Take a look at this more up-to-date post which uses a Python library to do the necessary.

I bought this display from Hobby Components:

It is very similar to the Sainsmart 2004 LCD display and the pin mappings are the same (it’s a J204A LCD board).

I came across this thread on the Foundation forum on which member ‘natbett’ gave out some code to drive the display. Fortunately, this code works (after trying out 4 other examples found elsewhere). Here is the code for posterity:

The first file is called ‘i2c_lib.py’

import smbus from time import * class i2c_device: def __init__(self, addr, port=1): self.addr = addr self.bus = smbus.SMBus(port) # Write a single command def write_cmd(self, cmd): self.bus.write_byte(self.addr, cmd) sleep(0.0001) # Write a command and argument def write_cmd_arg(self, cmd, data): self.bus.write_byte_data(self.addr, cmd, data) sleep(0.0001) # Write a block of data def write_block_data(self, cmd, data): self.bus.write_block_data(self.addr, cmd, data) sleep(0.0001) # Read a single byte def read(self): return self.bus.read_byte(self.addr) # Read def read_data(self, cmd): return self.bus.read_byte_data(self.addr, cmd) # Read a block of data def read_block_data(self, cmd): return self.bus.read_block_data(self.addr, cmd)

The second file is called lcddriver.py

import i2c_lib from time import * # LCD Address ADDRESS = 0x27 # commands LCD_CLEARDISPLAY = 0x01 LCD_RETURNHOME = 0x02 LCD_ENTRYMODESET = 0x04 LCD_DISPLAYCONTROL = 0x08 LCD_CURSORSHIFT = 0x10 LCD_FUNCTIONSET = 0x20 LCD_SETCGRAMADDR = 0x40 LCD_SETDDRAMADDR = 0x80 # flags for display entry mode LCD_ENTRYRIGHT = 0x00 LCD_ENTRYLEFT = 0x02 LCD_ENTRYSHIFTINCREMENT = 0x01 LCD_ENTRYSHIFTDECREMENT = 0x00 # flags for display on/off control LCD_DISPLAYON = 0x04 LCD_DISPLAYOFF = 0x00 LCD_CURSORON = 0x02 LCD_CURSOROFF = 0x00 LCD_BLINKON = 0x01 LCD_BLINKOFF = 0x00 # flags for display/cursor shift LCD_DISPLAYMOVE = 0x08 LCD_CURSORMOVE = 0x00 LCD_MOVERIGHT = 0x04 LCD_MOVELEFT = 0x00 # flags for function set LCD_8BITMODE = 0x10 LCD_4BITMODE = 0x00 LCD_2LINE = 0x08 LCD_1LINE = 0x00 LCD_5x10DOTS = 0x04 LCD_5x8DOTS = 0x00 # flags for backlight control LCD_BACKLIGHT = 0x08 LCD_NOBACKLIGHT = 0x00 En = 0b00000100 # Enable bit Rw = 0b00000010 # Read/Write bit Rs = 0b00000001 # Register select bit class lcd: #initializes objects and lcd def __init__(self): self.lcd_device = i2c_lib.i2c_device(ADDRESS) self.lcd_write(0x03) self.lcd_write(0x03) self.lcd_write(0x03) self.lcd_write(0x02) self.lcd_write(LCD_FUNCTIONSET | LCD_2LINE | LCD_5x8DOTS | LCD_4BITMODE) self.lcd_write(LCD_DISPLAYCONTROL | LCD_DISPLAYON) self.lcd_write(LCD_CLEARDISPLAY) self.lcd_write(LCD_ENTRYMODESET | LCD_ENTRYLEFT) sleep(0.2) # clocks EN to latch command def lcd_strobe(self, data): self.lcd_device.write_cmd(data | En | LCD_BACKLIGHT) sleep(.0005) self.lcd_device.write_cmd(((data & ~En) | LCD_BACKLIGHT)) sleep(.0001) def lcd_write_four_bits(self, data): self.lcd_device.write_cmd(data | LCD_BACKLIGHT) self.lcd_strobe(data) # write a command to lcd def lcd_write(self, cmd, mode=0): self.lcd_write_four_bits(mode | (cmd & 0xF0)) self.lcd_write_four_bits(mode | ((cmd << 4) & 0xF0)) # put string function def lcd_display_string(self, string, line): if line == 1: self.lcd_write(0x80) if line == 2: self.lcd_write(0xC0) if line == 3: self.lcd_write(0x94) if line == 4: self.lcd_write(0xD4) for char in string: self.lcd_write(ord(char), Rs) # clear lcd and set to home def lcd_clear(self): self.lcd_write(LCD_CLEARDISPLAY) self.lcd_write(LCD_RETURNHOME)

The last file, which is the example script, is called lcd.py

import lcddriver from time import * lcd = lcddriver.lcd() lcd.lcd_display_string("Hello world", 1) lcd.lcd_display_string("My name is", 2) lcd.lcd_display_string("picorder", 3) lcd.lcd_display_string("I am a Raspberry Pi", 4)

It displays 4 lines of text.

My next task is to connect this up to the Picorder version 3!

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