Mechatronics & Robotics

Interfacing 7 Segment Display and LCD

Seven Segment Display

The seven segment display is the most common display
device used in many gadgets, and electronic appliances
like digital meters, digital clocks, microwave oven and
electric stove, etc.

These displays consist of seven segments of LEDs
assembled into a structure like numeral 8.

Actually seven segment displays contain about 8-segments
wherein an extra 8th segment is used to display dot.

This segment is useful while displaying non integer
number.
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Seven segments are indicated as A-G.

These segments come in two configurations, they are
common cathode and common anode.
Common Cathode Configuration

In this type of display, all the cathode connections of the
LED segments are connected together to logic 0 or
ground.

The separate segments are lightened by applying the logic
1 or HIGH signal through a current limiting resistor to
forward bias the individual anode terminals ‘a’ to ‘g’.
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Common Anode Configuration

In this type of display, all the anode connections of the LED
segments are connected together to logic 1.

The separate segments are lightened by applying of the logic 0
or LOW signal through a current limiting resistor to the
cathode of the particular segment a to g.

Common anode seven segment displays are very popular as
many logic circuits can sink more current than they can source.

These displays are not a direct replacement in a circuit for a
common anode display, as it is the same as connecting the
LEDs in reverse, and hence the light emission will not take
place.

Depending upon the decimal number displayed, the particular
set of LEDs is forward biased.
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Working of Seven Segment Display

When the power is given to all the segments, then the
number 8 will be displayed.

If we disconnect the power for segment G (that means 7)
then that will result number 0.

The circuit of the seven segment display is designed in
such a way that the voltage at different pins can be
applied at the same time.

In the same way, we can form the combinations to display
numerals from 0 to 9.
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The numeric seven segment displays can also display
other characters.

But generally A-G and L, T, O, S and others are also
available. Some problems may occur with the H, X, 2, and
Z.

Generally, the common seven segment display is numeric
only. Alphanumeric displays are also available but cost is
little more.
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Interfacing Seven Segment Display with
Arduino
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Truth Table
Embedded C Code
void setup() void loop()
{ {
// define pin modes // loop to turn ledsodseven segON
pinMode(2,OUTPUT); for(inti=2;i<9;i++) {
pinMode(3,OUTPUT); digitalWrite(i,HIGH);
pinMode(4,OUTPUT); delay(600);
pinMode(5,OUTPUT); }
pinMode(6,OUTPUT); // loop to turn ledsof seven segOFF
pinMode(7,OUTPUT); for(inti=2;i<9;i++)
pinMode(8,OUTPUT); {
} digitalWrite(i,LOW);
delay(600);
}
delay(1000); }
Liquid Crystal Display -LCD

Liquid Crystal Display or LCD is combination of two
states of matter, the solid and the liquid.

LCD uses a liquid crystal to produce a visible image.

Liquid crystal displays are super-thin technology display
screen that are generally used in laptop computer screen,
TVs, cell phones and portable video games.

LCD’s technologies allow displays to be much thinner
when compared to cathode ray tube (CRT) technology.

Liquid crystal display is composed of several layers which
include two polarized panel filters and electrodes.
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Light is projected from a lens on a layer of liquid crystal.

This combination of colored light with the grayscale
image of the crystal (formed as electric current flows
through the crystal) forms the colored image.

This image is then displayed on the screen.

LCD is either made up of an active matrix display grid or
a passive display grid.

Most of the Smartphone’s with LCD display technology
uses active matrix display, but some of the older displays
still make use of the passive display grid designs.
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Liquid crystal display screen works on the principle of
blocking light rather than emitting light.

LCD’s requires backlight as they do not emits light by
them.

We always use devices which are made up of LCD’s
displays which are replacing the use of cathode ray tube.

Cathode ray tube draws more power compared to LCD’s
and are also heavier and bigger.
Construction of LCD
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Facts that should be considered while making an LCD:

The basic structure of LCD should be controlled by
changing the applied current.

Polarized light must be used.

Liquid crystal should able be to control both of the
operation to transmit or should also able to change the
polarized light.
Working of LCD

The principle behind the LCDs is that when an electrical
current is applied to the liquid crystal molecule, the molecule
tends to untwist.

This causes the angle of light which is passing through the
molecule of the polarized glass and also cause a change in the
angle of the top polarizing filter.

As a result a little light is allowed to pass the polarized glass
through a particular area of the LCD.

Thus that particular area will become dark compared to other.

The LCD works on the principle of blocking light.

While constructing the LCD’s, a reflected mirror is arranged at
the back.
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An electrode plane is made of indium-tin oxide which is kept
on top and a polarized glass with a polarizing film is also added
on the bottom of the device.

The complete region of the LCD has to be enclosed by a
common electrode and above it should be the liquid crystal
matter.

Next comes to the second piece of glass with an electrode in
the form of the rectangle on the bottom and, on top, another
polarizing film.

It must be considered that both the pieces are kept at right
angles.

When there is no current, the light passes through the front of
the LCD it will be reflected by the mirror and bounced back.
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As the electrode is connected to a battery the current
from it will cause the liquid crystals between the
common-plane electrode and the electrode shaped like a
rectangle to untwist.

Thus the light is blocked from passing through. That
particular rectangular area appears blank.
Advantages of LCD

LCD’s consumes less amount of power compared to CRT
and LED.

LCD’s consist of some microwatts for display in
comparison to some mill watts for LED’s.

LCDs are of low cost.

Provides excellent contrast.

LCD’s are thinner and lighter when compared to cathode
ray tube and LED.
Disadvantages of LCD

Require additional light sources

Range of temperature is limited for operation

Low reliability

Speed is very low

LCD’s need an AC drive
Applications of LCD

Liquid crystal thermometer

Optical imaging

The liquid crystal display technique is also applicable in
visualization of the radio frequency waves in the
waveguide

Used in the medical applications

LCD monitors, Cameras, smartphonesand many more…
16*2 LCD interfacing with Arduino
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The LCDs have a parallel interface, meaning that the
microcontroller has to manipulate several interface pins
at once to control the display. The interface consists of
the following pins:
1. A register select (RS) pin that controls where in the
LCD's memory you're writing data to. You can select
either the data register, which holds what goes on the
screen, or an instruction register, which is where the
LCD's controller looks for instructions on what to do
next.
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2. A Read/Write (R/W) pin that selects reading mode
or writing mode
3. An Enable pin that enables writing to the registers
4. The Data pins (D0 -D7) - The states of these pins
(high or low) are the bits that you're writing to a
register when you write, or the values you're reading
when you read.

There's also a display contrast pin (Vo), power
supply pins (+5V and Gnd)and LED Backlight
(Bklt+ and BKlt-)pins that you can use to power the
LCD, control the display contrast, and turn on and off the
LED backlight, respectively.
Circuit connections
To wire your LCD screen to your board, connect the following
pins:

LCD RS pin to digital pin 12

LCD Enable pin to digital pin 11

LCD D4 pin to digital pin 5

LCD D5 pin to digital pin 4

LCD D6 pin to digital pin 3

LCD D7 pin to digital pin 2
Additionally, wire a 10k pot to +5V and GND, with it's wiper
(output) to LCD screens VO pin (pin3). A 220 ohm resistor is
used to power the backlight of the display, usually on pin 15 and
16 of the LCD connector.
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LCD R/W pin to ground

LCD VSS pin to ground

LCD VCC pin to 5V

10K resistor:

ends to +5V and ground

wiper to LCD VO pin (pin 3)
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LiquidCrystal Library -Hello World Demonstrates the use
a 16x2 LCD display. The LiquidCrystal library works with
all LCD displays that are compatible with the Hitachi
HD44780 driver.

This sketch prints "Hello World!" to the LCD and shows
the time.
Code for Interfacing
// include the library code:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystallcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
void setup() {
// set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
lcd.begin(16, 2);
// Print a message to the LCD.
lcd.print("hello, world!");
}
void loop() {
// set the cursor to column 0, line 1
// (note: line 1 is the second row, since counting begins with 0):
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
// print the number of seconds since reset:
lcd.print(millis() / 1000);
}