Replacing array member on the fly (big LCD characters idea)

[CuriousOne]

Hello.
I've created a large "font" from custom definable LCD characters, which look quite good. But to use with them with real software, I need a code which will translate some variable into these digit display. So to accomplish this, I've created two arrays, one for top row and one for bottom, which hold appropriate number of corresponding custom chars for the digit display. So to display the required char, I simply read values from arrays from index at that position and pass it to display. The code is as follows:

DTOP VAR BYTE[10] 'array for top line
DBOT VAR BYTE[10] 'array for bottom line
DTOP[0]=21 '0
DBOT[0]=37
DTOP[1]=96 '1 9 REPLACES 16
DBOT[1]=96
DTOP[2]=05 '2
DBOT[2]=24
DTOP[3]=05 '3
DBOT[3]=47
DTOP[4]=37 '4
DBOT[4]=96
DTOP[5]=20 '5
DBOT[5]=45
DTOP[6]=20 '6
DBOT[6]=35
DTOP[7]=81 '7
DBOT[7]=96
DTOP[8]=25 '8
DBOT[8]=25
DTOP[9]=25 '9
DBOT[9]=96


QROMA:
FOR CNT=0 TO 9
LCDOUT $FE,$01,DTOP[CNT] DIG 1, DTOP[CNT] DIG 0
LCDOUT $FE,$C0,DBOT[CNT] DIG 1, DBOT[CNT] DIG 0
PAUSE 1000
NEXT
GOTO QROMA

But I run into problem, since I'm using "space" for some characters shape, namely 4, 7 and 9 and DEC code for space is 16, I can't put it into that arrays. In fact I can put it, but when I read array like I do in example code, with DIG statement, it will get ,messed, because say I need to display space at left and 6th custom char at right. If I put 166 into array (16 for space and 6 for that custom char), when I read it, the DIG 1 will return 6, not 16.

So what can I do? One way I see is to use individual array elements, and omit usage of DIG, but this doubles array size.

Any other ideas?

[Ioannis]

Have you seen this: http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...6736#post26736

And this: http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...687#post118687

Ioannis

[CuriousOne]

Yes and I have done way better font for 2004 LCD, but here we're talking about 1602 parallel LCD, not serial, as in 1st link.

[CuriousOne]

Here is my font for 20x4 LCD displays. Far better than posted in the link above.

[Ioannis]

Really nice job on the big numbers.

What is the difference between parallel - serial LCD? Other than electrical connections and some specific commands? Have not used serial so far but I guess behind the serial driver everything else is the same.

Ioannis

[CuriousOne]

Thanks. I have experience of making pseudographics (so called ASCII art) since early 80s. That set of characters also can be used to display most latin alphabet letters, except some. Regarding the LCD, I have no idea, but above example uses serial LCD and I don't see any PBP manual entries for serial LCD.

[Jerson]

I counted 8 custom characters and a full block(possibly from the existing character set). Is that correct?

Enumerating,

Full rounded top left corner,
Full rounded top right corner
Full rounded bot left corner
Full rounded bot right corner
bottom line
top line
half rounded top left corner
half rounded top right corner
and
the full block