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(RS-232) and/or parallel interface. See the following table for testing-status. Feedback is welcome. Display Controller Serial Parallel Display tested Type Remark NEC FM20X2KB-AB NEC FIPC8367 Ok Ok Yes 0 NEC FC20X2JA NEC FIPC8367 (Ok) Should work, but feature not tested yet. (Ok) No 0 Same Controller as on FM20X2KB-AB NEC FC20X1SA-AB/AA NEC FIPC8367 (Ok) (Ok) No 0 Same Controller as on FM20X2KB-AB KD Rev 2.1 AT90S.... microcontroller Ok - Yes 1, 0 Custom-Characters are not supported with this Type, set Custom-Characters=0 in LCDd.conf. FUTABA M402SD06GJ ? (?) Ok Yes 3 The display has no user-characters. Serial interface with PC compatible baudrate is optional only, feature not tested. FUTABA M204SD01AA FUTABA 5P00A016 (Ok) (Ok) No 3 Futaba NA202SD08FA ? Ok Ok Yes 6 almost IEE compatible, no Custom-Characters Samsung 20S204DA2 and 20S207DA1 ? Ok Ok Yes 3, 7 The display is FUTABA compatible (hard- and software). Custom-Characters not supported(?). Samsung 20S207DA4 and 20S207DA6 ? Ok Ok Yes 7, 3 almost Futaba compatible Noritake CU20026SCPB-T microcontroller (Ok) (Ok) No 2 Noritake CU20045SCPB-T28A ? (Ok) (Ok) No 2 IEE 36657-01 (= 02S-93290-VFD 36657-01) ? Ok Ok Yes 4 IEE S03601-95B ? (Ok) (Ok) No 4 IEE S03601-96-080 ? (Ok) (Ok) No 5 Siemens/Wincor Nixdorf BA63/66 ? Ok - Yes 8 Display needs different connection, see below! no Custom-Characters, no brightness-control 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, then copy, rename and modify this function to your needs - that is the easiest way I guess.) On Malte Poeggel's page you may find pictures and datasheets of the VFDs: 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. The Connections shown have been tested successfully. Always cross-check with your datasheet, before connecting your display! Different displays of even the 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. It is not possible to connect most of the displays directly to the serial port. The signal has to be inverted. I use the following circuit to do that job.

- A* | E| | | | | 5(GND) ---------o-----------o----o--------------o-- GND |* Shield -----------------------------------------o optional *connect near display ]]>

The pins on the different displays vary. CN1: CN2: The blue connector (6pin in a row) (the important one!): Hold the display in that position where you can read the KD Rev 2.1 marking normally! The gray connector (10pin 2 rows): The two jumpers next to the gray connector: This display doesn't need the inverter! It must be connected directly with the serial port. Check the serial port setup of the display, it has to be "9600 8N1". In most cases JP3 needs to be modified (closed) by the user! More detailed information can be found in the users manual of the display. CN1: CN2: use_parallel = ¶meters.yesdefno; "no" if display connected serial, "yes" if connected parallel [default: no(serial)]. Port = PORT Portaddress where the LPT is. Used in parallel mode only. Usual values are 0x278, 0x378 and 0x3BC [default: 0x278]. PortWait = DELAY Set parallel port timing delay (us). Used in parallel mode only. [default: 2; legal: 0 - 255]. 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 = ¶meters.size; Specifies the size of the VFD. [default: 20x2] Type = CODE Specifies the display type.[default: 0] The following type codes are available: CODE VFD model 0 NEC (FIPC8367 based) VFDs 1 KD Rev 2.1 2 Noritake VFDs 3 Futaba VFDs 4 IEE S03601-95B 5 IEE S03601-96-080 6 Futaba NA202SD08FA (allmost IEE compatible) 7 Samsung 20S207DA? 8 Siemens/Wincor Nixdorf BA63/66 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 = ¶meters.yesdefno; Enable ISO-8859-1 compatibility [default is yes].