A while ago I purchased a nice little Nokia 5110 screen from MindKits.co.nz (or Sparkfun). It comes complete with a little PCB and a built-in PCD8544 controller.  It took  me a while looking at some different demos on the web to get it working – but once you’ve got it worked out, it is very easy.

It has 8 pins, connect these as follows (or adjust the code below for the correct arduino pins):

1. VCC (3v arduino output)
2. GND – Not needed, but if you do some sites say to connect via a small capacitor
3. SCE – Pin 7
4. RST – Pin 6
5. D/C – Pin 5
6. DN – Pin 4
7. SCLK – Pin 3
8. LED (backlight) – No needed, but if you do, remember to use a current limiting resistor!

I took one of the example pieces of code, and improved it with a scroll routine.  Call the ‘scroll(“Message”)’ function in the main loop, and each time the loop repeats, it will scroll the message on one more character, and when needed, it starts looping again.

Here is a video of it working, and below that is the code:

/*
Scrolling text example code
Modified from: http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/PCD8544
*/

// The pins to use on the arduino
#define PIN_SCE   7
#define PIN_RESET 6
#define PIN_DC    5
#define PIN_SDIN  4
#define PIN_SCLK  3

// COnfiguration for the LCD
#define LCD_C     LOW
#define LCD_D     HIGH
#define LCD_CMD   0

// Size of the LCD
#define LCD_X     84
#define LCD_Y     48

int scrollPosition = -10;

static const byte ASCII[][5] =
{
 {0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00} // 20
,{0x00, 0x00, 0x5f, 0x00, 0x00} // 21 !
,{0x00, 0x07, 0x00, 0x07, 0x00} // 22 "
,{0x14, 0x7f, 0x14, 0x7f, 0x14} // 23 #
,{0x24, 0x2a, 0x7f, 0x2a, 0x12} // 24 $
,{0x23, 0x13, 0x08, 0x64, 0x62} // 25 %
,{0x36, 0x49, 0x55, 0x22, 0x50} // 26 &
,{0x00, 0x05, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00} // 27 '
,{0x00, 0x1c, 0x22, 0x41, 0x00} // 28 (
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x22, 0x1c, 0x00} // 29 )
,{0x14, 0x08, 0x3e, 0x08, 0x14} // 2a *
,{0x08, 0x08, 0x3e, 0x08, 0x08} // 2b +
,{0x00, 0x50, 0x30, 0x00, 0x00} // 2c ,
,{0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08} // 2d -
,{0x00, 0x60, 0x60, 0x00, 0x00} // 2e .
,{0x20, 0x10, 0x08, 0x04, 0x02} // 2f /
,{0x3e, 0x51, 0x49, 0x45, 0x3e} // 30 0
,{0x00, 0x42, 0x7f, 0x40, 0x00} // 31 1
,{0x42, 0x61, 0x51, 0x49, 0x46} // 32 2
,{0x21, 0x41, 0x45, 0x4b, 0x31} // 33 3
,{0x18, 0x14, 0x12, 0x7f, 0x10} // 34 4
,{0x27, 0x45, 0x45, 0x45, 0x39} // 35 5
,{0x3c, 0x4a, 0x49, 0x49, 0x30} // 36 6
,{0x01, 0x71, 0x09, 0x05, 0x03} // 37 7
,{0x36, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x36} // 38 8
,{0x06, 0x49, 0x49, 0x29, 0x1e} // 39 9
,{0x00, 0x36, 0x36, 0x00, 0x00} // 3a :
,{0x00, 0x56, 0x36, 0x00, 0x00} // 3b ;
,{0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x41, 0x00} // 3c <
,{0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14} // 3d =
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08} // 3e >
,{0x02, 0x01, 0x51, 0x09, 0x06} // 3f ?
,{0x32, 0x49, 0x79, 0x41, 0x3e} // 40 @
,{0x7e, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x7e} // 41 A
,{0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x36} // 42 B
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0x41, 0x22} // 43 C
,{0x7f, 0x41, 0x41, 0x22, 0x1c} // 44 D
,{0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x41} // 45 E
,{0x7f, 0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x01} // 46 F
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x49, 0x49, 0x7a} // 47 G
,{0x7f, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x7f} // 48 H
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x41, 0x00} // 49 I
,{0x20, 0x40, 0x41, 0x3f, 0x01} // 4a J
,{0x7f, 0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x41} // 4b K
,{0x7f, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40} // 4c L
,{0x7f, 0x02, 0x0c, 0x02, 0x7f} // 4d M
,{0x7f, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x7f} // 4e N
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0x41, 0x3e} // 4f O
,{0x7f, 0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x06} // 50 P
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x51, 0x21, 0x5e} // 51 Q
,{0x7f, 0x09, 0x19, 0x29, 0x46} // 52 R
,{0x46, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x31} // 53 S
,{0x01, 0x01, 0x7f, 0x01, 0x01} // 54 T
,{0x3f, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x3f} // 55 U
,{0x1f, 0x20, 0x40, 0x20, 0x1f} // 56 V
,{0x3f, 0x40, 0x38, 0x40, 0x3f} // 57 W
,{0x63, 0x14, 0x08, 0x14, 0x63} // 58 X
,{0x07, 0x08, 0x70, 0x08, 0x07} // 59 Y
,{0x61, 0x51, 0x49, 0x45, 0x43} // 5a Z
,{0x00, 0x7f, 0x41, 0x41, 0x00} // 5b [
,{0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x20} // 5c ¥
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x00} // 5d ]
,{0x04, 0x02, 0x01, 0x02, 0x04} // 5e ^
,{0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40} // 5f _
,{0x00, 0x01, 0x02, 0x04, 0x00} // 60 `
,{0x20, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x78} // 61 a
,{0x7f, 0x48, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38} // 62 b
,{0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x20} // 63 c
,{0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x48, 0x7f} // 64 d
,{0x38, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x18} // 65 e
,{0x08, 0x7e, 0x09, 0x01, 0x02} // 66 f
,{0x0c, 0x52, 0x52, 0x52, 0x3e} // 67 g
,{0x7f, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x78} // 68 h
,{0x00, 0x44, 0x7d, 0x40, 0x00} // 69 i
,{0x20, 0x40, 0x44, 0x3d, 0x00} // 6a j
,{0x7f, 0x10, 0x28, 0x44, 0x00} // 6b k
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x40, 0x00} // 6c l
,{0x7c, 0x04, 0x18, 0x04, 0x78} // 6d m
,{0x7c, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x78} // 6e n
,{0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38} // 6f o
,{0x7c, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x08} // 70 p
,{0x08, 0x14, 0x14, 0x18, 0x7c} // 71 q
,{0x7c, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x08} // 72 r
,{0x48, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x20} // 73 s
,{0x04, 0x3f, 0x44, 0x40, 0x20} // 74 t
,{0x3c, 0x40, 0x40, 0x20, 0x7c} // 75 u
,{0x1c, 0x20, 0x40, 0x20, 0x1c} // 76 v
,{0x3c, 0x40, 0x30, 0x40, 0x3c} // 77 w
,{0x44, 0x28, 0x10, 0x28, 0x44} // 78 x
,{0x0c, 0x50, 0x50, 0x50, 0x3c} // 79 y
,{0x44, 0x64, 0x54, 0x4c, 0x44} // 7a z
,{0x00, 0x08, 0x36, 0x41, 0x00} // 7b {
,{0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0x00, 0x00} // 7c |
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x36, 0x08, 0x00} // 7d }
,{0x10, 0x08, 0x08, 0x10, 0x08} // 7e ←
,{0x00, 0x06, 0x09, 0x09, 0x06} // 7f →
};

void LcdCharacter(char character)
{
  LcdWrite(LCD_D, 0x00);
  for (int index = 0; index < 5; index++)
  {
    LcdWrite(LCD_D, ASCII[character - 0x20][index]);
  }
  LcdWrite(LCD_D, 0x00);
}

void LcdClear(void)
{
  for (int index = 0; index < LCD_X * LCD_Y / 8; index++)
  {
    LcdWrite(LCD_D, 0x00);
  }
}

void LcdInitialise(void)
{
  pinMode(PIN_SCE,   OUTPUT);
  pinMode(PIN_RESET, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(PIN_DC,    OUTPUT);
  pinMode(PIN_SDIN,  OUTPUT);
  pinMode(PIN_SCLK,  OUTPUT);

  digitalWrite(PIN_RESET, LOW);
  digitalWrite(PIN_RESET, HIGH);

  LcdWrite(LCD_CMD, 0x21);  // LCD Extended Commands.
  LcdWrite(LCD_CMD, 0xBf);  // Set LCD Vop (Contrast). //B1
  LcdWrite(LCD_CMD, 0x04);  // Set Temp coefficent. //0x04
  LcdWrite(LCD_CMD, 0x14);  // LCD bias mode 1:48. //0x13
  LcdWrite(LCD_CMD, 0x0C);  // LCD in normal mode. 0x0d for inverse
  LcdWrite(LCD_C, 0x20);
  LcdWrite(LCD_C, 0x0C);
}

void LcdString(char *characters)
{
  while (*characters)
  {
    LcdCharacter(*characters++);
  }
}

void LcdWrite(byte dc, byte data)
{
  digitalWrite(PIN_DC, dc);
  digitalWrite(PIN_SCE, LOW);
  shiftOut(PIN_SDIN, PIN_SCLK, MSBFIRST, data);
  digitalWrite(PIN_SCE, HIGH);
}

/**
 * gotoXY routine to position cursor
 * x - range: 0 to 84
 * y - range: 0 to 5
 */
void gotoXY(int x, int y)
{
  LcdWrite( 0, 0x80 | x);  // Column.
  LcdWrite( 0, 0x40 | y);  // Row.
}

void drawBox(void)
{
  int j;
  for(j = 0; j < 84; j++) // top
  {
    gotoXY(j, 0);
    LcdWrite(1, 0x01);
  }

  for(j = 0; j < 84; j++) //Bottom
  {
    gotoXY(j, 5);
    LcdWrite(1, 0x80);
  }

  for(j = 0; j < 6; j++) // Right
  {
    gotoXY(83, j);
    LcdWrite(1, 0xff);
  }

  for(j = 0; j < 6; j++) // Left
  {
    gotoXY(0, j);
    LcdWrite(1, 0xff);
  }
}

void Scroll(String message)
{
  for (int i = scrollPosition; i < scrollPosition + 11; i++)
  {
    if ((i >= message.length()) || (i < 0))
    {
      LcdCharacter(' ');
    }
    else
    {
      LcdCharacter(message.charAt(i));
    }
  }
  scrollPosition++;
  if ((scrollPosition >= message.length()) && (scrollPosition > 0))
  {
    scrollPosition = -10;
  }
}

void setup(void)
{
  LcdInitialise();
  LcdClear();
  drawBox();

  gotoXY(7,1);
  LcdString("Nokia 5110");
  gotoXY(4,2);
  LcdString("Scroll Demo");
}

void loop(void)
{
  gotoXY(4,4);
  Scroll("Scrolling Message from MindKits.co.nz / blog.stuartlewis.com");
  delay(200);
}