ENG | Raspberry Pi Pico, MicroPython, and Nokia 5110 display

Introduction

The Nokia 5110 LCD (PCD8544) is a compact and affordable monochrome display that has become a popular choice for hobbyists and makers working with microcontrollers like the Raspberry Pi Pico. Despite its simple design, the Nokia 5110 offers a convenient way to display text, graphics, and basic animations, making it suitable for a wide range of projects, from status displays and user interfaces to games.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to connect the Nokia 5110 display to the Raspberry Pi Pico using MicroPython, a lightweight implementation of Python optimized for microcontrollers. We’ll walk through the necessary wiring, explain the code implementation, and provide some helpful tips for troubleshooting and customization.

Wiring

LCD Pin	Name	Note	Pico Pin	Name
1	RST	External reset input, active low	22	GP17
2	CE	Chip enable, active low	24	GP18
3	D/C	Data high / Command low	21	GP16
4	DIN	Serial data input	15	GP11 SPI:MOSI/TX
5	CLK	Serial clock, up to 4MHz	14	GP10 SPI:SCK
6	VCC	Supply voltage 2.7-3.3V	36	3V3
7	BL	Backlight, active low	??	Depends
8	GND	Ground	38	GND

Backlight is on when BL is connected to ground, so it does not have to be connected to Pico.

Code (adopted from example)

As I understand it numbers in SPI(1, baudrate=1000000, mosi=Pin(11), sck=Pin(10)) and SPI wiring must match Raspberry Pi Pico pinout. There are two SPI drivers that can select from certain combinations of pins.

Wiring is according to YouTube video tutorial, which uses CircuitPython from AdaFruit, and it’s mostly demonstration without much practical information. The following code uses MicroPython.

I used micropython-pcd8544 repository, copied example from README.md file into my main.py file as a starting point. We need to download pcd8544.py from the repository and to put it next to our main.py file into project folder. Then upload it to Pico. That’s all.

Changes from the original example are pins, delays

import pcd8544
from machine import Pin, SPI
import sys
from utime import sleep

"""
Philips PCD8544 / Nokia 5110 LCD pinout according to backside description and
this video tutorial https://educ8s.tv/raspberry-pi-pico-nokia5110-display-tutorial-using-circuitpython/,
https://github.com/educ8s/CircuitPython_PCD8544_Graphics
sadly, this is for CircuitPython and AdaFruit ecosystem

Library used: https://github.com/mcauser/micropython-pcd8544

This code is based on example.

|Pin|Name | Note                             | Pico Pin  |
|--:|-----|----------------------------------|-----------|
| 1 | RST | External reset input, active low | 22: GP17  |
| 2 | CE  | Chip enable, active low          | 24: GP18  |
| 3 | D/C | Data high / Command low          | 21: GP16 |
| 4 | DIN | Serial data input                | 15: GP11 SPI:MOSI/TX |
| 5 | CLK | Serial clock, up to 4MHz         | 14: GP10 SPI:SCK |
| 6 | VCC | Supply voltage 2.7-3.3V          | 36: 3V3 |
| 7 | BL  | Backlight, active low            | Depends |
| 8 | GND | Ground                           | 38: GND |
"""

spi = SPI(1, baudrate=1000000, mosi=Pin(11), sck=Pin(10))
cs  = Pin(18)
dc  = Pin(16)
rst = Pin(17)

lcd = pcd8544.PCD8544(spi, cs, dc, rst)

# test pattern (50% on)
lcd.data(bytearray([0x55, 0xAA] * 42 * 6))
sleep(1)

# bitmap smiley (horzontal msb)
lcd.clear()
# draw 8x16 in bank 0 (rows 0..7)
lcd.position(0, 0)
lcd.data(bytearray(b'\xE0\x38\xE4\x22\xA2\xE1\xE1\x61\xE1\x21\xA2\xE2\xE4\x38\xE0\x00'))

sleep(1)
# draw 8x16 in bank 1 (rows 8..15)
lcd.position(0, 1)
lcd.data(bytearray(b'\x03\x0C\x10\x21\x21\x41\x48\x48\x48\x49\x25\x21\x10\x0C\x03\x00'))
sleep(1)

# toggle display, image persists in DDRAM
lcd.power_off()
lcd.power_on()
sleep(1)

# nokia logo bitmap (84x48/8=504 bytes)
lcd.clear()
lcd.data(bytearray( \
    b'\x80\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\x80\x80\x40\x40\x40\x80\x80' \
    b'\xC0\xC0\x40\xC0\xA0\xE0\xC0\xE0\xE0\xF0\xF0\xF8\xF8\xF8\xFC\xFC\xFE\xEE\xF4\xF0\xF0\x70\x30\x00\x80' \
    b'\x00\x00\x80\x00\x0C\x9C\x1C\x38\xB8\x38\x38\xB8\xF8\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0' \
    b'\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF8\xF8\xF8\xF8\x88\x20\x8A\x20\x08\x22\x08\x00\x0A\x00\x00\x02\x80\x71\xBA\xDA' \
    b'\xFD\xDD\xED\xDE\xEE\xF7\xFF\xFB\xFD\xFD\xFE\xFF\x7F\x3F\x1F\x9F\x3F\x7F\x6F\x0F\xAF\x1F\xBF\x3E\x3C' \
    b'\x7A\x78\x70\x22\x88\xA0\x2A\x80\x08\x62\xE0\xE0\xF2\xF0\x58\xDA\xF8\xFC\x92\xFE\xFF\xFF\xD3\xFF\xFD' \
    b'\xF3\xE1\xF0\xF9\x7F\xBF\x3F\x8F\x2F\x4F\xAF\x0F\x4F\xA7\x0F\xAF\x87\x2F\x82\x80\x20\xC0\x80\x80\x50' \
    b'\x40\xC4\xD0\xA0\xE8\xE4\xEA\xFF\xFB\xFD\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xEF\x4F\x27\x53\xA8\x54\x29\x4A\xB5\x82' \
    b'\xAC\xA1\x8A\xB6\x50\x4D\x32\xA4\x4A\xB4\xA9\x4A\x52\xB4\xAA\x45\xA8\xDA\x22\xAC\xD2\x2A\x52\xA8\x52' \
    b'\x4C\xB0\xAD\x43\x5B\xB3\x45\xA8\x5B\xA3\xAB\x55\xA8\x52\x54\xA9\x56\xA8\x45\xBA\xA4\x49\x5A\xA2\x54' \
    b'\xAA\x52\xFE\xFF\xFF\xFE\xFD\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFE\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\x7F\xFF' \
    b'\xFE\xBF\x7F\xBF\xBF\xFF\xDF\xBF\x5F\xDF\x7F\xDF\x7F\xDF\xAF\x7F\xEE\x8E\xF1\x6E\x99\xF7\x6A\xDD\xB2' \
    b'\x6E\xD5\x7A\xD7\xAC\x75\xDB\x6D\xD5\x7A\xD7\xAC\x7B\xE5\xDE\xA9\x77\xDA\xB5\xEE\x59\xB6\xEB\xDD\xB6' \
    b'\x69\xD6\xBF\xE8\x55\xEF\xB9\xD6\xED\xB5\x5B\xAB\xFF\xFD\xF7\xFF\x01\x01\x01\x01\xE1\xC1\x81\x03\x05' \
    b'\x0F\x1D\x2F\x7E\x01\x00\x01\x01\xFF\xFE\x03\x01\x01\x00\xF1\xF0\xF1\x71\xF1\xF1\xB1\xF1\x01\x01\x01' \
    b'\x03\xFE\xFF\x01\x01\x01\x01\xBE\x1B\x0D\x07\x03\x41\xE1\xF1\xF9\x6D\xFF\xFF\x00\x01\x01\x01\xFF\xFF' \
    b'\xEB\x3E\x0D\x03\x01\x41\x71\x70\x41\x01\x03\x0E\x3B\xEF\xFE\xFB\xEE\x7D\xF7\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFE\xFF' \
    b'\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFE\xFC\xF8\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xFF\xFF\xF8\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF1\xF1' \
    b'\xF1\xF1\xF1\xF1\xF1\xF1\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF8\xFF\xFF\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xFF\xFF\xFE\xFC\xF8\xF0\xF0\xF1\xF3' \
    b'\xF7\xFF\xFF\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF0\xFF\xF3\xF0\xF0\xF0\xFC\xFC\xFC\xFC\xFC\xFC\xFC\xFC\xF0\xF0\xF0\xF3\xFF' \
    b'\xFF\xFF\xFF\xFF'))
sleep(1)

lcd.invert(True)
sleep(1)
lcd.invert(False)
sleep(1)

#lcd.reset()
#lcd.init()

# swtich to vertical addressing
#lcd.init(horizontal=False)

# adjust contrast, bias and temp
lcd.contrast(0x1f, pcd8544.BIAS_1_40, pcd8544.TEMP_COEFF_0)
sleep(1)
lcd.contrast(0x3f, pcd8544.BIAS_1_48, pcd8544.TEMP_COEFF_0)
sleep(1)
lcd.contrast(0x3c, pcd8544.BIAS_1_40, pcd8544.TEMP_COEFF_0)
sleep(1)
lcd.contrast(0x42, pcd8544.BIAS_1_48, pcd8544.TEMP_COEFF_0)
sleep(1)
lcd.contrast(0x3f, pcd8544.BIAS_1_40, pcd8544.TEMP_COEFF_2)
sleep(1)
print("Done")

Troubleshooting

• Sadly, one of my two displays did not work and briefly blinked when powered on ☠
• It’s a bit sensitive to timing? errors during data transfer, sometimes nothing is drawn, sometimes Nokia logo is distorted

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully learned how to set up and use the Nokia 5110 display with your Raspberry Pi Pico using MicroPython. With this knowledge, you can now incorporate this versatile display into your projects, opening up a world of possibilities for creating interactive and visually engaging applications.

Remember, the code and wiring provided in this tutorial serve as a starting point. Feel free to modify and expand upon them to suit your specific needs. Additionally, consider exploring other display options, sensors, and peripherals that can be integrated with the Raspberry Pi Pico, unlocking even more possibilities for your projects.

Happy coding and keep exploring the exciting world of microcontrollers and displays!