Ethernet LCD?

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » April 26th, 2006, 6:24 pm

I had an idea and wanted to see what you guys think. We now have serial, USB and wireless LCD's. What about ethernet. Here is the main advantage... you can use one LCD for several networked computers. The computers could run smartie with a special display driver that communicates over ethernet.

Just an idea

J

Fast351 · Post by **Fast351** » April 26th, 2006, 7:03 pm

Are you thinking a small embedded processor to manage a TCP/IP stack like a Rabbit or a Netburner type module, or hosted in a PC?

For the PC, such a thing already exists. My HTPC runs a display using IRTrans, which the driver connects to using a TCP port to display data. As a matter of fact, when I was developing that driver, I was running it across the network to debug it so I wouldn't have to load a debugger on my HTPC.

If you were to do it standalone, I'm not sure how you'd keep the cost REALLY cheap, but I'd probably look at the Lantronix XPort to start with, and add a cheap PIC or Atmel AVR part to drive the display.

-Mike

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » April 26th, 2006, 9:14 pm

It would definetly be standalone probably with a PIC. Realtek makes a interface chip that converts ethernet to a 8-bit bus. I have not done alot of research on this and I am not sure how much the chips cost yet. Although, I am sure that there is something cost effective out there.

J

Fast351 · Post by **Fast351** » April 27th, 2006, 1:22 am

Are PICs powerful enough to run a TCP/IP stack? Or are you going to do something more rudementary? Rabbit uses Realtek chips on their boards. You could look at their schematics and see how they did it.

-Mike

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » April 27th, 2006, 6:04 am

A similar project online just serves out webpages. He is using a 20MHz PIC attached to a NIC that uses a realtek chip. The following protocols are supported on his:

ARP - the address resolution protocol [RFC 826]
IP - the internet protocol [RFC 791]
ICMP- the internet control message protocol (only echo requests and replies) [RFC 792]
TCP - the transmission control protocl [RFC 793]
HTTP - the hypertext transfer protocol [RFC 2068]

J

ch424 · Post by **ch424** » April 27th, 2006, 6:56 pm

Microchip make an ethernet chip that connects via SPI to microcontrollers. They also provide a TCP/IP stack with built-in HTTP server etc.

I've been trying to think of something cool to do with it.

ch424

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » April 27th, 2006, 10:48 pm

Very nice. That is alot better than the realtek. There is a 100 pins on that and I would have to make a special board.

Ch424, do you have one?

J

ch424 · Post by **ch424** » April 27th, 2006, 11:07 pm

No I haven't got one ... yet! They're something like $6 for the DIL version, so it's not too much to invest if you want to have a go! I think that all you need is that chip, a fast PIC, a pair of oscillators, an ethernet plug and a power souce

. Pretty cool stuff.

They don't have a MAC address built in, so either make one up, or find a disused ethernet card, and use the MAC address on that. I read most of the datasheet and it looks pretty simple to use: It's the TCP/IP stack that's tricky.

Keep us posted if you give it a go...

ch424

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » April 28th, 2006, 12:19 am

I see that the ethernet chip requires 3.3 volts, not 5. So a little extra hardware is required, but still the parts count is low. I havent looked into the interfacing of the chip yet. I will have to see how much is involved. That is one thing I hear about the realtek is its easy to interface with.

I plan on getting one soon. But I probably wont have any results for a while.

J

penjuin · Post by **penjuin** » May 2nd, 2006, 7:26 am

Maybe it would be an idea to go about this with an FPGA/CPLD? I don't know much vhdl, but the speeds in a Spartan3 could easily run a small webserver. Some dev boards even have a network jack on them.

Anyone think of wireless LAN? Here is a wireless lan module that uses uart and takes http data. Its pricey, but it would definitely do the job.

ch424 · Post by **ch424** » May 2nd, 2006, 6:58 pm

I've ordered an ENC28J60, and I'll say how things go. It appears that everyone who's tried it has had easy success. I'm thinking I could just make it an HTTP server, and it would handle querysting text as MO commands / character data, and just display it on the screen. I'll let you guy sknow if I get it going...

ch424

_X7JAY7X_ · Post by **_X7JAY7X_** » May 2nd, 2006, 9:44 pm

An fpga or similar is way to expensive. You can get a ethernet chip for less than $10 us. Let me know how it goes ch424, I wont have any time to mess with for a few months. I am in the process of writing commands for graphic LCDs to use on another project. If anyone has any routines for a the KS107/108 let me know.

J

firestorm_v1 · Post by **firestorm_v1** » May 13th, 2007, 5:55 am

Anyone try doing this with an HP JetDirect printserver?

LCD Smartie

Ethernet LCD?

Ethernet LCD?

Stupid question....