2.4" TFT LCD Shield isn't working on Arduino Mega

Question

Even on ebay's website it is mentioned that I can't use 2.4" TFT LCD Shield display on attach to Arduino Mega. The problem is that I bought this shield by mistake. I want to put this shield onto Arduino Mega 2560. Is there a way to combine Mega and 2.4" Display Shield?

note: I tried on my friend's Arduino Uno. Shield is working very good.

note: The photo below is determining my question. The display not runs my Arduino's code. It only runs its LED.

    // UTFT_Demo_320x240 (C)2012 Henning Karlsen
// web: http://www.henningkarlsen.com/electronics
//
// This program is a demo of how to use most of the functions
// of the library with a supported display modules.
//
// This demo was made for modules with a screen resolution 
// of 320x240 pixels.
//
// This program requires the UTFT library.
//

#include <UTFT.h>
#define ILI9320_16 18
// Declare which fonts we will be using
extern uint8_t SmallFont[];

// Uncomment the next line for Arduino 2009/Uno
//UTFT myGLCD(UNO_24,A2,A1,A3,A4);   // Remember to change the model parameter to suit your display module!

// Uncomment the next line for Arduino Mega
UTFT myGLCD(ILI9320_16,38,39,40,41);   // Remember to change the model parameter to suit your display module!

void setup()
{
  randomSeed(analogRead(0));

// Setup the LCD
  pinMode(A0,OUTPUT);       // for the UNO_SHIELD_1IN1
  digitalWrite(A0,HIGH);    // the RD pin must be set high
  myGLCD.InitLCD();
  myGLCD.setFont(SmallFont);
}

void loop()
{
  int buf[318];
  int x, x2;
  int y, y2;
  int r;

// Clear the screen and draw the frame
  myGLCD.clrScr();

  myGLCD.setColor(255, 0, 0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(0, 0, 319, 13);
  myGLCD.setColor(64, 64, 64);
  myGLCD.fillRect(0, 226, 319, 239);
  myGLCD.setColor(255, 255, 255);
  myGLCD.setBackColor(255, 0, 0);
  myGLCD.print("* Universal Color TFT Display Library *", CENTER, 1);
  myGLCD.setBackColor(64, 64, 64);
  myGLCD.setColor(255,255,0);
  myGLCD.print("<http://electronics.henningkarlsen.com>", CENTER, 227);

  myGLCD.setColor(0, 0, 255);
  myGLCD.drawRect(0, 14, 319, 225);

// Draw crosshairs
  myGLCD.setColor(0, 0, 255);
  myGLCD.setBackColor(0, 0, 0);
  myGLCD.drawLine(159, 15, 159, 224);
  myGLCD.drawLine(1, 119, 318, 119);
  for (int i=9; i<310; i+=10)
    myGLCD.drawLine(i, 117, i, 121);
  for (int i=19; i<220; i+=10)
    myGLCD.drawLine(157, i, 161, i);

// Draw sin-, cos- and tan-lines  
  myGLCD.setColor(0,255,255);
  myGLCD.print("Sin", 5, 15);
  for (int i=1; i<318; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.drawPixel(i,119+(sin(((i*1.13)*3.14)/180)*95));
  }

  myGLCD.setColor(255,0,0);
  myGLCD.print("Cos", 5, 27);
  for (int i=1; i<318; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.drawPixel(i,119+(cos(((i*1.13)*3.14)/180)*95));
  }

  myGLCD.setColor(255,255,0);
  myGLCD.print("Tan", 5, 39);
  for (int i=1; i<318; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.drawPixel(i,119+(tan(((i*1.13)*3.14)/180)));
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);
  myGLCD.setColor(0, 0, 255);
  myGLCD.setBackColor(0, 0, 0);
  myGLCD.drawLine(159, 15, 159, 224);
  myGLCD.drawLine(1, 119, 318, 119);

// Draw a moving sinewave
  x=1;
  for (int i=1; i<(318*20); i++) 
  {
    x++;
    if (x==319)
      x=1;
    if (i>319)
    {
      if ((x==159)||(buf[x-1]==119))
        myGLCD.setColor(0,0,255);
      else
        myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
      myGLCD.drawPixel(x,buf[x-1]);
    }
    myGLCD.setColor(0,255,255);
    y=119+(sin(((i*1.1)*3.14)/180)*(90-(i / 100)));
    myGLCD.drawPixel(x,y);
    buf[x-1]=y;
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some filled rectangles
  for (int i=1; i<6; i++)
  {
    switch (i)
    {
      case 1:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,0,255);
        break;
      case 2:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,0,0);
        break;
      case 3:
        myGLCD.setColor(0,255,0);
        break;
      case 4:
        myGLCD.setColor(0,0,255);
        break;
      case 5:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,255,0);
        break;
    }
    myGLCD.fillRect(70+(i*20), 30+(i*20), 130+(i*20), 90+(i*20));
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some filled, rounded rectangles
  for (int i=1; i<6; i++)
  {
    switch (i)
    {
      case 1:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,0,255);
        break;
      case 2:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,0,0);
        break;
      case 3:
        myGLCD.setColor(0,255,0);
        break;
      case 4:
        myGLCD.setColor(0,0,255);
        break;
      case 5:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,255,0);
        break;
    }
    myGLCD.fillRoundRect(190-(i*20), 30+(i*20), 250-(i*20), 90+(i*20));
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some filled circles
  for (int i=1; i<6; i++)
  {
    switch (i)
    {
      case 1:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,0,255);
        break;
      case 2:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,0,0);
        break;
      case 3:
        myGLCD.setColor(0,255,0);
        break;
      case 4:
        myGLCD.setColor(0,0,255);
        break;
      case 5:
        myGLCD.setColor(255,255,0);
        break;
    }
    myGLCD.fillCircle(100+(i*20),60+(i*20), 30);
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some lines in a pattern
  myGLCD.setColor (255,0,0);
  for (int i=15; i<224; i+=5)
  {
    myGLCD.drawLine(1, i, (i*1.44)-10, 224);
  }
  myGLCD.setColor (255,0,0);
  for (int i=224; i>15; i-=5)
  {
    myGLCD.drawLine(318, i, (i*1.44)-11, 15);
  }
  myGLCD.setColor (0,255,255);
  for (int i=224; i>15; i-=5)
  {
    myGLCD.drawLine(1, i, 331-(i*1.44), 15);
  }
  myGLCD.setColor (0,255,255);
  for (int i=15; i<224; i+=5)
  {
    myGLCD.drawLine(318, i, 330-(i*1.44), 224);
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some random circles
  for (int i=0; i<100; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.setColor(random(255), random(255), random(255));
    x=32+random(256);
    y=45+random(146);
    r=random(30);
    myGLCD.drawCircle(x, y, r);
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some random rectangles
  for (int i=0; i<100; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.setColor(random(255), random(255), random(255));
    x=2+random(316);
    y=16+random(207);
    x2=2+random(316);
    y2=16+random(207);
    myGLCD.drawRect(x, y, x2, y2);
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

// Draw some random rounded rectangles
  for (int i=0; i<100; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.setColor(random(255), random(255), random(255));
    x=2+random(316);
    y=16+random(207);
    x2=2+random(316);
    y2=16+random(207);
    myGLCD.drawRoundRect(x, y, x2, y2);
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

  for (int i=0; i<100; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.setColor(random(255), random(255), random(255));
    x=2+random(316);
    y=16+random(209);
    x2=2+random(316);
    y2=16+random(209);
    myGLCD.drawLine(x, y, x2, y2);
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.setColor(0,0,0);
  myGLCD.fillRect(1,15,318,224);

  for (int i=0; i<10000; i++)
  {
    myGLCD.setColor(random(255), random(255), random(255));
    myGLCD.drawPixel(2+random(316), 16+random(209));
  }

  delay(2000);

  myGLCD.fillScr(0, 0, 255);
  myGLCD.setColor(255, 0, 0);
  myGLCD.fillRoundRect(80, 70, 239, 169);

  myGLCD.setColor(255, 255, 255);
  myGLCD.setBackColor(255, 0, 0);
  myGLCD.print("That's it!", CENTER, 93);
  myGLCD.print("Restarting in a", CENTER, 119);
  myGLCD.print("few seconds...", CENTER, 132);

  myGLCD.setColor(0, 255, 0);
  myGLCD.setBackColor(0, 0, 255);
  myGLCD.print("Runtime: (msecs)", CENTER, 210);
  myGLCD.printNumI(millis(), CENTER, 225);

  delay (10000);
}

Answer 1

I just happened to buy the same LCD Shields a few days ago, looking for a library to use it with a MEGA 2560 board I found https://github.com/Smoke-And-Wires/TFT-Shield-Example-Code which supports both UNO and MEGA boards.

Usage is very, simple if we want to use it for MEGA we should change the header #include "uno_24_shield.h" in SWTFT.cpp to #include "mega_24_shield.h"

Description (useful for adding suppport for the shield in other libraries):

Incompatibility comes from different Port mappings for Arduino pin-out between Mega and UNO.

in UNO LCD shield will be connected through:

+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| LCD Data Bit  |  7  |  6  |  5  |  4  |  3  |  2  |  1  |  0  |
+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Digital pin # |  7  |  6  |  5  |  4  |  3  |  2  |  9  |  8  |
+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Uno port/pin  | PD7 | PD6 | PD5 | PD4 | PD3 | PD2 | PB1 | PB0 |
+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

in MEGA it will be connected through:

+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| LCD Data Bit  |  7  |  6  |  5  |  4  |  3  |  2  |  1  |  0  |
+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Digital pin # |  7  |  6  |  5  |  4  |  3  |  2  |  9  |  8  |
+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| MEGA port/pin | PH4 | PH3 | PE3 | PG5 | PE5 | PE4 | PH6 | PH5 |
+---------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

Answer 2

A way to proceed is to create a spreadsheet showing the pin positions used by this board, and the Arduino shield signals they plug into. Next to these, you need columns showing the actual signals on the ATMega2560 (for Mega2560) and ATMega328 (for Uno) that these shield pins attach to. You can get this info from the Uno and Mega2560 schematic drawings.

In a quick look, it seems that the Arduino shield pin names for Uno and Mega are the same: for example, shield pin '0' (digital zero) is in the same location on both boards, and likewise for other pins.

However, on the Uno digital-0 attaches to ATMega328 Port D bit 0, while on the Mega2560, it attaches to ATMega2560 Port E bit 0. And things get more obtuse with digital 2..7.

Now, when twiddling bits individually using digitalWrite(pin, value), the Arduino library no doubt takes care of translating to the appropriate port/bits that need to be set for the ATMega chip and Arduino board that's in use. However, libraries that use lower-level functions (especially if they need to write entire bytes to ports, as a fast LCD library might) will need to take their own steps to make this translation.

So... first step is to determine whether there is a separate LCD driver library for Mega2560.

Next, investigate whether the library you have has initialization code that is supposed to determine what board it's running on (and is your board included?), or requires you to set some flag to tell it what board is in use.

Failing that, you could create a mess of jumpers or some other wiring scheme to jumper the Mega's ATMega2560's signals so that it's wired up like a Uno would be. It's not clear that this is possible, since some of ATMega2560's Port D is not even wired to a header.

Or you could look at the source code for the library and see what it's actually doing, and what it would need to do different to operate the ATMega 2560 pins that the shield does connect to.

Answer 3

Have you checked out the Library homepage? Henning Karlsen's library page

He has made a user manual for the library. There is also a reference to what pin goes where in the requirements document.

Answer 4

You need to compare the pins' functions between your Mega and your friend's Uno. Then you need to make those electrical connections happen. I talk about this a little in the "pin locations" section of my answer here.

This requires "hacking". Something needs to be done to reroute those physical connections. I normally use an intermediate shield to translate pins as needed. There was a shield specifically made for this purpose but I couldn't find it. Maybe this one would work?