Custom Characters on LCD using PIC – MikroC

Ligo George

8 years ago

Contents

1 DDRAM, CGROM and CGRAM
2 Character Generation using MikroC
- 2.1 MikroElektronika LCD Custom Char Generator Tool
- 2.2 MikroC Modified Code
3 Circuit Diagram
4 Output
5 Download Here
6 Buy Here

I hope that you already go through our tutorial, Interfacing Character LCD with PIC Microcontroller – MicroC Pro. These character based LCDs are commonly made using HD44780 compatible controllers. It allows us to define 8 custom characters in addition to the standard pre-programmed characters. In this tutorial we will learn to define our own custom characters using MikroC compiler.

DDRAM, CGROM and CGRAM

CGROM – Character Generator ROM

This is the memory which holds 5×8 or 5×10 dot patterns of predefined characters in the LCD. It can generate 208 5×8 dot character patterns and 32 5×10 dot character patterns.

DDRAM – Display Data RAM

This is the memory which holds the character data which is currently displayed on the LCD screen. Its capacity is 80×8 bits, ie 80 characters.

CGRAM – Character Generator RAM

This memory works similar to CGROM but as this is a RAM we can modify its data any time. So we can store our custom character patterns in this memory through program. We can store up to eight 5×8 character dot patterns or four 5×10 character dot patterns in this memory.

Character Generation using MikroC

You can easily create your own custom characters using MikroElectronika LCD Custom Character Generator Tool.

Go to Tools >> LCD Custom Character

MikroElektronika LCD Custom Char Generator Tool

Set the font size of your LCD
Set CGRAM Address
Design your custom character
Then click on the Generate Code button

This will give you a function to store and display the custom character in the LCD. By changing the CGRAM address you can store up to eight 5×8 custom characters in the LCD memory. You can see a modified MikroC code below, which will store and display 8 custom characters in the LCD.

MikroC Modified Code

// LCD module connections
sbit LCD_RS at RD2_bit;
sbit LCD_EN at RD3_bit;
sbit LCD_D4 at RD4_bit;
sbit LCD_D5 at RD5_bit;
sbit LCD_D6 at RD6_bit;
sbit LCD_D7 at RD7_bit;

sbit LCD_RS_Direction at TRISD2_bit;
sbit LCD_EN_Direction at TRISD3_bit;
sbit LCD_D4_Direction at TRISD4_bit;
sbit LCD_D5_Direction at TRISD5_bit;
sbit LCD_D6_Direction at TRISD6_bit;
sbit LCD_D7_Direction at TRISD7_bit;
// End LCD module connections

const char character0[] = {0,0,10,31,31,14,4,0};
const char character1[] = {14,27,17,17,17,17,31,0};
const char character2[] = {14,27,17,17,17,31,31,0};
const char character3[] = {14,27,17,17,31,31,31,0};
const char character4[] = {14,27,17,31,31,31,31,0};
const char character5[] = {14,31,31,31,31,31,31,0};
const char character6[] = {0,4,2,31,2,4,0,0};
const char character7[] = {0,0,14,17,17,10,27,0};

void CustomChar0() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(64);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character0[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar1() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(72);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character1[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar2() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(80);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character2[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar3() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(88);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character3[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar4() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(96);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character4[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar5() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(104);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character5[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar6() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(112);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character6[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void CustomChar7() {
  char i;
  Lcd_Cmd(120);
  for (i = 0; i<=7; i++) Lcd_Chr_CP(character7[i]);
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_RETURN_HOME);
}

void main()  {
  Lcd_Init(); // Initialize LCD

  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_CLEAR); // Clear display
  Lcd_Cmd(_LCD_CURSOR_OFF); // Cursor off

  //Send Custom Charactors to CGRAM
  CustomChar0();
  CustomChar1();
  CustomChar2();
  CustomChar3();
  CustomChar4();
  CustomChar5();
  CustomChar6();
  CustomChar7();
  //End

  //Display Custom Characters
  Lcd_Chr(1,1,0);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,2,1);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,3,2);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,4,3);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,5,4);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,6,5);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,7,6);
  Delay_ms(1000);
  Lcd_Chr(1,8,7);
  Delay_ms(1000);
}

DDRAM, CGROM and CGRAM

CGROM – Character Generator ROM

DDRAM – Display Data RAM

CGRAM – Character Generator RAM

Character Generation using MikroC

MikroElektronika LCD Custom Char Generator Tool

MikroC Modified Code

Circuit Diagram

Output

Download Here

Buy Here