LCD 4X40 Futurlec

[murali]

Dear Mr.Bill Legge,
I need the correct datasheet for 40*4 lcd which you got finally from futurelec. I am not able to trace the exact datasheet. kindly help me in this regard

murali

Rick,
My Displaytech 4X40s are about the same size as the Futurlec devices and I think you will find that most manufacturers will be the same.

Many electronic magazines (e.g. Everyday Practical Electronics-December 2009. www.epemag.com) have recently carried articles on 'OLED'. These are Organic LED displays and are the type used in mobile phones. They appear to be:

1. Smaller that the typical LCD.
2. Much better resolution and colour: e.g. 160X128 pixel.
3. Talk to the devices by SPI comms.
4. Don't cost much.
5. Pixel data is easy, text/figs difficult.
5. But are a bugger to connect to-small pads/special connectors etc.
6. Have a dig around the 'Spark Fun' web site - I bet they have something useful?

I've not used one - only read a few articles - an 'armchair expert!'

STAMP/PIC - I retired a few years ago and after 40 years away from electronics decided to re-visit it for a hobby. After a few months it became obvious that electronics these days centers on MCUs - I entered the field by getting the StampWorks kit. I've moved to PIC because of the price of chips and processing speed.

I live in the back of beyond in South West Australia and have to get all my bits by post. I've settled on a few suppliers:

1. Futurlec in Asia - Low cost boards and components. Documentation is sometimes terrible but I can now translate the 'Minglish.'
2. MikroElektronica in Serbia - Good value developement boards.
3. Olimex in Belgrade - Good value boards.

My latest project is a sports pitch line marking robot positioned by counting wheel revs and getting direction by tracking the sun (lots of that here in Australia). I'm a year into the project and I'm sure it will work - but how well I don't yet know.

Regards Bill Legge

[murali]

Dear Mr.Bill Legge,
I need the correct datasheet for 40*4 lcd which you got finally from futurelec. I am not able to trace the exact datasheet. kindly help me in this regard

murali

[rixter]

Murali,

If you are not able to locate the datasheet, what information are you seeking for this LCD? I have successfully attached this LCD to a processor as I explained in an earlier thread on this post. I have gotten another LCD from this company and it is yet a different LCD than the one I received the first time and different than the datasheet. Their information is not correct for the model mentioned in Bill's post or the second one I received.

I found other similar pin diagrams for 4x40 LCDs that did the trick for me. The key lays not only in knowing which pins are for what, but also understanding that these units have two controllers.... one for the top two lines and the other for the bottom two lines. Pins 1-8 are for data (DB7 down to DB0 respectively). In my case I only use 1-4 because I am using 4 bit mode. Pin 9 is the enable for controller #1, Pin 10 is RW, Pin 11 is RS, Pin 12 is Contrast, Pin 13 is Ground (VSS), Pin 14 is VDD, Pin 15 is enable for controller #2 and Pin 16 is no connection. Pins A & K over at the opposite end are for the LED backlight..... A being positive and K being negative.

So to write to lines 1 or 2 on the LCD, you must enable at Pin 9 before your write and to write to lines 3 and 4, you must enable Pin 15 before a write. In the case of BASIC Stamp that I am using, I just specify a different parameter in the LCDOUT command to activate the other enable pin in my outputs to the LCD. The concept should apply in your implementation as well.

Anything I can do to help out, just ask.

Rick

[Bill Legge]

Murali,

1. The pin-out on the Futurlec site is wrong - a 4X40 MUST have two ENABLE pins.

2. Rixter says he has got the device working using the pin-outs on my first post of this thread. They didn't work for me but I may have made some wiring/software error. These are the revised pin-outs sent to me by Futurlec.

3. Take up his offer of assistance - after months of messing around with 4X40 LCDs I am starting to think they are not worth the trouble.

4. It's quite irritating that Futurlec can not be bothered to put up the correct data on the web. I know their prices are rock bottom and they need to keeep costs down but it's only a few minutes of work?

Regards Bill Legge

[murali]

Dear Rixter & Legge,
Thanks for your prompt reply. Now my display is working for the first two lines or the second two lines. I am trying to complete the same

Rgds

Murali

[rixter]

Murali,

I am guessing that what you are saying is that you can get either the first two lines or second two lines to work, but NOT both at the same time.

I'd say if you are getting all four lines to get something that you are well on your way to success and you have some minor code issues to check.

You could have a couple of things going on there. You may be putting the LCD into a condition where the unit is resetting (initializing), as you do each write cycle. Or you could be doing a screen clear of the opposite set of lines that you are displaying. For example, you might be clearing lines 3 & 4 as you write to 1 & 2 and clearing 1 & 2 as you write to 3 & 4.

My code would be different than what you would use because I am using a BASIC Stamp, but the logic should be the same. In my case, I am clearing lines 1 & 2, then writing to lines 1 & 2. Then I clear lines 3 & 4 before writing to lines 3 & 4.

Rick