LCD Tester

During the course Embedded Systems, students use different peripherals to interface with the microcontroller. (STM32F407 Discovery Kit). 

One of the issue that I face is that students get faulty hardware from departmental store. 

For example, a student keep on contacting me that I am unable to interface the LCD with the STM32 board. The 16x2 LCD connections to the STM32 is not so complex, but its not simple too; incase when you are using the LCD in 8-bit mode.  

The student brought his assembled hardware to me in which the LCD is being connected to the STM32 board. But the LCD is not displaying anything. I applied, 5v and Ground to the Backlight pins, and it turned out that the LCD is dead. 

The student returned the LCD to the store, and the store guys kept it in the same place where other LCDs are placed. Now it is quite possible that the next student will get the faulty LCD issued from them, and he will also waster 1 - 2 hours before realising that the LCD is dead. 

I ask the departmental store technicians that how to test that LCD is working or not. They do not know how to do it. 

This brought me to the simple idea of making an LCD tester. Where you will insert the LCD and it will start displaying the characters . . .

The components that I got so far, are: 

• Arduino boards

• ATMega328p IC (which I intend to remove from the Uno board)

• Crystal

• Capacitors 

• Resisters 

• LEDs

• 16x2 LCD

• The IC socket 

  • Although, I need a 28 pin socket. But I got two 14 pin sockets. Will play with it on how they will work combine. 

• Vero board. 

I intend to make a 3D printed box for it too. But on that, later. 

For interfacing of the LCD, I am getting help from the following link. 

https://www.electronicwings.com/arduino/lcd-16x2-interfacing-with-arduino-uno