Arduino Board LCD Display

This instructable is for grades 9-12 as it requires materials that are fragile and deals with coding

By the end of this Instructable, individuals should be able to:

• Hookup an LCD Display so that it can show the message Hello, World!
• Change the message on a LCD Display

Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy

Practices

Making and Doing : In this instructable, I show a hands on activity that allows you to setup an LCD Display that students can make their own

Systems Thinking : Understanding that technology can interact socially is part of systems thinking, this can be used to display words to communicate between others.

Creativity: Students are given the chance to display anything they want on the screen therefore appealing to their creative nature

Core Disciplinary Standards

Standard 1 - Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering

• This standard is the idea of understanding, using, and assessing technology. In the case of this project you are using technology for communication or to express your creativity through technology.

Standard 8 - Applying, Maintaining, and Assessing Technological Products and Systems

• When you are completing this project you are applying technological products using code to a working display. This requires maintaining supplies was well as using code and systems to technology. You are maintaining systems by updating/installing the LiquidCrystal file within Arduino.

Contexts

Information and Communication

• Technology is used for communication more often than not. There are many smartphone apps that directly link you to other people as well as messages themselves. In this project you are using a new type of technology to show a message on a LCD Module.

Arduino Uno Starter Kit - about $45 dollars on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/ELEGOO-Project-Tutorial-Controller-Projects/dp/B01D8KOZF4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=8DXZQ55CPH12&keywords=arduino+uno+starter+kit&qid=1666672651&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjU5IiwicXNhIjoiMy4wMSIsInFzcCI6IjIuNzQifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=arduino+uno+start+%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

• Arduino Uno R3
• LCD1602 Module
• Breadboard
• Potentiometer
• 16 M-M Wires

Working computer that can run Arduino

*Make sure to download Arduino this can be done through the Arduino website linked here

https://www.arduino.cc/

Connector Cord

The first step of this project is to place the LCD Module facing away from the Uno R3. You are placing all the pins (the pointy things sticking out of the bottom) in the same row on the breadboard, on the top row of the two in the middle. The breadboard is the white board shown in the top picture. When connecting wires leave a space between the slots and the LCD Module for a wire that is placed there later.

The best way to keep wires manageable is to go from left to right. To start, you will attach a M-M wire from one of the slots in front of K to the negative row. Male to Male means it has pins on either end of the wire. This entire row will be connected to the other black wire you are placing now to the slot labeled GND on the UNO R3, it is bordered in white.

The next step is applying the wire in front of the A, this wire is connected to the bottom row of the breadboard which is the positive row. This positive row will eventually be connected to the 5V slot on the Uno R3. Then M-M wires are connected from the D7, D6, D5, and D4 parts of the LCD Module to the 12, 11, 10, and 9 slots on the Uno R3. These are shown using blue wires. They are responsible for reading and writing data. These numbers are directly connected to a python code that will be uploaded to the Arduino board in the final steps.

In this step you are continuing down the LCD Module however you skip the next 4 slots. You continue on E, this wire will connect from E to the 8 slot on the Uno R3. Next, you will connect a wire from RW to the negative row aligned with the wires on the first step and the LCD Module slot column. Then, you will connect a wire from the RS slot to the number 7 slot. Finally, you will attach a wire one row above the rest connecting to the V0 slot to another spot directly across on the same row. This is leading to setting up the potentiometer.

This next step includes the placement of the potentiometer and the rest of the pins. First you are going to place the final two pins connected to the LCD Module. You will place a wire connecting from the VDD slot to the same column positive row at the bottom. Then you will connect a wire from the VSS slot of the LCD Module to the same column negative row at the bottom. Then you will take your potentiometer which is the piece with the knob. You will place it so that one side is on the top middle of the bread board and the side with two prongs is on the bottom half of the breadboard as shown in the picture. Then you will place a wire directly below the left side of the potentiometer that connects the potentiometer to the bottom positive row. Then, you will connect the slot below the right side of the potentiometer to the negative row on the bottom. Finally you will use a wire to connect from the positive bottom row of the breadboard to the 5V slot on the Uno R3.

Use the connector cord to connect the silver part of the Arduino to the usb port on a computer. The next step is accessing the Arduino app. You will take the files below and click File, open, and select the file named HelloWorld. Next you to to click Tools, Port, and select the one named Arduino Uno. This means that when you click upload the code will get sent to that port. Next, you will click tools, Manage Libraries, and then search for LiquidCrystal, then hit install. Finally, you will hit the upload button on the top left that looks like a forward arrow. This will display the message "Hello, World!".

The line you are looking for here is the line saying lcd.print("Hello, World!"); . Within the two quote marks you can put whatever message that you want (within 16 characters). For the example above I chose Beef Stroganoff. Below the message is a counter for how long that the message has been displayed. Now you are done!