1602A LCD Display Arduino Connection (Blue Light White Text 16×2)

This is slightly difficult guide for the beginners as it involves soldering and wiring is complex. Here is detailed steps on how to for 1602A LCD display Arduino connection. In this guide we will also talk about the soldering part. The units do not cost more than 3 USD per unit but there is no in-built pins – usually male header pins supplied. We talked about different types of wires in electronics. We can use solid core wires instead of male header pins and solder. Arduino has the needed Library included :

We will not use all the pins – four in between will usually not be used. What we did is easy – we passed the solid core wires and twisted to keep them secured in place. First ran test with that (we used plastic clips used in household to pinch the wires to be in position). Later we soldered them. It looks slightly ugly at the connection points as soldering is mainly at opposite side :

But you can easily desolder it later, decrease fumbling with wire etc.

1602A LCD Display Arduino Connection (Blue Light White Text 16×2)

I guess you need the circuit diagram :

All you need are :

1. Breadboards
2. Arduino
3. Jumper wires
4. A 10K Potentiometer or resistors of various values from 1K to 10K

We will adjust the contrast with potentiometer – so that is an important thing.

Pin 1 on LCD (VSS) will connect to GND of Arduino
Pin 16 on LCD (K) will connect to GND of Arduino
Pin 2 on LCD (VDD) will connect to +5v of Arduino
Pin 15 on LCD (A) will connect to +5v of Arduino

With the above connection if you connect Arduino with computer, the LCD will light up. Next, disconnect from computer and add the potentiometer :

First pin of the potentiometer will go to GND of Arduino
Pin 3 of the LCD display (VO) will connect to the middle pin of the potentiometer

With the above connection, again connect your Arduino with computer, the LCD will light up. Adjust the potentiometer and you’ll be able to see from blank to white all units like [] [] [] []. That [] [] [] [] is full contrast and blank is minimum contrast.

Pin 4 of the LCD display (RS) will connect to Pin 7 of Arduino
Pin 5 of the LCD display (RW) will connect to GND of Arduino
Pin 6 of the LCD display (E) will connect to Pin 8 of Arduino
Pin 11 of the LCD display (D4) will connect to Pin 9 of Arduino
Pin 12 of the LCD display (D5) will connect to Pin 10 of Arduino
Pin 13 of the LCD display (D6) will connect to Pin 11 of Arduino
Pin 14 of the LCD display (D7) will connect to Pin 12 of Arduino

If you use 1, 2, 3, 4 numbers of breadboard, you’ll not get confused. With the above connection again connect Arduino with computer. Open Arduino IDE. You can test with this simple sketch :

In Arduino IDE, under Examples, you’ll get menu of LiquidCrystal. There are lot of examples. Only remember to change those example’s this kind of line :

to :

We connected to pin 7,8,9,10,11,12 of Arduino in our guide keeping the others accessible for other projects which use those pins! So we have 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and Analog pins available.