0

RPI2 + Digi + LCD HD44780

inonoob

February 25, 2015 00:02

None

Follow

Hey Everyone,

I'm building a HTPC with the Raspberry Pi. I managed to get the RPI b+ with an LCD hd44780 and the Hifiberry Digi work together. Now i try to update to RPI2. So the Hifiberry Digi is working like charme but I'm struggling with the LCD. I read about the RPI2 working with the Device Tree system.

I read it here :

http://ehc.ac/p/lcdproc/patches/21/?limit=25
http://sourceforge.net/p/lcdproc/discussion/312/thread/c106d4b8/
http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=98684

Oki so i just add the new driver HD44780.so to the System but when i activate the LCD with :

LCDd -c /storage/.config/LCDd.conf -d HD44780 -s true

The Hifiberry digi immediately stop playing.

Maybe some of you have some ideas.

here are some picture from my project still in building process:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

23 comments

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team February 25, 2015 05:43

  Hi,
  
  most likely your LCD and the driver is using one of the GPIOs used by the HiFiBerry board. Make sure that the software doesn't re-configure the GPIOs needed for the Digi. These can be found here:
  https://www.hifiberry.com/guides/gpio-usage-of-the-hifiberry-products/
  
  Best regards
  Daniel
• 0
  
  inonoob February 26, 2015 12:36

  Hey
  
  I knew about that are used by the Hifiberry Digi so i changed the GPIO mapping in the LCDd.conf. It work fine for Raspberry b+.
  
  So my question is what does device-tree-overlays of the Hifiberry-digi doing to the PI2. Where can i get the dts file to understand what the system ist doing.
  
  I have another question about maybe using the IC2 to communicat with the LCD in the LCDd.conf connectiontyp:I2C but the Hifiberry-digi is using the I2C pins. In the link it is mention that the Hifiberry uses them for configuration purpose what does this mean? Normaly the Pi is the Master I2C and the Hifiberry and HD44780 is a slave I2C.
  
• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team February 26, 2015 14:34

  Hi,
  
  the device_tree source file is part of the Raspberry Pi Linux kernel. You can find it on Github:
  https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/tree/rpi-3.18.y/arch/arm/boot/dts
  
  The Raspberry Pi is I2C master, also for the Digi. You can connect other I2C slaves, but I can't tell you exactly what you have to do to access these. You will need an additional device-tree overlay file for this.
  
  Best regards
  Daniel
• 0
  
  inonoob March 09, 2015 20:00

  Hey everyone,
  
  I made it. Pi2 + Hifiberry + i2c module + HD44780 is working perfectly. i'm nearly done with the setup. I now just need to finish the mechanical fitting :)
  
  best regards
  
  Ino
• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team March 10, 2015 07:01

  Very nice, let us have a look at the final result.
  
  Best regards
  Daniel
• 0
  
  Jesper March 11, 2015 19:13

  Hey Ino,
  
  I just ordered this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/271794544409 for my next project, so I'd really like to hear some details on how you managed to get it working. A detailed how-to would be ace!
• 0
  
  inonoob March 16, 2015 09:59

  Hey
  
  I'm in china for the Work but as soon I'm back i will make a Howto.
  
  Grettings from China
  
  Ino
• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team March 16, 2015 12:19

  Thanks for this cool project. I will move this to "Your HiFiBerry installation". This makes it easier for people to find as it might also be interesting for owners of the DAC and the Amp.
  
  Best regards
  Daniel
• 0
  
  inonoob June 22, 2015 11:15

  Hey
  
  Small Update :
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mfg Ino
• 0
  
  inonoob June 22, 2015 17:20

  Hey
  
  a new update nearly finished:
  
  
  
  Ino
• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team June 22, 2015 19:17

  Very nice. Will you share the CAD files?
  
  Best regards
  Daniel
• 0
  
  atreyu October 21, 2015 15:02

  @inonoob,
  
  Your setup looks great! I am after a similar design: Pi2 + HifiBerry (DAC+) + HD44780/16x2 LCD. I'm not clear on GPIO vs I2C, I thought the DAC+ monopolized the GPIO pins, and the LCD could be driven entirely by I2C...
  
  Anyway, I'll pile onto jbl's request, would you consider sharing documentation on your setup?
• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 21, 2015 15:41

  The GPIOs used by the DAC+ are documented here:
  https://www.hifiberry.com/guides/gpio-usage-of-the-hifiberry-products/
  
  Not all GPIOs are used.
  
  Best regards
  Daniel
• 0
  
  inonoob October 26, 2015 21:17

  Hey all

  Sure I can share my CAD drawings.I have done a little Tutorial for the software part. But for the Drive for exemple I can't find where i downloaded the driver for this specific I2C modul. So I can't give credit to this person.

  Greetings

  Ino

• 0
  
  inonoob December 08, 2015 21:58

  Hallo everyone,

  I have some great news but also some question :

  For the good news, I got a own server where I can upload the CAD-Drawings but I need to know if I have the rights to do so I mean to publish it ? I have made the CAD-modell with a None-Open-source software.

  Aswell I finished a little tutorial how to get the LCD over I2C working

  http://www.inohec.com/Inohec-Hifi-Pi/Lcd-config/Tutorial%20Raspberry%20Pi.pdf

  The drivers and LCDd can be found here:

  http://www.inohec.com/Inohec-Hifi-Pi/Lcd-config/LCDd.conf

  http://www.inohec.com/Inohec-Hifi-Pi/Lcd-config/hd44780.so

   

  So after testing this configuration for 5 month i must say i very happy with this config. Thanks again Hifiberry-team for this piece of Technologie !!

  Here are some new Picture:

   

  

  

   

  

   

  

  SSC Pucks :

  

  http://www.hifi-ssc.de/Netpoint_100_200_300.htm

  System working:

  

  I want to do some Updates:

  I'm not quit sure if the display and the powersupply cable are the best choise and i have a new Hifiberry Digi+ with the Pulse module.

  

  So now to my question: 

  - should i remove the display ? ( on my daily usage i don't need it )

  - Should i remove the reset button ? Would it influence the sound ?

  - What typ of cable should I use for the low-voltage side ? Would it influence the sound ?

  - Should I add this filter condensators just after the PSU output ? : http://www.thel-audioworld.de/module/siebung/STA.htm

   

  Thank you all for the input and feedback

   

  Greetings from Germany

   

  Inonoob

   

   

   

   

  Edited by inonoob December 09, 2015 09:09
• 0
  
  inonoob December 21, 2015 22:56

  Hello everyone,

  I made major update to the System:

  • First I improved the power supply for the Pi. Now we are coming from 220V to the PSU 5V output than goes into the rectification and smoothing circuit that puts out a very nice and clean 5V. (I will upload some measurment later :). )
  • The Reset Button has been removed from the powerline and now only triggers a Software Reset. A python programm is waiting for a low signal on GPIO 23 to GND to Reset the Pi.

  

  If some of you had some more ideas ?

   

  Greeting

   

  Inonnob

   

  ps: Daniel can you may update the Project on the Website ?

  Edited by inonoob December 21, 2015 22:58
• 0
  
  Andrew Callum January 02, 2016 01:38

  @inonnob:  Great project.  Would you mind posting the parts you used?  The case, power supply and external connectors all look great.

   

  Many thanks!

   

   

• 0
  
  6515cg April 17, 2016 23:39

  Hello Inonnob,

  I'm trying to connect the same LCD HD44780 (16x2) + PCF8574 as you describe in your tutorial with a Hifiberry DACpro and a raspberry 2. (on http://www.inohec.com/Inohec-Hifi-Pi/Lcd-config/Tutorial%20Raspberry%20Pi.pdf)

  After that I followed the steps of your tutorial:

  1) Install in KODI (OpenElec) the service XBMC LCDproc

  2) The dir /storage/downloads already exist so in that dir I placed the driver HD44780.so

  3) LCDd.conf didn't exist in /storage/.config/ so I made it and placed your http://www.inohec.com/Inohec-Hifi-Pi/Lcd-config/LCDd.conf in it with a minor change on the display size with "Size=16x2".

  So far so good but after the reboot the display is only on power but without any information.

  Changing teh XBMC LCDproc configuration has no effect.

  Did  I forget something? I hope  you can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

  Thanks in advance!

  Regards

  Ronald

   

• 0
  
  6515cg April 18, 2016 00:10

  Found the answer:

  I forgot to activate the driver in: System->OpenELEC->Services->Driver->Enable LCD Driver Support->LCD/VFD Driver->Choose->HD44780

  Thanks again Inonnob for your tutorial!

• 0
  
  John Harris May 18, 2016 12:45

  Hi,

  Thanks for taking the time to document this project - it looks really great! I am in the process of doing something similar and I had run into trouble getting my LCD display to work with LCDproc. With your driver it is working fine over I2C. What did you change to make it work?

  Whatever it was - thank you! 

   

  john

• 0
  
  inonoob May 18, 2016 19:59

  Hey John,

  This has 2 possbile issues. 

  In the LCDd.conf you have to seet the right I2C address of your I2C modul. With another raspberry pi I use "I2CTools"

  $ sudo apt-get install i2c-tools

  than you scan for the i2c modul

  $ sudo i2cdetect -r 0

  I got my on 0x27

  with this I got the right i2c address and set it in the LCDd.conf

  But the second issue can be with the chip itself. My was PCF8574T so I had to find the right driver HD44780.so for the right chip. At the end the issue for the chips are the pins. As far as I understood the pins are differnt by looking in the datasheet of the chips.

  Regards

  Florian

   

   

   

• 0
  
  John Harris May 24, 2016 20:52

  Hi Florian,

  Thanks for your response. I have the correct I2C address in LCDd.conf (it's the same as yours - 0x27). It was the pin connections for the chip that must have been the case. With the driver you linked to, it works. With the one that built with LCDproc, it doesn't. 

  Where did you get your driver from? Did you build it yourself, or find it somewhere else?

  Thanks again!

  john

  PS - my project is nearing completion. I'll post a picture when it's done :)

• 0
  
  inonoob May 27, 2016 19:07

  Hey everyone,

  I made a website where I explain and show the complet project.

  The website is still in development.

  http://www.inohec.org ; http://www.inohec.de

  Greetings

  Florian