5.3. The serialVFD Driver
This section talks about using LCDproc with VFD character-displays build by NEC, FUTABA and NORITAKE.
The serialVFD-driver is working with NEC FIPC8367 based VFDs and the "KD Rev 2.1" (an ATMEL AT90S.... based FM20X2KB-AB replacement). It is also known to work on FUTABA VFDs.
The driver should operate most of NEC, Futaba and Noritake 7x5 dot VFDs with serial(rs232) and/or parallel interface. See the following table for testing-status. Feedback is welcome.
Table 5-12. serialVFD: Display Status
| Display | Controller | Serial | Sarallel | Display tested | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEC FM20X2KB-AB | NEC FIPC8367 | Ok | Ok | Yes | |
| NEC FC20X2JA | NEC FIPC8367 | (Ok) | (Ok) | No | Same Controller as on FM20X2KB-AB |
| NEC FC20X1SA-AB/AA | NEC FIPC8367 | (Ok) | (Ok) | No | Same Controller as on FM20X2KB-AB |
| KD Rev 2.1 | AT90S.... microcontroller | Ok | Ok | Yes | |
| FUTABA M402SD06GJ | ? | (?)* | Ok | Yes | (* perhaps no compatible baudrate, not tested) The display has no user-characters set Custom-Characters=0 in LCDd.conf. |
| FUTABA M204SD01AA | FUTABA 5P00A016 | (Ok) | (Ok) | No | |
| Noritake CU20026SCPB-T | microcontroller | (Ok) | (Ok) | No | |
| Noritake CU20045SCPB-T28A | ? | (Ok) | (Ok) | No |
If your display isn't working 100% satisfactorily you can add a new device with modified hardware commands to the driver if you want. To do that you have to add a new section to the display- Type=-switch-case in ./server/drivers/serialVFD-displays.c and to write a new "load"function with the correct commands for the display.(Try which display-Type= works best with your display, copy, rename and modify this function that is the easiest way I guess.)
On this page you may find pictures and datasheets of the VFDs: http://www.maltepoeggel.de/html/vfd/index.html
It is possible to switch the display off and back on while the server is running. It may take a few minutes until the next full refresh makes the display show everything correctly.
5.3.1. Connecting The Display
The Connections shown have been tested successfully.
 | Always cross-check with your datasheet, before connecting your display! Displays of same manufacturer may have different pin assignments! |
With this example connections it will be easy to connect displays with different connector pin-layouts, the pins are commonly named equal in the datasheet.
5.3.1.1. Serial Connections
It is NOT possible to connect most of the displays directly to the serialport. The signal has to be inverted. I use the following circuit to do that job.
Figure 5-14. serialVFD: Serial Inverter
Computer Display (signal) HDD Powerconnector color(Voltage) red(+5V) --------------------------------o----- +5V | black(GND) --------------------o | | R | R 10k Serial(SUB-D 9Pin female) V* R pin(signal) | | 3(TxD) --RRRR--o--o o-----------------o----- RxD 10k | | | | | C| | | ----- BC547c (or similar NPN) R | B| / | 10k R o--|-| | R | \ | | --->- A* | E| | | | | 5(GND) --------o----------o----o--------------o-- GND |* Shield ---------------------------------------o optional *connect near display
The pins on the different displays vary.
NEC Displays (FM20X2KB-AB):
CN1:
Pin 33 <--- RxD (Testmode: connect pins 25 and 26, then power up)
CN2:
Pin 1 <--- +5V Pin 2 <--- GND
KD Rev 2.1:
The blue connector (6pin in a row) (the important one!):
-------------------------------- | +5V +5V RxD GND GND GND | --------------------------------
 | Hold the display in that position where you can read the "KD Rev 2.1" marking normally! |
The gray connector (10pin 2 rows):
Do not use. (the ATMEL ISP connector I guess)
The two jumpers next to the gray connector:
Normally not used. You can activate two different testmodes with them.
5.3.1.2. Parallel Connections
NEC Displays (FM20X2KB-AB):
CN1:
parallel Port: Display (NEC): Pin: Name: Name: Pin: 1 /STROBE -------------- /WR 1 2 D0 -------------- D0 15 3 D1 -------------- D1 13 4 D2 -------------- D2 11 5 D3 -------------- D3 9 6 D4 -------------- D4 7 7 D5 -------------- D5 5 8 D6 -------------- D6 3 9 D7 -------------- D7 1 10 /ACK --o | 11 BUSY --o----------- BUSY 27 o-- /CS 23 | 18 - 25 GND ------------o-- GND 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,20,32,34 |* Shield -------------------o optional *connect near display
CN2:
Pin 1 <--- +5V Pin 2 <--- GND
FUTABA Displays (M402SD06GJ):
parallel Port: Display (FUTABA): Pin: Name: Name: Pin: 1 /STROBE -------------- /WR 1 2 D0 -------------- D0 15 3 D1 -------------- D1 13 4 D2 -------------- D2 11 5 D3 -------------- D3 9 6 D4 -------------- D4 7 7 D5 -------------- D5 5 8 D6 -------------- D6 3 9 D7 -------------- D7 1 10 /ACK --o | 11 BUSY --o----------- BUSY 20 o-- /SEL 23 | 18 - 25 GND ------------o-- GND 10,12,14 |* Shield -------------------o optional 0-- TEST 16 | +5V -------o-- +5V 2,4,6 *connect near display
5.3.2. Configuration in LCDd.conf
5.3.2.1. [serialVFD]
- use_parallel=
{yes | no}
"no" if display connected serial, "yes" if connected parallel [default: no(serial)].
- Port=
PORT
Portaddress where the LPT is. Used in parallelmode only. Usual values are 0x278, 0x378 and 0x3BC [default: 0x278].
- Device=
DEVICE
Device to use in serial mode. Usual values are /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1 [default: /dev/lcd].
- Custom-Characters=
CUSTOM-CHARACTERS
Number of Custom-Characters [default: Display-Type dependent].
- Size=
WIDTH x HEIGHT
Specifies the size of the VFD. [default: 20x2]
- Type=
CODE
Specifies the display type.[default: 0] The following type codes are available:
Noritake VFDs have not been tested yet. Feedback is welcome.
- Brightness=
BRIGHTNESS
Set the initial brightness [default: 1000; legal: 0 - 1000] (4 steps 0-250, 251-500, 501-750, 751-1000)
- OffBrightness=
OFFBRIGHTNESS
Set the initial off-brightness [default: 0; legal: 0 - 1000]. This value is used when the display is normally switched off in case LCDd is inactive. (4 steps 0-250, 251-500, 501-750, 751-1000)
- Speed=
{1200 | 2400 | 9600 | 19200 | 115200}
Set the the baud rate communication with the VFD. If not given [default 9600].
- ISO_8859_1=
{yes | no}
Enable ISO-8859-1 compatibility [default is yes].