Help please! Wilco Arbus A320 Home Cockpit OpenCockpits USB LCD Card

[gunes 0]

I Jack (again)

 

I received the two LCD's, and I'm quite ready to make the first tests.

My LCDs are Black ,w/HD44780 Controller,Bezel,White Backlit.

That is to say, characters are white colour.

Is the potenciometer control completely necessary? (as you have on your review).

Directly 5V will be to much bright or barely readable?

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

Apologies for my late reply.

 

Whilst I would recommend a potentiometer so that you can control the brightness, of course it will work perfectly provided you are 100% certain it is a 5V supply (I say this because these things are very fragile; 5.5V will kill it!).

 

Do your LCDs have contrast control?

 

Very glad to see that the LEDs are working. Excellent news! Enjoy!

[gunes 0]

I Jack.

 

It was a little difficult to find this kind of lcd. I found them on Ebay China.

Manual information on pin configuration, the two last pins:

 

pin no          pin name                  descripions

    .                      .                                 .

    .                      .                                 .

    .                      .                                 .

  15               LED_A                  Backlight Anode

  16               LED_K                  Backlight Cathode

 

Are this two pins for brightness and contrast, as I think they are?

The best way is to use potenciometers, bacause I don´t believe I will find a high-precision 5V power supply. 

 

 

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

I believe that those pins are for the backlighting; not for the contrast. Indeed, it is quite common of the HD44780 design to have the backlighting pins on 15 and 16 (be careful that you get them the correct way round!). Perhaps your LCD does not have contrast control and has already been made to a factory-determined contrast; no bother!

 

Please tell me how you get on.

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack.

 

It´s quite confused, because I never made any LCD connections before.

I  am sending (via email), the PDF files I downloaded from Seller.

Please give me a suggestion about these connections.

About this LCD,s my confusion is what standard an backlighted modules are?

I got 10K and 100K potenciometers to use if necessary.

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

The data sheet you sent my via email is correct; no problems there!

 

Pins 15 and 16 are optional backlighting pins; they do not control the LCD display itself, but simply provide power for a series of LEDs behind the LCD display. You don't have to connect them if you don't want to.

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack,

 

I was making a big mess. The "backlighting" meens only output led power (external to LCD).

I don´t need any output, but I would like to control the brightness of my characters through potenciometers

(white characters on black background colour).

Is that possible?

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

I think you are referring to "contrast". If you refer to the USBLCD card manual from Opencockpits, you can see that they have two potentiometers connected to their LCD unit; the 100K pot is for the backlighting, and the 10K pot is connected to pin 3, or "V0". "V0" is the input voltage for the LCD, and by connecting a potentiometer (10K) to this pin, you can vary the voltage across the LCD characters (ie change contrast).

 

So, in other words, the 10K pot connected to pin 3 will control the "brightness of your characters".

 

If you're unsure about anything; just refer to the wiring diagram in the Opencockpits manual or my review, they are both correct. The only thing worth mentioning is that for some reason, if you trace the wire coming from pin 10 (on the LCD) on Opencockpits' diagram, there seems to be some sort of photocopying error or something; the wire goes almost invisible at some point in the diagram (more easily understood if you refer to the diagram).

 

I have also had another look regarding the 100K pot. My comments regarding the "high precision power supply", whilst true, are only really necessary if you are using more than one LCD unit per LCD card. If you're just using one LCD unit, you can go ahead without a 5V power supply and the card will draw the power from the USB socket in your PC. 

 

As a result, I recommend connecting your LCD unit exactly as specified in the Opencockpits manual, with the 100K pot and 10K pots connected correctly. That way you can control both backlighting and character brightness.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[gunes 0]

HI Jack.

 

Now I can undersand all the wiring diagram (with your precious help),

 

I have two LCD,s to be connected.

1- 2x40 characters to EFIS/FCU

1- 2x8 characters to QNH.

 I have all of the necessary parts, and I´m going to wire everything.

 

Merry Chistmas to you and Family.

 

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Thank you Gabriel, you too!

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack.

 

I have wired everything. Looking carefully to all connections, they are right.

 

Turning potenciometer 10K, cells change from black to bright white (close 5V).

The problem is that only half (20 from 40 cells) do that (just one 20 cells side). Aflter some

time, the bottom of the other 20 cells (about half each cell) comes bright.

 

Turning potenciometer 100K, lights some leds inside back of LCD,

and changes brightness of LCD (it seems correct).

 

Do you think there is a power problem?

 

I'm quite confused, because turning potenciometer to less resistence, I have 5V on multimeter.

 

Cheers

 

Gabriel

 

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack

 

I made a few more attempts, and now I can see all 40 cells become darker, when turning

potenciometer (close to 5V they become bright), but NO characters appears (as I filled on IOClcd_config.exe (IOClcd.lcd).

Another question is about IOClcd.ini file.

Manual says to use USBCheck.exe and find the device (I found 2048),

but IOClcd.exe "says" device 23.

What the correct device on ini file?

Is it necessary to change the "refresh" value? (the indicated is 80).

 

Cheers

 

Gabriel

 

[gunes 0]

I'm completely disappointed with everything about LCD's.

The 8x2 LCD never get backlight.

With multimeter, I found that LED was "gone".

I could see that backlight is required because of the brightness (without it you can hardly see anything)

I use a 7 port usb hub, powered by a 5V power supply from 220V.

I remembered to test the usb power of this hub with my multimeter,

and I found 5,5V. That is to say I feed the USBLcd card with 5.5V.

Is there any possibility to know if USBLcd card has any problem?

When I connect it (now from a direct USB port), system "recognizes" the card, and IOClcd.exe "says" running.

The other LCD (40x2) seems to work (contrast and backlight ok), but NO characters.

I confess that I'm about to put everything in the trash, and forget the lcd for ever.

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

Indeed the if the LED has blown then unfortunately that particular LCD won't work.

 

You say the other LCD backlights correctly; this confirms that the USBLCD card IS supplying the correct voltage to the LCD.

 

When you say that "no characters appear"... Have you configured the IOClcd.ini file correctly (this is usually found in the same installation folder as IOClcd.exe)? You must make sure that the deviceUSB=XX entry is done correctly. Open up SIOC, and read off the device number for your LCD card from the main window. If, for example, it says 32, then you would edit your IOClcd.ini file to read thus:

 

deviceUSB=32

Also make sure that "MUSB=No" is set in the IOClcd.ini file.

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack,

 

I could understand everything about IOClcd.ini. Device is correct (in my case is 25); USB=No, etc.

This is my .ini file:

 

[ Configuration file for IOClcd ]

Minimized=No

MUSB=No

deviceUSB=25

IOCP_host=localhost

IOCP_port=8092

IOCP_timeout=4000

refresh=80

CONFIG_FILE=.\IOClcd.lcd

 

The 2x40 seems to be ok, when connecting USBlcd card to PC. It appens as I checked in several

LCD reviews (one of the two 20 side quares appears black).

Now; executing IOClcd.exe, "something appens".

Blacks more 4 lines of the other 20 squares, and nothing else

It do not assume the data filled on IOClcd_config.exe.

Mybe that is a card problem, but how to test it?

Is it possible that  LCD (made in China) is not a standard Hitachi 44780 compatible? (manual says HD44780 Controller)

I have read about a PCI paralel port  and a program called fscld. Do you know anything about it?

I would like VERY MUCH to have my Airbus A320 glareshield with LCD, but I'm a little disappointed.

 

 

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

Indeed, the LCD will not work unless it is definitely an HD44780; otherwise it should be fine.

 

I see you have "IOCLCD.lcd" set as your config file. This is the default setting, and this file is blank. Have you definitely overwritten this file with your desired LCD settings? Or did you make a fresh .lcd file, in which case you need to set your config file to this new .lcd file.

 

Also, make sure to remove the "./" from infront on IOClcd.lcd.

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack

 

I did overwritte the original IOClcd.lcd file.

I have this file on the same folder as IOClcd.exe and the IOClcd.ini files.

The IOClcd.exe finds the file, because I made a test  renaming it, and the program says "IOCLCD.LCD: File not Found!!".

I deleted the "./", but nothing different because it's only to find the file in a sub-folder.

The information of the LCD on EBAY is:  "Black 40x2 Character LCD Module Display,w/HD44780 Controller,Bezel,White Backlit".

I asked Open Cockpits support about this, because I don't know how to find what is wrong (card or LCD). 

I wired everything again, and the result is the same. 

 

 

 

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

Could you post a picture of your wiring, the LCD, etc? And the Ebay listing if possible?

[gunes 0]

I Jack.

 

The ebay site of LCD is this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291020239150?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

Soon I'll get some photos of LCD "working".

About  photos of my wiring, I think it will impossible to identify the connections on photo.

Only I can say they are just like Open Cockpits shcema. (I tested then one by one "again").

 

[gunes 0]

I think I have a problem with photos

http://s965.photobucket.com/user/manuelgnunes/library/

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

One thing to check is that you have definitely connected pin 6 on the LCD ("E") to pin 29 on the USBLCD card. You may have accidentally connected it to pin 30 or 31 (in which case this case still be fixed through software); please check this.

 

Also, have you connected pin 10 ("D3") on the LCD correctly? I believe the OC manual has an error in it whereby the wire for pin 10 is blanked out on their diagram.

 

I have done some digging in my old files, and I found that I made a diagram of how I wired the LCD card all those years ago. Here it is:

 

 

I'm sure you'll agree this is much clearer than Opencockpits' diagram. Don't panic about pins 15 & 16; on some LCD cards they are the opposite way round (ie 15 is the anode with 16 being the cathode); you must have wired these correctly otherwise your LCD back-light wouldn't work.

 

I'll continue to look into the problem.

[gunes 0]

I Jack

 

Everything is correct. My diagram and yours are quite the same.

Only a little difference on backlight (I have a 100K pot).

I was trying do post some images from photobucket, but forum "says" I am not

allowed to do that (I don't understand or I'm making any mistake).

If you don´t care, I'm sendind them by mail.

 

(I'm trying again)

 

 

[gunes 0]

(sometimes I feel stupid with this kind of mistakes)

Here there are some photos 

 

Sorry Jack!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Aircraft Aviation 2]

Hi Gabriel,

 

Potentially some good news here. Apparently you are not the only one to have this problem:

 

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19238

 

"I have wired up a 20x4 LCD Display, when i plug the card via USB in the display will show up and shows me on each 4 lines and 20 blocks, black blocks." 

 

"Than started IOClcd.exe and the display is still showing black blocks. also when i run sioc, the same, black blocks."

As you can see, a similar issue. Furthermore, I actually remember experiencing a similar issue (it's hard to remember all those years back) with black blocks appearing.

 

I am tired now and will get back to you tomorrow. Can you have a look through that thread at MyCockpit.org that I posted above and tell me if you find anything useful?

 

Jack
 

[gunes 0]

Hi Jack.

 

After reading another of those posts, I could see that LCD contoller was KS0066 and not HD44780.

Maybe the issue on that case.

Anyway no input data on LCD. It seems to be a compatibility issue.

Open Cockpits could have a test program to USBlcd, like "test_outputs.exe" (to USBouts card), just to be sure that

USBlcd is ok.

They don´t have any LCD to be purchased, and it was important to know were to buy any LCD already tested.

They talk about "standard Hd44780". What they mean standard?

I can find on Ebay many LCDs w/HD780 controller, but nothing about "standard" (or not).