Adafruit RGB Negative 16x2 LCD+Keypad Kit for Raspberry Pi

The Adafruit RGB Negative 16×2 LCD + Keypad Kit is a Pi Plate that combines a 16×2 character LCD with RGB backlight and a 5-button keypad, all controlled over I2C using just two pins. The negative-style display shows light text on a coloured background, giving a crisp, high-contrast appearance.

By using an I2C port expander, this kit frees up your GPIO pins — and since I2C is a shared bus, you can still connect other I2C devices like sensors and RTCs alongside the display. The 4 directional buttons plus select button provide a built-in user interface for standalone projects.

Key Features

• I2C Interface – Controls the LCD, RGB backlight, and 5 buttons using only the SDA/SCL pins
• RGB Backlight – Displays red, yellow, green, teal, blue, violet, white, or off (on/off per channel, not PWM)
• 5-Button Keypad – 4 directional buttons plus select, with software debouncing in the library
• 16×2 Character LCD Included – RGB negative display (light text on coloured background) included in the kit
• Shared I2C Bus – Other I2C devices can share the same bus
• Extra-Tall Header – Clears USB and Ethernet jacks on the Pi

Compatibility

• Raspberry Pi Models – Works with Revision 1, Revision 2, Model A+, B+, Pi 2, and Pi 3
• Model B+ / Pi 2 Note – Place a piece of electrical tape on the USB ports to prevent the resistors from shorting against the metal housings

Ideal For

• Standalone Pi projects with built-in user interface
• Status displays and system monitors
• Menu-driven configuration interfaces
• IoT dashboards without a full monitor

Package Contents

• 1× Pi Plate PCB with all surface-mount components
• 1× RGB Negative 16×2 Character LCD
• 5× Tactile buttons
• 1× Extra-tall 26-pin header
• All required passive components

Resources

• Assembly Guide & Python Library Tutorial