Strangre greek characters on 16x2 LCD

[Karkas]

Hello, I've been working with this 16x2 LCD and it worked just fine for about 3 weeks, but a week ago it started to show sometimes some weird characters and had to be reset to go back to normal functioning, and now it is happening more often. There are no inductive loads nearby. I am working with an arduino MEGA2560 and using the arduino library. I don't really think it has something to do with the code, when this happens the board keeps working as it should.

Any idea about why is this happening? I am no finding anything related in the dataseet, just suspecting static electricity damage.

Thanks in advance..

 

[cowboybob]

... just suspecting static electricity damage.

Thanks in advance..

That's what I'd suspect.

But,..

Are you re-setting the Arduino or the LCD? Or both?
Is it doing this on both rows?
Do you have another one to test?
Have you tried re-newing the LiquidCrystal.h file?
Are the odd characters consistantly the same? (dropped bit)?

 

[Karkas]

Hello and thanks cowboybob.

I am resetting the arduino board, but maybe clearing every input makes it regenerate the characters.
It does it generally in the first row, but sometimes in both.
Not for now, I have to go and buy one. Haven't found any friend with one that I can use.
Re-newing the LiquidCrystal.h file how? re-downloading it?

 

[cowboybob]

...Re-newing the LiquidCrystal.h file how? re-downloading it?

https://playground.arduino.cc/Main/LiquidCrystal#Download

 

[atferrari]

Are you sure they are not Chinese characters? I recall having some surprises many years ago.

Have you checked the connections to the data bus?

 

[4pyros]

Yes I think the weird characters may be able to tell you something, but your problem is most likely an intermittent data line.
Try reconnecting the data lines.

 

[Pommie]

Attached is the normal character set, do the characters you see match what should be there by changing one bit? If so it's probably a data line problem.

Edit, if you are using 8 bit mode then it is almost certainly D7 that has the problem.

Mike.

 

[dr pepper]

I've had something like this with a motor controller, noise could well be the issue, try a 100uF cap with a 100nf cap in parallel directly across the lcd's power supply pins.