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Lesson 26: I2C LCD 1602

In this lesson, you will learn to connect an I2C LCD 1602 display to a Raspberry Pi Pico W. You’ll understand how to set up I2C communication, display and clear messages on the LCD using MicroPython.

Required Components

In this project, we need the following components.

It’s definitely convenient to buy a whole kit, here’s the link:

Name	ITEMS IN THIS KIT	LINK
Universal Maker Sensor Kit	94	Universal Maker Sensor Kit

You can also buy them separately from the links below.

Component Introduction	Purchase Link
Raspberry Pi Pico W	BUY
I2C LCD 1602	BUY
Breadboard	BUY

Wiring

Note

To ensure the LCD module operates normally, please power it using the VBUS pin on the Pico.

../_images/Lesson_26_LCD1602_Module_pico_bb.png

Code

Note

Open the 26_lcd1602_module.py file under the path of universal-maker-sensor-kit-main/pico/Lesson_26_I2C_LCD1602_Module or copy this code into Thonny, then click “Run Current Script” or simply press F5 to run it. For detailed tutorials, please refer to Open and Run Code Directly.
Here you need to use the lcd1602.py, please check if it has been uploaded to Pico W, for a detailed tutorial refer to Upload the Libraries to Pico.
Don’t forget to click on the “MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)” interpreter in the bottom right corner.

from machine import I2C, Pin
from lcd1602 import LCD
import time

# Initialize I2C communication;
# Set SDA to pin 20, SCL to pin 21, and frequency to 400kHz
i2c = I2C(0, sda=Pin(20), scl=Pin(21), freq=400000)

# Create an LCD object for interfacing with the LCD1602 display
lcd = LCD(i2c)

# Display the first message on the LCD
# Use '\n' to create a new line.
string = "SunFounder\n    LCD Tutorial"
lcd.message(string)
# Wait for 2 seconds
time.sleep(2)
# Clear the display
lcd.clear()

# Display the second message on the LCD
string = "Hello\n  World!"
lcd.message(string)
# Wait for 5 seconds
time.sleep(5)
# Clear the display before exiting
lcd.clear()

Code Analysis

Setting up I2C Communication

The machine module is used to set up I2C communication. SDA (Serial Data) and SCL (Serial Clock) pins are defined (pin 20 and 21 respectively), along with the I2C frequency (400kHz).
```
from machine import I2C, Pin
i2c = I2C(0, sda=Pin(20), scl=Pin(21), freq=400000)
```
Initializing the LCD Display

The LCD class from the lcd1602 module is instantiated. This class handles the communication with the LCD display through I2C. An LCD object is created using the i2c object.

For more usage of the lcd1602 library, please refer to lcd1602.py.
```
from lcd1602 import LCD
lcd = LCD(i2c)
```
Displaying Messages on the LCD

The message method of the LCD object is used to display text on the screen. The \n character creates a new line on the LCD. The time.sleep() function pauses execution for a specified number of seconds.
```
string = "SunFounder\n    LCD Tutorial"
lcd.message(string)
time.sleep(2)
lcd.clear()
```
Clearing the Display

The clear method of the LCD object is called to clear the text from the display.
```
lcd.clear()
```
Displaying a Second Message

A new message is displayed, followed by a delay and then clearing the screen again.
```
string = "Hello\n  World!"
lcd.message(string)
time.sleep(5)
lcd.clear()
```