gbell@pnet12.cts.com (Greg Bell) (12/01/88)
What is the best way to connect to the typical LC display? These things have some sort of conductive layer on the glass as "leads" and as far as I can tell, connecting one of these displays to a breadboarding socket would take a bit of magic. Anybody have any ideas? Also, what good single chip display controllers are there around? I'm looking to interface a 16 segment, 16 character LED or LCD alphanumeric display, and I would really prefer that the 8031 I'm using in the project could spend its time doing things other than refreshing a display. GBell UUCP: { uunet ncr-sd }!pnet12!gbell ARPA: crash!pnet12!gbell@nosc.mil INET: gbell@pnet12.cts.com
gmg@hcx.uucp (Greg M. Garner) (12/02/88)
In article <182@serene.UUCP>, gbell@pnet12.cts.com (Greg Bell) writes: > > Also, what good single chip display controllers are there around? I'm > looking to interface a 16 segment, 16 character LED or LCD alphanumeric > display, and I would really prefer that the 8031 I'm using in the project > could spend its time doing things other than refreshing a display. > > GBell How about checking out the Intersil 7106/7107 chips? They control Non multiplexed LCD and LED displays, 4 digits wide. The LCD version is built to interface directly to a FE202 or FE203 LCD display. The parts can be bought from Jameco Inc. Sorry, but I don't have a Jameco catalog handy. Good luck! Greg Garner 501-442-4847 USENET: ...!uunet!harris.cis.ksu.edu!hcx!gmg
coltoff@PRC.Unisys.COM (Joel Coltoff) (12/02/88)
In article <182@serene.UUCP> gbell@pnet12.cts.com (Greg Bell) writes: >looking to interface a 16 segment, 16 character LED or LCD alphanumeric >display Take a look at the HP HDSP-2111 (yellow) or HDSP-2112 (red) They are eight character smart displays that have built in character sets, intensity control and flash capability. They are cascadable so stacked units blink together. -- - Joel {psuvax1,sdcrdcf}!burdvax!coltoff (UUCP) coltoff@burdvax.prc.unisys.com (ARPA)
mwtilden@watmath.waterloo.edu (M.W.Tilden, Hardware) (12/04/88)
> > What is the best way to connect to the typical LC display? These things >have some sort of conductive layer on the glass as "leads" and as far as I can >tell, connecting one of these displays to a breadboarding socket would take a >bit of magic. Anybody have any ideas? There are two ways I've found to be very effective. One is to buy some of those LCD edge-clips which hold on to the selenium (?) contacts by spring pressure. Unfortunately, these are only available in .1 inch spacing where most modern LCDs have .5 or .02. Available from large electronics distributors like Electrosonic (no plug intended). The other way I've found really effective, although time consuming, is to get a small bottle of Loctite's Quick Grid Repair Resin (available from most large Automotive/hardware shops where ever snow falls). This is a super conductive paint meant to repair rear-window defogger strips. Not only is it a very good conductor (1 or so Ohms per foot) but it's also a good adhesive for fixing, say, wire wrap wire to LCD contacts. The stuff is quite expensive though; $10 for 1.4 ml and it drys fast, so use it sparingly. The technique I use is to get a hypodermic syringe and needle (fine), shake the stuff well and fill the syringe with a small quantity of it. Then quickly run a single conductive line across the well-cleaned contacts of the LCD. Give it a few seconds to dry and then use a sharp x-acto blade to seperate the individual contacts. After that, rest stripped ends of wire-wrap wire on the painted contacts and support them so they won't move (important), then take the syringe again and apply just enough so that the wire is covered. Finally, I finish off by applying a dab of superglue on top to insure rigidity. Works great. I should also point out that this technique also works great for Solar Cells, so those of you (like me) who went out and bought a pound of broken solar cell chips for $30 only to find that you can't solder to the suckers, take heart. Is all. -- Mark Tilden: _-_-_-__--__--_ /(glitch!) M.F.C.F Hardware Design Lab. -_-___ | \ /\/ U of Waterloo. Ont. Can, N2L-3G1 |__-_-_-| \/ (519) - 885 - 1211 ext.2454, "MY OPINIONS, YOU HEAR!? MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
gmg@hcx.uucp (Greg M. Garner) (12/06/88)
In article <1341@cseg.uucp>, gmg@hcx.uucp (Greg M. Garner) writes: > > In article <182@serene.UUCP>, gbell@pnet12.cts.com (Greg Bell) writes: > > > > Also, what good single chip display controllers are there around? I'm > > looking to interface a 16 segment, 16 character LED or LCD alphanumeric > > display, and I would really prefer that the 8031 I'm using in the project > > could spend its time doing things other than refreshing a display. > > > > GBell > > How about checking out the Intersil 7106/7107 chips? They control Non > multiplexed LCD and LED displays, 4 digits wide. The LCD version is > built to interface directly to a FE202 or FE203 LCD display. The > parts can be bought from Jameco Inc. Sorry, but I don't have a > Jameco catalog handy. Good luck! > > Greg Garner > 501-442-4847 > USENET: ...!uunet!harris.cis.ksu.edu!hcx!gmg Ahhh..., Sorry folks, I must have been brain dead when I wrote this. The 7106/7107 pair is a A/D convertor with on chip lcd/led drivers. The chip needed to hook a 4 digit lcd to a microcontroller is the 7211/7212 series. They drive Non-multiplexed displays, like the fe203 lcd or reguler led 7-segment displays. On to answering the real question (16 digit display controllers)..... Intersil also makes some chips to do the 8 and 16 wide displays. Some part numbers are: ICM7218 (controls 8 digits of muxed led), or the ICM7243A, which controls 14-segment 8 wide displays. There is also the ICM7233/7234 which controls 18-segment 4 wide displays. I found these and other interesting specs in the intersil applications handbook. The only phone number I could find on the book is this: GE Solid State 408-996-5000 Hope this clears up any problems my first post caused (Gee, I better not take any tests in that state of mind....) Greg Garner 501-442-4847 USENET: ...!uunet!harris.cis.ksu.edu!hcx!gmg
darel@maccs.McMaster.CA (Darel Mesher) (12/07/88)
In article <182@serene.UUCP>, gbell@pnet12.cts.com (Greg Bell) writes: > > Also, what good single chip display controllers are there around? I'm > looking to interface a 16 segment, 16 character LED or LCD alphanumeric > display, and I would really prefer that the 8031 I'm using in the project > could spend its time doing things other than refreshing a display. > > GBell I built an intelligent controller based on the 8031 family a few years back and had exactly the same requirements (as well as monetary constraints ;-) and after much research I used the EPSON family of LCD displays. The actual device I used was the EA-Y20025AZ (20x2 character display with dot matrix format). The beauty of this device is that it is a stand alone logical block. The device consists of; complete ASCII character set (as well as character definition capabilities), single +5V supply, 8 bit data bus, standard control signals (ie R/W, Enable, external contrast adjustment), on-board display ram and it supports many high level s/w commands (Clear Display, Return Home, cursor placement and control, auto-increment/decrement data buffer entry, read/write from Data RAM and many more). This particular display is relatively cheap (CAN$70 3 years ago) and is only one of a family of devices (from 16x1 to 80x4 characters with provisions for easily cascading multiple displays, also dedicated numerical displays are available). The quality of the display is excellent (although I can't say the same for the Canadian distributors!) and it has been in constant use (24 h/day 365 d/yr) for the last 3 years with out any problems...I recommend them highly. Just as a side note - if you are going to be doing any S/W development for the 8031 family, and are going to be using a PC as the development system then I would recommend investigating AVOCET's 8031/51/71 cross-assembler and simulator. I used these tools to develop the 6000 lines of assembler code required for my controller. The simulator allowed me to develop the S/W and H/W concurrently:- the system code (approx 95% bug free) was ready before the H/W was completed. They can be contacted (for a product catalog) at: AVOCET Systems Inc. P.O Box 490 120 Union Street Rockport, Maine 04856 Of course I am nothing other than a satisfied customer (of both AVOCET and EPSON). Darel. -- Darel Mesher ...!uunet!mnetor!maccs!darel McMaster University darel@maccs.mcmaster.ca
gbell@pnet12.cts.com (Greg Bell) (01/07/89)
A while ago, I posted a question about interfacing to "raw" LC displays. To make a long story short, I realized it was too much of a hassle (if it was possible). So, I broke down and ended up buying a "ready made" LCD. The reason I'm posting now is because I got quite a bargain. A company called Timeline in Los Angeles is offering GREAT LC displays for $5 each. Minimum 5. They're dot matrix, 16 characters by 1 line (5x7 or 5x10 fonts! Includes characters with distenders (sp?)). I bought five, and although I've only used one, I'm really happy with the thing. The send a huge packet of data sheets and app notes along with your purchase. Although they're used, they are in good-excellent shape (a few small scratches on the lenses). The driver chips are great... basically just send some configuration info, and start sending your data. Anybody interested should contact Timeline at: Timeline 1490 West Artesia Gardena, CA, 90247 1-800-223-9977 or 1-213-217-8912 I don't see why I should say this, but everybody seems to so here goes: I am not affiliated in any way with this company! Greg Bell_________________________________________________________ Hardware hacker | Electronics hobbyiest | UUCP: uunet!serene!pnet12!gbell EE major at UC San Diego |
hack@umbc5.umbc.edu (Mr. Jeffery Hack) (03/11/91)
I'm looking for LCD displays to use in place of seven segment LED displays. There are two main features I am interested in. Cost and availability in small quantities. If any one out there knows where I can find such LCD's I would appreciate them dropping me a line. Thanks in advance, J. Hack hack@umbc5.umbc.edu