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Forum: µC & Digital Electronics Can't understand instructions for Waveshare LCD PWM control


von Codierer (weichware)


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Hi, I have a Waveshare LCD whose brightness I want to control by PWM. 
From my Raspberry PI, it has a dedicated PWM GPIO Port (the 12th port, 
GPIO 18: 
https://www.raspberrypi-spy.co.uk/2012/06/simple-guide-to-the-rpi-gpio-header-and-pins/).

(Edit: The LCD has its own power supply and is (till now) connected to 
the Raspberry only by HDMI. It works so far like any normal monitor.)

The instructions for the PWM control look pretty simple: 
https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/15.6inch_HDMI_LCD#accordion4.

The instruction there tells to remove a triode (OK) and use the GPIO 18 
port of my Raspberry. There, I don't get how that should work (I've only 
basic electrical knowledge). I've basically a 2nd electric circuit which 
overlaps with that of the LCD -- how should that work? Do I solder, like 
described, the lower pin of the LCD to my GPIO 18 port?

Do I have then to solder the upper pin of the LCD to a GND port of my 
Raspberry? So that an electric circuit gets closed? Or is that 
superfluous?

How does that work?

: Edited by User
von Matthias S. (Company: matzetronics) (mschoeldgen)


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Codierer wrote:
> I've basically a 2nd electric circuit which
> overlaps with that of the LCD

Once you've removed the triode there's no more overlap - thats the 
reason for the removal. The rest of the backlight driver ist still on 
the display but now controlled through the PWM of the RPi.

von Stefan F. (Guest)


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You shall connect the pin that the arrow points to with GPIO18 of your 
Raspberry Pi, using a piece of wire.

> I've basically a 2nd electric circuit which
> overlaps with that of the LCD -- how should that work?

Only you know what you have. Can't you show photos of that?

von Matthias S. (Company: matzetronics) (mschoeldgen)


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Codierer wrote:
> Do I have then to solder the upper pin of the LCD to a GND port of my
> Raspberry?

GND conection should be already be present by the HDMI cable.

von Stefan F. (Guest)


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> Do I have then to solder the upper pin of the LCD to a GND port of my
> Raspberry? So that an electric circuit gets closed?

Of course the GND of both boards must be connected together, otherwise 
it cannot work. But that is not related to the modification you want to 
do.

First get the display working basically, then modify it. Otherwise you 
cannot know which step failed.

von Codierer (weichware)


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Thanks for the answers, I edited my question and hope that it clears 
things up.

von Codierer (weichware)



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I'm still confused, I think my problem was misunderstood because my 
question was unclear, so I edited the original question.

Let me further explain it, by uploading the image from the linked 
website, about the LCD instructions.

The instructions above the image are:
"Remove the triode shown in the figure below, and solder the PWM pin on 
the pad indicated by the arrow on the right."

The LCD is (without that soldering stuff) only connected via an HDMI 
cable to the Raspberry and works flawlessly (it has it's own power 
supply).

I'm still unsure if it's enough to solder the GPIO 18 pin of the 
Raspberry to only one pin on the Waveshare LCD, and how that works?

von Matthias S. (Company: matzetronics) (mschoeldgen)


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Codierer wrote:
> I'm still unsure if it's enough to solder the GPIO 18 pin of the
> Raspberry to only one pin on the Waveshare LCD, and how that works?

Its not only one pin from the RPi you're connecting to the pad, there's 
also a HDMI connection from the RPi to the display. It provides the 
necessary grounding also for the PWM signal from the RPi to the LCD 
Board.

Its true that only one wire from the RPi to the indicated pad would not 
suffice, but the grounding's there by HDMI.

von Codierer (weichware)


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Matthias S. wrote:
> Its not only one pin from the RPi you're connecting to the pad, there's
> also a HDMI connection from the RPi to the display. It provides the
> necessary grounding also for the PWM signal from the RPi to the LCD
> Board.
>
> Its true that only one wire from the RPi to the indicated pad would not
> suffice, but the grounding's there by HDMI.

Nice, thanks for the explanation. That clears things up, always thought 
of the HDMI connection as something completely different, because it's a 
fixed standalone standard, not directly connected to the Raspberry Pi. 
But your explanation makes sense.

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