RGB backlight positive LCD 20x4 + extras [black on RGB]

This 20×4 character LCD features black text on a full-colour RGB backlight that you can set to any colour — red, green, blue, purple, teal, white, and everything in between. It's the most daylight-readable character LCD available and looks strikingly good at any colour or brightness level.

A drop-in upgrade for existing 20×4 LCD projects — the standard pinout works as-is (appearing black-on-red), with two additional pins (17 and 18) for green and blue LED control. On-board resistors allow direct 5 V logic drive at approximately 40 mA per LED (two LEDs at 20 mA each).

Key Features

• Full RGB Backlight – Mix any background colour by driving red, green, and blue LEDs independently
• 20×4 Character Display – 80 characters across 4 rows
• Excellent Daylight Readability – Black characters on bright, positive-mode background
• Drop-In Compatible – Standard HD44780 pinout works with existing LCD projects
• On-Board Resistors – Drive directly with 5 V logic, no external resistors needed

Specifications

• Display – 20×4 characters, black on RGB
• Backlight – RGB LED (pins 16, 17, 18)
• LED Current – ~40 mA per colour (2× 20 mA LEDs per colour)
• Logic Level – 5 V
• Interface – Parallel (HD44780 compatible)

Ideal For

• Arduino and CircuitPython display projects
• Upgrading existing character LCD setups with colour
• Status displays with colour-coded alerts
• Interactive projects with dynamic backlight effects

Package Contents

• 1× 20×4 RGB Backlight LCD
• 1× 10 kΩ contrast potentiometer
• 1× Header strip

Resources

• Character LCD Tutorial (Arduino & CircuitPython)