Physics 120B: Lecture 4
LCD Text Display
Keypads and Time Slicing
Interrupts
2×16 LCD
• Typically 5×8 dots per character
• Note 16 pins: indicator of common interface
Lecture 4 2
Typical LCD Unit pinout
pin function Arduino pin (shield)
1 ground GND
2 +5 V +5 V
3 VEE (contrast via potentiometer between 0 and 5 V) pot on shield
4 RS (LOW = command; HIGH = data/characters) 8
5 RW (LOW = write; HIGH = read) GND
6 E (enable strobe: toggle to load data and command) 9
7-14 data bus 4,5,6,7 D4,D5,D6,D7
15 backlight +V
16 backlight ground
Note that most features are accessible using only the 4 MSB data pins
Lecture 4 3
Arduino LCD Shield
• Handy package, includes buttons, contrast pot, some
pins/headers for other connections
– consumes Arduino pins 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
– leaves 0, 1 for Serial, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13
• fails to make pin 10 available on header, though
Lecture 4 4
contrast adjust Arduino pin breakout
a few other pins
A1—A5 on “S”
buttons utilize A0 analog input
Lecture 4 5
Buttons
• The buttons use a voltage
divider tree to present an
analog voltage to A0
– note “RIGTH” typo made it onto
printed circuit board!
• I measure the following:
– none: 4.95 V
– SELECT: 3.59 V
– LEFT: 2.44 V
– DOWN: 1.60 V
– UP: 0.70 V
– RIGHT: 0.0 V
• Easily distinguishable
Lecture 4 6
LCD Datasheet
• For behind-the-scenes control of the LCD display, see
the datasheet
– http://www.physics.ucsd.edu/~tmurphy/phys120b/labs/d
oc/LCD_HD44780.pdf
• Above is just one snippet of the sort of things within
Lecture 4 7
And one other snippet from LCD datasheet
• Datasheets: they build character (at least characters)
Lecture 4 8
The LiquidCrystal Library
• This is one place I’m not itching for low-level control
– or wait—where’s the fun/challenge in that attitude?
• Library makes simple
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
LiquidCrystal lcd(8, 9, 4, 5, 6, 7); // matches shield config
void setup() {
lcd.begin(16, 2); // # columns & rows
lcd.print("Phys 120B Rules!");
}
void loop() {
lcd.setCursor(0, 1); // first col, second row (0 base)
// print the number of seconds since reset:
lcd.print(millis()/1000);
}
Lecture 4 9
The setup call
• Arguments in LiquidCrystal type are:
– pins corresponding to: RS, Enable, D4, D5, D6, D7
– don’t need shield at all; just those 6 pins and power/gnd
– here’s one without shield: must hook R/W to gnd; rig pot
Lecture 4 10
Same thing in schematic form
• Note this pinout is different than shield’s mapping
Lecture 4 11
Explore the library
• Can do a lot with a few functions, but more available
– LiquidCrystal() must use
– begin() must use
– clear()
– home()
– setCursor() almost certainly use
– write()
– print() almost certainly use
– cursor()
– noCursor()
– blink()
– noBlink()
– display()
– noDisplay()
– scrollDisplayLeft()
– scrollDisplayRight()
– autoscroll()
– noAutoscroll()
– leftToRight()
– rightToLeft()
– createChar()
Lecture 4 12
LCD References
• Good general intro to LCD control
– http://spikenzielabs.com/SpikenzieLabs/LCD_How_To.html
• Arduino page
– http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/LiquidCrystal
• See links on course site:
– http://www.physics.ucsd.edu/~tmurphy/phys120b/labs/us
eful_links.html
• http://www.physics.ucsd.edu/~tmurphy/phys120b/labs/doc/LCD-s
hield-schem.pdf
• http://www.physics.ucsd.edu/~tmurphy/phys120b/labs/doc/LCD_
HD44780.pdf
Lecture 4 13
Keypads
• Most keypads are matrix form: row contact and
column contact
– pressing button connects one row to one column
note crossings do not connect:
dots indicate connection
Lecture 4 14
Reading the keypad
• Imagine we hooked the rows (Y)
to four digital inputs with pull-up +5
resistors
– and hooked the columns (X) up to +5
digital outputs
+5
• Now cycle through X, putting
each to zero (LOW) in turn +5
– otherwise enforce high state
• Read each row value and see if
any inputs are pulled low
– means switch closed, button
pressed
• Called time-slicing
Lecture 4 15
Those Pesky Pullups
• Arduino has a pinMode option to engage internal pullup
resistors
– pinMode(pin, INPUT_PULLUP);
– does just what we want
• Let’s start by defining our pins (example values)
– and our key characters
#define ROW1 12 // or whatever pin is hooked to row1
etc.
#define COL1 8
etc.
#define ROWS 4
#define COLS 4
char keys[ROWS][COLS] = { // handy map of keys
{'1','2','3','A'}, // black 4x4 keypad
{'4','5','6','B'},
{'7','8','9','C'},
{'*','0','#','D'}
};
Lecture 4 16
Now set up pins in setup()
pinMode(ROW1, INPUT_PULLUP);
etc.
pinMode(COL1, OUTPUT);
etc.
digitalWrite(COL1, HIGH); // def. state is high; start high
• Now in loop()
pressed = 0; // value for no press
digitalWrite(COL1, LOW); // assert col 1 low
if (digitalRead(ROW1) == LOW)
pressed = 0x11; // upper digit is row
if (digitalRead(ROW2) == LOW)
pressed = 0x21; // lower digit is col
etc.
digitalWrite(COL1, HIGH); // reset col1 to high
etc. for all 4 columns; the scheme for pressed is just one way, my first impulse
Lecture 4 17
Piecing together at end of loop
if (pressed != 0 && pressed != last)
{
row = pressed >> 4; // drop 4 LSB, look at upper 4
col = pressed & 0x0f; // kill upper 4 bits; keep 4 LSB
ch = keys[row-1][col-1]; // what character, from map
if (ch != '#’) // treat # as newline
Serial.print(ch);
else
Serial.println(""); // just want return
}
last = pressed; // preserve knowledge
delay(40); // debounce delay
• print only if new press, new line if ‘#’ pressed
– note >> bit shift row look at high nibble;
– and mask lower 4 bits for isolating lower nibble
– thus decode into row and column (at least this is one way)
Lecture 4 18
Cleaning up code
• Repeating the sweep four times during the loop is a
bit clumsy, from a coding point of view
– begs to be function()-ized
int readCol(int column)
{
int row_press = 0;
digitalWrite(column, LOW);
if (digitalRead(ROW1) == LOW)
row_press = 1;
if (digitalRead(ROW2) == LOW)
row_press = 2;
etc.
digitalWrite(column, HIGH);
return row_press;
}
Lecture 4 19
Now a function to sweep columns
int sweepCols()
{
int row_press;
pressed = 0;
row_press = readCol(COL1);
if (row_press > 0)
pressed = (row_press << 4) + 1;
etc.
row_press = readCol(COL4);
if (row_press > 0)
pressed = (row_press << 4) + 4;
return pressed;
}
now in main loop, just: pressed = sweepCols(); and otherwise same
Lecture 4 20
And, there’s a Library
• Of course there is…
– http://playground.arduino.cc/code/Keypad
– installed in sketch folder libraries/ directory
#include <Keypad.h>
const byte ROWS = 4; //four rows
const byte COLS = 3; //three columns
char keys[ROWS][COLS] = {{'1','2','3'}, {'4','5','6'},
{'7','8','9'}, {'#','0','*’}};
byte rowPins[ROWS] = {5, 4, 3, 2}; //conn. to the row pins of the keypad
byte colPins[COLS] = {8, 7, 6}; //conn. to the col pins of the keypad
Keypad keypad = Keypad( makeKeymap(keys), rowPins, colPins, ROWS, COLS );
void setup(){
Serial.begin(9600);}
void loop(){
char key = keypad.getKey();
if (key != NO_KEY)
Serial.println(key);
}
Lecture 4 21
Some Notes on the Keypad Library
• Note that the key map is taken seriously by Keypad.h
– if any character appears twice, it messes up
– therefore more than a printing convenience; a core functional
element of the operation
• Functions
– void begin(makeKeymap(userKeymap))
– char waitForKey()
– char getKey()
– KeyState getState()
– boolean keyStateChanged()
– setHoldTime(unsigned int time)
– setDebounceTime(unsigned int time)
– addEventListener(keypadEvent)
• Consult link on previous slide for descriptions
Lecture 4 22
Combining LCD and Keypad?
• The LCD uses six digital pins
• A 4x4 keypad needs 8 pins
• Uno has 14, but pins 0 and 1 are used by Serial
– could forgo serial communications, and max out pins
• Need a better way, less greedy
• Take a page from LCD shield buttons: use analog input
• Many schemes are possible
– generally: +5 V on rows/cols, GND on other, resistors
between
– could have all 16 buttons map to a single analog input
• interesting problem in designing appropriate network
– or make it easier and map to four analog inputs
Lecture 4 23
Four-Input Scheme
+5 R1
R2
R3
R4
A1 A2 A3 A4
R5 R6 R7 R8
GND
• R1 thru R4 could be 10 kW, 4.7 kW, 2.2 kW, 1 kW
• R5 thru R7 could be all 3.3 kW, or in that ballpark
– voltages will be 0 (nothing pressed), 1.25 V (top row), 2.06V; 3
V; and 3.8 V for resp. rows — lots of separation
• Poll each A# input to ascertain keypress
Lecture 4 24
Interrupts
• Sometimes we can’t afford to miss a critical event,
while the main loop is busy, or in a delay, etc.
• Interrupts demand immediate attention
• Uno has two interrupts
– int.0 on pin 2; int.1 on pin 3
– Mega has 6 available interrupts
• You can exempt some of loop from interruption
– may be rare that you need to do this, but…
void loop()
{
noInterrupts();
// critical, time-sensitive code here
interrupts();
// other code here
}
Lecture 4 25
Easily implemented
• Just have to attach an interrupt to a service routine
– attachInterrupt(int#, function, trigger_type);
– the interrupt number is 0 or 1 on Uno (pins 2 or 3)
– the function is some function you’ve created to service the
interrupt: name it whatever makes sense
– trigger_type can be
• RISING: detects edge from logic low to logic high
• FALLING: detects falling edge
• CHANGE: any change between high/low (watch out for bounce!)
• LOW: a low state will trigger an interrupt
– note that delay() will not work within the service routine
• need delayMicroseconds(), only good up to 16383 ms
• but not often interested in delay in interrupt routine
Lecture 4 26
Simple example
• Turn on/off LED via interrupt; note volatile variable
int pin = 13;
volatile int state = LOW;
void setup()
{
pinMode(pin, OUTPUT);
attachInterrupt(0, blink, CHANGE);
}
void loop()
{
digitalWrite(pin, state);
}
void blink()
{
state = !state;
}
Lecture 4 27
Interrupt Notes
• Inside the attached function, delay() won't work and
the value returned by millis() will not increment.
Serial data received while in the function may be lost.
You should declare as volatile any variables that you
modify within the attached function.
• See the page for attachInterrupts():
– http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/AttachInterrupt
Lecture 4 28
Interrupts from analog?
• What if we need to make a digital interrupt out of an
analog signal like the analog-scheme keypad?
• Can use a comparator to sense if we’re above or
below some threshold voltage
– output is digital state
– could also use a high-pass (differentiator) to sense any
significant change in the analog level, fed into a
comparator
Lecture 4 29
Comparator Basics
+5 V
V
R Vout
Vin + 5V
Vout Vin
Vref Vref
time
• Scheme is: when + input larger than − input, transistor driven to ON
– then current flows through transistor and output is pulled low
• When Vin < Vref, Vout is pulled high (through the pull-up resistor—
usually 1 k or more)
– this arrangement is called “open collector” output: the output is basically
the collector of an npn transistor: in saturation it will be pulled toward
the emitter (ground), but if the transistor is not driven (no base current),
the collector will float up to the pull-up voltage
• The output is a “digital” version of the signal
– with settable low and high values (here ground and 5V)
Lecture 4 30
Can Gang Open-Collector Comparators into Chain
+
• Put same (or different)
threshold values on − inputs
and four different analog
signals on + +
– tie all four open collectors
together with common pull-up
– if any comparator activates, the
associated transistor will pull the +
combined output low, and the
other (off) transistors won’t care
• The “311” comparator is
+
standard
Lecture 4 31
Upcoming Lab
• Monday is a holiday, so this is it for lab prep!
• In Week 3 lab, we will:
– make an LCD analog voltage meter
– read a 4x4 keypad using the time-slice method and 8 pins
– combine the keypad, LCD, and interrupts into a party
Lecture 4 32
