> **Source:** Core Electronics is an Australian maker-electronics retailer and manufacturer based in Newcastle, NSW, run by a team of makers and educators. We design and manufacture our own product lines (PiicoDev, CE originals) and are official retailers for iconic maker and industrial brands including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Adafruit, SparkFun and DFRobot. Orders ship Australia-wide from our Newcastle warehouse. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Pricing, stock and dispatch on this page are generated from the store's live catalog. Full machine-readable index: https://core-electronics.com.au/llms.txt

# I2C LCD Backpack for 1602 to 2004 LCDs

**Type:** Product page · **SKU:** 018-LCD1602-I2C · **Brand:** [Core Electronics](https://core-electronics.com.au/brands/core-electronics-australia)
**Page:** https://core-electronics.com.au/i2c-lcd-backpack-for-1602-to-2004-lcds.html ([markdown](https://core-electronics.com.au/i2c-lcd-backpack-for-1602-to-2004-lcds.html.md))

Almost every electronics enthusiast has run into pin issues with 1602 or the like LCDs. This module has a PCF8574T onboard which reduces the number of data pins needed to control the LCD down to 2! This excludes the power/ground pins which are also required.

## Pricing

- **Price:** $2.45 (inc GST) — $2.23 AUD, exc GST
- **Quantity discounts:** 5+ $2.18 (exc GST) · 15+ $2.12 (exc GST)

## Availability & dispatch

- In stock, ships same business day if ordered before 2PM (Australia/Sydney).
- We can dispatch 16 today; more stock is typically available with a 8–12 day lead time.

## How to buy

- **Build a cart:** compose `https://core-electronics.com.au/cart/link?items=018-LCD1602-I2C:1` (comma-separated SKU:qty pairs) and share the link. Opening it shows a confirmation page with live pricing and stock before anything is added to the cart.
- **Verify the cart first:** fetch `https://core-electronics.com.au/cart/link/018-LCD1602-I2C:1.md` for live line prices (inc & exc GST, quantity discounts applied), stock and dispatch estimates, and totals. Append `/to/{AU-postcode}` (or `/to/{country-code}:{postcode}`) before `.md` for delivery options and prices to that destination. Unknown, retired, or out-of-stock SKUs are flagged. (Query form `cart/link.md?items=...` also works but some robots parsers refuse query strings here.)
- **Checkout** is completed on-site and includes a captcha at the payment step. Share the cart link; checkout takes it from there.
- **Search the catalogue:** `https://core-electronics.com.au/search/{query}.md` (URL-encode the query; pages 2-3 at `search/{query}/{page}.md`; `search.md?q=` also works)
- **Payment methods, purchase orders, policies and contact details:** https://core-electronics.com.au/llms.txt
## Description

Any electronics enthusiast that has used 1602 or similar LCDs can attest that their huge pin requirements can really put a damper on your project! This LCD-to-I²C adapter reduces the connections required all the way down to 4! (VCC, GND, SDA, SCL)

**Features and Specifications**

- Suits all standard 5V LCDs with 16 characters and 2 lines, or 20 characters and 4 lines
- Uses the PCF8574T IO expander from NXP as the "bridge" between interfaces ([Datasheet](https://core-electronics.com.au/attachments/localcontent/PCF8574_PCF8574A_81389a376fe.pdf))
- 4-Pin header for GND, VCC, SDA, and SCL
- Features a potentiometer for contrast adjustment
- Features a jumper to disable the backlight
- Arduino-compatible, with usage notes below
- Size: 40mm x 18mm

**Usage**

1. Connect the VCC, GND, SDA, SCL to the 5V, GND, SDA, and SCL pins respectively on your Arduino, similar to the image below:
    ![](https://core-electronics.com.au/media/wysiwyg/product_info/2022-06-08_12-59-26_IMG_1800.JPG)
2. Solder or wire this adapter to a 1602 or 2004 display ([this one](https://core-electronics.com.au/standard-lcd-16x2-extras-white-on-blue.html) for instance)
3. Download the [Arduino library .zip](https://core-electronics.com.au/attachments/localcontent/018-LCD1602-I2C_197350ea3c0.zip)
4. Install the library from the .zip file as shown below:
    ![](https://core-electronics.com.au/media/wysiwyg/product_info/zip-library.jpg)
5. Flash one of the example sketches, and all going well you'll see text on your LCD!

If you need more of a hand getting this part working, head on over to our [Tech Support Forum](https://forum.core-electronics.com.au/), and we'll do our best to get your project back on track!

## Images

- [Product image 1](https://core-electronics.com.au/media/catalog/product/0/1/018-lcd1602-i2c.jpg)