This article includes everything you need to know about using an I2C LCD with Arduino. I have included a wiring diagram and many example codes.
The first part of this article covers the basics of displaying text and numbers. In the second halve I will go into more detail on how to display custom characters and how you can use the other functions in the LiquidCrystal_I2C library.
I2C LCD Basics
Tools and Materials
How to connect the I2C LCD to Arduino UNO
LiquidCrystal_I2C Arduino library
How to find the I2C address of my LCD?
Basic Arduino example code for I2C LCD
Other functions of the LiquidCrystal-I2C library
How to create and display custom characters?
Once you know how to display text and numbers on the LCD, I suggest you take a look at the articles below. In these tutorials you will learn how to measure and display sensor data on the LCD.
The HC-SR04 is an inexpensive, easy to use distance sensor, with a range of 2 to 400cm. It is commonly used in obstacle avoiding robots and automation projects. Did you know that your car uses similar sensors in the parking assist system?
The specifications of the 16×2, 20×4 and other sized LCDs are mostly similar. They all use the same Hitachi LCD controller, so you can easily swap them. You will only need to change the size specifications in your Arduino code.
For more information you can check out the datasheets below. The 16×2 and 20×4 datasheets include the dimensions of the LCD and in the HD44780 dataheet you can find more information about the Hitachi LCD driver. The PCF8574 chip is used in the I2C module on the back of the LCD.
You can find the tools and materials needed for this tutorial in the links below. Or click the markers in the image for more info and prices on Amazon.
The wiring diagram above shows you how to connect the I2C LCD to the Arduino. Wiring an I2C LCD is a lot easier than connecting a standard LCD. You only need to connect 4 pins instead of 12.
The connections are also given in the table below.
After you have wired up the LCD, you will need to adjust the contrast of the display. On the I2C module you will find a potentiometer that you can turn with a small screwdriver.
Plug in the USB connector of the Arduino to power the LCD. You should see the backlight light up. Now rotate the potentiometer until one (16×2 LCD) or 2 rows (20×4 LCD) of rectangles appear.
You can tweak the contrast later if needed.
Once that is done, we can start programming the LCD.
In this tutorial I will be using the LiquidCrystal_I2C library. This library has many built-in functions that make programming the LCD quite easy. The latest version of this library can be downloaded here on GitHub or click the button below.
This library works in combination with the Wire.h library which allows you to communicate with I2C devices. It should come pre-installed with the Arduino IDE.
You can install the library by going to Sketch > Include Library > Add .ZIP Library in the Arduino IDE.
The library does include some examples that you can use, but you will have to modify them to match your hardware setup. I have included many example codes below that you can use with the wiring setup I have shown earlier.
First I will show you some basic example code and then I will explain the functions in more detail.
Most I2C LCDs ship with the default address ‘0x27’, but it can be different depending on the batch/manufacturer. If this is the case, you will need to find the actual address of the LCD before you can start using it.
On the Arduino website, you can find a simple example sketch that scans the I2C-bus for devices. If a device is found, it will display the address in the serial monitor.
You can open the code in a new window by clicking on the button in the top right corner of the code field.
/*I2C_scanner
This sketch tests standard 7-bit addresses.
Devices with higher bit address might not be seen properly.*/
#include <Wire.h>
void setup()
{
Wire.begin();
Serial.begin(9600);
while (!Serial); // Leonardo: wait for serial monitor
Serial.println("\nI2C Scanner");
}
void loop()
{
byte error, address;
int nDevices;
Serial.println("Scanning...");
nDevices = 0;
for(address = 1; address < 127; address++ )
{
// The i2c_scanner uses the return value of
// the Write.endTransmisstion to see if
// a device did acknowledge to the address.
Wire.beginTransmission(address);
error = Wire.endTransmission();
if (error == 0)
{
Serial.print("I2C device found at address 0x");
if (address<16)
Serial.print("0");
Serial.print(address,HEX);
Serial.println(" !");
nDevices++;
}
else if (error==4)
{
Serial.print("Unknown error at address 0x");
if (address<16)
Serial.print("0");
Serial.println(address,HEX);
}
}
if (nDevices == 0)
Serial.println("No I2C devices found\n");
else
Serial.println("done\n");
delay(5000); // wait 5 seconds for next scan
}
If you upload this sketch to the Arduino and run it, you should see the following output in the serial monitor (Ctrl + Shift + M).
Write down the address you find, you will need it later when programming the LCD.
You can upload the following example code to the Arduino using the Arduino IDE.
This example sketch will display the classic ‘Hello World!’ on the first line of the LCD and ‘LCD tutorial’ on the second line. Next I will explain how the code works.
/*I2C LCD with Arduino example code. More info on: https://www.makerguides.com */
//Include the libraries. LiquidCrystal_I2C.h: https://github.com/johnrickman/LiquidCrystal_I2C
#include <Wire.h> //Library for I2C communication
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h> //Library for LCD
//Wiring: SDA pin is connected to A4 and SCL pin to A5.
//Connect to LCD via I2C, default address 0x27 (A0-A2 not jumpered)
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup()
{
//Initiate the LCD
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
}
void loop()
{
//Print 'Hello World!' on the first line of the LCD.
lcd.setCursor(0,0); //Set the cursor on the first column and first row.
lcd.print("Hello World!"); //Print the string "Hello World!"
lcd.setCursor(2,1); //Set the cursor on the third column and the second row (counting starts at 0!.
lcd.print("LCD tutorial");
}
You should see the following output on the LCD:
First the required libraries are included. As mentioned earlier we need both the wire.h* and the LiquidCrystal_I2C library. In the rest of this tutorial I will cover more of the built-in functions of this library.
*When using the latest version of the LiquidCrystal_I2C library it is no longer needed to include the wire.h library in your sketch. The other library imports wire.h automatically.
//Include the libraries. LiquidCrystal_I2C.h: https://github.com/johnrickman/LiquidCrystal_I2C #include <Wire.h> //Library for I2C communication #include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h> //Library for LCD
The next step is to create a LCD object and specify the address and dimensions. This is where you will need to change the default address to the address you found earlier if it happens to be different.
When using a 16×2 LCD change this line to LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,16,2);
//Connect to LCD via I2C, default address 0x27 (A0-A2 not jumpered) LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
In the setup() the LCD is initiated with lcd.init() and the backlight is turned on with lcd.backlight().
void setup()
{
//Initiate the LCD
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
}In the loop() the cursor is set to the first column and first row of the LCD with lcd.setCursor(0,0). Note that counting starts at 0, and the first argument specifies the column. So lcd.setCursor(2,1) sets the cursor on the third column and the second row.
Next the string ‘Hello World!’ is printed with lcd.print("Hello World!"). Note that you need to place quotation marks (” “) around the text. When you want to print numbers, no quotation marks are necessary. For example lcd.print(12345).
void loop()
{
//Print 'Hello World!' on the first line of the LCD.
lcd.setCursor(0,0); //Set the cursor on the first column and first row.
lcd.print("Hello World!"); //Print the string "Hello World!"
lcd.setCursor(2,1); //Set the cursor on the third column and the second row (counting starts at 0!.
lcd.print("LCD tutorial");
}The example sketch above shows you the basics of displaying text on the LCD. Now I would like to show you the other functions of the LiquidCrystal_I2C library.
Clears the LCD screen and positions the cursor in the upper-left corner (first row and first column) of the display. You can use this function to display different words in a loop.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup(){
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
}
void loop(){
lcd.clear();
lcd.print("Monday");
delay(2000);
lcd.clear();
lcd.print("13:45");
delay(2000);
}Positions the cursor in the top-left corner of the LCD. Use clear() if you also want to clear the display.
Displays the LCD cursor: an underscore (line) at the position of the next character to be printed.
Hides the LCD cursor. The following example creates a blinking cursor at the end of “Hello World!”.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup(){
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
lcd.print("Hello World!");
}
void loop(){
lcd.cursor();
delay(500);
lcd.noCursor();
delay(500);
}Creates a blinking block style LCD cursor: a blinking rectangle at the position of the next character to be printed.
Disables the block style LCD cursor. The following example displays the blinking cursor for 5 seconds and then disables it for 2 seconds.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup(){
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
lcd.print("Hello World!");
}
void loop(){
lcd.blink();
delay(5000);
lcd.noBlink();
delay(2000);
}This function turns on the LCD screen and displays any text or cursors that have been printed to the display.
This function turns off any text or cursors printed to the LCD. The text/data is not cleared from the LCD memory. This means it will be shown again when the function display() is called.
The following example creates a blinking text effect.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup(){
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
lcd.print("Hello World!");
}
void loop(){
lcd.display();
delay(2000);
lcd.noDisplay();
delay(2000);
}This function can be used to write a character to the LCD. See the section about creating and displaying custom characters below for more info.
Scrolls the contents of the display (text and cursor) one space to the left. You can use this function in the loop section of the code in combination with delay(500), to create a scrolling text animation.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup(){
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
lcd.print("Hello World!");
}
void loop(){
lcd.scrollDisplayLeft();
delay(500);
}Scrolls the contents of the display (text and cursor) one space to the right.
This function turns on automatic scrolling of the LCD. This causes each character output to the display to push previous characters over by one space. If the current text direction is left-to-right (the default), the display scrolls to the left; if the current direction is right-to-left, the display scrolls to the right. This has the effect of outputting each new character to the same location on the LCD.
The following example sketch enables automatic scrolling and prints the character 0 to 9 at the position (20,0) of the LCD. Change this to (16,0) for a 16×2 LCD.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
void setup(){
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
}
void loop(){
lcd.autoscroll();
lcd.setCursor(20,0);
for(int x = 0; x < 10; x++){
lcd.print(x);
delay(500);
}
lcd.clear();
}Turns off automatic scrolling of the LCD.
This function causes text to flow to the right from the cursor, as if the display is left-justified (default).
This function causes text to flow to the left from the cursor, as if the display is right-justified.
With the function createChar() it is possible to create and display custom characters on the LCD. This is especially useful if you want to display a character that is not part of the standard ASCII character set.
Technical info: LCDs that are based on the Hitachi HD44780 LCD controller have two types of memories: CGROM and CGRAM (Character Generator ROM and RAM). CGROM generates all the 5 x 8 dot character patterns from the standard 8-bit character codes. CGRAM can generate user defined character patterns.
For 5 x 8 dot displays, CGRAM can write up to 8 custom characters and for 5 x 10 dot displays 4. For more info see the datasheet.
The following example sketch creates and displays eight custom characters (numbered 0 – 7).
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
//Create lcd object and define size
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4); //Change to (0x27,16,2) for 16x2 LCD.
//Make custom characters:
byte Heart[] = {
B00000,
B01010,
B11111,
B11111,
B01110,
B00100,
B00000,
B00000
};
byte Bell[] = {
B00100,
B01110,
B01110,
B01110,
B11111,
B00000,
B00100,
B00000
};
byte Alien[] = {
B11111,
B10101,
B11111,
B11111,
B01110,
B01010,
B11011,
B00000
};
byte Check[] = {
B00000,
B00001,
B00011,
B10110,
B11100,
B01000,
B00000,
B00000
};
byte Speaker[] = {
B00001,
B00011,
B01111,
B01111,
B01111,
B00011,
B00001,
B00000
};
byte Sound[] = {
B00001,
B00011,
B00101,
B01001,
B01001,
B01011,
B11011,
B11000
};
byte Skull[] = {
B00000,
B01110,
B10101,
B11011,
B01110,
B01110,
B00000,
B00000
};
byte Lock[] = {
B01110,
B10001,
B10001,
B11111,
B11011,
B11011,
B11111,
B00000
};
void setup()
{
//Initialize LCD and turn on the backlight
lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
//Create new characters
lcd.createChar(0, Heart);
lcd.createChar(1, Bell);
lcd.createChar(2, Alien);
lcd.createChar(3, Check);
lcd.createChar(4, Speaker);
lcd.createChar(5, Sound);
lcd.createChar(6, Skull);
lcd.createChar(7, Lock);
// Clears the LCD screen
lcd.clear();
// Print a message to the lcd.
lcd.print("Custom Character");
}
// Print All the custom characters
void loop()
{
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.write(0);
lcd.setCursor(2, 1);
lcd.write(1);
lcd.setCursor(4, 1);
lcd.write(2);
lcd.setCursor(6, 1);
lcd.write(3);
lcd.setCursor(8, 1);
lcd.write(4);
lcd.setCursor(10, 1);
lcd.write(5);
lcd.setCursor(12, 1);
lcd.write(6);
lcd.setCursor(14, 1);
lcd.write(7);
}You should see the following output on the LCD.
After including the library and creating the LCD object, the custom character arrays are defined. Each array consists of 8 bytes, 1 byte for each row. In this example 8 custom characters are created.
byte Heart[] = {
B00000,
B01010,
B11111,
B11111,
B01110,
B00100,
B00000,
B00000
};When looking closely at the array, you will see the following. Each row consists of 5 numbers corresponding to the 5 pixels in a 5 x 8 dot character. A 0 means pixel off and a 1 means pixel on.
It is possible to edit each row by hand, but I recommend using this visual tool on GitHub. This application automatically creates the character array and you can click on the pixels to turn them on or off.
In the setup(), the custom characters are created with lcd.createChar(num, data).
The first argument in this function is the number of the custom character (0-7) and the second argument is the character array that we created.
//Create new characters lcd.createChar(0, Heart); lcd.createChar(1, Bell); lcd.createChar(2, Alien); lcd.createChar(3, Check); lcd.createChar(4, Speaker); lcd.createChar(5, Sound); lcd.createChar(6, Skull); lcd.createChar(7, Lock);
In the loop() all the characters are displayed with lcd.write(). As a parameter we use the number of the character we reserved.
lcd.setCursor(0, 1); lcd.write(0);
In this article I have shown you how to use an I2C LCD with Arduino. I hope you found it useful and informative. If you did, please share it with a friend that also likes electronics!
I would love to know what projects you plan on building (or have already built) with an I2C LCD. Please leave a comment down below and share your ideas.
Beginner
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