Re: [lcd4linux] Futaba VFD with phone jack connector

[Andrew C. <and...@bi...>]

Michael,

The controller is a Phillips P87c52.  It also has two OKI 8382532 which I
assume are memory chips.  Isn't it likely to use +5v as power?  Presumably
if I identify ground, which shouldn't be too difficult, I could then apply
+5V to the other pins to see which seems to be for power.  Or would doing
this potentially fry my chips?

There are specs available for other VFD's in the M202 series, but not for
this model, presumably because it was a custom design for IBM.  The M202SD08
display uses 5V power but is parallel (see
http://mem.tcon.net/users/5010/5491/vfd.htm).

IBM uses a standard serial controller to drive the device from the Pc end
(the SureOne is a Pc with a Via C3 chip and Windows OS), so I would expect
the cable to be similar to a standard RS-232 one.  The following seems to be
the common layout for an 8 pin serial cable, but this doesn't account for
power.  The SureOne technical documentation gives pinouts for all the other
connectors, including both unpowered and powered serial connectors but omits
the VFD display connector.
1)   DSR   	2)   DCD  3)   DTR  4)   SG  5)   RD  6)   TD  7)   CTS 	8)
RTS

thanks,
Andrew

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Reinelt" <re...@eu...>
To: "Andrew Chapman" <and...@bi...>
Cc: "lcd4linux-users" <lcd...@li...>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 9:04 AM
Subject: Re: [lcd4linux] Futaba VFD with phone jack connector


> Hi Andrew,
>
> > Has anyone managed to use a Futaba VFD, M202MD10AA?  It is from an IBM
> > SureOne POS machine and has a 8 pin phone-type jack connector.  The
cable
> > and connector seem to be a one-off for this machine as far as I can
tell.  I
> > can't find any documentation for the connector other than that it is
serial,
> > 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 2 stop bits.  Without knowing which
pins
> > are which, it is a bit difficult to try it out.  The display has no
power
> > connector so must also be powered through the serial connector too.
> >
> > Any suggestions for how to connect this or test the pinouts?
>
> Hmm, dis will be difficult. Can you see which chips are on the device?
> As it's a serial device, the beast must consist of two logical parts:
> the LCD controller itself (which has for shure a microcontroller
> interface, and not a serial one), and a microcontroller, which handles
> the serial protocol.
>
> Is there a backlight? If so, it would be easy to find out at least these
> pins. Maybe this is the power for the rest of the display, too.
>
> Do you have access to such a POS machine? Maybe you could find out
> something about the connctors...
>
> If you have to go for the "trial and error" way, a power supply with
> good current limiting is a must. Otherwise you have this special "smell"
> quite soon :-)
>
> bye, Michael
>
> -- 
> Michael Reinelt                                   Tel: +43 676 3079941
> Geisslergasse 4                                   Fax: +43 316  692343
> A-8045 Graz, Austria                          e-mail: re...@eu...
>
>
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