Big Problems - OC LCD Card

Hi everyone,

I am having trouble getting this card to work correctly. I am using a 20x2 LCD Display, HD44780 Standard (http://www.maplin.co.uk/media/pdfs/N29AZ.pdf).

Basically, when I plug the card into the USB (with LCD attatched), it is recognised by the PC. The Opencockpits USBLCD Check application sucessfully indentifies the LCD Card, so there is no USB problem.

The LCD screen itself lights up its backlighting. Also, the top line of the LCD display is filled with black squares (not random squares, they occupy the correct LCD locations).

I designed a very simple IOCLcd Display:

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...pheric/HHN.jpg

And this SIOC script:

Code:

---

Var 0004, name LCD

Var 0 Value 0
{
&LCD = 0
}

---

I start IOCLCD.exe, import the virtual display made above, and then run SIOC. Nothing whatosever displays on the LCD screen.

Jack:(

Jack,
I think that you miss a variable for virtual display selection (in your SIOC script). Something like this:

Code:

---

Var 4 Value 0 // virtual display selector
Var 5 name LCD

Var 6 Value 0
{
  &LCD = 0
}

---

Please study carefully my working example (with all the nececssay files in a zip): http://www.lekseecon.nl/iocards.html#USBLCD


Did you define a IOClcd.ini?

regards,
Nico

Hi Nico,

I will post my SIOC.ini later today. Many thanks for your information.

Jack

yes, and your IOCLCD.INI

Hi Nico,

This is my IOCLCD.ini:

Code:

---

[ fichero de configuracion para IOClcd ]
[ Configuration file for IOClcd ]

[ Arranque minimizado en la barra ]
[ Start minimized in tray ]
Minimized=No

[ Múltiples USBs ]
[ Non unique USB ]
MUSB=No

[ Número de periférico para el USB ]
[ USB Device number ]
deviceUSB=95

[ IP del HOST del servidor ]
[ IOCP server host name ]
IOCP_host=localhost

[ Puerto de envio del protocolo IOCP ]
[ IOCP port ]
IOCP_port=8092

[ Tiempo de respuesta máximo de los paquetes IOCP ]
[ IOCP Timeout ]
IOCP_timeout=4000

[ Tiempo en refresco de las pantallas LCD (ms)]
[ Time refresh for LCD (ms) ]
refresh=80

[ Fichero de configuracion ]
[ Configuration File ]
CONFIG_FILE=IOCLcd.lcd


[ End of File ]

---

SIOC.ini:

Code:

---

[SIOC]
IOCP_port=8092
IOCP_timeout=4000
Minimized=Yes
toggle_delay=20
CONFIG_FILE=ttt.ssi

[IOCARDS MODULE]
IOCard_disable=No
IOCard_LPT=No

[DEVICE INFORMATION]
USBSERVOS=0,77
deviceUSB=2132

[USBEXPANSION]
USB=Yes

[MULTIPLE]
MUSB=Yes

[USBKEYS]
USBKeys=0,67

[MASTERS]
MASTER=0,4,1,91

[NUMBER MASTERS]
NCards=1

[A/D USED MASTER]
USB_AD=4

[FSUIPC MODULE]
FSUipcdisable=No
FSUipcRefresh=50

[IOCP CLIENTS MODULES]
IOCPini_delay=3000
IOCPclient0_disable=Yes
IOCPclient0_host=localhost
IOCPclient0_port=8090
IOCPclient1_disable=Yes
IOCPclient1_host=localhost
IOCPclient1_port=8099

[SOUND MODULE]
Sound_disable=Yes
Volume=100

---

Hi Jack,
Few pointers to follow;
1.Hardware can be checked by setting up text(via IOLCDconfig) and IOlcd.ini is correct. Run iolcd.exe (dont need sioc) and what text you have configured
should appear on your lcd. May have to adjust contrast. If you can't get this then your hardware is not right.
2. IOLCD card has 4 pins to connect to 4 physical LCD modules. If you configured for Display 0 the there is one pin from the IOLCD card that has been
designated for display 0. Make sure you have the correct one and only one. Ive seen people connect all 4 to one module and others have selected another
display other than what they defined in IOLCDconfig program.
Hope this helps.
Les

Hi Les,

This is how my Display is wired:

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...pheric/LCD.jpg

Nico's file do not work for me either so I think something is wrong. However! Earlier today, I fired up IOLCD and SIOC, and all the black squares cleared... Apart from threee very small dots on the first character. Surely this is soemthing?

Jack,
Got to go to work now, its wed morn. Will get back to u later if others havnt helped.
Les

FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!

After some fiddling around, doing random stuff with IOLCD.exe, SIOC, etc, randomly, three letters appeared on the LCD Display. L, C and R, just like Nico's script dictated!!! This definitely proves SIOC is communciating with the Display!!!:D

The only problem is, is that I don't know how I did this! I just changed the USB number in the Config file from 33 to 95 (95 is what it should be), and it worked! But now, I do the exact same thing... And nothing happens? There is communication... But it is very strange!

Jack,
You seem to be nearly there. If you have been able to get the letters L C R up then its basically working. Why you cant repeat it is puzzling. Sure you dont have any funny connections, id recheck these. Make sure youre not trying to run too much off your usb power connections. I would leave backlighting
disconnected till you get reliable operation. This maybe dragging down your voltage. As i said in my last post, SIOC does not need to be running to get the
text up on the display.
Les
Your wiring seems to be correct if its wired as per your diagram.

Hi Les,

I am so happy... I figured out how to get any display I want on it now!!!

Basically, I first start IOCLCD.exe. Then, I import Nico's script. I then run SIOC, then, finally, IOCLCDtest.exe... Then it will display L, C, R. If I want to change this, I just overwrite Nico's text on the virutal display, re-save, and close and re-open IOCLCDtest.exe. A bit "clunky" I know, but it works!!!

It only works when using Nico's script though. I will look into this more later today.

Jack:D

Jack,
All i have to do run IOLCD.exe and make sure that myfile.lcd is in same dir and that myfile.lcd is inserted into the .ini file, thats all. My text will then be displayed.If you want to change the text run LCDConfig and save under same name. Now new text will be displayed when IOLCD.exe is run again
Not very CLUNKY. Try it.
Les

Jack,
L C and R are fixed characters, they come from the .lcd file and not from SIOC.
Study the manual for the LCD card, in there is described how you get fixed characters.
Nico

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kiek

Jack,
L C and R are fixed characters, they come from the .lcd file and not from SIOC.
Study the manual for the LCD card, in there is described how you get fixed characters.
Nico

---

Hi Nico,

Yes I understand that L C R are fixed characters (ie always there).

BTW everyone... I am on Cloud 9 as asbolutely everything is working. Thank you all soo much! I wil ltry and get Nico's co-ordinates displays working next!

:D

Hi everyone,

VERY sorry to come back to this thread... Especially after I said everything was done!

I have made the following Virtual Display...

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...eric/LCD-1.jpg

However, after starting IOCLCD.exe... Only the FIRST line of text displays. What's wrong? The second line does work because I have tested it using other Virtual Displays.

IOCLCD.ini:

Code:

---

[ fichero de configuracion para IOClcd ]
[ Configuration file for IOClcd ]

[ Arranque minimizado en la barra ]
[ Start minimized in tray ]
Minimized=No

[ Múltiples USBs ]
[ Non unique USB ]
MUSB=No

[ Número de periférico para el USB ]
[ USB Device number ]
deviceUSB=95

[ IP del HOST del servidor ]
[ IOCP server host name ]
IOCP_host=localhost

[ Puerto de envio del protocolo IOCP ]
[ IOCP port ]
IOCP_port=8092

[ Tiempo de respuesta máximo de los paquetes IOCP ]
[ IOCP Timeout ]
IOCP_timeout=4000

[ Tiempo en refresco de las pantallas LCD (ms)]
[ Time refresh for LCD (ms) ]
refresh=80

[ Fichero de configuracion ]
[ Configuration File ]
CONFIG_FILE=MUTs.lcd


[ End of File ]

---

The file is called "MUTs.lcd"

Jack,
I would delete and start again. When i was playing around i found that if your text in the configurator was longer than your display funny things happened when you ran IOLCD.exe. Deleting and starting again fixed it for me.
Les