lcd running on xp cant connect

doronsky · Post by **doronsky** » February 17th, 2007, 1:30 am

Hi every one
I have a 20x4 Blue LCD + Cable Kit LCD Smartie HD44780 Display
Running on windows xp
I can?t get it to display anything
Its on a parallel cable that came wire'd no matter how I set it up it just flickers from time to time like when it changes screens but does not display anything
I had it set to 387 and PARRALLEL PORT to epp
THE OPTIONS I HAVE ARE
NORMAL
EPP
ECP
BI-DIRECTIONAL
Does some one run one of these on xp and if so could you tell me your settings??

Also does anyone run one of these by using?
USB to 25 pins Parallel Port Printer Cable ieee (connected to)
still using the parallel cable

or
The parallel cable connected to 9 way D-TYPE Com Port cable
will these last two work any thoughts please
Many thanks Ron

Post by **limbo** » February 17th, 2007, 11:44 am

Read this:
http://forums.lcdsmartie.org/viewforum.php?f=11

kensn · Post by **kensn** » March 8th, 2007, 5:59 am

I bought 2 Blue 4x20 displays off EBAY. I was thrown for a bit because the wiring diagram they sent on the CD had the RS wire from the LCD goimg to pin 17 of the port instead of 16. After moving the wire all was fine.

doronsky · Post by **doronsky** » March 8th, 2007, 3:40 pm

HI KENSN
I bought Blue 4x20 displays off EBAY also ( no cd ) came wired

PARALLEL SET TO 278 GET BLANK SCREEN
PARALLEL SET TO 378 LIGHTS UP BUT FLICKERS
AS IF JUST NOT SHOWING WHAT MY SCREEN SHOWS ON MONITOR

AT PRESENT ITS SET TO 387 and PARRALLEL PORT to epp
THE ONLY OPTIONS I HAVE ARE
NORMAL
EPP
ECP
BI-DIRECTIONAL
THERES NO CONFLICT IN SYSTEM MANAGER

I have tried a USB to Parallel Lead
All I get is two rows of BLACK LINES OUT OF 4

IM NEW TO ALL THIS AND AM LOST AND WILL PROBEBLY ENDUP TAKING IT TO A SHOP?

THANKS RON

Post by **mattcro** » March 8th, 2007, 5:39 pm

Ron: As kensn said, there are a couple of ways of wiring the LCD to the parallel port. It could be that your LCD is wired differently to what LCD Smartie expects. Can you check the wiring? The schematic for LCD Smartie is here (top diagram). Several people have had problems with LCDs connected to parallel ports, but for many people it works fine.

When you say the LCD "flickers", do you mean a sort of shimmering flicker but no characters actually visible, or are there garbage characters on the LCD? If it's shimmering and you can't make out characters, try adjusting the contrast control (if there is one). If you're getting garbage, there is probably a problem with the cable (perhaps wiring) or port settings.

Usually the parallel port should be set as Normal or EPP, and 378. Some folks have tried a USB>PARALLEL cable and it didn't work. The USB>RS232 cable or COM port will not work at all for LCDs designed to connect to the parallel/printer port.

PS does the EBay seller give any info on the wiring or suggest any software to use? Can you give us a link to the LCD you bought?

doronsky · Post by **doronsky** » March 8th, 2007, 7:51 pm

hi mattcro
When I say the LCD "flickers? It lights up but does not display anything
No characters just bright blue to normal blue? .it changes as the monitor screens changes ?? it like it wants to show something put can?t connect
The brightness control doesn?t seam to make much difference
This is the lcd
20x4 Blue LCD + Cable Kit LCD Smartie HD44780 Display
ebay Item number: 200072674765

My bios settings are

Serial port 1 address ** set to ** 3f8/irq4

Parallel port address ** set to ** 278/irq5

options available are
disabled 378/ir07 278/irq5 3bc/irq7

parallel port mode ** set to ** bi directional

options available are
normal epp ecp bi directional

ecp mode use dma set to 3

lcd smartie settings
4 x 20
hd44780 parallel
278
driver boot delay 1
timming multiplier 1
fix 16x1 line address left blank
use ks0073 address left blank
refress interval 150
scroll interval 300

if only things where plug and play
ron

kensn · Post by **kensn** » March 8th, 2007, 9:28 pm

Here is the link to the ones I bought. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1

It came with a cd with the typical wiring diagram that I always see for the HD44780, except for the mistake of having the RS going to 17 instead of 16 on the port. I had row 1 and 3 illuminated with solid blocks and no response for Smartie until I changed this on the port connector.

doronsky · Post by **doronsky** » March 8th, 2007, 10:02 pm

Hi kensn
The one you have looks all right and a good price
I take it, you made your own cable up.
Ill have a look at the cable on my lcd ( eg 17 16 ) tomorrow

Im also tempted to get a new one from where you got yours. looks ok
but not just yet
Ill spend some time with this one first ???

ron

kensn · Post by **kensn** » March 9th, 2007, 12:40 am

I guess first thing I would do is ring out the wiring with a meter, just to say thats not it.

Post by **mattcro** » March 9th, 2007, 12:39 pm

Ron, the description says your LCD (this eBay item) is for use with LCD Smartie so I would hope that the wiring is correct. It should look like the 3rd diagram down on the LCD Smartie circuits page I linked to.

Does the backlight (the entire illumination level) change or flicker slightly only when the screen updates (i.e. when the Smartie preview window changes)? That indicates that the wiring is incorrect - probably the same problem that kensn had, where pins 16 and 17 on the parallel port connector are swapped or somehow wired wrong.

Can you check these pins against the schematic with a multimeter? parallel port pin 16 should connect to LCD pin 4, and parallel port pin 14 should go to LCD pin 5. It's not so easy to check pin 17 if the transistor backlight control is hidden inside sleeving or something.

The seller says to set the parallel port to SPP which is "normal" mode in the BIOS I think. The standard address setting is 378/IRQ7 so try that in the BIOS and Smartie config.

I don't know which exact controller chip the LCD uses, so it may be worthwhile to try the "use KS0073 addressing" option.