LCD Driver

Our LCD Driver board supports any LCD up to 20x4. LCDs are available in a variety of colors and configurations, and can be used to display information for many different applications. Some of the more common uses include clocks, weather information, and other status display.

As with most Hobby Boards devices, connecting your LCD Driver is very simple. Firstly, attach the LCD itself to the connector on the back of your device. When seated correctly, the majority of the driver board will be hidden behind the LCD. Then, connect the LCD to your 1-Wire network via one of the RJ45 connectors, using a standard network cable. The second RJ45 connector acts as a pass-through, allowing you to daisy- chain other 1-Wire devices. PLEASE NOTE that the LCD Driver is one of the few Hobby Boards devices that does not offer the option of connecting using screw terminals – this device must be connected using RJ45s. For more information, please see our general discussion of Connecting Devices to the 1-Wire Network.

The LCD Driver requires 12-24 volts of external power. We recommend that this external power is provided using a local power supply such as our AC Adaptor. You can optionally use external power provided through the 1-Wire cable using our Power Injector, 6 Channel Hub, or 6 Channel Master Hub. PLEASE NOTE that if you use locally provided external power, you must remove the JP2 jumper from the LCD Driver board, to prevent the power from being added to the power line in the 1-Wire cable.

Using your LCD Driver is fairly straightforward. We offer some example code to help you get started writing the software to control the device. The resistor (R2) in the upper right hand side of the board is a variable resistor which controls the contrast of the LCD, so using a small screwdriver you can tweak the settings until the desired brightness appears. (Note that if your LCD does not appear to display information when you first set it up, a likely culprit is this contrast adjustment. Please try adjusting this resistor until you can see the display.) In addition, the LCD Driver board has a place to add up to three normally open switches (labeled SW1, SW2 and SW3 on the board). The function of these switches can then be programmed through your software.

Note that the regulator and heat sink will get very warm if the LCD is backlit. This is normal behavior, and is not of concern.