ARM HOW-TO GUIDE

Interfacing LCD with

LPC2148 ARM
Contents at a Glance
ARM7 LPC2148 Primer Board ...........................................3
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) ..............................................3
Interfacing LCD ................................................................4
Interfacing 4 bit LCD with LPC2148 ...................................5
Pin Assignment with LPC2148 ..........................................5
Circuit Diagram to Interface 4 bit LCD with LPC2148 .........6
Source Code ....................................................................6
C Program to display a text in 4 bit LCD using LPC2148 .....7
Testing the LCD Module with LPC2148 ........................... 10
General Information ...................................................... 11

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
ARM7 LPC2148 Primer Board

The ARM7 LPC2148 Primer board is specifically

designed to help students to master the required skills in
the area of embedded systems. The kit is designed in such
way that all the possible features of the microcontroller will
be easily used by the students. The kit supports in system
programming (ISP) which is done through serial port.

NXP’s ARM7 (LPC2148), ARM Primer Kit is proposed to

smooth the progress of developing and debugging of
various designs encompassing of High speed 32-bit
Microcontrollers.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

Liquid Crystal Display also called as LCD is very helpful

in providing user interface as well as for debugging purpose.
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a flat panel display that uses
the light modulating properties of liquid crystals (LCs). LCD
Modules can present textual information to user.

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
Interfacing LCD

Fig. 1 shows how to interface the LCD to

microcontroller. The 2x16 character LCD interface card with
supports both modes 4-bit and 8-bit interface, and also
facility to adjust contrast through trim pot. In 4-bit interface
7 lines needed to create 4-bit interface; 4 data bits (D0 –
D3), three control lines, address bit (RS), read/write bit
(R/W) and control signal (E).

Fig. 1 Interfacing 4 bit LCD to Microcontroller

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
Interfacing 4 bit LCD with LPC2148

We now want to display a text in LPC2148 Primer Board

by using 4 bit LCD module.

The ARM7 LPC2148 Primer board has seven numbers of

LCD connections are needed to create 4-bit interface;
connected with 4 data bits (P0.19 – P0.22, D4-D7), address
bit (RS-P0.16), read/write bit (R/W-P0.17) and control signal
(E-P0.18) to make LCD display.

Pin Assignment with LPC2148

LCD MODULE LPC2148 LINES 2x16 LCD Selection

RS P0.16
CONTROL

RW P0.17
LED+
R/W

LED-
GND

VCC

VEE

D4
D6

D5
D7
RS

E P0.18
D0-D3 NC
DATA LINES

D4 P0.19
D5 P0.20
D6 P0.21
D7 P0.22
+5V
SW28
OFF 1 8 ON
Make switch SW28 to ‘LCD’ 2 7
7SEG
LCD
3 6 SM/RL
label marking position 4 5 GLCD
PWR ON/OFF

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
Circuit Diagram to Interface 4 bit LCD with LPC2148

3.3V R30 10K

+5V 1 3

2
63
51
43
23 JP12
7
U16
1
VDD1
VDD2
VDD3
VDDA
VREF

2 1
6 3 2 17
18 VSS1 46 RS 4 3 17
25 VSS2 P0.16 47 RW 5 4
42 VSS3 P0.17 53 EN 6 5 18
50 VSS4 P0.18 7 6 18
59 VSS5 8 7
VSSA 9 8 19
LPC2148 10 9 19
54 D4 11 10
P0.19 55 D5 12 1120
P0.20 1 D6 13 12 20
P0.21 2 D7 14 13
P0.22 15 14
16 15
16
XTAL2

XTAL1

2X16 LCD
61

62

12MHz

C52 X21 C53

22pf 22pf

Source Code

The Interfacing 4 bit LCD with LPC2148 program is very

simple and straight forward, which display a text in 2 X 16
LCD module using 4 data lines only. Some delay is occurring
when a single command / data is executed.

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
 C Program to display a text in 4 bit LCD using LPC2148
***************************************************************************************
Title : Program to 4 bit LCD display
***************************************************************************************

#include <lpc214x.h>
#include <stdio.h>

#define RS 0x10000
#define RW 0x20000
#define EN 0x40000

void lcd_cmd (unsigned char);

void lcd_data (unsigned char);
void lcd_initialize (void);
void lcd_display (void);
void LCD4_Convert(unsigned char);

const unsigned char cmd[4] = {0x28,0x0c,0x06,0x01};

unsigned char msg[] = {">PS-Primer 2148<"};
unsigned char msg1[]= {":: LCD Demo! ::"};

void main()
{
PINSEL1 = 0;
IODIR0 = 0xFF << 16;
lcd_initialize();
lcd_display();
while(1);
}

void delay(unsigned int n)

{
unsigned int i,j;

for(i=0;i<n;i++)
for(j=0;j<12000;j++);
}

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
void lcd_cmd(unsigned char data)
{
IOCLR0 |= RS; //0x1000; //RS
IOCLR0 |= RW; //0x2000; //RW
LCD4_Convert(data);
}

void lcd_initialize(void)
{
int i;
for(i=0;i<4;i++)
{
IOCLR0 = 0xF << 19; //IOCLR 0/1
lcd_cmd(cmd[i]);
delay(15);
}
}

void lcd_data (unsigned char data)

{

IOSET0 |= RS; //0x1000; //RS

IOCLR0 |= RW; //0x2000; //RW
LCD4_Convert(data);
}

void lcd_display (void)

{
char i;

/* first line message */

lcd_cmd(0x80);
delay(15);
i=0;
while(msg[i]!='\0')
{
delay(5);
lcd_data(msg[i]);
i++;
}

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
 delay(15);

/* second line message */

lcd_cmd(0xc0);
delay(15);
i=0;

while(msg1[i]!='\0')
{

delay(5);
lcd_data(msg1[i]);
i++;

}
delay(15);
}

void LCD4_Convert(unsigned char c)

{

if(c & 0x80) IOSET0 = 1 << 22; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 22;
if(c & 0x40) IOSET0 = 1 << 21; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 21;
if(c & 0x20) IOSET0 = 1 << 20; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 20;
if(c & 0x10) IOSET0 = 1 << 19; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 19;

IOSET0 = EN;
delay(8);
IOCLR0 = EN;

if(c & 0x08) IOSET0 = 1 << 22; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 22;
if(c & 0x04) IOSET0 = 1 << 21; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 21;
if(c & 0x02) IOSET0 = 1 << 20; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 20;
if(c & 0x01) IOSET0 = 1 << 19; else IOCLR0 = 1 << 19;

IOSET0 = EN;
delay(8);
IOCLR0 = EN;
}

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
 To compile the above C code you need the KEIL
software. They must be properly set up and a project with
correct settings must be created in order to compile the
code. To compile the above code, the C file must be added
to the project.

In Keil, you want to develop or debug the project

without any hardware setup. You must compile the code for
generating HEX file. In debugging Mode, you want to check
the port output without microcontroller Board.

The Flash Magic software is used to download the hex

file into your microcontroller through UART0.

Testing the LCD Module with LPC2148

Give +3.3V power supply to LPC2148 Primer Board; the

LCD is connected with microcontroller LPC2148 Primer
Board. When the program is downloading into LPC2148 in
Primer Board, the screen should show the text messages.

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
 If you not reading any text from LCD, then you just
check the jumper connections & adjust the trim pot level.
Otherwise you just check it with debugging mode in Keil. If
you want to see more details about debugging just see the
videos in below link.

 How to Create & Debug a Project in Keil.

General Information

For proper working use the components of exact values

as shown in Circuit file. Wherever possible use new
components.
Solder everything in a clean way. A major problem
arises due to improper soldering, solder jumps and
loose joints.
Use the exact value crystal shown in schematic.
More instructions are available in following articles,

 User Manual of LPC2148 Primer Board.

 Tutorial of how to create & Debug a project in Keil.

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
Did you enjoy the read?
Pantech solutions creates information packed technical
documents like this one every month. And our website is a rich
and trusted resource used by a vibrant online community of
more than 1,00,000 members from organization of all shapes
and sizes.

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net
What do we sell?
Our products range from Various Microcontroller
development boards, DSP Boards, FPGA/CPLD boards,
Communication Kits, Power electronics, Basic electronics,
Robotics, Sensors, Electronic components and much more . Our
goal is to make finding the parts and information you need
easier and affordable so you can create awesome projects and
training from Basic to Cutting edge technology.

Join the Technical Community Today!

http://www.pantechsolutions.net