I recently updated the SimpleC library I created in my Beginner's Guide to Embedded C Programming - Vol 3 to include an LCD routine to drive the popular DFRobot LCD shield. It took a little bit of manipulation but I think it will become the new LCD drive routine for any future projects.
The LCD shield is CHIPINO, Arduino and chipKIT compatible but the CHIPINO pinout made the previous LCD routines impossible to use. They relied on the four data connections to the LCD to be in order (i.e. B0-B3 or B4-B7). The DFRobot shield connects to the Digital 4-7 pins on the Arduino which are PORTC pins C3-C0 on the CHIPINO. So they were in order but all data sent would be backward.
I tried to figure out a simple way to just reverse a nibble before sending it but could not find an easy solution so I just rewrote it to individually drive each data pin and this turned out to be so easy I'm sticking with it. It also gives the advantage of allowing any four pins to be used as the data pins not just those in a row.
I didn't discover anything new since Arduino and Great Cow Basic already have that feature in their LCD routines but now I have that in the Simple C library. Now I wish PICBASIC PRO 3 had the same capability since that compiler requires the same four data bits in a row that my original SimpleC did.
Anyway, if you want the code you can download it from my elproducts.com download page and then scroll to the link below the LCD Shield picture/description to get the code.
I didn't discover anything new since Arduino and Great Cow Basic already have that feature in their LCD routines but now I have that in the Simple C library. Now I wish PICBASIC PRO 3 had the same capability since that compiler requires the same four data bits in a row that my original SimpleC did.
Anyway, if you want the code you can download it from my elproducts.com download page and then scroll to the link below the LCD Shield picture/description to get the code.
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