Hi -
I have found som LCD i need to build a controler and program to get this to work - Can anybody here help me where to start ??
Link to Display:
http://www.f-16simulator.com/pdf/CMDS_D ... 0287ed.pdf
http://www.f-16simulator.com/pdf/CMDS_DISP_guide.pdf
Regards
Frank
Our new official repo is on github
LCD Smartie version 5.6 is released!
Download it now: https://github.com/LCD-Smartie/LCDSmartie/releases
LCD Smartie version 5.6 is released!
Download it now: https://github.com/LCD-Smartie/LCDSmartie/releases
New to LCD programing and Hardware... HELP
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mattcro
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An F16 simulator with realistic cockpit... hmmm, wouldn't mind one of those 
What do you plan to use these displays for? Simulator avionics? More importantly, what software do you plan to use them with? LCD Smartie is designed more with larger displays in mind (like 16x1 minimum) but could be adapted to work with smaller sizes.
As far as the electronics interfacing goes, probably nobody on this forum has used these displays - the usual displays are HD44780-compatible LCD and VFD modules, or smart LCD modules (Matrix Orbital, Crystalfontz, iMON among others) with a built-in microcontroller with high-level display commands.
The interface is quite different to the common HD44780 protocol, so you'd need to develop a custom controller to connect the display to a PC. Probably the best idea is to use a microcontroller such as a Microchip PIC or an Atmel AVR to emulate one of the common protocols like Matrix Orbital. This requires reasonable programming skills and electronics knowledge. Then you can have a USB or serial (COM port) connection to the PC and use one of many programs like LCD Smartie to send info to the display module, or write your own software if necessary for specialist applications like simulators.
There are a few projects on this forum (and lots on the web) for making an LCD to PC interface unit using a microcontroller, so you can get some ideas from these.
Hope that helps you get started!
What do you plan to use these displays for? Simulator avionics? More importantly, what software do you plan to use them with? LCD Smartie is designed more with larger displays in mind (like 16x1 minimum) but could be adapted to work with smaller sizes.
As far as the electronics interfacing goes, probably nobody on this forum has used these displays - the usual displays are HD44780-compatible LCD and VFD modules, or smart LCD modules (Matrix Orbital, Crystalfontz, iMON among others) with a built-in microcontroller with high-level display commands.
The interface is quite different to the common HD44780 protocol, so you'd need to develop a custom controller to connect the display to a PC. Probably the best idea is to use a microcontroller such as a Microchip PIC or an Atmel AVR to emulate one of the common protocols like Matrix Orbital. This requires reasonable programming skills and electronics knowledge. Then you can have a USB or serial (COM port) connection to the PC and use one of many programs like LCD Smartie to send info to the display module, or write your own software if necessary for specialist applications like simulators.
There are a few projects on this forum (and lots on the web) for making an LCD to PC interface unit using a microcontroller, so you can get some ideas from these.
Hope that helps you get started!
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Frank
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- Joined: August 1st, 2007, 9:06 am
Sure it helps...
the LCD is for some panel in the sim (see pic)
http://www.f-16simulator.com/pdf/chaffflare_02.gif
http://www.f-16simulator.com/pdf/chaffflare_03.gif
and we are developing software our self... i need to build a interface to USB port.
Frank
the LCD is for some panel in the sim (see pic)
http://www.f-16simulator.com/pdf/chaffflare_02.gif
http://www.f-16simulator.com/pdf/chaffflare_03.gif
and we are developing software our self... i need to build a interface to USB port.
Frank
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_X7JAY7X_
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_X7JAY7X_
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I think I missed an obvious question here, what are your plans for this display? Are you just writing to the display when certain buttons are pressed?
I have never used AVR so I guess I am biased to PIC's. It can be done with any micro since you arent doing anything special, just reading and writing to data pins. I would suggest no matter what you decide to use that you get a decent compiler. Most free compilers are assembly language. Look for a C or Basic compiler.
J
I have never used AVR so I guess I am biased to PIC's. It can be done with any micro since you arent doing anything special, just reading and writing to data pins. I would suggest no matter what you decide to use that you get a decent compiler. Most free compilers are assembly language. Look for a C or Basic compiler.
J
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Frank
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_X7JAY7X_
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You may want to look into a Basic Stamp. While they are expensive ($40-$50 ea.) they include a basic language compiler and do not need a special programmer. You can get a starter kit from parallax.com for $80. Just make sure they do everything you need instruction and speed wise. If you are looking to go cheaper do alot of searching. You might be able to find a different brand that offers a decent compiler cheap.
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mattcro
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Frank, you say it needs to connect to the sim PC via USB. You may find it easier to use a USB to serial (RS232) converter, which lets you use the USB port on the PC, but makes it a lot easier to interface to a microcontroller. The programming is also easier, since USB is quite complicated to start programming with. Most microcontrollers (including the ones Jay mentioned) have a serial port built in, and this is easy to program in most mocrocontroller compilers. At the PC end, your display driver application treats the connection as a standard serial (COM) port which is relatively easy to program.
Some newer microcontrollers have USB ports built in but, unless you get a decent (ie more expensive) compiler it's more difficult to program and use the USB port. This also applies to the PC end of the USB connection. I have no experience with these USB micros, but have used the serial port on PICs in several projects including connecting an LCD to the PC.
You can get a USB cable with a USB-serial converter built in and it connects directly to the mictocontroller - have a look at USB-to-RS232 TTL converter devices from FTDI (and probably others).
As for actually writing data onto the display, you will probably have to develop the microcontroller code from scratch using the interface information in the datasheet - HP gives timing diagrams and so on. They are cool little displays but they're quite different to the display modules that are often used with LCD Smartie and similar software, so probably none of us on this forum is familiar with your display hardware.
As for PIC and AVR microcontroller development systems, there are a number of good compilers and programmers - look at the Atmel and Microchip websites for info about the microcontrollers themselves and info on compilers, programmers etc. I only have experience with the PIC devices (programming in C and assembler), but Atmel's AVR devices have similar features.
Compilers are available for these, using BASIC, C and other languages. I don't know what will best suit your needs - that depends what programming language you prefer and how much the budget is.
For getting started, you may be best to get a development/prototyping board with a microcontroller and a few extras built-in, or perhaps a Basic Stamp as suggested. These usually come with all you need to get started programming (in the BASIC language in the case of the Stamp) and get a working system going. I'm afraid I don't know enough about the various options to recommend one particular system over another.
None of the microcontrollers we've mentioned so far is particularly powerful, but driving a small display (or several displays as in your prototype drawing) is not a demanding task and any small microcontroller should do the job. Just make sure you choose one with enough I/O pins to drive the display (more pins to drive several displays). You may be able to use the same micro to read switch and button states too. A larger micro could run one of the chaff panels, for example.
Phew! That should keep you busy for a while
Matt
Some newer microcontrollers have USB ports built in but, unless you get a decent (ie more expensive) compiler it's more difficult to program and use the USB port. This also applies to the PC end of the USB connection. I have no experience with these USB micros, but have used the serial port on PICs in several projects including connecting an LCD to the PC.
You can get a USB cable with a USB-serial converter built in and it connects directly to the mictocontroller - have a look at USB-to-RS232 TTL converter devices from FTDI (and probably others).
As for actually writing data onto the display, you will probably have to develop the microcontroller code from scratch using the interface information in the datasheet - HP gives timing diagrams and so on. They are cool little displays but they're quite different to the display modules that are often used with LCD Smartie and similar software, so probably none of us on this forum is familiar with your display hardware.
As for PIC and AVR microcontroller development systems, there are a number of good compilers and programmers - look at the Atmel and Microchip websites for info about the microcontrollers themselves and info on compilers, programmers etc. I only have experience with the PIC devices (programming in C and assembler), but Atmel's AVR devices have similar features.
Compilers are available for these, using BASIC, C and other languages. I don't know what will best suit your needs - that depends what programming language you prefer and how much the budget is.
For getting started, you may be best to get a development/prototyping board with a microcontroller and a few extras built-in, or perhaps a Basic Stamp as suggested. These usually come with all you need to get started programming (in the BASIC language in the case of the Stamp) and get a working system going. I'm afraid I don't know enough about the various options to recommend one particular system over another.
None of the microcontrollers we've mentioned so far is particularly powerful, but driving a small display (or several displays as in your prototype drawing) is not a demanding task and any small microcontroller should do the job. Just make sure you choose one with enough I/O pins to drive the display (more pins to drive several displays). You may be able to use the same micro to read switch and button states too. A larger micro could run one of the chaff panels, for example.
Phew! That should keep you busy for a while
Matt