4-bit or 8-bit LCD?

I have always used my LCD with a 4-bit interface to my PIC. Is there any advantages using 8-bit interface. Will the transfer be faster?

Why am i asking this?
I have a lot of ports that i don't use in my PIC project right now. So i wounder if i should use 8-bit interface instead of a 4-bit.

Yes, as you rightly say, your data transfer will be at least twice as fast as you are transferring 8-bits of data in one hit rather than as two lots of 4-bit. Don't forget to change "LCD DEFINE LCD_BITS" to tell PBP that you are using 8-bit mode.

Unless you have a speed problem, I probably wouldn't worry about it. Yes, it will be faster - not twice as fast, but faster than it is with four bits.

Added complication of changing the hardware, and supporting differnet interfaces have to be weighed against the value of the gains.


Not that I wouldn't do it "at all", I just wouldn't do it if you don't have a speed problem. (BTW: Battery life IS a speed problem)

-Denny