Adafruit
Adafruit BlueWhite 16x2 LCD+Keypad Kit for Raspberry Pi
The Adafruit Blue & White 16×2 LCD + Keypad Kit is a Raspberry Pi add-on plate that provides a 16×2 character LCD display, 5 navigation buttons, and backligh...
The Adafruit Blue & White 16×2 LCD + Keypad Kit is a Raspberry Pi add-on plate that provides a 16×2 character LCD display, 5 navigation buttons, and backlight control — all using just the two I2C pins on the Pi. The I2C bus remains shareable with other sensors and devices.
The 4 directional buttons plus select button provide a built-in user interface for standalone Pi projects without needing a keyboard or monitor. This kit requires soldering but is beginner-friendly and can be completed in about 30 minutes.
Key Features
- 16×2 Blue & White Character LCD – Included in the kit, clearly readable monochrome display
- I2C Interface – Controls LCD, backlight, and 5 buttons using only SDA/SCL pins
- 5 Navigation Buttons – Up, down, left, right, and select with automatic debouncing in the library
- Shared I2C Bus – Other I2C sensors and devices can share the same bus
- Extra-Tall Header – Clears the USB and Ethernet jacks on the Pi
- Python Library – Ready-to-use code for controlling the LCD and reading button input
Compatibility
- Raspberry Pi Model A / B (Rev 1 and Rev 2)
- Raspberry Pi Model B+ and Pi 2 (requires electrical tape on USB ports to prevent shorting)
Ideal For
- Standalone Raspberry Pi projects with a built-in user interface
- System status displays and menu navigation
- Headless Pi setups requiring local feedback
Package Contents
- 1× PCB
- 1× 16×2 blue & white character LCD
- 5× Navigation buttons
- 1× Extra-tall 26-pin header
- All required components for assembly
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- LCD
- LCD stands for liquid crystal display, a screen technology that uses a backlight and liquid crystals to show images or text. It matters because LCD modules usually need a display driver and enough controller pins or a bus interface to send image data.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
- SDA/SCL
- SDA and SCL are the two signal lines used by an I2C bus: data and clock. Seeing these names helps you identify the correct connections when wiring I2C devices, even though Qwiic cables usually hide that wiring for you.
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Displays & Screens
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