lcd4linux-users

[lcd4linux] 3x HD44780 problem / special character problem

[Kamil W. <we...@ra...>]

Hi everyone,

after evaluating lcdproc, lcdmod, lcd-linux and lcd4linux I found lcd4linux the 
fastet and most sophisticated
LCD driving application of all of them. I especially like the softwiring, 
nevertheless I used "WinAmp" style
wiring the way lcdproc understands and soft-wired these settings in lcd4linux.conf.

So far so good. It works perfectly for a 40x4 Anag Vision A4004 Display ( Conrad ) 
with two KS0066 controllers.
Until here I appreciate all your work and time you put together to build lcd4linux.

Then I got high-spirited and tried to wire up a third 20x4 HD compatible LCD. In 
order to do so I salvaged the
the third enable line (EN3) by disconnecting R/W from the 40x4 ( and connecting that 
to GND ). The 40x4
share the RS line, both have D0-D7 connected and each controller ( 2 on the 40x4 / 1 
on the 20x4 right ? )
has its own enable line.

I configured the whole thing like this :

Display HD44780-40x8 {
     Driver      'HD44780'
     Model       'generic'
     UseBusy     0
     Bits        '8'
     Port        '/dev/parport0'

     Controllers 3

     Size        '40x8'
     Size1       '40x2'
     Size2       '40x2'
     Size3      '20x4'

     Wire {
     RS          'INIT'
     RW          'GND'
     ENABLE      'STROBE'
     ENABLE2     'SLCTIN'
     ENABLE3    'AUTOFD'
     BACKLIGHT   'GND'
     GPO         'GND'
     POWER       'GND'

    }
}

Is this correct, theoretically ?

I believe so, but the practical result proves me wrong. The 20x4 won't even intialize.
I only see two lines of blocks. I can't be completely sure, that the 20x4 display 
isn't broken
since it isn't new but an older one salvaged from a display project some time ago.

If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it very much. Otherwise I'll have to buy
a new one next week to eliminate the possibility of a broken display / controller.

---

The second issue is the usage of the i2c plugin. It's a great plugin and I emerged
lm_sensors to feed it properly. Again, it's working out of the box using the example
provided.

Since I sit in Germany and I like our °C trailing any temp degree value I wanted to add
a postfix to get something like CPU: 34°C. After doing so my whole layout got
screwed up. I searched the archives and found something about using \337 the octal
value of the ASCII character, but that didn't work out as well.

Any suggestions regarding that matter will also be gladly appreciated.

Thanks a lot in advance and keep up the good work.

-- 
Kamil Wencel

RADION Digital Research & Innovation
Swakopmunder Str. 1
81827 Munich

[lcd4linux] Scrolling through virtula rows in LCD4Linux-0.10 (+)

[Danil S. <dan...@nc...>]

Hi everyone,

Is there any possibility to scroll through virtual rows in LCD4Linux-0.10?
It was possible in older versions using Rows, Scroll and Turn options.
However the format of config file has changed since than and now I have no
idea how to make it working. Reading new Wiki did not answer this 
question :(

Any hint how to make LCD scroll through rows will be highly appreciated.

Regards,
Danil

Re: [lcd4linux] Scrolling through virtula rows in LCD4Linux-0.10 (+)

[Danil S. <lcd...@li...>]

Answering my own question:

There are no virtual rows in LCD4Linux-0.10.

Browsing through mailing list archive gave the answer.
Sorry I could not find the archive in the first place :)

Danil


Danil Sokolov wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> Is there any possibility to scroll through virtual rows in
> LCD4Linux-0.10?
> It was possible in older versions using Rows, Scroll and Turn options.
> However the format of config file has changed since than and now I
> have no
> idea how to make it working. Reading new Wiki did not answer this
> question :(
>
> Any hint how to make LCD scroll through rows will be highly appreciated.
>
> Regards,
> Danil
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. Do you grep through log
> files
> for problems?  Stop!  Download the new AJAX search engine that makes
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>
>

Re: [lcd4linux] Scrolling through virtula rows in LCD4Linux-0.10 (+)

[Michael R. <re...@eu...>]

Hi Danil,

> Answering my own question:
> 
> There are no virtual rows in LCD4Linux-0.10.

Right :-)

Sorry for not answering your question, I've been very busy.

But "scrolling" in the Layout is surely my next step in improving
LCD4Linux (as soon as I've finished the GPO's in all drivers)

So stay tuned!


bye, Michael

-- 
Michael Reinelt <re...@eu...>
http://home.pages.at/reinelt
GPG-Key 0xDF13BA50
ICQ #288386781

Re: [lcd4linux] 3x HD44780 problem / special character problem

[Michael R. <re...@eu...>]

Hi Kamil,

> after evaluating lcdproc, lcdmod, lcd-linux and lcd4linux I found=20
> lcd4linux the fastet and most sophisticated LCD driving application
> of all of them. I especially like the softwiring, nevertheless I used
> "WinAmp" style wiring the way lcdproc understands and soft-wired
> these settings in lcd4linux.conf.

Thanks a lot!

> Then I got high-spirited and tried to wire up a third 20x4 HD
> compatible LCD. In order to do so I salvaged the the third enable
> line (EN3) by disconnecting R/W from the 40x4 ( and connecting that
> to GND ). The 40x4 share the RS line,
all three displays should share the RS line!

> both have D0-D7 connected and each controller ( 2 on the 40x4 / 1 on
> the 20x4 right ? ) has its own enable line.
Correct.

>=20
> I configured the whole thing like this :
>=20
> Display HD44780-40x8 { Driver      'HD44780' Model       'generic'=20
> UseBusy     0 Bits        '8' Port        '/dev/parport0'
>=20
> Controllers 3
>=20
> Size        '40x8' Size1       '40x2' Size2       '40x2' Size3
> '20x4'
You can omit the 'size' parameter (IIRC) because LCD4Linux automatically
 sums up the individual sizes.

>=20
> Wire { RS          'INIT' RW          'GND' ENABLE      'STROBE'=20
> ENABLE2     'SLCTIN' ENABLE3    'AUTOFD' BACKLIGHT   'GND' GPO
> 'GND' POWER       'GND'
>=20
> } }
>=20
> Is this correct, theoretically ?
Looks very correct to me. Although I must say that I've never used more
than one display... geronet?

> I believe so, but the practical result proves me wrong. The 20x4
> won't even intialize. I only see two lines of blocks. I can't be
> completely sure, that the 20x4 display isn't broken since it isn't
> new but an older one salvaged from a display project some time ago.
Yopu got two lines of blocks? Normally there should be only one (or line
1 & 3 on a 4-line display). This is how the display tells you "I'm ready
for being initialized".

Maybe it's a contrast problem? There are displays out there which have a
good contrast with the contrast hardwired to GND; but others really
require a resistor (or better a potentiometer). This would explain the
two black bars, too.

Did you try to remove the enable lines of the other displays, and
connect the enable of your third display to one of the others?


> The second issue is the usage of the i2c plugin. It's a great plugin
> and I emerged lm_sensors to feed it properly. Again, it's working out
> of the box using the example provided.
>=20
> Since I sit in Germany and I like our =B0C trailing any temp degree
> value I wanted to add a postfix to get something like CPU: 34=B0C.
> After doing so my whole layout got screwed up. I searched the
> archives and found something about using \337 the octal value of the
> ASCII character, but that didn't work out as well.

Are you sure that your display has the degree char has 0337? I think the
octal stuff should work, although I'm not sure (I'm in the office at the
moment, and therefore cannot test). You could try any other ASCII value
(maybe just an 'a') just to make sure this works...


bye, Michael

--=20
Michael Reinelt <re...@eu...>
http://home.pages.at/reinelt
GPG-Key 0xDF13BA50
ICQ #288386781

Re: [lcd4linux] 3x HD44780 problem / special character problem

[Kamil W. <we...@ra...>]

Hi Michael,

>> Then I got high-spirited and tried to wire up a third 20x4 HD
>> compatible LCD. In order to do so I salvaged the the third enable
>> line (EN3) by disconnecting R/W from the 40x4 ( and connecting that
>> to GND ). The 40x4 share the RS line,
> all three displays should share the RS line!

Yes, they should, but since it is a 40x4 and therefore it has two controllers on one
board I presume they share the RS line anyways. There is no second RS pin on the
connection bracket.

> You can omit the 'size' parameter (IIRC) because LCD4Linux automatically
>  sums up the individual sizes.

Thanks for the advice, at least it saves up a config line.


>> Wire { RS          'INIT' RW          'GND' ENABLE      'STROBE' 
>> ENABLE2     'SLCTIN' ENABLE3    'AUTOFD' BACKLIGHT   'GND' GPO
>> 'GND' POWER       'GND'
>>
>> } }
>>
>> Is this correct, theoretically ?
> Looks very correct to me. Although I must say that I've never used more
> than one display... geronet?

Stefan ( geronet ) already picked up the issue but he has no further advice
other than to look what's happening with an osci. While I have a 60MHz
osci ( which should be sufficient ) I am not that familiar with the protocol
and timings so I don't really know what to look for. Any advice here ?

>> I believe so, but the practical result proves me wrong. The 20x4
>> won't even intialize. I only see two lines of blocks. I can't be
>> completely sure, that the 20x4 display isn't broken since it isn't
>> new but an older one salvaged from a display project some time ago.

> Yopu got two lines of blocks? Normally there should be only one (or line
> 1 & 3 on a 4-line display). This is how the display tells you "I'm ready
> for being initialized".

Right, that's what I figured. Since it is a 40x4 lines 1&3 are filled with
blocks. That issue got solved once I bought a new 20x4. Both Display
initialize correctly now, but th 20x4 only shows garbage and the lines 5-8
which are supposed to be shown on the 20x4 are shown on line 1-4 above
the original 1-4 definituin. I have taken pictures but I was hesitant to post
into the ML because of traffic issues.


> Maybe it's a contrast problem? There are displays out there which have a
> good contrast with the contrast hardwired to GND; but others really
> require a resistor (or better a potentiometer). This would explain the
> two black bars, too.

That's not the problem.

>> Since I sit in Germany and I like our °C trailing any temp degree
>> value I wanted to add a postfix to get something like CPU: 34°C.
>> After doing so my whole layout got screwed up. I searched the
>> archives and found something about using \337 the octal value of the
>> ASCII character, but that didn't work out as well.
> 
> Are you sure that your display has the degree char has 0337? I think the
> octal stuff should work, although I'm not sure (I'm in the office at the
> moment, and therefore cannot test). You could try any other ASCII value
> (maybe just an 'a') just to make sure this works...
> 

Here is a link to the datasheet, but I'm afraid that ASCII definitions are not
covered :

http://www.anag-vision.com/avkat/av4040.pdf

However, when the Display shows garbage he flicks some weird ASCII characters
through it and I could clearly identify the ° sometimes. So I *guess* the Display
is able to produce it when properly triggered. Is there any other way to tell the display
what to show ?

> bye, Michael
> 

Thanks a lot, Kamil

Re: [lcd4linux] 3x HD44780 problem / special character problem

[Michael R. <re...@eu...>]

Hi Kamil,


>> all three displays should share the RS line!

> Yes, they should, but since it is a 40x4 and therefore it has two=20
> controllers on one board I presume they share the RS line anyways.
> There is no second RS pin on the connection bracket.

You're right, I missed that point.

> Stefan ( geronet ) already picked up the issue but he has no further
> advice other than to look what's happening with an osci. While I have
> a 60MHz osci ( which should be sufficient ) I am not that familiar
> with the protocol and timings so I don't really know what to look
> for. Any advice here ?
No, not at the moment. I'd say we should investigate other things
beforehand.

Have you tried if the 20x4 display works standalone (i.e. without the 40x=
4)?

> Right, that's what I figured. Since it is a 40x4 lines 1&3 are filled
> with blocks. That issue got solved once I bought a new 20x4. Both
> Display initialize correctly now, but th 20x4 only shows garbage and
> the lines 5-8 which are supposed to be shown on the 20x4 are shown on
> line 1-4 above the original 1-4 definituin. I have taken pictures but
> I was hesitant to post into the ML because of traffic issues.
You can send me the pictures with PM.

So the problem is that not only the 20x4 is not working, but disturbs
the 40x4? Strange... Maybe there's a bug in the multi-controller code?

I' recommend trying if both displays work standalone.

1. disconnect the 20x4 completely, but don't modify the config file, and
look if you still get lines5-8 displayed on the 20x4.

2. disconnect the 40x4, and connect the 20x4 only. look what happens.
try to connect the enable line of the 20x4 to all three enable outputs,
so you should see different parts of your layout, but no garbage.

Maybe it's alectrical problem, the two displays produce too much load on
the parport...

> However, when the Display shows garbage he flicks some weird ASCII=20
> characters through it and I could clearly identify the =B0 sometimes.
> So I *guess* the Display is able to produce it when properly
> triggered.

Could you please send me your config file?


bye, Michael

--=20
Michael Reinelt <re...@eu...>
http://home.pages.at/reinelt
GPG-Key 0xDF13BA50
ICQ #288386781