Best? Serial LCD Display
pacman
Posts: 327
People,
It's about time I invested in a serial LCD for my prop.
I realise there are numerous ones out there - but I'm after recommendations for a cheap, 2 line (16 char a line - more?) LCD that I can connect and drive easily (using one of the excellent exiting objects in the Object exchange). It doesn't have to do backlight, nor fancy characters, just be able to spit out text.
I realise that Parallax make several (like the #27976), but alas, none of there free shipping weekends ever extend to Australia - so by the time I add shipping it's normally more $ that I could source one form a local distributor. Problem is that I don't know _much_ about these displays so hence I ask the 'experts'.
Perhaps there is a reseller who offers the Parallax range, but will ship to the land Downunder, for less ? (at least Parallax get the sale - sort of)
PS: Parallax, perhaps one weekend as a weekend special you could offer reduced shipping to Australia ($55USD shipping for a $30 item is a bit steep).
Thanks
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The future is in our hands.
Which way to the future?
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Post Edited (pacman) : 10/21/2009 4:05:35 AM GMT
It's about time I invested in a serial LCD for my prop.
I realise there are numerous ones out there - but I'm after recommendations for a cheap, 2 line (16 char a line - more?) LCD that I can connect and drive easily (using one of the excellent exiting objects in the Object exchange). It doesn't have to do backlight, nor fancy characters, just be able to spit out text.
I realise that Parallax make several (like the #27976), but alas, none of there free shipping weekends ever extend to Australia - so by the time I add shipping it's normally more $ that I could source one form a local distributor. Problem is that I don't know _much_ about these displays so hence I ask the 'experts'.
Perhaps there is a reseller who offers the Parallax range, but will ship to the land Downunder, for less ? (at least Parallax get the sale - sort of)
PS: Parallax, perhaps one weekend as a weekend special you could offer reduced shipping to Australia ($55USD shipping for a $30 item is a bit steep).
Thanks
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
=================
The future is in our hands.
Which way to the future?
=================
Post Edited (pacman) : 10/21/2009 4:05:35 AM GMT
Comments
Have you considered using a small NTSC LCD?
You can drive one with as little as one pin (using Phil's method), or with 3 pins you get a lot of color... just a thought.
Sparkfun also has some serial LCD's
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Post Edited (Bill Henning) : 10/21/2009 4:09:25 AM GMT
being in Europe I have the same problem you have with shipping rate, so I ended with this:
http://www.robot-electronics.co.uk/htm/Lcd03tech.htm
They have resellers in Australia too.
It is a really easy to use display. It has both I2C and serial, and for little more you also have a keypad with decoder. On the site there is an example.
There is also the back light.
I made a simple bignum routine, giving a 5X2 big numbers display, and I'm happy with it.
Massimo
They offer a serial LCD, or a converter chip, which is just a pre-programmed PIC that is inserted between the Prop. and the LCD.
Personally I used the chip to drive a standard 2 x 16 LCD using the Prop., with no problems.
I mounted it on a small board, which in turn was attached to the rear of the LCD.
You can find Microzed here www.microzed.com.au.
From memory, I think the chip cost about $18AU. (Part no. FRM010)
They are currently moving to Queensland and can only take orders via Email UFN.
Email is sales@microzed.com.au.
kenmac
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Perth, Western Australia
Time Zone = GMT + 8
RTN
35 Woolart St. Strathmore, Victoria AU 3041
Phone: int + 613 9338 3306
Fax: int + 613 9338 4596
Web: http://www.nollet.com.au
Email: ron@nollet.com.au
E-Source Ltd.
Auckland
Phone: Intl: +64211929950
Fax: Intl +64 9 521 3832
Web: http://www.basicstamps.co.nz/
Email: sales@esource.co.nz
Epecom Graphics Pte Ltd
68, Kallang Pudding Road
SYH Logistics Building, #04-01
Singapore 349327
Phone: int +65 6842 6994
Fax: int +65 6842 4165
Web: http://www.epecomgraphics.com.sg
Email: sales@epecomgraphics.com.sg
I mention Epecom in Singapore because they either have stock, get it for you in a week or less, have reasonable pricing, and are flexible on shipping. I've used them several times (I'm in Jakarta). Never a problem.
Check ebaY. Be careful though, many cheap LCD's on ebaY are called "serial" but are really parallel interfaced, not true serial that can be driven by a single GPIO pin. Read the specifications carefully before buying, ask questions if need be. Many of these LCD's on ebaY come from China or Hong Kong and have inexpensive shipping options World wide. You might even find an Australia-based source on the Australia version of ebaY.
I use the 4x20 line LCDs from parallax. I bought them long ago when they were affordable. They work well, but inexplicably the backlight draws a lot of current when on. The back light LEDs need to be multiplexed by the back pack controller. Don't know why they aren't. The back pack allows you to turn the back light on and off with a serial command anyway. The back pack uses a Parallax SX micro so it's Parallax firmware in the LCD back pack. Aside from that, they work fine.
Consider buying a cheap DVD player and using the video in port for a video display. More than one pin, but not many. You can buy "broken" DVD players on ebaY for really cheap (less than $10 USD some times). By "broken" I mean the display works but the DVD part doesn't. Make sure you verify this with the seller before buying.
Good Luck, David