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RE: using character LCD as display.

ok gotcha, but my next question is can I 
configure linux to use a Character display
say on a serial port... by default?

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Empey, P.Eng. [mailto:]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 11:28 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: using character LCD as display.

Character displays have a parallel interface (they all use clones of a
Hitachi controller developed 20+ years ago).

You can use 8 or 4 data bits, there is one address line (command/data)
one direction line (read/write) And a data strobe.

It is VERY easy to interface these to a printer port.
The READ function is only used to poll the busy status, so you can tie
it to WRITE mode, use only 4 data bits, and connect the address/register
line to another data line.
Thus, with 5 data lines and the printer STROBE going to the LCD STROBE
you have connected the LCD to any device with a parallel printer
interface.
Just be sure to add a delay between characters since you can't read the
busy signal.

I did this back in the 80's ... probably have the code on 5" floppy
somewhere........

Any device with serial or USB has an additional circuit board in there
for translating (which will add to the cost).
A 2x16 large character (1/2") STN with backlight and wide-temp range
should cost you US$10- or less in low volume (under 1k pieces).
A similar display in TN, normal temp, no BL is about U$5.50
(STN LCD is higher contrast than TN -- [super-]twisted nematic liquid
crystal display)

Brian

PS: NO, you cannot connect your VGA signal to a character display.
Sorry.

Asher wrote:
> 
> "Jeremy" wrote:
> >Has anyone out there used a Character LCD as a display.
> >
> >Anyway I was looking at something like:
> >http://www.matrixorbital.com/products/lcd4041.htm
> >could be put in a project box and strapped to my arm for
> >travel.
> 
> I've used some similiar displays from Scott Edwards Electronics [1] for
> projects at work and they work well.
> 
> >I do a lot of hiking and am working on a hiking website...
> >just thought a wearable could help me take notes and
> >keep track of way points, etc etc.
> >
> >the LCD has a serial interface... anyone ever concert
> >VGA to serial?
> 
> This'd be really tricky, you'd need a system running OCR software
> looking at the VGA video! Far easier to design your user interface
> device so that it can be hung off a standard serial port - the serial
> display can be directly connected, and it's pretty trivial to make a
> simple keyboard that can transmit serial data. Then you'd just need a
> suitably tweaked termcap entry and getty or similar running on the
> serial port.
> 
> Asher.
> 
> [1] http://www.seetron.com/
> 
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-- 

Brian

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Brian Empey, P. Eng.
      President

Technical Solutions Inc.
Unit #1 7157 Honeyman St
Delta BC Canada, V4G 1E2
     www.techsol.ca

eMail: 
Tel: 604 946 TECH (8324)
Fax: 604 946 6445
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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