The LCD1602 16×2 I2C Blue LCD Display provides a 16 character x 2 line LCD with I2C interface for easy control by a micro-controller.

• 16 character x 2 line Blue LCD
• I2C interface
• Adjustable backlight intensity and contrast
• 5V operation

These displays are straightforward to use and are a great way to provide a user interface on many projects where you need more info than simple LED indicators or 7-Segment displays can provide since these are full alphanumeric displays with 2 lines of 16 characters each.  For an interactive display, pairing this type of display with a rotary encoder to navigate and select menu items on the display can provide a very nice user interface.

LCD Display

The display is composed of a 16 character x 2 line LCD display with a blue backlight and white characters.  Each of the characters are composed of a 5 x 8 dot matrix for good character representation.

The backlight has a potentiometer for adjustment of the contrast of the display for best viewing.

The backlight intensity is not directly controllable though the I2C interface, however there is a jumper on the I2C board that supplies power to the backlight.  That jumper can be removed and a voltage applied to the header pin nearest the ‘LED’ markings on the board to provide power to the backlight separately.

The backlight can go down to about 3V before it goes out.  It is not known what the safe upper limit is for driving the LCD backlight so it is probably best not to exceed 5V by too much.  At 5V, the backlight draws about 20mA, so it should also be possible to drive it with a PWM pin off a microcontroller to allow the display to be dimmed via software if desired.

Technical Specifications

• Display: 16 characters x 2 lines
• Backlight Color: Blue
• Operating Ratings:
• DC Power Input: 5V
• Operating Current (Total): 30mA (typical)
• Operating Current (Backlight Only): 20mA (typical)
• Dimensions:
• Display Size (PCB):  80 x 36mm (3.1 x 1.4 inches)
• Display Height w/ PCB: 18mm (0.7 inches)
• Display Bezel: 72 x 25mm (2.8 x 1 inches)