ALPHA-NUMERIC LCD DISPLAY

A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a flat panel display, electronic visual

display, based on on Liquid Crystal Technology.

A liquid crystal display consists of an array of tiny segments (called pixels) that
can be manipulated to present an information. Liquid crystals do not emit light
directly instead they use light modulating techniques.

LCDs are used in a wide range of applications, including computer monitors,

television, instrument panels, aircraft cockpit displays, signage, etc. They are
common in consumer devices such as video players, gaming devices, clocks,
watches, calculators, and telephones.

LCDs are preferred to cathode ray tube (CRT) displays in most applications
because

1. The size of LCDs come in wider varieties .

2. They do not use Phosphor, hence images are not burnt-in.

3. Safer disposal

4. Energy Efficient

5. Low Power Consumption

It is an electronically modulated optical device made up of any number of

segments filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source
(backlight) or reflector to produce images in color or monochrome.
 Reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal
display.

1. Polarizing filter film with a vertical axis to polarize light as it enters.

2. Glass substrate with ITO electrodes. The shapes of these electrodes will
determine the shapes that will appear when the LCD is turned ON.
Vertical ridges etched on the surface are smooth.

3. Twisted nematic liquid crystal.

4. Glass substrate with common electrode film (ITO) with horizontal ridges
to line up with the horizontal filter.

5. Polarizing filter film with a horizontal axis to block/pass light.

6. Reflective surface to send light back to viewer. (In a backlit LCD, this
layer is replaced with a light source.)
JHD162A is one such LCD which is used here.

It has a Panel with 2 rows and 16 column and with blocks as shown below with
5x7 pixel-selection pattern.

Operating Voltage
Pin Details
Timing Diagram

Write Mode
Read Mode

Pixel selection pattern

Interfacing JHD162A with Microcontroller

Alpha Numeric displays form an integral part of the Embedded Systems.

The Data displayed here is controlled by the Microcontroller.
The Control pins like Read Strobe, Read/Write and Enable are controlled
through the Microcontroller Ports as per the waveforms above.
The 8 data is also provided through a Microcontroller Port.
General Circuit and settings of jhd162a
 10K VR 1
3 1 +5V

U 1

2
VSS
VD D
V0
ALC D _R S R S
A L C D _ R /W R /W
ALC D _E E
D B0 D B0
D B1 D B1
D B2 D B2
D B3 D B3
D B4 D B4
D B5 D B5
D B6 D B6
D B7 D B7
LED A
LED K
16x2 ALPH A LC D

ALPHA NUMERIC LCD

Make sure that 5V and GND lines are properly connected otherwise you may
end up in damaging parallel port.

If you want backlight than connect pin 15 of LCD to 5V and pin 16 of LCD
to GND. By adjusting 10k resistor make pin 3 of LCD at 0V. If connections are
proper you will see this after power on.

Flow Chart Connect VDD, VSS, LEDA, LEDK Pins for

Power and Contrast Adjustments

RS , EN, R/W And data Pins Assigned to

Ports

EN=1, RS=1 , R/W=0 for data write

 Data in DB0-7 is sent through Port Pins

Data is Displayed on the Panel

LCD initialization
void ALCD_Init( void )

ALCD_Comm( 0x38 ); Command transmitted

serially to LCD through data lines, This
command will select 2lines,5x7matrix

ALCD_Comm( 0x0E ); This command will make

the display on, cursor blinking

ALCD_Comm( 0x01 ); This command will clear

the LCD display

ALCD_Comm( 0x06 ); This command will shift

the cursor to right
ALCD_Comm( addr ); Address location of LCD is
LCD message
transmitted function
to LCD through data lines

void ALCD_Message( unsigned char addr, unsigned char *data_ptr )

while( *data_ptr != '\0' ) Data_ptr points to the

starting character of the message, until it is
equal to null character loop will be repeated

ALCD_Data( *data_ptr ); Data to be displayed is

transmitted to the LCD through the data lines

data_ptr++; Data pointer will be incremented

after each character is displayed
 LCD command function
void ALCD_Comm( char comm_data )

P1 = comm_data; comm_data present on port

P1 is transmitted to the LCD through datalines

ALCD_RS = 0; Command register will be selected

ALCD_Enable = 1; ALCD_Enable = 0; in order to

access the data present on data lines enable pin
should have high to low pulse