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The Microcontroller Idea Book - Jan Axelson's Lakeview Research

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Displays<br />

Figure 8-8. With a character-based dot-matrix LCD module, you can display<br />

messages as well as numbers.<br />

controller chip. Applying power, reading, and writing to the module require just 14<br />

connections, or fewer, depending on your configuration. <strong>The</strong> HD44780 can control displays<br />

of up to 80 characters.<br />

Learning to program the HD44780 does take some time and experimenting, but the result<br />

is a useful and flexible display. Once you’ve had some practice, future projects using the<br />

displays are simpler, and you can reuse or adapt portions of your programs in other projects.<br />

Many LCD modules use the HD44780 or a compatible controller (the OKI M6222 is an<br />

example). If a module uses the same 14-line interface discussed below, chances are it’s<br />

compatible with the HD44780.<br />

About the Modules<br />

<strong>The</strong> character-based LCD modules are available from many companies, including Philips,<br />

Optrex, and Densitron. <strong>The</strong> surplus market often has good deals. Complete technical<br />

information on the controller and displays is available from Hitachi and the display<br />

manufacturers, and from some distributors and catalogs.<br />

<strong>The</strong> display of one of these modules contains one or more rows of character positions. Each<br />

character position consists of a matrix that is typically five segments, or dots, wide and eight<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Microcontroller</strong> <strong>Idea</strong> <strong>Book</strong> 139

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