Brian Smith's Robotics Research - Humanitarian Demining

Brian Smith's
Robotics Research

Main Contributors Concept The Robots Gallery

LCD Demonstration

<< return to The Robots
To start things off with programming, I decided to get an LCD display up and running to get practice with the software and development tools. In addition, an LCD could be invaluable in debugging the control software later in the project.

The LCD is an Optrex DMC-20481. The display size is 20 characters by 4 lines and it has an LED backlight. The software I am using is Freescale CodeWarrior v5.0 Special Edition, which is a free download at the Freescale site. I am very pleased with the software, espescially the Processor Expert plug-in and the In-Circuit Debugging capability. For the demo, I am using the LCD in 8-bit mode, but for debugging purposes later on I will use 4-bit mode to save I/O pins on the microcontrollers. Target power and clock is provided by the USB Interface Pod but the LED backlight is powered by an external supply because it draws quite a bit of current (close to half an amp). Below is picture of the entire setup on my solderless breadboard.

<< return to The Robots

This website's design and contents are property of Brian Smith. If you would like to reproduce any part of this site, please ask me first. You can contact me with any comments, suggestions, or questions at thisisbrians@gmail.com.

Brian Smith's Robotics Research
Main	Contributors	Concept	The Robots	Gallery
LCD Demonstration
<< return to The Robots To start things off with programming, I decided to get an LCD display up and running to get practice with the software and development tools. In addition, an LCD could be invaluable in debugging the control software later in the project. The LCD is an Optrex DMC-20481. The display size is 20 characters by 4 lines and it has an LED backlight. The software I am using is Freescale CodeWarrior v5.0 Special Edition, which is a free download at the Freescale site. I am very pleased with the software, espescially the Processor Expert plug-in and the In-Circuit Debugging capability. For the demo, I am using the LCD in 8-bit mode, but for debugging purposes later on I will use 4-bit mode to save I/O pins on the microcontrollers. Target power and clock is provided by the USB Interface Pod but the LED backlight is powered by an external supply because it draws quite a bit of current (close to half an amp). Below is picture of the entire setup on my solderless breadboard. << return to The Robots



This website's design and contents are property of Brian Smith. If you would like to reproduce any part of this site, please ask me first. You can contact me with any comments, suggestions, or questions at thisisbrians@gmail.com.