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Serial Vs Parallel

The document explains the differences between serial and parallel interfaces for LCDs, detailing their data transmission methods and connection requirements. Serial interfaces transmit data one bit at a time, requiring fewer pins and being cheaper, while parallel interfaces transmit multiple bits simultaneously, offering faster performance but at a higher cost. Each interface type has its own advantages and is suited for different project needs.

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shahin siddiquei
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41 views3 pages

Serial Vs Parallel

The document explains the differences between serial and parallel interfaces for LCDs, detailing their data transmission methods and connection requirements. Serial interfaces transmit data one bit at a time, requiring fewer pins and being cheaper, while parallel interfaces transmit multiple bits simultaneously, offering faster performance but at a higher cost. Each interface type has its own advantages and is suited for different project needs.

Uploaded by

shahin siddiquei
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ph. 480-503-4295 | NOPP@FocusLCD.

com

TFT | CHARACTER | UWVD | FSC | SEGMENT | CUSTOM | REPLACEMENT

LCD Resources:
Serial vs. Parallel

1 www.FocusLCDs.com
Understanding Parallel and Serial Interfaces
There are two types of interface modes for LCD’s, serial and parallel. Some LCD’s offer both interface
modes while some are exclusively one type. Each interface type has their own advantages and
disadvantages. You may be wondering which is the best interface for your project or what each of them
consist of before deciding on your next LCD. This is a brief guide summarizing the main points of each
interface mode.

The main difference between the serial and parallel interfaces is how they transmit data. In serial
interface the data is sent or received one bit at a time over a series of clock pulses. In parallel mode the
interface sends and receives 4 bits, 8 bits, or 16 bits of data at a time over multiple transmission lines.
These two interface modes will be explained in further detail below.

Serial Interface
The serial interface is a bi-directional data bus that transmits a series of 8-bits in parity, each with a set
clock pulse width, and one at a time. For this reason, serial interface transmission can often be slower
(but cheaper) than parallel transmission. Serial interface LCD’s controllers require fewer connection pins
than the parallel interface. This makes connecting to an external processor (such as a microcontroller)
easier.
Serial interfaces consist of 3 types each with their own pins:
1.) I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit): Serial Data In and Serial Clock
2.) 3/4-wire SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface): Consists of Serial Data Out, Serial Data In, Serial
Clock and an additional Chip Select pin for the 4-wire SPI
3.) Serial synchronous control and data lines: Serial Data In, Register Select, Reset, and Serial
Clock

2 www.FocusLCDs.com
Below is a Serial Interface connection example:
No. Symbol Description Notes
1 SCL Serial Clock Output from master
2 CS Chip Select, Low is active Control Line
3 SDI/SDA Serial Data In
Data lines
4 SDO Serial Data Out
5 A0 Register Select. 0: instruction, 1: data register
6 RES External Reset, Low is active

Serial Interface Pros:

• Less Data Pins


• Cheaper
• Easy Setup

Parallel Interface
The parallel interface transmits 8-bits, or one byte, of data over multiple data bus lines over one clock
pulse. This makes parallel transmission faster than serial but is typically more expensive and requires
more data pins to be connected. The parallel interface consists of 8 data pins and 3 control pins. The
control pins are typically labeled: Register Select (RS), Enable (E), and Read/Write (R/W). Additional
common parallel interface pins may include: Contrast adjust (V0), Chip Select (CS) and
Parallel interface consists of 2 standard types:
1.) 8080 type: parallel 4-bit/8-bit data input with a write and a read line
2.) 6800 type: parallel 4/8-bit data input with write, read and enable lines

Below is a parallel interface connection example:


No. Symbol Description Notes
1 VSS Power supply ground (pin to GND)
2 VDD Power supply (+3V) Typically (3-5V)
3 VO Contrast adjust
4 RS Register select signal. 0: instruction; 1: data
5 R/W Read/Write data. 0: write; 1: read
6 E Enable signal
7 D0 Data bus
8 D1 Data bus
9 D2 Data bus
10 D3 Data bus 8-bit parallel
11 D4 Data bus data lines
12 D5 Data bus
13 D6 Data bus
14 D7 Data but

Parallel Interface Pros:

• Faster Data Transmission


• High Performance

3 www.FocusLCDs.com

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