Adding a LCD to any project immediately kicks it up a notch. This tutorial explains how to connect an inexpensive HDD44780 compatible LCD to the Raspberry Pi using 6 GPIO pins. While there are other ways to connect using I2C or the UART, this is the most direct method that gets right down to the bare metal.
This technique:
- allows for inexpensive LCDs to be used
- does not require any i2c drivers
- won't steal the only serial port on the Pi.
The example Python code sends date, time, and the Pi's IP address to the display. If you are running a Pi in headless mode, being able to determine the IP address at a glance is really handy.
- Standard LCD 16x2 + extras
- Pi T-Cobbler Plus, Pi Cobbler Plus for Model B+ / Pi 2 or the original Pi Cobbler
- (2) Half size breadboards
- Hook-up Wire
- A Raspberry Pi (compatible with all 26pin and 40pin Pi releases to date)
You can use nearly any character LCD with this tutorial - it will work with 16x1, 16x2, 20x2, 20x4 LCDs. It will not work with 40x4 LCDs
Page last edited March 08, 2024
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