Beginner
10 min

Revolutionize your data presentation with MCP23S17 and PIC18F57Q43

See it in 2x16: Clear, Concise, Captivating!

LCD mini Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Published Feb 13, 2024

Click board™

LCD mini Click

Dev Board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F57Q43

Elevate your solution's display capabilities, enhance the user experience, and unleash the full potential of an LCD display through seamless integration with an SPI adapter!

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

LCD Mini Click is based on the MCP23S17, a 16-bit I/O expander with a serial interface from Microchip. The MCP23S17 has an external reset input and a configurable interrupt source, which can also be configured as active-high or active-low. This bidirectional I2C expander acts as a bridge between the host MCU to four data bit pins, an enable control pin, and a register select pin of the display. In order to work, the enable pin should be held HIGH. The register-select pin toggles between command mode (logic LOW) and data mode (logic HIGH). The brightness of the backlight LED can be controlled directly over the

host MCU, but for the contrast of the LCD, there is the MCP4161, an 8-bit single SPI digital POT with non-volatile memory from Microchip. LCD Mini Click uses a standard 4-wire SPI serial interface from both the I2C expander and the digital potentiometer to communicate with the host MCU. The MCP23S17 supports a high-speed SPI interface of up to 10MHz and can be selected over the CS pin and reset over the RST pin. It sends interrupts over the INT pin. The MCP4161 also supports high-speed SPI of up to 10MHz and can be selected over the CS2 pin. The PWM pin can control the brightness of the LCD's backlight LED.

The LMB162XFW display with an appropriate cable does not come with the LCD Mini Click adapter board and is offered separately. However, the LCD Mini Click has an appropriate connector to interface the LCD. This Click board™ can operate with either 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels selected via the PWR SEL jumper. This way, both 3.3V and 5V capable MCUs can use the communication lines properly. Also, this Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing easy-to-use functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

LCD mini Click top side image
LCD mini Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

128

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

48

RAM (Bytes)

8196

You complete me!

Accessories

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards is a versatile hardware extension platform created to streamline the integration between Curiosity Nano kits and extension boards, tailored explicitly for the mikroBUS™-standardized Click boards and Xplained Pro extension boards. This innovative base board (shield) offers seamless connectivity and expansion possibilities, simplifying experimentation and development. Key features include USB power compatibility from the Curiosity Nano kit, alongside an alternative external power input option for enhanced flexibility. The onboard Li-Ion/LiPo charger and management circuit ensure smooth operation for battery-powered applications, simplifying usage and management. Moreover, the base incorporates a fixed 3.3V PSU dedicated to target and mikroBUS™ power rails, alongside a fixed 5.0V boost converter catering to 5V power rails of mikroBUS™ sockets, providing stable power delivery for various connected devices.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards accessories 1 image

LCD mini display, based on the LMB162XFW, is a compact and versatile SPI-controlled LCD mini display featuring a sharp 2x16 pixel resolution. Its striking deep blue display color contrasts beautifully with the light yellow-green display data, ensuring clear and vibrant visuals. With a compact form factor, the display measures just 53.0x20.0x9.1mm (maximum dimensions), making it suitable for space-constrained applications. This mini display's SPI control enables seamless integration into various electronic projects, while its elegant color combination enhances visibility. Whether used in industrial instruments, consumer devices, or DIY electronics, the LCD mini display offers a sleek and functional solution for presenting essential data and information in a visually appealing manner.

LCD mini Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

DIGIPOT Chip Select
PA0
AN
Expander Reset
PA7
RST
SPI Chip Select
PD4
CS
SPI Slock
PC6
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PC5
MISO
SPI Data IN
PC4
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
PWM Signal
PB0
PWM
Expander Interrupt
PA6
INT
NC
NC
TX
NC
NC
RX
NC
NC
SCL
NC
NC
SDA
Power Supply
5V
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

LCD mini Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43 as your development board.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
PIC18F47Q10 Curiosity Nano front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Curiosity Nano with PICXXX Access MB 1 - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
Necto image step 5 hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity MCU Step hardware assembly
Necto No Display image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Debug Image Necto Step hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output via Debug Mode

1. Once the code example is loaded, pressing the "DEBUG" button initiates the build process, programs it on the created setup, and enters Debug mode.

2. After the programming is completed, a header with buttons for various actions within the IDE becomes visible. Clicking the green "PLAY" button starts reading the results achieved with the Click board™. The achieved results are displayed in the Application Output tab.

DEBUG_Application_Output

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for LCD mini Click driver.

Key functions:

  • lcdmini_set_backlight - Set backlight function

  • lcdmini_set_contrast - Set contrast function

  • lcdmini_display_text - LCD mini display text

Open Source

Code example

This example can be found in NECTO Studio. Feel free to download the code, or you can copy the code below.

/*!
 * @file main.c
 * @brief LCDmini Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This is an example that demonstrates the use of the LCD mini Click board.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initialization driver enables - SPI, performing hardware reset, default config, 
 * setting up the backlight, and entering text to be written.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * This example shows the written text, then the text is moved left, 
 * with changing between rows of the LCD screen.
 *
 * @note If the screen isn't initialized you may need to restart the device.
 * 
 * @author Stefan Ilic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "lcdmini.h"

static lcdmini_t lcdmini;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    lcdmini_cfg_t lcdmini_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */

    /** 
     * Logger initialization.
     * Default baud rate: 115200
     * Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
     * @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX 
     * are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will 
     * need to define them manually for log to work. 
     * See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
     */
    LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
    log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Init " );

    // Click initialization.
    lcdmini_cfg_setup( &lcdmini_cfg );
    LCDMINI_MAP_MIKROBUS( lcdmini_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == lcdmini_init( &lcdmini, &lcdmini_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    lcdmini_hw_reset( &lcdmini );
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "   SPI LCD Config    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, " Clear LCD display   \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     Cursor OFF      \r\n" );
    
    if ( LCDMINI_ERROR == lcdmini_default_cfg ( &lcdmini ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "  Setting Backlight  \r\n" );
    lcdmini_set_backlight ( &lcdmini, 1 );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "  Set Contrast: 200  \r\n" );
    lcdmini_set_contrast( &lcdmini, 200 );
    Delay_ms( 100 );
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
    
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------\r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "     Display text    \r\n" );
    log_printf( &logger, "---------------------\r\n" );
    
    lcdmini_display_text ( &lcdmini, 1, 6, "Mikro E" );
    lcdmini_display_text ( &lcdmini, 2, 2, "LCD mini Click" ); 
    lcdmini_display_text ( &lcdmini, 3, 2, "LCD mini Click" ); 
    lcdmini_display_text ( &lcdmini, 4, 6, "Mikro E" );
    Delay_ms( 500 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    Delay_ms( 500 );
    lcdmini_send_cmd( &lcdmini, LCDMINI_SHIFT_LEFT ); 
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

    for ( ; ; )
    {
        application_task( );
    }
}

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources

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