▷ Learn to use an LCD screen with Arduino | Step-by-step tutorial.

In this tutorial, you will discover how to connect and program an LCD screen with Arduino in a simple and practical way. We will teach you how to use the popular 16x2 LCD module to display messages, sensor data, and more. You will learn how to connect the pins, use the LiquidCrystal library, and create various functional examples to understand text control on the screen. This step-by-step guide is ideal for beginners who want to effectively integrate information visualization into their Arduino projects.

To use an LCD screen with Arduino, the following materials are needed:

• Arduino Uno or any other Arduino board model
• 16x2 LCD screen
• 10K ohm potentiometer
• Wiring (jumper cables)
• Breadboard (optional)

Steps to follow:

1.- Connect the LCD screen to the Arduino:

To connect the LCD screen to the Arduino, the following connections must be made:

• Pin VSS (GND): Connect to GND of the Arduino
• Pin VDD (+5V): Connect to 5V of the Arduino
• Pin VO (Contrast): Connect to the potentiometer (using two wires: one to pin VO and another to GND)
• Pin RS (Register Select): Connect to pin 12 of the Arduino
• Pin RW (Read/Write): Connect to GND of the Arduino
• Pin E (Enable): Connect to pin 11 of the Arduino
• Pin D4, D5, D6, D7: Connect to pins 5, 4, 3, 2 of the Arduino respectively.

2.- Load the LiquidCrystal library:

To use the LCD screen with Arduino, it is necessary to install the LiquidCrystal library. To do this, the following steps must be followed:

1. Open the Arduino IDE software
2. Select the "Sketch" option in the menu bar
3. Select the "Include Library" option
4. Select the "Manage Libraries" option
5. Search for "LiquidCrystal" in the search box
6. Select the latest version of the library and press the "Install" button.

3.- Write the code:

The following is an example of code to write on a 16x2 character LCD screen. The code includes explanatory comments on each line:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h> // We include the LiquidCrystal library

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2); // We create a LiquidCrystal object and specify the corresponding pins

void setup() {
  lcd.begin(16, 2); // We initialize the LCD screen with 16 characters in 2 lines
  lcd.print("Hello, world!"); // We write "Hello, world!" on the first line of the screen
}

void loop() {
  lcd.setCursor(0, 1); // We set the cursor on the second line of the screen
  lcd.print("LCD with Arduino");// We write "LCD with Arduino" on the second line of the screen
}

4.- Upload the code to the Arduino:

Once the code is written, it must be uploaded to the Arduino by following these steps:

1. Connect the Arduino to the computer using a USB cable
2. Select the board and the corresponding serial port in the Arduino IDE software
3. Press the "Upload" button in the toolbar of the Arduino IDE software

With these steps, you should be able to use an LCD screen with Arduino.

How to display data on an LCD screen with Arduino

To display data on an LCD screen with Arduino, the function is used.lcd.print()This function is used to print strings, numbers, or variables on the LCD screen.

Here is an example of how to display a string and a numeric value on a 16x2 character LCD screen:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h> // We include the LiquidCrystal library

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

void setup() {
  lcd.begin(16, 2);
}

void loop() {
  float temperature = 25.5; // Example of a numeric value to be displayed
  lcd.setCursor(0, 0); // We set the cursor to the first line of the screen
  lcd.print("Temperature:"); // We write the text "Temperature:" on the first line of the screen
  lcd.setCursor(0, 1); // We set the cursor to the second line of the screen
  lcd.print(temperature); // We write the value of the variable "temperature" on the second line of the screen
}

In this example, a variable is created temperatura and assigned a numeric value. Then, the cursor is set to the first line of the screen and the string "Temperature:" is printed. After that, the cursor is set to the second line of the screen and the value of the variable is printed temperatura.

In summary, to display data on an LCD screen with Arduino, the function lcd.print() is used and the cursor is set to the position where the data is to be printed.