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Examples > Libraries > LiquidCrystal

LiquidCrystal - setCursor()

The Liquid Crystal Library allows you to control LCD displays that are compatible with the Hitachi HD44780 driver. There are many of them out there, and you can usually tell them by the 16-pin interface.

This example sketch shows how to use the setCursor() method to reposition the cursor. To move the cursor, just call setCursor() with a row and column position. For example, for a 2x16 display: 

lcd.setCursor(0, 0); // top left
lcd.setCursor(15, 0); // top right
lcd.setCursor(0, 1); // bottom left
lcd.setCursor(15, 1); // bottom right

Hardware Required

  • Arduino Board
  • LCD Screen (compatible with Hitachi HD44780 driver)
  • 10k Potentiometer
  • breadboard
  • hook-up wire

Circuit

To wire your LED screen to your Arduino, connect the following pins:

  • LCD RS pin to digital pin 12
  • LCD Enable pin to digital pin 11
  • LCD D4 pin to digital pin 5
  • LCD D5 pin to digital pin 4
  • LCD D6 pin to digital pin 3
  • LCD D7 pin to digital pin 2

Additionally, wire a 10K pot to +5V and GND, with it's wiper (output) to LCD screens VO pin (pin3).

click the images to enlarge

image developed using Fritzing. For more circuit examples, see the Fritzing project page

Code

/*
  LiquidCrystal Library - setCursor
 
 Demonstrates the use a 16x2 LCD display.  The LiquidCrystal
 library works with all LCD displays that are compatible with the
 Hitachi HD44780 driver. There are many of them out there, and you
 can usually tell them by the 16-pin interface.
 
 This sketch prints to all the positions of the LCD using the
 setCursor(0 method:
 
  The circuit:
 * LCD RS pin to digital pin 12
 * LCD Enable pin to digital pin 11
 * LCD D4 pin to digital pin 5
 * LCD D5 pin to digital pin 4
 * LCD D6 pin to digital pin 3
 * LCD D7 pin to digital pin 2
 * LCD R/W pin to ground
 * 10K resistor:
 * ends to +5V and ground
 * wiper to LCD VO pin (pin 3)
 
 Library originally added 18 Apr 2008
 by David A. Mellis
 library modified 5 Jul 2009
 by Limor Fried (http://www.ladyada.net)
 example added 9 Jul 2009
 by Tom Igoe
 modified 22 Nov 2010
 by Tom Igoe
 
 This example code is in the public domain.
 
 http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/LiquidCrystal
 */

// include the library code:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

// these constants won't change.  But you can change the size of
// your LCD using them:
const int numRows = 2;
const int numCols = 16;

// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

void setup() {
  // set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
  lcd.begin(numCols,numRows);
}

void loop() {
  // loop from ASCII 'a' to ASCII 'z':
  for (int thisLetter = 'a'; thisLetter <= 'z'; thisLetter++) {
    // loop over the columns:
    for (int thisCol = 0; thisCol < numRows; thisCol++) {
      // loop over the rows:
      for (int thisRow = 0; thisRow < numCols; thisRow++) {
        // set the cursor position:
        lcd.setCursor(thisRow,thisCol);
        // print the letter:
        lcd.write(thisLetter);
        delay(200);
      }
    }
  }
}
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