Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
A full list of products used in this adventure and where they can be purchased can be
found on the Adventures in Raspberry Pi website at www.wiley.com/go/adven-
turesinrp .
An LCD ( liquid crystal display ) is an electronic display, usually quite thin and
lat, that is typically used in digital calculators and digital watches to display
information like the time. In this project, your LCD screen will show the names of
the songs playing on the jukebox—you don't need a monitor for the Pi jukebox.
A potentiometer is a variable resistor. In this project, it will enable you to adjust
the contrast on the display to make it easier to read what is on the LCD screen
by turning an adjuster wheel.
A
Many big electronic projects require you to solder parts together. If you have
spent money on expensive components this can be a daunting task, even for
proicient tinkerers. It can also be very painful should you accidentally burn
yourself with a soldering iron. Luckily, items like breadboards, jumper cables and
solderless headers make it possible to make cool electronic projects without the
need to solder. If there is an adult in your household or at school who is nifty with
soldering tools and has some experience, however, it may be a good idea to ask
them to help you solder headers onto any expensive components to save you
from iddling around with solderless headers in this tutorial.
Part One: Creating the LCD
Screen
In the irst part of this project, you need to assemble the electronic components for
your jukebox. his project involves many more cables and components than previous
adventures, so you should be extra careful about checking your work against the ig-
ures and wiring diagrams. hen, after you have set up the electronics, you will down-
load some iles that you'll use later to be able to display text on the LCD screen.
Preparing the LCD Screen by Adding
Headers
When you buy or receive your LCD screen, you may ind that the header pins that you
need in order to connect the LCD screen onto a breadboard are not included with it.
In this case, you may need to ask an adult to solder the headers on for you; or,
Search WWH ::




Custom Search