LCD cursor positioning in Arduino - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the lcd.setCursor(col, row) function do in Arduino LCD programming?

It moves the cursor to the specified column (col) and row (row) on the LCD screen, so the next characters will be printed starting from that position.

beginner

How are the column and row numbers indexed in lcd.setCursor(col, row)?

Both column and row numbers start at 0. So, lcd.setCursor(0, 0) moves the cursor to the top-left corner of the LCD.

beginner

Why is it important to set the cursor position before printing text on an LCD?

Because the LCD prints characters starting from the current cursor position. If you don't set it, text might appear in unexpected places or overwrite existing text.

intermediate

What happens if you set the cursor position outside the LCD's size using lcd.setCursor()?

The behavior is undefined; usually, the LCD will ignore the command or wrap around, causing text to appear in wrong places or not at all.

beginner

How do you clear the LCD screen and reset the cursor to the home position?

Use lcd.clear() to clear the screen and reset the cursor to (0, 0).

What does lcd.setCursor(5, 1) do?

A Moves the cursor to column 1, row 5

B Moves the cursor to column 5, row 1

C Clears the LCD screen

D Prints text at the current cursor position

The first number is the column, the second is the row. So it moves the cursor to column 5, row 1.

If you want to print text at the top-left corner of the LCD, which command should you use?

A lcd.setCursor(0, 0)

B lcd.setCursor(1, 1)

C lcd.clear()

D lcd.print(0, 0)

Columns and rows start at 0, so (0, 0) is the top-left corner.

What happens if you print text without setting the cursor position first?

A Text prints at the current cursor position

B Text prints at the bottom-right corner

C LCD clears automatically

D Program crashes

The LCD prints text starting from wherever the cursor currently is.

Which function clears the LCD screen and resets the cursor?

A lcd.home()

B lcd.reset()

C lcd.clear()

D lcd.setCursor(0,0)

lcd.clear() clears the screen and resets the cursor to (0,0).

What is the correct way to move the cursor to the second row, third column?

A lcd.setCursor(3, 2)

B lcd.setCursor(1, 2)

C lcd.setCursor(1, 3)

D lcd.setCursor(2, 1)

Columns and rows start at 0, so third column is 2 and second row is 1.

Explain how to position the cursor on an Arduino LCD before printing text.

Think about how you tell the LCD where to start writing.

Describe what happens if you try to set the cursor outside the LCD's visible area.

Consider what happens if you point somewhere the LCD can't show.