If all else fails, "CHECK THE HARDWARE!!!!!"

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niloc

New Member
I just wanted to share my frustrations and the smacking myself in the head moment.

i have just spent the last three hours trying to get a Displaytech 162b LCD going, 16x2, in 8 bit mode. Yeah i know, not a terribly hard task but this is my first experience programming with an LCD. So I used the example in David Lincolns book, which by the way i have found very useful so far, being the newbie I am. Anyway, I am using the 28x1 starter kit, checked the board by simply flashing an LED and all is good. Loaded the code with no problems (had to re-name the "Loop" label in David's code), but alas nothing on the display. Checked the code. Ran the simulator, everything was fine. Fired up the cro, all control and data signals were fine, adjusted and re-adjusted the contrast.... Hmmmmmm, time for a coffee, still not working, bugger. Music calms the savage beast so Pink Floyds Wish You Were Here is fired up..ahhh thats better. Powered up the LCD with just V+, 0v and contrast..black squares, very good, contrast is adjustable. connected LCD to the board and nothing....checked the contrast again and measured the voltage this time and found that the pot I was using is crook and my contrast voltage was too high. New pot and how about that, characters as expected on the display.

Moral to the story is check the hardware and double check and then check it properly,Cheers
 
premelec

premelec

Senior Member
Good Advice and glad you got it going! I found a LCD unit which had the leads out of the expected sequence... took a while to work out #1 was #2 etc... :) Expect the Unexpected and listen to Pink Floyd...
 
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westaust55

Moderator
But YOU DID solve the problem.

Great to hear that, even as a newbie, on your own you solved and got your project going.

You are not the first, and you will not be the last,
to have hassles with a circuit. Even the “guru’s” have had bad days.
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Good on you nilloc. I wish everyone had your attitude.

So many people get impatient when they can't get things working out of the box and 10 seconds later..... Forum.... feed me.... answer me now...
 
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westaust55

Moderator
Very true Dippy.

niloc is a great example of a newcomer willing to get in and sort out his own problems

Seems some want no thought for/by themselves. They come back with question after question on the same item/problem. Line is tried what you said, it did not work, what do I do now.

It's akin to being the driver or passenger in a car.
As a passenger one chats away and never learns the route.
Become the driver and you quickly learn by your errors.
 
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