Custom Characters with Picaxe LCD

Let's Make Robots Tutorials
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LCD_Eyes_and_Twist_Wire_005.jpg
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Did you know you can make your own custom characters for a picaxe LCD display?

You can make up to 8 different custom characters using the cgram wizard under the "picaxe" menu. --Pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvqlSjHej7k
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Chris, you are so inspiring
Chris, you are so inspiring :smiley: Thanks!

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Yay for discovery! I still
Yay for discovery! I still have yet to get an LCD… but I’ve already messed with the wizard since you’ve mentioned it :smiley:

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cgram
character gram?

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Pic and Picaxe
Last time I said “yeah I knew that” I got shouted down. (Seriously, I thought EVERYONE knew about polymorph.)

So after some consideration, I think it’s safe to say that I knew that the Hitachi LCDs of this type were capable of displaying either 4 or 8 “UDG” (User Defined Graphic) characters under PIC control. I didn’t know you could do it with a PicAXE.

Good discovery.

Now, the question is this: If you define a character and display it on the screen, then change the definition of the character, do you need to re display it for the new version to appear, or will the screen change as you redefine it?

Will the PicAXE allow this?

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ooohh
animations…

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BOA–

The custom characters must be “installed” first and you can only make 8 of them. After that they can be recalled and displayed calling them up by their little “code” number. There is no install/display in real time set-up. I’m sure you can redefine each one within a code but the new character will replace an old one and again, it takes a little time to get each one into the internal memory of the LCD backpack.

And yes rik, I thought about animations too but you are limited with only 8 characters. I think the trick would be to conserve the custom characters by trying to include std. ascii text along with your customs. I.e. if you are drawing a square, you would only need to make the corners using custom characters, the straight lines could be “-” or “_”

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probably it’s too small, but

probably it’s too small, but take a look at the picture here: https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/4240

(there’s a little robot in my display :wink: )

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does it

run around?

animated?

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Can you by that backpack at

Can you by that backpack at other places besides the picaxe webpage