need help and opinion on my 4x20 project...

PeowYong · Post by **PeowYong** » August 17th, 2007, 5:50 am

Things i have completed....:
- Got a 4x20 LCD working with LCD Smartie by using parallel port.

Things i planned to do...:
- connect the LCD using USB port
found 2 sources of how to do it:-
http://www.e.kth.se/~pontusf/index2.html
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=115461

doubts:
-which source is better in term of performance and cost wise?
-how long can the cable be? from the usb port of the com to the USB controller of the LCD?

other ideas:
-Is it possible to connect few LCDs to a Switch and control it through a PC using a LAN/ethernet connection?
-wuts the pros and cons of it?
-What do i need to do that?

Project:
sending data(text) through internet from handphone to the pc and display the data(text) on the LCD

Thanks for your help, comment and suggestions.

PeowYong

Post by **limbo** » August 17th, 2007, 7:02 am

Let take things one by one

-which source is better in term of performance and cost wise?

About cost: It depends on your equipment (programmer for uC). You need to program an AVR or PIC uC in each case. The peripheral components are low cost.You have to think about the uC
About performance: both projects supported by LCD Smartie drivers (according the authors) so there is no problem.

-how long can the cable be? from the usb port of the com to the USB controller of the LCD?

5 m is the officially maximum length supported by USB ports
http://www.everythingusb.com/forums/sho ... readid=804

-Is it possible to connect few LCDs to a Switch and control it through a PC using a LAN/ethernet connection?
-wuts the pros and cons of it?
-What do i need to do that?

Look here
http://forums.lcdsmartie.org/viewtopic.php?t=794

Project:
sending data(text) through internet from handphone to the pc and display the data(text) on the LCD

Be more specific. Is there any software available for this type of communication? Are you trying to create one?

PeowYong · Post by **PeowYong** » August 17th, 2007, 9:18 am

thanks for the fast reply..

programming for the uC wouldnt be much problem as theres programmer at my University i m studying..

about using the ethernet connection, i had read through that topic before i posted here.. but it doesnt seem to have sufficient info for me

http://www.harbaum.org/till/ledmatrix is used on the LEDmatrix, not 4x20, thats y i have no idea on how to do it,

as for this link http://picmania.garcia-cuervo.com/Proye ... PICNET.htm , its in spanish, and i dont understand well, so i m having difficulty on knowing the concept and things there..

Besides that, i had also search for more info about the ethernet connection, but unfortunately cant find any useful site..

how do i control the LCD if using the ethernet connection?

about my project, i m using a Java-enabled-phone to run a custom Java program which is able to send data to the internet, and i also had set up a server with my pc. The connectivity part has been done and is able to work now. so my problem is that, if using the ethernet connection, how am i going to control the and things shown on the LCD?

thanks again

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » August 18th, 2007, 7:00 am

The ethernet to serial converter shown on that link uses a program that "forwards" data from the PC directly to the ethernet serial device. It creates a virtual com port that you write data to and it simply sends the data to the ethernet to serial converter and comes out the other end. These are a direct replacement for a standard serial cable and they can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Very simple.

Can you send data directly to the serial port using your program? If so, get a serial LCD and an Ethernet to serial converter. X-Port makes them and so does a few others. Your other option would be to use a linksys or buffalo (just to name a few) router as your ethernet to serial converter. It would probably cost the same but it is bigger in size. Although, with the router method you could use WIFI. Check this out http://www.k9spud.com/whr-g54s/.

Good Luck

Post by **limbo** » August 18th, 2007, 8:42 am

In http://www.harbaum.org/till/ledmatrix/ there is no ready solution for LCDs but using dot matrix LEDs is more complicated that the LCD so the project is possible. All we need is some with very good knowledge to convert or create code and circuit (I'm not this guy

)

as for this link http://picmania.garcia-cuervo.com/Proye ... PICNET.htm , its in spanish, and i dont understand well, so i m having difficulty on knowing the concept and things there..

Use this service: http://babelfish.altavista.com/

how do i control the LCD if using the ethernet connection?

about my project, i m using a Java-enabled-phone to run a custom Java program which is able to send data to the internet, and i also had set up a server with my pc. The connectivity part has been done and is able to work now. so my problem is that, if using the ethernet connection, how am i going to control the and things shown on the LCD?

Things are getting difficult

Since LCD Smartie is not TPC/IP enabled, the only thing is to create lot of actions to control the screens remotely (this is the only tip I can think of) but you won't able to check the active program output. So if the actions setup is incomplete...

.... Think about it

About the ethernet-to-serial converters there are few solutions...
Look at Lantronix site
http://www.lantronix.com/
http://www.lantronix.com/device-network ... xport.html
And at Moxa site
http://www.moxa.com/
http://www.moxa.com/product/Embedded_Device_Servers.htm

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » August 18th, 2007, 8:16 pm

Limbo, maybe I misunderstood but I think he wants to write directly to the display. No LCD Smartie. That MOXA stuff is nice, but I am seeing money flying out the window. The lantronix X-Port is what I used before.

PeowYong · Post by **PeowYong** » August 18th, 2007, 8:47 pm

The ethernet to serial converter shown on that link uses a program that "forwards" data from the PC directly to the ethernet serial device. It creates a virtual com port that you write data to and it simply sends the data to the ethernet to serial converter and comes out the other end. These are a direct replacement for a standard serial cable and they can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Very simple.

Can you send data directly to the serial port using your program? If so, get a serial LCD and an Ethernet to serial converter. X-Port makes them and so does a few others. Your other option would be to use a linksys or buffalo (just to name a few) router as your ethernet to serial converter. It would probably cost the same but it is bigger in size. Although, with the router method you could use WIFI. Check this out http://www.k9spud.com/whr-g54s/.

i cant send the data directly to the serial port... thats y i m using LCD Smartie... just planning to make few lcds connected and to lengthen the wire if possible....

Since LCD Smartie is not TPC/IP enabled, the only thing is to create lot of actions to control the screens remotely (this is the only tip I can think of) but you won't able to check the active program output. So if the actions setup is incomplete... .... Think about it

About the ethernet-to-serial converters there are few solutions...
Look at Lantronix site
http://www.lantronix.com/
http://www.lantronix.com/device-network ... xport.html
And at Moxa site
http://www.moxa.com/
http://www.moxa.com/product/Embedded_Device_Servers.htm

i dunno how to send the data straight to the LCD, thus, i need the help of LCD Smartie to convert the received data to be displayed on the LCD..

does the ethernet-to-serial converters just work as i m using a parallel port connection?

Limbo, maybe I misunderstood but I think he wants to write directly to the display. No LCD Smartie. That MOXA stuff is nice, but I am seeing money flying out the window. The lantronix X-Port is what I used before.

its better if i dont have to write directly to the display because i dont have any reference to refer and dont have the skill to do it..

The best output of my project is this:
able to send data to the server (this part has been done)...
server send data to different LCD (connected to a switch with each LCD having a specific IP) displaying different data on each LCD (hasnt been done and dunno how to get it done)...

will be trying out the USB connection thingy 1st (limited length of cable), and if the ethernet-to-serial (longer limit of length of cable) can be done and can be used, then will proceed with the ethernet-to-serial thingy...

thanks again[/quote]

Post by **limbo** » August 19th, 2007, 11:32 am

I have uploaded a diagram for your project (hope its correct).
Lets get things one by one.

You have already accomplished the Remote client to server communication, using a custom software.

You have to decide which type of converter you have to use for th TCP/IP to RS232 translation unit

You need a translation (and control) software to run on the Server in order to display your data to each LCD device.
Questions:

(

) Do you need also to remote control this software through the "Internet" from the remote client? Alter configuration, check the output, do diagnostics.... etc?

does the ethernet-to-serial converters just work as i m using a parallel port connection?

No the "output" of these devices is serial... this means that you can't connect directly an LCD (HD44780 based). You need either a serial enabled LCD (e.g Matrix Orbital) or your custom interface circuit to translate data.

Post by **limbo** » August 19th, 2007, 11:44 am

@ _X7JAY7X_ have you tested the Lantronix X-port with LCD device?

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » August 19th, 2007, 10:47 pm

Yes limbo I have.

Post by **limbo** » August 21st, 2007, 1:20 pm

I know... there are many companies with TCP/IP to sesial products.
But I forgot to mention NetBurner http://www.netburner.com/

PeowYong · Post by **PeowYong** » August 21st, 2007, 10:55 pm

-> You have already accomplished the Remote client to server communication, using a custom software.

Yup

->You have to decide which type of converter you have to use for th TCP/IP to RS232 translation unit

um... meaning? i dont think i had decided yet...

->You need a translation (and control) software to run on the Server in order to display your data to each LCD device.

yup

->Do you need also to remote control this software through the "Internet" from the remote client? Alter configuration, check the output, do diagnostics.... etc?

nope.. just send the data, and everything else is done by server, no need to check the out put or diagnose from the remote client (mobile phone)

Post by **limbo** » August 22nd, 2007, 3:51 pm

OK you have to find the most economic solution for the TCP/IP converter.

_X7JAY7X_ may help with his knowledge (on lantronix devices).

Since you dont need to remote control the output LCD Smartie is the way to drive your LCDs.
You have to set one instance of LCD Smartie for each LCD module on the server (as the driving software).

The interfacing between your application and the LCD Smartie can be done with custom plugin or reading text files or... any (there are lot of possibilities)

Waiting for your comments

jmoss1999 · Post by **jmoss1999** » September 26th, 2007, 5:43 am

would it not be easier to use the cell phone to post news to your server which in theory would be running rss and then your lcds could pull the info from the rss server? maybe make 3 news feeds?

PeowYong · Post by **PeowYong** » September 26th, 2007, 8:56 am

will be having exam soon.... will continue the project after my exam...
thanks for the comment

will get back to u guys later..