Master FPGA design with VHDL : Driving an LCD Display

Analyze the front and back images to identify the 16-pin lcd interface and its pins, then plan to fetch the 1602a rohs datasheet to confirm functions for FPGA driving.

Explore the LCD16028 datasheet to identify pins such as VSS, VDD, VO, RS, RW, E, and the 8-bit bidirectional data bus. Understand backlight and contrast controls for FPGA displays.

Develop a high-level view of the LCD architecture interfacing with the FPGA, detailing the block diagram, instruction and data registers, and key memories like DDRAM, CGRAM, and CGROM.

Send commands to the LCD device via RS, RW, and DB to perform clear display, return home, and set entry mode and function in 4- or 8-bit mode.

Learn how the address counter assigns DDRAM and CGRAM addresses and auto-increments when writing data, enabling precise cursor positioning and simple custom pattern configuration after a one-time initialization.

Demonstrate how DDRAM uses an address and data to display characters on an LCD's two lines, and how CGROM or CGRAM lookup selects the correct pattern, such as displaying A.

Explore how the character generator ROM stores 5x8 or 5x11 patterns and uses an 8-bit address to fetch them, and how the function set configures the LCD during initialization.

Configure and utilize character generator RAM (CGRAM) to drive LCD displays, mapping DDRAM addresses to CGROM patterns and automatically incrementing CGRAM to compose custom characters.

Learn lcd time characteristics for VHDL: rs must setup before e, e pulse at least 230 ns, data stable around falling edge, with 500 ns cycle and 50 ns waits.

Describe lcd initialization: start in 8-bit mode with a 15 ms delay and send function set thrice. Then switch to 4-bit mode and issue display off, clear, and entry mode.

During the LCD initialization, wait the maximum of 15 ms after VDD above 4.5 V and 40 ms after VDD above 2.7 V to ensure stabilization.

Explore time characteristics for an lcd controller in fpga design, test delays, and voltage effects on signal settling, sharing tested values like 1 microsecond and 50 microseconds.

Demonstrates a VHDL LCD controller implementation driven by a state machine, performing LCD initialization with three function set commands and precise timing, then processing display commands with ready/valid handshakes.

Explain the lcd controller workflow from initialization to command processing, using valid and ready signals, register data with rs and lcde, delay pos duration, and apply long or short waits.

Connect the FPGA to an LCD using breadboard wiring and PMOD pins, mapping E, RS, RW, and data lines, with 3.3V, ground, VO control, and BLA/BLK supply.

Display hello world on the first line starting at position 0 using 8-bit data mode to drive the LCD controller. Follow along with the next videos if you lack material.

Demonstrate a VHDL implementation of an LCD controller that initializes the display and streams the 'Hello World' message via a small state machine and DDRAM addressing.

Simulate the lcd controller to observe signal waveforms and on-board timing, adjusting constants to speed up the demo. Verify ready/valid handshakes and ddram addressing as hello world is sent.

Watch a hands-on demonstration of building a VHDL project with a constraint file, generating a bitstream, and programming the board's flash to drive an LCD display, showing the resulting text.

Create and display a custom character using CGRAM in 8 x 5 dots mode, and place it at line 1, position 0 for lab 2.

Demonstrate a vhdl implementation that displays a custom smiley on an lcd by configuring cgram and ddram via a finite state machine, with lcd ready signaling and clocked control.

Demonstrate lab 2 with a simple display check, showing a smiley in the first position of the first lane; skip timer lab complexity and prepare for lab 3.

Design and drive an lcd display with vhdl to implement a timer showing mm:ss, configurable in set mode with 30-second increments, start control, reset, and a zero led.

Explain binary coded decimal conversion using a hardware-friendly double-double shift algorithm to convert 6-bit binary input (0–59) into 8-bit bcd for display on lcd or 7-segment.

Apply digital debounce in VHDL to stop button bounce, register input twice, and produce a single clock cycle pulse within a 2.5 ms window for reliable timer increments.

Implement a timer in VHDL with set mode, inc/dec buttons, and a start button; debounce logic, a 100 MHz tick, and a two-FSM LCD driver showing minutes and seconds.

Demonstrate a real-time timer display on an lcd using fpga design with vhdl, showcasing set mode, timer adjustments, and a start sequence that lights the led.

Thank you for finishing the master fpga design with vhdl: driving an lcd display course; stay tuned for the risc-v cpu course and please leave a comment or like.