LCD serial backpacks

[Archangel]

How are you passing the lcdout 'commands'? i.e. lcdout $fe, 01 to clear the display and things like that?

If my guess is right, like me, you are basically replacing 'lcdout' with 'serout' on the main board, and this code is to read everything coming the serial port, and sending it out, character by character using a single 'lcdout'.

Hi Skimask,
That was the whole point of the endever, to use the standard commands common to lcdout, so as not to have several different codes to control how the lcd prints to screen. It seems most makers of these things have their own little routines, I started with:

 serin N2400.PortB.7,char
lcdout char

I saw the core code in a post of Darrel's using Hserin
and knew it would work so I started cutting and sewing,
Darrel took it and added his instant interrupts, i snipped
out some more of the unneeded stuff and am still working
on all the bells and whistles. I like it better than all the
others I've seen, because it uses unmolested, lcdout type code.
JS

[skimask]

Hi Skimask,
That was the whole point of the .......................
things have their own little routines, I started with:

 serin N2400.PortB.7,char
lcdout char

I saw the core code in a post of Darrel's.............
seen, because it uses unmolested, lcdout type code.
JS

I get what you're cooking...I hope
LCDOut is a familiar command, why mess with it? Replace it with SerOut, and you're done.
My master plan includes throwing a few buttons on the unit and using a 4 wire hookup (v+, gnd, tx, rx, maybe an RJ11 phone connector).
If my figuring is right, I'm going to throw in a bit of code that looks for a double $fe (or whatever) and that'll be my signal to send back a code if any keys are pressed. Using an equivalent to an LCDIn command might be a bit trickier (not by much), but that'll come later...

The only big thing left to do is to find a dozen or so LCDs with backlights. ebay maybe?
JDG

[Archangel]

I get what you're cooking...I hope
LCDOut is a familiar command, why mess with it? Replace it with SerOut, and you're done.
My master plan includes throwing a few buttons on the unit and using a 4 wire hookup (v+, gnd, tx, rx, maybe an RJ11 phone connector).
If my figuring is right, I'm going to throw in a bit of code that looks for a double $fe (or whatever) and that'll be my signal to send back a code if any keys are pressed. Using an equivalent to an LCDIn command might be a bit trickier (not by much), but that'll come later...

The only big thing left to do is to find a dozen or so LCDs with backlights. ebay maybe?
JDG

Hi skimask,
Yeah well partly, it is much easier to put a display in a difficult place if you only need to run 3 wires to it, whereas you may have 20 or so going to your main p/c board and it might be real inconveinient to run 20 to your display. I have bought LCD displays from sure electronics on ebay and thay are cheap. I did have one fail though, I think from ESD.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7617627971
for larger order check his store: http://stores.ebay.com/Sure-Electronics

[skimask]

Hi skimask,
Yeah well partly, it is much easier to put a display in a difficult place if you only need to run 3 wires to it, whereas you may have 20 or so going to your main p/c board and it might be real inconveinient to run 20 to your display. I have bought LCD displays from sure electronics on ebay and thay are cheap. I did have one fail though, I think from ESD.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7617627971
for larger order check his store: http://stores.ebay.com/Sure-Electronics

Ain't that the truth!
On every one of my little projects up until the last few, I've always had to design in a method for control and display, and always at the expense of pins, which could be better used for something else. So, on the last few, I built up a control/display module with 4 wires running to it using various LCDs/LEDs and switches/keypads laying around. For each different type of LCD, I have to modify the code to handle it, not to mention mount the thing up. I'm getting tired of that now also.
It's about time I'm making this standardized module, with a standard LCD, in a standard mount, with standard buttons, using a standard 'library' to run it, and connect it with a standard cable.

You want to go in and buy up a bunch of LCDs in bulk and save some $$$?

[Archangel]

You want to go in and buy up a bunch of LCDs in bulk and save some $$$?

Sorry, no can do, I got a couple of extras right now ,no space, no bucks.
JS

[skimask]

Oh well...

Any other takers? 16x2 (or whatever, I'm up for ideas) LCDs in some sort of a quantity buy, split the savings amongst a few of us?

JDG

[websmith]

That code with interupts and all is pretty hot, but going back to the very first question all he wanted to do was emulate a serial LCD, ie PIC is doing nothing else. I knocked this up yesterday and it works, and doesn't miss anything, very simple - like me! Go on eat me alive!

A back space key tells pic next char is a command - see commands in the select case area
A double back space makes it spit out a pangram back at you.


DEFINE LCD_DREG PORTC 'DATA PORT
DEFINE LCD_DBIT 4 'STARTING BIT (0 OR 4)
DEFINE LCD_RSREG PORTC 'REGISTER SELECT PORT
DEFINE LCD_RSBIT 1 'REGISTER SELECT BIT
DEFINE LCD_RWREG PORTC 'READ/WRITE SELECT PORT
DEFINE LCD_RWBIT 2 'READ/WRITE SELECT BIT
DEFINE LCD_EREG PORTC 'ENABLE PORT
DEFINE LCD_EBIT 0 'ENABLE BIT
DEFINE LCD_BITS 4 'BUS SIZE (4 OR 8)
DEFINE LCD_LINES 2 'LINES IN DIPLAY
DEFINE LCD_COMMANDUS 2000 'CMD DELAY TIME IN uS
DEFINE LCD_DATAUS 50 'Data DELAY TIME IN uS
define Osc 4
'************************************************* ***********
ADCON1 = 7 'disable A/d work digital
TRISB = %00000000 'unused port b set to o/p
TRISA = %00000000 ' PortA outputs
TRISC = %00000000 ' PortC outputs
OPTION_REG.7 = 0 ' Enable PORTB pull-ups

'T2400 con 16780 '2400bd, driven, inverted, no parity
T2400 con 396 '2400bd, driven, true, no parity
'will need to use rs232 inverter
comsout var PORTA.0
comsin var PORTA.1
datarray var byte[1] 'incoming array on rs232
'************************************************* ***********
start:
Pause 500 ' Wait for LCD to startup
Lcdout $FE, $0C 'turn cursor off


Lcdout $fe, 1 ' Clear LCD screen
Lcdout $fe, 2 ' go home
Lcdout "GPL PIC System"
Lcdout $FE, $C0 'move cursor to begin of line 2
Lcdout "Serial in at ",DEC T2400

Pause 1000 ' Wait 1 second
Lcdout $fe, 1 ' Clear LCD screen
'************************************************* ***********
main: while 1 'forever loop
serin2 comsin, T2400, [ datarray[0]] 'get a char
if datarray[0] = 8 then 'next byte is a LCD command after BS received
serin2 comsin, T2400, [ datarray[0]]
select case datarray[0]
case 48 '0 = Clear LCD screen
Lcdout $fe, 1
case 49 '1 = move cursor to begin of line 1
Lcdout $fe, 2
case 50 '2 = move cursor to begin of line 2
Lcdout $fe, $C0
case 51 '3 = move cursor to begin of line 3
Lcdout $fe, $94
case 52 '4 = move cursor to begin of line 4
Lcdout $fe, $D4
case 8 'BS again so transmit a pangram
gosub send
case else 'do nothing
end select
else
Lcdout str datarray\1 'show 1 char to LCd
endif
wend

send: serout2 comsout,T2400,["How quickly daft jumping zebras vex",13,10]
return
'************************************************* ***********

END
'************************************************* ***********