Samsung VFD from a Silverstone case

[Nutsy]

Second post
Right so this is how my VFD journey started.
I took out the display from an old case, when i had it i never managed to get the display to work. So i wanted to try some things out.

Ive tried applying power to the gnd and vcc pins an that doesn't trigger any kind of demo mode or cursor flash... But i don't know if in this vfd that would happen. Does anyone know?

The tube appears intact and undamaged.

Its pin layout is 2 rows of 7 pins. I think its parallel judging by some tech sheets. One of my biggest problems i've been having is sourcing a serial or usb backpack that would drive it (if the thing works at all)

The only ones I've found are i2c based, and i haven't got a clue how to connect to that. I only have rs232 serial breakouts.
Got a '1602LCD Display IIC/I2C/TWI/SP I Serial Interface Board Module Port For Arduino' off amazon... (not allowed to post URLs it seems)
Is the only back pack i could find at a low price... I also realise its pin outs are in the wrong order, but as i dont know how to talk to the i2c its kinda moot.

Unless the pin ins on that can take RX/TX?

If anyone has any ideas that could help me investigate weather the VFD is dead or not, or how to talk to it... Please help

Ta

[hydrolisk1792]

Please post a bit more information on your display like a picture of it, it's pins, datasheet, if it is COG tech or not and so on.

[Tibo RB]

Hello,

I recently found a new (!) Silverstone SST-FP54 VFD Display for a few bucks . Dreamed of this as a teen, but couldn't afford one of these back in the days.
The display is a Samsung 16x2 characters that I'd like to install in a future tiny htpc.

I found a few posts talking about this :

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=299&hilit=silverstone&start=75

After a bit of research here, I think I found the way to convert it to usb. (it's parallel port, but my PC doesn't have one) just wanted to check if a FT245 module like you find in the bay or amazo is all I need ? There is no talk of vfds ...

I can do a bit of soldering, but I'm not quite sure I can make a module by my own if it involves programming ...

thanks. and greetings from France .

[hydrolisk1792]

Hello,

I recently found a new (!) Silverstone SST-FP54 VFD Display for a few bucks . Dreamed of this as a teen, but couldn't afford one of these back in the days.
The display is a Samsung 16x2 characters that I'd like to install in a future tiny htpc.

I found a few posts talking about this :

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=299&hilit=silverstone&start=75

After a bit of research here, I think I found the way to convert it to usb. (it's parallel port, but my PC doesn't have one) just wanted to check if a FT245 module like you find in the bay or amazo is all I need ? There is no talk of vfds ...

I can do a bit of soldering, but I'm not quite sure I can make a module by my own if it involves programming ...

thanks. and greetings from France .

Greetings and welcome to the forums mate! Glad to have you here Most of the time to make a module work for USB to parallel unfortunately you will need to do a bit of programming on the microcontroller. If you can some how get it to serial then you can get a USB to serial cable and that will work just fine. I use USB to serial for most of my displays and I have over 30 on one machine, so I don't really see any problems with trying that first.

[Tibo RB]

Hey thx for your fast answer !!
30+ vfds on a pc ! Must look quite steampunk ? maybe it's time for a standard lcd ?


I first bought one cable that does parallel to usb ... but it did'nt work.
I read in some post here that these cable don't work, and that my only chance was to get an usb module.

Did you just solder the pins to a serial ? Do i just have to find the pinout ? that would be an easy way to get it working, and right for me ...
Is it a basic usb to RS232 adapter you are using ?

thanks for your help !

[hydrolisk1792]

Hey thx for your fast answer !!
30+ vfds on a pc ! Must look quite steampunk ? maybe it's time for a standard lcd ?


I first bought one cable that does parallel to usb ... but it did'nt work.
I read in some post here that these cable don't work, and that my only chance was to get an usb module.

Did you just solder the pins to a serial ? Do i just have to find the pinout ? that would be an easy way to get it working, and right for me ...
Is it a basic usb to RS232 adapter you are using ?

thanks for your help !

No what I was saying was it would probably be easier to use something like a Parallel to Serial backpack if you can find one because there are ways to get things like that to work on Smartie. Some of the USB ones will not work here on smartie. These are the ones I use:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-to-4-Po ... xy4eJTOX9a

I have a whole network of these installed to make everything work together. With a few powered hubs of course

I have two 40x4 LCDs already in the deck and one LCD 20x2 for the security system

You really should know the pinouts of the device you have bnefore making any kind of connections mate this way you don't burn anything up in the guess and check process...

[Tibo RB]

ok I 'll give it a try with this !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/172225479152?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

Can't wait to try it out !

[hydrolisk1792]

ok I 'll give it a try with this !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/172225479152?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

Can't wait to try it out !

NO!! That is for the WD202 displays. It just wires the DB 25 to a usable serial port for controlling those displays... I've got ten of them and there is nothing in that cable but wires...

[hydrolisk1792]

How did it go?

[matrixdefalco]

hello to all, the vfd in question should be a samsung 16T202DA1E the same as my case.
I have solved with an arduino nano and the matrix orbital emulator connected to lcdsmartie. It works well but I have a problem ... arduino writes both lines, lcdsmartie instead shows me the information of the two lines both on the first.
if you have an idea to help me thank you very much
matrixdefalco