I am trying to display a number that changes frequently. Sometimes it flashes or tears as it changes. How can I make it look smoother?
To display a changing number, use a monospace font and always write the same number of characters. So, if it is a 4-digit number, and the value is 1, send ”  1″ (three spaces and a 1) and if it is 123, send one space and the three numbers. The monospace font ensures that each number takes the same horizontal space, so they don’t shift left and right as they change. Finally, you may want to add a “wvr” command (find the manual for your display module in the Documents tab for your specific product) to ensure that the number changes while the display is not being refreshed on that part of the screen. Note that wvr does not work in portrait mode due to the way the LCD is built. See also our video tutorial called “Simple Output Formatting to Manage Fixed-Width Fields.”