lcd4linux-users

[lcd4linux] driving a TC6963 via USB?

[<And...@we...>]

Hello list,
I am looking for a possiblity to drive my TC6963 Display via USB, to get 
rid of the parallel port cable going back into the computer case. (There 
are plenty of USB connectors on the motherboard.)
I read your page and took a look at the "USB-Upgrade Kit" on 
http://tilofranz.net/lcdshop/ .

-Is it possible to drive the TC6963 with the "USB-Upgrade Kit"?
-How fast is the USB-Controller compared to /dev/parport?
-Are there any other fast USB-Controllers out there able to drive the 
TC6963?


Thank you a lot in advance.

  André

Re: [lcd4linux] driving a TC6963 via USB?

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

Hi Andr=E9

> I am looking for a possiblity to drive my TC6963 Display via USB, to ge=
t
> rid of the parallel port cable going back into the computer case. (Ther=
e
> are plenty of USB connectors on the motherboard.)
> I read your page and took a look at the "USB-Upgrade Kit" on
> http://tilofranz.net/lcdshop/ .

> -Is it possible to drive the TC6963 with the "USB-Upgrade Kit"?
I don't know, but if this Kit is based on libLUIse, chances are good
that it works with LCD4Linux (There's a LUIse driver in current CVS)

> -How fast is the USB-Controller compared to /dev/parport?
I have no idea, but I think there's not much of a difference. I' expect
the CPU load to be lower with USB.

> -Are there any other fast USB-Controllers out there able to drive the
> TC6963?

Till has developed a cheap DIY interface for HD44780 displays. If you
got a spare T6963 display, maybe he will adopt his interface...

bye, Michael

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

Re: [lcd4linux] driving a TC6963 via USB?

[Till H. <ti...@ha...>]

Hi,

On Sunday 12 February 2006 12:36, Michael Reinelt wrote:
> I have no idea, but I think there's not much of a difference. I' expect
> the CPU load to be lower with USB.
Exactly. USB can be quite fast, but most simple devices aren't. E.g. my 
display transfers at most 4 bytes per USB-Transfer. The USBLCD and WBCT
interface only transfer single Bytes. USB devices can transfer much more bytes 
per tansfer, but for my soft USB solution it would have increased the 
complexity and the current solution is just fast enough, so i had no reason 
to do more.

The current code is fast enough for the text LCDs and since the PC does most 
of the USB stuff in hardware there's nearly no load on the PC whereas the 
printer port solutions require plenty of io port accesses per byte and do 
some busy waiting in the kernel which does have some small performance 
impact.

> Till has developed a cheap DIY interface for HD44780 displays. If you
> got a spare T6963 display, maybe he will adopt his interface...
Or you take my project and use it to build such an interface yourself. This is 
"open hardware" ...

Till

-- 
Dr.Ing. Till Harbaum <ti...@ha...>
http://www.harbaum.org/till