docs/lcdproc-user/drivers/serialVFD.docbook

   1 <sect1 id="serialVFD-howto">
   2 <title>The serialVFD Driver</title>
   3
   4 <para>
   5 This section talks about using LCDproc with VFD character-displays build by NEC, FUTABA and NORITAKE.
   6 </para>
   7
   8
   9 <para>
  10 The serialVFD-driver is working with NEC FIPC8367 based VFDs
  11 and the "KD Rev 2.1" (an ATMEL AT90S.... based FM20X2KB-AB replacement).
  12 It is also known to work on FUTABA VFDs.
  13 </para>
  14
  15 <para>
  16 The driver should operate most of NEC, Futaba and Noritake 7x5 dot VFDs with
  17 serial(RS-232) and/or parallel interface. See the following table for testing-status.
  18 Feedback is welcome.
  19
  20
  21 <table id="serialVFD-howto.status">
  22 <title>serialVFD: Display Status</title>
  23 <tgroup cols="6">
  24   <thead>
  25     <row>
  26       <entry>Display</entry>
  27       <entry>Controller</entry>
  28       <entry>Serial</entry>
  29       <entry>Parallel</entry>
  30       <entry>Display tested</entry>
  31       <entry>Remark</entry>
  32     </row>
  33   </thead>
  34   <tbody>
  35     <row>
  36       <entry>NEC FM20X2KB-AB</entry>
  37       <entry>NEC FIPC8367</entry>
  38       <entry>Ok</entry>
  39       <entry>Ok</entry>
  40       <entry>Yes</entry>
  41       <entry> </entry>
  42     </row>
  43     <row>
  44       <entry>NEC FC20X2JA</entry>
  45       <entry>NEC FIPC8367</entry>
  46       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
  47       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
  48       <entry>No</entry>
  49       <entry>Same Controller as on FM20X2KB-AB</entry>
  50     </row>
  51     <row>
  52       <entry>NEC FC20X1SA-AB/AA</entry>
  53       <entry>NEC FIPC8367</entry>
  54       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
  55       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
  56       <entry>No</entry>
  57       <entry>Same Controller as on FM20X2KB-AB</entry>
  58     </row>
  59     <row>
  60       <entry>KD Rev 2.1</entry>
  61       <entry>AT90S.... microcontroller</entry>
  62       <entry>Ok</entry>
  63       <entry>Ok</entry>
  64       <entry>Yes</entry>
  65       <entry> </entry>
  66     </row>
  67
  68     <row>
  69       <entry>FUTABA M402SD06GJ</entry>
  70       <entry>?</entry>
  71       <entry>(?)*</entry>
  72       <entry>Ok</entry>
  73       <entry>Yes</entry>
  74       <entry>(* perhaps no compatible baudrate, not tested)
  75  The display has no user-characters: set <command>Custom-Characters=0</command>
  76  in <filename>LCDd.conf.</filename></entry>
  77     </row>
  78     <row>
  79       <entry>FUTABA M204SD01AA</entry>
  80       <entry>FUTABA 5P00A016</entry>
  81       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
  82       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
  83       <entry>No</entry>
  84       <entry> </entry>
  85     </row>
  86   <row>
  87       <entry>Samsung 20S204DA2</entry>
  88       <entry>?</entry>
  89       <entry>Ok</entry>
  90       <entry>Ok</entry>
  91       <entry>Yes</entry>
  92       <entry>The display is FUTABA compatible (hard- and software). Set <command>Custom-Characters=0</command>
  93  in <filename>LCDd.conf.</filename> </entry>
  94     </row>
  95
  96     <row>
  97       <entry>Noritake CU20026SCPB-T</entry>
  98       <entry>microcontroller</entry>
  99       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
 100       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
 101       <entry>No</entry>
 102       <entry> </entry>
 103
 104     </row>
 105     <row>
 106       <entry>Noritake CU20045SCPB-T28A</entry>
 107       <entry>?</entry>
 108       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
 109       <entry>(Ok)</entry>
 110       <entry>No</entry>
 111       <entry> </entry>
 112     </row>
 113   </tbody>
 114 </tgroup>
 115 </table>
 116
 117 <literal>(</literal>&hellip;<literal>)</literal>: Feature not tested.
 118 </para>
 119
 120 <para>
 121 If your display isn't working 100% satisfactorily you can add a new device with modified hardware
 122 commands to the driver if you want. To do that you have to add a new section to the display
 123 <command>Type=</command>-switch-case in <filename>./server/drivers/serialVFD-displays.c</filename>
 124 and to write a new "load" function with the correct commands for the display.
 125 (Try which display <command>Type=</command> works best with your display,
 126 then copy, rename and modify this function to your needs - that is the easiest way I guess.)
 127 </para>
 128
 129 <para>
 130 On Malte Poeggel's page you may find pictures and datasheets of the VFDs:
 131 <ulink url="http://www.maltepoeggel.de/html/vfd/index.html"></ulink>
 132 </para>
 133
 134 <para>
 135 It is possible to switch the display off and back on while the server is
 136 running. It may take a few minutes until the next full refresh makes
 137 the display show everything correctly.
 138 </para>
 139
 140
 141 <sect2 id="serialVFD-connections">
 142 <title>Connecting The Display</title>
 143
 144 <para>The Connections shown have been tested successfully.</para>
 145
 146 <warning>
 147 <para>
 148 Always cross-check with your datasheet, before connecting your display!
 149 Different displays of even the same manufacturer may have different pin assignments!
 150 </para></warning>
 151
 152 <para>
 153 With this example connections it will be easy to connect displays with
 154 different connector pin-layouts, the pins are commonly named equal in
 155 the datasheet.
 156 </para>
 157
 158 <sect3 id="serialVFD-serial-connections">
 159 <title>Serial Connections</title>
 160
 161 <para>
 162 It is <emphasis>not</emphasis> possible to connect most of the displays directly to the
 163 serial port. The signal has to be inverted. I use the following
 164 circuit to do that job.
 165 </para>
 166
 167 <figure id="serialVFD-serial-connections.circuit">
 168 <title>serialVFD: Serial Inverter</title>
 169 <screen>
 170 <![CDATA[
 171 Computer                                          Display
 172                                                   (signal)
 173 HDD Powerconnector
 174 color(Voltage)
 175
 176 red(+5V)    ----------------------------------o----- +5V
 177                                               |
 178 black(GND)  ----------------------o          .-.
 179                                   |          | | 10k
 180 Serial(SUB-D  9Pin female)        |          | |
 181 pin(signal)                       V*         '-'
 182            ___                                |
 183 3(TxD)  --|___|--o---o      o-----------------o----- RxD
 184            10k   |   |      |
 185                  |   |     C|
 186                 .-.  |   -----  BC547c (or similar NPN)
 187                 | |  | B|  /  |
 188             10k | |  o--|-|   |
 189                 '-'     |  \  |
 190                  |       --->-    A*
 191                  |          E|    |
 192                  |           |    |
 193 5(GND)  ---------o-----------o----o--------------o-- GND
 194                                                  |*
 195 Shield  -----------------------------------------o
 196 optional
 197
 198 *connect near display
 199 ]]>
 200 </screen>
 201 </figure>
 202
 203 <para>The pins on the different displays vary.</para>
 204
 205 <sect4 id="serialVFD-serial-connections-NEC">
 206 <title>NEC Displays (FM20X2KB-AB):</title>
 207
 208 <para>CN1:</para>
 209 <screen><![CDATA[
 210 Pin 33 ------- RxD
 211 (Testmode: connect pins 25 and 26, then power up)
 212 ]]></screen>
 213
 214 <para>CN2:</para>
 215 <screen><![CDATA[
 216 Pin 1  ------- +5V
 217 Pin 2  ------- GND
 218 ]]></screen>
 219 </sect4>
 220
 221 <sect4 id="serialVFD-serial-connections-KD">
 222 <title>KD Rev 2.1:</title>
 223 <para>
 224 The blue connector (6pin in a row) (the important one!):
 225 </para>
 226 <screen>
 227 <![CDATA[
 228 --------------------------------
 229 | +5V  +5V  RxD  GND  GND  GND |
 230 --------------------------------
 231 ]]>
 232 </screen>
 233
 234 <tip>
 235   <para>
 236   Hold the display in that position where you can read
 237   the <literal>KD Rev 2.1</literal> marking normally!
 238   </para>
 239 </tip>
 240
 241 <para>The gray connector (10pin 2 rows):</para>
 242 <screen>
 243 <![CDATA[Do not use. (the ATMEL ISP connector I guess)
 244 ]]>
 245 </screen>
 246 <para>The two jumpers next to the gray connector:</para>
 247 <screen>
 248 <![CDATA[Normally not used.
 249 You can activate two different testmodes with them.
 250 ]]>
 251 </screen>
 252 </sect4>
 253
 254 <sect4 id="serialVFD-serial-connections-FUTABA">
 255 <title>FUTABA Displays (M402SD06GJ):</title>
 256 <screen><![CDATA[Pin 2   ------ +5V
 257 Pin 4   ------ +5V
 258 Pin 6   ------ +5V
 259
 260 Pin 10  ------ GND
 261 Pin 12  ------ GND
 262 Pin 14  ------ GND
 263
 264 Pin 19  ------ RxD
 265 ]]></screen>
 266 </sect4>
 267
 268
 269 </sect3>
 270
 271 <sect3 id="serialVFD-parallel-connections">
 272 <title>Parallel Connections</title>
 273
 274
 275 <sect4 id="serialVFD-parallel-connections-NEC">
 276 <title>NEC Displays (FM20X2KB-AB):</title>
 277
 278 <para>CN1:</para>
 279 <screen><![CDATA[
 280 parallel Port:                  Display (NEC):
 281 Pin:    Name:                   Name:   Pin:
 282
 283 1       /STROBE --------------  /WR     17
 284 2       D0      --------------  D0      15
 285 3       D1      --------------  D1      13
 286 4       D2      --------------  D2      11
 287 5       D3      --------------  D3      9
 288 6       D4      --------------  D4      7
 289 7       D5      --------------  D5      5
 290 8       D6      --------------  D6      3
 291 9       D7      --------------  D7      1
 292 10      /ACK    --o
 293                   |
 294 11      BUSY    --o-----------  BUSY    27
 295
 296                            o--  /CS     23
 297                            |
 298 18 - 25 GND    ------------o--  GND     2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,20,32,34
 299                            |*
 300 Shield  -------------------o
 301 optional
 302
 303 *connect near display
 304 ]]></screen>
 305 <para>CN2:</para>
 306 <screen><![CDATA[
 307 Pin 1  ------ +5V
 308 Pin 2  ------ GND
 309 ]]></screen>
 310 </sect4>
 311
 312 <sect4 id="serialVFD-parallel-connections-FUTABA">
 313 <title>FUTABA Displays (M402SD06GJ):</title>
 314 <screen><![CDATA[
 315 parallel Port:                  Display (FUTABA):
 316 Pin:    Name:                   Name:   Pin:
 317
 318 1       /STROBE --------------  /WR     17
 319 2       D0      --------------  D0      15
 320 3       D1      --------------  D1      13
 321 4       D2      --------------  D2      11
 322 5       D3      --------------  D3      9
 323 6       D4      --------------  D4      7
 324 7       D5      --------------  D5      5
 325 8       D6      --------------  D6      3
 326 9       D7      --------------  D7      1
 327 10      /ACK    --o
 328                   |
 329 11      BUSY    --o-----------  BUSY    20
 330
 331                            o--  /SEL    18
 332                            |
 333 18 - 25 GND    ------------o--  GND     10,12,14
 334                            |*
 335 Shield  -------------------o
 336 optional
 337                            0--  TEST    16
 338                            |
 339                 +5V -------o--  +5V     2,4,6
 340
 341 *connect near display
 342 ]]></screen>
 343 </sect4>
 344
 345 </sect3>
 346 </sect2>
 347 <!-- ## Serial VFD driver ## -->
 348 <sect2 id="serialVFD-config">
 349 <title>Configuration in LCDd.conf</title>
 350
 351
 352 <sect3 id="serialVFD-config-section">
 353 <title>[serialVFD]</title>
 354
 355 <variablelist>
 356
 357 <varlistentry>
 358   <term>
 359     <command>use_parallel=</command>
 360     <arg choice="plain">
 361     <group choice="req">
 362       <arg choice="plain"><literal><emphasis>yes</emphasis></literal></arg>
 363       <arg choice="plain"><literal>no</literal></arg>
 364     </group>
 365     </arg>
 366   </term>
 367   <listitem><para>
 368     "<literal>no</literal>" if display connected serial, "<literal>yes</literal>" if connected parallel [default: <literal>no</literal>(serial)].
 369   </para></listitem>
 370 </varlistentry>
 371
 372 <varlistentry>
 373   <term>
 374     <command>Port=</command>
 375     <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>PORT</replaceable></arg>
 376   </term>
 377   <listitem><para>
 378     Portaddress where the LPT is. Used in parallelmode only. Usual values are 0x278, 0x378 and 0x3BC [default: <literal>0x278</literal>].
 379   </para></listitem>
 380 </varlistentry>
 381
 382 <varlistentry>
 383   <term>
 384     <command>Device=</command>
 385     <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>DEVICE</replaceable></arg>
 386   </term>
 387   <listitem><para>
 388     Device to use in serial mode. Usual values are <filename>/dev/ttyS0</filename> and <filename>/dev/ttyS1</filename>
 389     [default: <filename>/dev/lcd</filename>].
 390   </para></listitem>
 391 </varlistentry>
 392
 393 <varlistentry>
 394   <term>
 395     <command>Custom-Characters=</command>
 396     <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>CUSTOM-CHARACTERS</replaceable></arg>
 397   </term>
 398   <listitem><para>
 399 Number of Custom-Characters [default: Display-<command>Type</command> dependent].
 400   </para></listitem>
 401 </varlistentry>
 402
 403 <varlistentry>
 404   <term>
 405     <command>Size=</command>
 406     <arg choice="plain">
 407       <replaceable>WIDTH</replaceable>
 408       <literal>x</literal>
 409       <replaceable>HEIGHT</replaceable>
 410     </arg>
 411   </term>
 412   <listitem><para>
 413     Specifies the size of the VFD.
 414     [default: <literal>20x2</literal>]
 415   </para></listitem>
 416 </varlistentry>
 417
 418 <varlistentry>
 419   <term>
 420     <command>Type=</command>
 421     <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>CODE</replaceable></arg>
 422   </term>
 423   <listitem>
 424     <para>
 425     Specifies the display type.[default: 0]
 426     The following type codes are available:
 427     </para>
 428     <informaltable>
 429     <tgroup cols="2">
 430       <thead>
 431         <row>
 432           <entry><replaceable>CODE</replaceable></entry>
 433           <entry>VFD model</entry>
 434         </row>
 435       </thead>
 436       <tbody>
 437         <row>
 438           <entry><literal><emphasis>0</emphasis></literal></entry>
 439           <entry>NEC (FIPC8367 based) VFDs</entry>
 440         </row>
 441         <row>
 442           <entry><literal>1</literal></entry>
 443           <entry>KD Rev 2.1</entry>
 444         </row>
 445         <row>
 446           <entry><literal>2</literal></entry>
 447           <entry>Noritake VFDs</entry>
 448         </row>
 449         <row>
 450           <entry><literal>3</literal></entry>
 451           <entry>Futaba VFDs</entry>
 452         </row>
 453       </tbody>
 454     </tgroup>
 455     </informaltable>
 456     <note><para>
 457       Noritake VFDs have not been tested yet. Feedback is welcome.
 458     </para></note>
 459   </listitem>
 460 </varlistentry>
 461
 462 <varlistentry>
 463   <term>
 464     <command>Brightness=</command>
 465     <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>BRIGHTNESS</replaceable></arg>
 466   </term>
 467   <listitem><para>
 468 Set the initial brightness [default: 1000; legal: 0 - 1000]
 469  (4 steps 0-250, 251-500, 501-750, 751-1000)
 470   </para></listitem>
 471 </varlistentry>
 472
 473 <varlistentry>
 474   <term>
 475     <command>OffBrightness=</command>
 476     <arg choice="plain"><replaceable>OFFBRIGHTNESS</replaceable></arg>
 477   </term>
 478   <listitem><para>
 479 Set the initial off-brightness [default: 0; legal: 0 - 1000].
 480  This value is used when the display is normally
 481  switched off in case LCDd is inactive.
 482  (4 steps 0-250, 251-500, 501-750, 751-1000)
 483   </para></listitem>
 484 </varlistentry>
 485
 486 <varlistentry>
 487   <term>
 488     <command>Speed=</command>
 489     <arg choice="plain">
 490     <group choice="req">
 491       <arg choice="plain"><literal>1200</literal></arg>
 492       <arg choice="plain"><literal>2400</literal></arg>
 493       <arg choice="plain"><literal><emphasis>9600</emphasis></literal></arg>
 494       <arg choice="plain"><literal>19200</literal></arg>
 495       <arg choice="plain"><literal>115200</literal></arg>
 496     </group>
 497     </arg>
 498   </term>
 499   <listitem><para>
 500     Set the the baud rate communication with the VFD.
 501     If not given [default <literal>9600</literal>].
 502   </para></listitem>
 503 </varlistentry>
 504
 505 <varlistentry>
 506   <term>
 507     <command>ISO_8859_1=</command>
 508     <arg choice="plain">
 509     <group choice="req">
 510       <arg choice="plain"><literal><emphasis>yes</emphasis></literal></arg>
 511       <arg choice="plain"><literal>no</literal></arg>
 512     </group>
 513     </arg>
 514   </term>
 515   <listitem><para>
 516     Enable ISO-8859-1 compatibility [default is <literal>yes</literal>].
 517   </para></listitem>
 518 </varlistentry>
 519 </variablelist>
 520
 521 </sect3>
 522
 523 </sect2>
 524
 525 </sect1>
 526