Data Table on a 20x4 LCD using python

Just a quick demo showing off some code I made to handle displaying multiple data points on a 20x4 LCD without having the update the entire screen with each refresh. This keeps the screen clean and a bit easier to read... and a ton easier to code against.



Below is the code for the demo you see in the video. The __main function is running thru some example uses, but you should be able to call this code with no changes. Also this is currently on my fork of the Adafruit python code library as it uses the underlying code from them, See my previous blog post on that. http://crumpspot.blogspot.com/2013/05/using-20x4-lcd-displays-with-mcp23017.html

#!/usr/bin/python
#----------------------------------------------------------------
# Author: Chris Crumpacker                               
# Date: May 2013
#
# Testing a data table on an 20x4 LCD, 
# using a RaspberyPi and an MCP23017 I2C port expander
# 
# Using Adafruit_CharLCD code with the I2C and MCP230xx code as well
#----------------------------------------------------------------

from time import sleep
from Adafruit_CharLCDPlate4line import Adafruit_CharLCDPlate
from LCD_EoL_HandlingAnd4LineSupport import LCD_EoL_Handling

class LCD_DataTable(Adafruit_CharLCDPlate):
    # Limited to 4 characters, 
    # position is left or right, 
    # line can be 0 thru 3
    def updateHalfLabel(self, text, position, line):
        self.clearHalfDataSet(position,line)
        if position == "left":
            lcd.setCursor(0,line)
            eol.message(text[0:4]+':')        
        elif position == "right":
            lcd.setCursor(10,line)
            eol.message('|'+text[0:4]+':')
            
    # Limited to 4 characters, 
    # position is left or right, 
    # line can be 0 thru 3
    def updateHalfValue(self, text, position, line):
        if position == "left":
            lcd.setCursor(5,line)
            eol.message("    ")
            lcd.setCursor(5,line)
            eol.message(text[0:4])        
        elif position == "right":
            lcd.setCursor(16,line)
            eol.message("    ")
            lcd.setCursor(16,line)
            eol.message(text[0:4])
    
    # Writes up to a 9 character label and value to a full line
    def updateWholeLineLabel(self, label, line):
        self.clearWholeLine(line)
        lcd.setCursor(0,line)
        eol.message(label[0:9] + ': ')
    
    # Writes up to a 9 character label and value to a full line
    def updateWholeLineValue(self, value, line):
        lcd.setCursor(10,line)
        eol.message(value[0:10])
    
    #Clears an entire line
    def clearWholeLine(self, line):
        lcd.setCursor(0,line)
        eol.message(" " * columns)
    
    #Clears an entire line
    def clearWholeLineValue(self, line):
        lcd.setCursor(10,line)
        eol.message(" " * 10)
    
    # Clears just a half data set, label and value   
    def clearHalfDataSet(self, position,line):
        if position == "left":
            lcd.setCursor(0,line)
            eol.message(" " * 10)
        elif position == "right":
            lcd.setCursor(10,line)
            eol.message(" " * 10)
    
    # Clears just the value portion for a half data set
    def clearHalfValue(self, position,line):
        if position == "left":
            lcd.setCursor(5,line)
            eol.message("    ")      
        elif position == "right":
            lcd.setCursor(16,line)
            eol.message("    ")

#----------------------------------------------------------------
# Main program, just trowing bogus data "against the wall"
#----------------------------------------------------------------
if __name__ == '__main__':
    
    #lcd size reference
    columns = 20
    rows = 4
    
    eol = LCD_EoL_Handling()
    lcd = Adafruit_CharLCDPlate()
    dt = LCD_DataTable()
    
    lcd.begin(columns, rows)
    lcd.backlight(lcd.ON)
    lcd.clear()
    
    lcd.message("20x4 Table Testing")
    sleep(2)
    
    #Filling the table with bogus info
    lcd.clear()
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Temp","left",0)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Mode","right",0)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Targ","left",1)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Fan","right",1)
    dt.updateHalfValue("Cool","right",0)
    dt.updateHalfValue("75.5","left",0)
    dt.updateHalfValue("Auto","right",1)
    dt.updateHalfValue("74.0","left",1)
    dt.updateWholeLineLabel("Tempurature",2)
    dt.updateWholeLineValue("Too Hot!!!",2)
    dt.updateWholeLineLabel("Humidity",3)
    dt.updateWholeLineValue("100%!!!",3)
        
    #Start testing updating and clearing parts
    
    # Clearing entire lines
    sleep(2)
    dt.clearWholeLine(0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearWholeLine(3)
    sleep(1)
    
    # Repopulating the lines just cleared
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Temp","left",0)
    dt.updateHalfValue("75.3","left",0)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Mode","right",0)
    dt.updateHalfValue("Cool","right",0)
    dt.updateWholeLineLabel("Humidity",3)
    dt.updateWholeLineValue("100%!!!",3)
    sleep(2)
    
    # Clearing the entire Data set, both Label and Value
    dt.clearHalfDataSet("left",0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearHalfDataSet("right",0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearHalfDataSet("left",1)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearHalfDataSet("right",1)
    sleep(2)
    
    # Repopulating the half labels and values just removed
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Temp","left",0)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Mode","right",0)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Targ","left",1)
    dt.updateHalfLabel("Fan","right",1)
    
    dt.updateHalfValue("75.5","left",0)
    dt.updateHalfValue("Cool","right",0)
    dt.updateHalfValue("74.0","left",1)
    dt.updateHalfValue("On","right",1)
    sleep(2)
    
    # Clearing the values in the half data sets
    dt.clearHalfValue("left",0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearHalfValue("right",0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearHalfValue("left",1)
    sleep(1)
    dt.clearHalfValue("right",1)
    sleep(2)
    
    # Repopulating half data set values
    dt.updateHalfValue("74.7","left",0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.updateHalfValue("Auto","right",0)
    sleep(1)
    dt.updateHalfValue("74.0","left",1)
    sleep(1)
    dt.updateHalfValue("On","right",1)
    sleep(2)
    
    # Clearing the value on a full line entry
    dt.clearWholeLineValue(2)
    dt.clearWholeLineValue(3)
    sleep(2)
    
    # Repopulating the values that was just removed
    dt.updateWholeLineValue("Still Hot",2)
    dt.updateWholeLineValue("90%",3)