Of course there is no "fixed" standard as per LCD modules pinout, nevertheless, this is the first time I encountered one which does not follow the defacto standard.

I went through most of the Lumex catalogue (the brand of LCD module you are using) and except these 1602 modules with suffix C, all of them have 1=GND. I also downloaded around 20 datasheets of 16x2 modules pointed to from digikey's site, and the pinout is invariably 1=GND, except the Lumex suffix C devices. I also have half a dozen of 16x2 modules of various brands scattered around my desk now, all of them having 1=GND. There are wild variations in positioning and polarity of the backlight pins, if there are any, but not the supply and signal pins.

Please don't get me wrong - I did not mean to criticise your work on the SBC (which is btw. excellent and I like the SBC very much). The list of parts for SBC lists LCD modules which "conform" to the SBC as it is and this is just OK. I just don't want anybody else falling unawary to the same pit. So, maybe you could consider a remark on the SBC's pages, pointing out that the user should use the specified LCD modules, and otherwise he should check the pinout (maybe pointing out that many - most? - of the modules have reversed the GND and VCC pins).

Jan Waclawek


PS. Just as an interesting fact, the module running hot under the reversed supply survived and works perfectly now...