward to enjoying them all, and hope you will do loads more. :)

[@eddelauter9983]

I do not believe a presentation of higher quality is possible. Clear, concise, and professional. 2 Thumbs Way Up!!!!

[@thomasm1964]

An excellent tutorial even for someone like me who has zero knowledge of electronics. Clear, precise, focused and, as others have said, presented with a slow, steady clear speaking voice. Impressive work!

[@ottokueng4236]

As always, you are a great teacher. Perfect documentation, clear to understand, important for people with other mother tongue. No action, no stress, no background music but complete and therefore verry helpful. And a good example of order on the workbench. :-) Thank you verry much.

[@aaroleikari7549]

You, good sir, just got yourself a new subscriber! I bought the keypad shield and searched through the whole internet on how to use it. Then I stumbled upon this tutorial and this really helped. Clear explanation and very thorough. This really helped, thank you! :)

[@DisgruntledPigumon]

You make very clear, informative, easy to follow videos. I laughed a bit when you listed each consecutive pin 7 to 14, but again, you were very clear, not skipping any info, so I wouldn’t say you should change it. These videos are perfect! All I can ask is hat you continue to make more. And maybe do some viewer question videos.

[@Vhbaske]

You are a treasure of a teacher! Your HC-SR04 tutorial is a masterpiece!

[@donaldphilbin4574]

Simply the BEST video I have seen on using the 16 x 2 LCD display. Many thanks for posting the video.

[@BRP42]

These lessons are great for folks looking to learn! The "backup" material on the website is also great and helps fill in any gaps.

[@DanMcAfee]

Really glad I stumbled upon your videos (first here). Looks like I'll be spending many an enjoyable and fruitful episode with you. Thanks

[@DominicFawver]

Excellent tutorial. The amazing thing is that my I2C backpack just showed up today so the timing could not have been better!

[@michaeldiamond2269]

Excellent video. Your explanations are very clear and concise and for the first time I feel confident to use the LCD.

[@bradbergman3673]

Excellent video well worth the time if unfamiliar with using LCD displays, a good review if you need a refresher. The narrator is clear and concise, the slides make the details so simple, no dead time. And all the links to sketches and further info still work.

[@hadibq]

for the lcd keypad, if acting up, one can add a setup routine in the beginning to assign analog readouts to variables upon pressing buttons and then use them in the condition tests. Great videos as always Bill! THANKS!

[@MrAitSous]

You gave an extremely great advice about I2C and how to connect them on an Arduino board. Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge with us. I'm looking forward for more of your videos 😄

[@dylanjayabahu2878]

Excellent tutorial! Detailed and concise, and helped me understand what I was doing. Thanks a lot!

[@ziadqudaisat8529]

Mr.Bill, you are a great science instructor, I'm new to electronics and find your videos very interesting and easily applicable by one like me, many thanks and good luck.

[@Yuehanlad]

well done for showing the locations of SCL SDA on old and new boards, most videos on KZbin show the old boards.

[@JerryEricsson]

Thanks, occasionally I go back and re-watch these, seems at my time of life, some things that I used to know are no longer available in my gray database, and a reload is in order.

[@MusicGameFinatic999]

The way you phrased this is hysterical, definitely stealing that lol

[@faithinverity8523]

That is a stupendous video. Thank you so much for the dozens of hours it must taken to create.

[@chakreshjoshi4302]

Hello Sir, just wanted to thank you for your extremely high quality and comprehensive tutorial videos.

[@solid2inches]

I have to say it was a pleasure learning from your video. Great work.

[@uwerichterich8052]

Awesome stuff. Hope we get many more of these kind of tutorials

[@trentjackson4816]

This man is a brilliant articulate educator. Love the videos as much as I enjoy electronics.

[@aloehart3374]

Thank you for your work. Your channel is a wealth of knowledge for the electrical engineering newbie.

[@gravysplash]

I literally subscribed after i saw ur tool display... Its so mind soothing to me!

[@Waltkat]

I've always wanted to use an LCD in some of my Arduino projects but thought it would be too complex for my feeble little mind to comprehend but your tutorial makes it easy. Thank you.

[@timothydaniel4511]

These are fantastic videos, exactly what I have been searching for!

[@Taran72]

Another great video! thank you very much for sharing!!! I really appreciate all you do and share with us.

[@jpower740]

New to Arduino but have some projects I am planning. Your video on LCD's was VERY helpful! Thank you!

[@jackelliott4262]

Thanks it has been hard to find a video to explain how lcds work, Great video

[@moncefmakhbouche575]

Hello Mr Bill, After going through the video again, I found the right library to use for the DHT22. It works great. Thank you again for your enlightment.

[@FireguyNtx]

Very nice, thank you for the great tutorial. Going to watch the stepper motor one now...

[@valmontdain]

This is one of the best videos I have watched on audino and in particular LCDs. It's very detailed and informative. Am definitely following your channel right away. This is a great treasure sir. Thanks alot for everything sir. Greetings from Nigeria

[@puneethkumar703]

wokwi.com/playground/lcd1602-i2c try your code for free 😀

[@ryry8997]

thanks for such a concise tutorial. really looking forward to the detailed I2C video.

[@Gw0wvl]

Another Excellent Video, Being very new to Arduino it takes time to absorb all the info , But im getting there slowly, Each time it makes just that little bit more sense ... My " Thanks " .

[@kelvintai5748]

Very clear and informative! Keep on your good work! 👍💪

[@mgabrielle2343]

Love your tidy workshop and clean bench. Brilliant tutorial.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you, appreciate the comment!

[@robertwebb9657]

While many of my age group have surrendered to the slippers and pipe brigade, I added two Nema 23 steppers to a Taig lathe with plans to use Mach 3 because I wanted to experiment with simple CNC. I describe doing this stuff as my anti-Alzheimer's strategy. Initially I had modest success with Mach 3 using a parallel port computer but when I decided to move to a USB control, it became a very expensive and unsatisfactory white elephant. There is not much help for CNC novices with Mach 3 and it is now in the too hard basket. After watching a number of your outstandingly clear and easy to watch videos, including "how to control a larger stepper motor" and this LCD video, I have now mentally transferred my modest CNC ambitions out of the "too hard basket" into the "active projects basket". So I thank you for providing a way forward. Incidentally if you do have a video that deals with controlling and X and Y axis I would love to know about it. Best regards and thanks. Robert

[@ExMachinaEngineering]

This is invaluable! Thank you, Sir.

[@koriremmanuel355]

your work is well elaborated and make it easy to follow, your work had given me a new step in my programming life. many thanks

[@soxerm]

Thank you so much for your videos! They are amazing! They’re helping me so much getting into the arduino tinkering. I really appreciate that you always start from the basics and make your way up to actual projects. ❤

[@fredmaury7804]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

[@finnandrehotvedt6974]

Nice videos..helped me alot to get started with I2C. I bought a EasyCat Lab and it has arrived here a couple of days a go. Expensive to buy as a lab but cheap when you know all the parts and you can buy them in bits and pieces. Thanks for nice videos. Good work :)

[@gladyssdawning7039]

Just so eternally grateful ! Such an inspirational teacher of our time !!

[@Sky_Gazer1]

Outstanding, very continuous, precise and simple but to the point way of teaching...

[@dickbanks3606]

That is the neatest and nicest workbench I've ever seen!

[@ermakamre]

Thank you for great video! Just a small note: when you tell that some pin on display should be connected to some pin on arduino the animation of this connection should start from display pin. This way it will be easier to follow all the connections.

[@sto2779]

thanks!!! this was so easy to understand of such complex pinout and wiring

[@BigPoppaJNutZ]

Excellent video! I'm just getting started and quite enjoy your process of explanation! Subbed and looking at more of your great videos!

[@jebediahkerman4357]

I learn from you so much! thanks for your awesome teaching!

[@ehb403]

For button presses, it seems like you could have 2^5 or 32 separate controls by expanding the condition test and switch statements. For instance, combining the up and down keys (the resistor values) should give a signal controlled by 215 ohms. Of course you still have to convert this to the analogue value (adding the “offset” of 50 or so before testing). This greatly expands your control options (maybe you only want to use 10 combinations for instance, giving you a numeric input). Of course you would have to keep in input code cheat sheet handy.

[@Engbic]

Thanks for the great tutorial. A small detail on 8:28 (said digital pin 8, which should be 11).

[@arousehuman]

Good control on speech. Good teacher. Nicely demonstrated. Keep on going sir, we need such people on earth to technological advanced world.....

[@finephotographyart]

Thank you very much for your professional declarations in your video. I will see your videos again.

[@taehyunbaek7286]

Thanking you once again for another great video. I learnded a lot.

[@Inquire98]

"Thank You", thank you very much for your video 😉 You are REALLY Really really good 😎😀😎

[@MrBobWareham]

Thank you so much you are very clear and easy to follow and at the correct speed so it makes it easy to follow I have signed up to your channel as I am most interested in XOD and found it easy to follow your first example.

[@ameen0digi]

You are awesome. Thank you so much for your great work and informations you are providing to your subscribers and everyone else around KZbin My greetings from Egypt

[@ally5511]

Recently found your channel and it renewed my interest in robotics and programming which neither is my strong point. Love the videos, well presented and very informative that anyone like me can follow. I got myself a couple bits like the Uno and the LCD with the buttons, at first it was blank but after a surprising amount of turn the letters started to appear.... Ordered some more parts to try build the 2 wheeled rover, not so easy getting parts here without being ripped off. Keep up the awesome videos.

[@puneethkumar703]

why not go to wokwi.com for more Arduino projects. I bet you that it will be interesting for you. Give a like if you find it useful 😀😀

[@eddiejones8709]

Great video. As a beginner, I will be going to your website to learn more. Thanks for taking time to help others.

[@JasonGlisson]

Thank you so much for your tutorials. I've started making Arduino Star Wars weapons with this knowledge. :-)

[@theIMMUNICORN]

Hey, very clean & informative video ! Thank you, I just purchased some displays because of this :)

[@yeethengkee5406]

I bought my own Arduino set and it really works, it really helps to tests our heart and BPM rate

[@paulradford71]

Nice video.. very well presented and should be understandable for folks with all levels of arduino experience, including those with none.. well done..

[@sashik99]

Excellent tutorial - thank you :)

[@joebloggs3382]

Great vid mate you really explained the subject well

[@Robinhobeer]

Very nice video. Congratulations!!! Thank you so much for sharing this

[@Jarito1903]

watching this from Spain in 2020. Still great content, thanks

[@JeanDAVID]

thank you for your tutorial !

[@williamb3323]

Got it to work Finally, Thanks for your videos

[@mcgam2000]

I have just lately found your channel and I like it just fine... I know this is 5 years old now but you are getting me interested in some experimentation. I am a retired electro-mechanical engineer who worked extensively on automation projects in south Texas using programable logic controllers. So using these microcontrollers interest's me ...

[@jeucedahn]

Hi, your videos are very nice and for sure one of the best for people who is trying to learn. Thanks a lot!

[@aspendell209]

You should be able to decode multple button presses on the keypad by reading the returned value of the 2 or 3 resistors of the voltage divider in parallel, so long as it doesn't exactly coorespond to one of the other button resistor values. Could be handy if you needed more than the 5 buttons provided. Love the simplicity of your videos!

[@noddlexxx9161]

can you elaborate

[@RegusPitts]

Thank you great video. looking forward to the next.

[@mohamedsaady4557]

"Thank You", thank you very much for your video

[@ollieb9875]

Very good. Thank for taking the time to make the. Be well ❤☺️

[@GarlicMonoxide]

I know this is an old video. But its literally perfect

[@JackSmith-by6sb]

Awesome information, glad I found your site!

[@Rich10000]

Does anyone know where to get the new LiquidCrystal library from as the link in the description no longer works.

[@MDNAIMUDDIN]

Thank you for another excellent tutorial

[@zebratangozebra]

These are great instructive, informative, videos. Would like to see one on energy harvesting modules.

[@patson3910]

didn't even go all the way down of this video, you're so GOOD, can't believe some people disliked this, well can't satisfy everybody that's a real fact, Thanks for this hard work, you're the definition of confidence and knowledge

[@aban33]

The grammar in this comment is atrocious, but I support the message! Good work on the video!

[@mohamddwahde2231]

Thank you my friend, I do not know English, but I understood everything from your excellent excellent advice. Thank you again. You helped me a lot and thank you very much for the code you put for us. I wish you more success.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

You are very welcome my friend!

[@ae1tpa92gwtom2]

Good Day, all of yr videos are by far the best on You tube for this subject matter, you will help and inspire countless students, hobbyists, and others, really amazing job. I will add I was using, and programming microcontrollers since mid 90s, the tools, integration, and capabilities, and ease of use have leaped foward beyond words. No more assembly code and special hardware to program/flash. Cheers you are a resource a reference, and to be a legend, cheers, I am creating a stepper controller for a loop HF antenna tuner, amateur radio, A92GW 73s mate

[@tvgoogleaccount1141]

Thank you so much the wiring method worked!

[@kariminou1]

Thank you. I learn a great deal about LCD display and Arduino from your video.

[@emsecaos4657]

Thanks for this video. I’ve learned a lot.

[@danielvanschalkwyk3749]

Excellent Video!! Thank you :D

[@rahulfromkerala]

You're such a gem of a teacher... 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@sameerasubasingha2856]

gIm glad I found your videos, they are the best for learners like me. Slow and fully descriptive, with time to absorb what your teaching. Many thanks. VK2KWW

[@amrishhirani6096]

I'm hooking I2c with Android little confused but now I got solutions Thank you very much

[@graphene1487]

Wow! What a great video. Thank you. Subscribed and will be watching more 😃