I wasn't aware that the SparkFun module provided more than just serial to parallel conversion.

The SainSmart backpack is a simple (and cheap) device. I just looked, their 2 x 16 LCD with i2c backpack is under $10 US. There are other similar backpacks out there that you can wire up yourself to an LCD display which are now really cheap. The disadvantage is that the information on using them is poor.

While trying to get mine working I read numerous posts from people who could not get theirs to work. In the end I went back to basics, and worked out how the backpacks work and how the LCD 4-bit mode works, and then avoided the high level libraries. Simple i2c communication using the HiPi::BCM2835::I2C was all that was needed. The module is described as: The HiPi::BCM2835::I2C module provides direct access to the Broadcom I2C Serial peripheral.

After that it came down to understanding the commands and the way the parallel side of the i2c backpack was connected to the LCD.

I will write up some more detailed notes on the 8-bit/4-bit issue and initialization and post it later

I have a Perl script that collects data from an spi bus-attached ADC that monitors some voltages. I should tidy up the script and post that as well

In reply to Re^2: i2c attached LCD Character Display for a Raspberry Pi by anita2R
in thread i2c attached LCD Character Display for a Raspberry Pi by anita2R

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