SparkFun

SparkFun Serial Enabled LCD Kit

Name: SparkFun Serial Enabled LCD Kit
Brand: SparkFun
SKU: SF-LCD-10097
Price: 55.15 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

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Calling this the “Serial Enabled LCD Kit” doesn’t do justice to how cool it actually is. After you’ve assembled this all-PTH kit, you’ll be left with a fu...

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Calling this the “Serial Enabled LCD Kit” doesn’t do justice to how cool it actually is. After you’ve assembled this all-PTH kit, you’ll be left with a fully Arduino-compatible development board that just happens to have a white on black 16x2 display built-in.

Turns out the ATMega328 is pretty far over-spec for just controlling a parallel LCD so there’s a lot of horsepower left over to do whatever else needs to be done. We’ve broken out all of the unused GPIO pins to 0.1" headers on one side of the board, making this more than just a great kit for beginner soldering but also an awesome development tool for experienced programmers.

In order to upload new code to the LCD Kit via bootloader you’ll need an FTDI Basic Breakout and have the Board setting in Arduino on ‘Arduino Duemilanove w/ ATmega328.’ The uC comes pre-programmed with the SerialLCD firmware on top of the bootloader, so if you just want to use it as a serial-enabled LCD, you won’t need to do any programming.

Check the github page below for instructions on how to use the kit. The source code is also hosted over there, if you want to take a look.

Documents:

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

Bootloader: Small starter software on a microcontroller that lets new code be uploaded before the main program runs. Knowing how to enter bootloader mode matters when you need to program the board or recover it after a faulty sketch.
GPIO: General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
Headers: Rows of connector contacts on a fixed pitch (commonly 2.54 mm) used to link a board to a breadboard, jumper wires, or another board. They come as male pin headers and female socket headers; when a module ships with pre-soldered headers it can be used straight away, whereas bare pads require soldering the pins yourself.
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.
PTH: Plated through-hole means the pin holes are metal-lined so solder connects the pad on both sides of the board. It is useful for connectors and headers that need a strong mechanical and electrical connection.