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Adafruit I2C Controlled + Keypad Shield Kit for 16x2 LCD

We have ✅ 3 available of the AF-715 in our Sydney warehouse. An extra 65 units available with a short lead time.

Express post delivery (2-5 business days)

The Adafruit I²C Controlled + Keypad Shield Kit lets you drive a 16×2 character LCD and read 5 navigation buttons using only two I²C pins on your Arduino. This frees up the 9+ digital pins that a standard LCD connection would require, while still allowing other I²C devices to share the bus.

The shield includes 4 directional buttons plus a select button, making it ideal for standalone projects with their own user interface. It supports standard blue/white LCDs as well as RGB backlight LCDs, with the ability to switch between 8 backlight colours (red, yellow, green, teal, blue, violet, white, and off).

Key Features

  • I²C Control – Drive the LCD and read buttons using only 2 pins, leaving other pins free
  • 5 Navigation Buttons – 4 directional plus select, queryable through the Arduino library
  • RGB Backlight Support – Control RGB backlight LEDs for 8 colour options
  • Shared I²C Bus – Connect additional I²C sensors, RTCs, and other devices alongside the shield
  • LiquidCrystal Compatible Library – Drop-in replacement for the built-in Arduino LCD library
  • USA-Made PCB – High-quality shield with all components included

Ideal For

  • Standalone Arduino projects with user interface controls
  • Menu-driven embedded systems
  • Sensor readout displays with navigation
  • Learning I²C communication and LCD interfacing

Package Contents

  • 1× I²C LCD Shield PCB
  • 5× Navigation buttons
  • Header pins and all required components
Important: The 16×2 character LCD is NOT included. You will need to purchase a compatible 16×2 LCD separately. This kit has only been tested with Adafruit's own LCDs.
Note: This is a kit that requires soldering — assembly takes approximately 30 minutes. Compatible with Arduino Uno, Duemilanove, Diecimila, and Mega R3. Earlier Mega boards require manual I²C wiring to pins 20 and 21. RGB backlight control is on/off per colour channel only (no PWM dimming).

Resources

The Adafruit I2C Controlled + Keypad Shield Kit for 16x2 LCD appears in the following collections:

SKU AF-715