Display I²C interface LCD control and driver IC
Integrated circuits (ICs) are an important component in the manufacture of modern computing and display devices. LCDs, or liquid crystal displays, are commonly used in such devices due to their abilities to produce an image in a small form factor. In order to properly control and interact with these displays, display drivers and LCD control ICs are necessary. There are typically two different basic input protocols for LCDs: one being parallel, or the 8-bit, and the other serial, or I²C.
I²C, or Inter-Integrated Circuit, is a serial bus used to connect controllers to LCDs. This protocol utilizes two wires, the serial data line (SDA) and the serial clock line (SCL), for communication. The SCL line is used to synchronize data on the SDA, and both lines are pulled to a low level with a pull-down resistor. The data line is then changed from low to high with a rising edge, indicating the start of a new data byte. After the start line, a 7-bit device address, either in read or write mode, is sent, followed by an 8-bit data byte, and then a single byte of acknowledge.
Once the LCD and I²C interface have been connected, the I²C data can be used to control the LCD. To do this, a driver IC is typically used to translate I²C commands into the necessary signals for the LCD. These driver ICs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with the most common being the HD44780. These ICs are also widely used in some microcontroller applications. They are designed to be compatible with most microcontroller architectures, as well as I²C and SPI. The ICs typically support a variety of commands for controlling the display, such as setting contrast and backlight brightness, as well as providing support for multiple fonts.
The control IC for a display is usually integrated into the LCD itself, and is used to provide the necessary voltages for each of the pixels in the display. These ICs are designed to be able to handle a range of input voltages, typically from 4.5V to 40V. They are also typically integrated with a power supply, so that the external power supply can be directly connected to the display and the control IC. This ensures that the display is always supplied with the necessary voltage.
In order to use an LCD with I²C, a control and driver IC are required. These ICs are typically installed on the display board, and provide the necessary signals for the LCD. The ICs then use the I²C protocol to interface with the display, allowing for proper control and manipulation of the pixels. This type of interface is widely used in embedded systems, allowing for rapid development and efficient use of resources.