lcdproc/docs/lcdproc-user/drivers/mdm166a.docbook

<sect1 id="mdm166a-howto">
<sect1info>
  <author>
    <firstname>Markus</firstname><surname>Dolze</surname>
  </author>
</sect1info>
<title>The mdm166a driver</title>

<para>This section talks about using <application>LCDproc</application> with
the Futaba / Targa USB Graphic Vacuum Fluorescent Display (MDM166A; USB
VID=0x19c2, PID=0x6a11).</para>

<para>The MDM166A is a graphical VFD with a 96x16 pixel dot matrix area which
is used for 16x2 characters with a 6x8 pixel font. It features several icons,
volume level and WLAN strength indicator which are all software controllable
using the <function>output</function> function.</para>

<para>The mdm166a driver builds on top of <literal>libhid</literal> which in
turn uses <literal>libusb</literal>.</para>

<para>The driver was developed by Christoph Rasim
(<ulink url="http://www.rasim.net/" />) without any available documentation
from the vendor, but with a good protocol description from Thomas Koos
(<ulink url="http://www.muetze1.de" />) created by reverse engineering the
protocol.</para>


<sect2 id="mdm166a-config">
<title>Configuration in LCDd.conf</title>

<sect3 id="mdm166a-config-section">
<title>[mdm166a]</title>

<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
  <term>
    <property>Clock</property> =
    <parameter><replaceable>TYPE</replaceable></parameter>
  </term>
  <listitem><para>
    Show self-running clock after LCDd shutdown. Possible values for
    <replaceable>TYPE</replaceable> are <literal>no</literal>,
    <literal>small</literal> and <literal>big</literal>. If not given no clock
    is shown.
  </para></listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
  <term>
    <property>Dimming</property> = &parameters.yesnodef;
  </term>
  <listitem><para>
    Dim display, no dimming gives full brightness.
  </para></listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
  <term>
    <property>OffDimming</property> = &parameters.yesnodef;
  </term>
  <listitem><para>
    Dim display in case LCDd is inactive.
  </para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>

</sect3>

</sect2>


<sect2 id="mdm166a-icons">
<title>Using the icons</title>

<para>The icons, the volume bar and the WLAN indicator supported by the VFD
can be controlled by use of the <function>output</function> function.</para>

<para>The <parameter class="function">on</parameter> parameter is used as a
bitmask to control which elements to display. Setting an icon bit to
<literal>1</literal> enables the icon, setting the bit to <literal>0</literal>
disables an icon. Volume and WLAN strength indicator accept an numeric value
in the given bit mask.</para>

<table id="mdm166a-icons-bitmask">
  <title>mdm166a_output bitmask</title>
  <tgroup cols="2">
  <thead>
    <row>
      <entry>bit(s)</entry>
      <entry>Icon</entry>
    </row>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <row>
      <entry>0</entry>
      <entry>Play</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>1</entry>
      <entry>Pause</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>2</entry>
      <entry>Record</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>3</entry>
      <entry>Message</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>4</entry>
      <entry>Mail (at-symbol)</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>5</entry>
      <entry>Mute</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>6</entry>
      <entry>WLAN tower</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>7</entry>
      <entry>Volume (the word)</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>8&hellip;12</entry>
      <entry>Volume (decimal 0&hellip;28)</entry>
    </row>
    <row>
      <entry>13&hellip;14</entry>
      <entry>WLAN strength (0&hellip;3)</entry>
    </row>
  </tbody>
  </tgroup>
</table>

</sect2>


<sect2 id="mdm166a-device-config">
<title>Special device hints</title>

<para>This display may appear as a <acronym>HID</acronym> device in your
system which may prevent <literal>libhid</literal> from being able to open
the USB device. In this case you have to create some OS-specific
configuration to prevent the <acronym>HID</acronym> driver to take control
of this display.</para>

<sect3 id="mdm166a-device-config-freebsd">
<title>Configuring FreeBSD 7.x to exclude this device from uhid</title>

<para>To make the uhid driver ignore this device you have to apply the
following patch to your kernel source and recompile and install your kernel:
</para>

<programlisting>
<![CDATA[
--- sys/dev/usb/usbdevs.orig    2010-11-24 02:06:30.000000000 +0100
+++ sys/dev/usb/usbdevs 2010-11-24 07:36:38.000000000 +0100
@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@
 vendor AMIT            0x18c5  AMIT
 vendor QCOM            0x18e8  Qcom
 vendor LINKSYS3                0x1915  Linksys
+vendor TARGA           0x19c2  Targa Corporation
 vendor QUALCOMMINC     0x19d2  Qualcomm, Incorporated
 vendor STELERA         0x1a8d  Stelera Wireless
 vendor DRESDENELEKTRONIK 0x1cf1 dresden elektronik
@@ -2343,6 +2344,9 @@
 /* System TALKS, Inc. */
 product SYSTEMTALKS SGCX2UL    0x1920  SGC-X2UL

+/* Targa Corporation */
+product TARGA VFD              0x6a11  Targa USB Graphic VFD
+
 /* Tapwave products */
 product TAPWAVE ZODIAC         0x0100  Zodiac

--- sys/dev/usb/usb_quirks.c.orig       2010-11-24 02:07:03.000000000 +0100
+++ sys/dev/usb/usb_quirks.c    2010-11-24 02:16:30.000000000 +0100
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@
        ANY, { UQ_HID_IGNORE }},
  { USB_VENDOR_APPLE, USB_PRODUCT_APPLE_IPHONE_3G,
        ANY, { UQ_HID_IGNORE }},
+ { USB_VENDOR_TARGA, USB_PRODUCT_TARGA_VFD,
+       ANY, { UQ_HID_IGNORE }},

  /* Devices which should be ignored by both ukbd and uhid */
  { USB_VENDOR_CYPRESS, USB_PRODUCT_CYPRESS_WISPY1A,
]]>
</programlisting>

</sect3>

</sect2>

</sect1>