When I started working on Open Vapors, I thought the stumbling point would be the PID algorithm or safe AC line control. However, it turned out; I spent a significant amount of time understanding how to print to the Arduino LCD display correctly.

If you need an easy to use RGB LCD, check out the Grove LCD from SeeedStudio. They sent me one to check out. The LCD comes with Seeed’s “grove connector system” which can connect to a variety of their Arduino-compatible boards. You can also pick up the Grove Base Shield which adds a variety of Grove connectors to an Arduino Uno. The Grove LCD makes it super easy to connect up a character LCD. It is very plug-and-play.

As I dig into my latest project, the lessons I learned back then are coming back to me. Here are 7 tips for driving an Arduino LCD display, like one with 2×20 or 4×20 characters.