Display plugin for Zalman HD135 HTPC case VFD

[Enrico74]

Here is a display plugin for the VFD that comes with the Zalman HD135 HTPC case.
This is a first release and for now it lacks custom char display (which might be a limitation depending on what you expect).
The plugin has been written in C++ under VS2005 and therefore requires the VS2005 redistributable package to be installed (get it there if you don't have it yet: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en )

To install it, just put the zalmanhd135_plugin.dll file in the 'displays' subdirectory of LCDSmartie then select it as the display plugin in the Setup window.

Comments and suggestions are welcome

EDIT: New version of the plugin that supports custom chars and customization of communication settings. Renamed to VL System M-Play Blast plugin (this is the name of the original device).

[Fast351]

Looked at the source, cool to see a VC++ display plugin.

Nothing to test it on here, but you should not have COM3 hardcoded. Pass it in as a parameter.

-Mike

[Enrico74]

This was a first sketch to get feedback.
The current version is getting much better, with a support for custom chars and customizable serial settings.
I will also have it renamed to VL-SYSTEM MPLAY BLAST plugin because this is the correct name for the VFD the Zalman HD135 case is equipped with.
Once stabilized and tested, I hope to see it in your plugin directory

C++ better suits my skills than delphi. I only dig the display plugin api from your source code, and admit I do not understand 100% of it. I have also posted a C++ display plugin skeleton in the forum, for other C++ developpers to get a starting point. Feel free to comment it if you have time.

Another point: I had to sniff the COM port to get part of the serial protocol that I missed and found out that the "portmon" application from Mark Russinovich was quite handy. Did you ever try this ? Do you know of any better application to get the job finished ?

Thanks,
Tom

[Fast351]

This was a first sketch to get feedback.
The current version is getting much better, with a support for custom chars and customizable serial settings.
I will also have it renamed to VL-SYSTEM MPLAY BLAST plugin because this is the correct name for the VFD the Zalman HD135 case is equipped with.
Once stabilized and tested, I hope to see it in your plugin directory

Absolutely. I've actually wanted to do this myself (I have the free VC++ from Microsoft and have done some work in it) but just haven't had the time.

C++ better suits my skills than delphi. I only dig the display plugin api from your source code, and admit I do not understand 100% of it. I have also posted a C++ display plugin skeleton in the forum, for other C++ developpers to get a starting point. Feel free to comment it if you have time.

I did take a quick look at it, and it looks good. I will take the display API and do a quick comment job on it, so others will have a starting point.

Another point: I had to sniff the COM port to get part of the serial protocol that I missed and found out that the "portmon" application from Mark Russinovich was quite handy. Did you ever try this ? Do you know of any better application to get the job finished ?

I do a lot of serial work at my job, and I have my own application that I wrote to do it. It works differently in that it requires an additional COM port to watch traffic one way, or two COM ports to watch bidirectional traffic. It's not perfectly suited to this, but helps because you don't have to run on the PC that's doing the talking. I've used it to sniff the COM between two controllers that are not PCs.

Unfortunately I cannot release it because the company I work for owns it, but there are other programs out there that do the same thing.

-Mike

[Enrico74]

Initial post updated with newer version of the plugin.