Anyone using Vacuum Flurecent Displays?

[Art]

Unfortunately I don't know how to change the brightness.
Pin3, which is usually the contrast adjustment for this pinout,
is instead used to reset the display. I don't know why you'd want to do that.

There probably is provision to change it, and I just don't know about it.
Google certainly didn't help where a datasheet is concerned.

[Ioannis]

I like the color of these VFD's and the brightness too.

But for sure they fade with the usage. I have a HP Printer on my desk that you can hardly see what the display shows in complete darkness!

And it cannot be replaced with LCD as it is completely different pin-out...

So now I prefer to use the Blue LCD's an am quite happy about it. My customers too!

Ioannis

[Art]

Hi again Guys,
I finally got around to making a test circuit for it.



There are no datasheets or anything to be found with a Google search,
so if anyone finds this as a result of their search it might be useful to
give the screen brightness commands here.

Pretty simple really, 0x28 is the command for brightness, and that is followed
by a data byte from 0 - 3, 3 being the lowest brightness setting so:

LCDOUT $FE,$28,3 ' set VFD to lowest brightness setting

You'll see I move the display around on the screen as suggested to avoid burning any pixels,
particularly with a time & date display.. the year 2010 is going to stick around on the
display for a whole year before changing, so that would ruin it pretty quickly.

Cheers, Art.