Well folks, it works...
It turns out I was trying to run this LCD from a bad Picaxe chip.
Much thanks to rik (and all others) for their help in the diagnosis
I promise to re-write this post and give everyone all the info I have learned through this ordeal, but for now, I am going to go play with my new display!!!!!!
Thanks again, folks -We're a good family here.
Hey, inverted, back-lit,
Hey, inverted, back-lit, fancy 
Congratulations!
Glad to see it’s finally up
Glad to see it’s finally up and running! Are you planning on using this with Walter?
Debugging…
First off, Hi Z. --Haven’t seen you for a while… How’s the tea?
And Yeah, this is going on walter to display menus mainly, but in terms of debugging, you can’t beat on-board display… I can read my distance sensors, i’s and o’s, pots -whatever without that pesky cord going to the computer and without adding 1/2 a second between all the commands!!
Yeah, been a while, no tea
Yeah, been a while, no tea yet. I’ve been busy with Xmas stuff, and doing girly things like knitting… oh, and working on getting a job
i know girl!
knitting can be really stressful and time consuming
I made a “dead fish” hat for my husband for Christmas, and now everyone wants one.
And since I don’t have a job yet, it’s expected of me to churn out these hats like crazy!
hmm, crazy spinster
and yet: married
hey, here’s a (totally off topic now) suggestion:
I’d say this is an amusing
I’d say this is an amusing one that you could try and great for the cold weather. Firefly fans would get a kick out of this as well…
maybe
Maybe you could set up a challenge for a dead-fish-hat-knitting-bot. Or build the robot yourself.
Code / Wiring Diagram
Hey well done!
Which PICAXE are you using?
Would you mind sharing your code and wiring diagram?
Sure thing, Kank…
Super-Duper Simple…
The display has 3 screw terminals on the back, + Gnd and Rx (serial in). From output 7 (doesn’t matter which output) I ran a 1k resistor, in series, to the serial in to the display. I don’t really know if you need the resistor, but it seemed like a good idea to me. I shared + and gnd with the same 4.5v that is going to the picaxe. That’s really it. Here is some code…
pause 1000
setfreq m8 'you need to set freq. to 8hz to get a 9600 baud
main:
serout 7,T9600_8,(254, 128) 'Sets line 1 position 1
pause 20
serout 7,T9600_8,(“Text here”)
pause 20
serout 7,T9600_8,(254, 192) 'Sets line 2 position 1
pause 20
serout 7,T9600_8,(“Text here line 2”)
pause 500
serout 7,T9600_8,(254, $01) 'Clear Screen
goto main
Hmm
So just to be clear, all you used was leg 7 out on the PICAXE, 5vdc, gnd, and Rx on the LCD? What display are you using?
Here is what I picked up: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=791
SFs description reads: “You will need ~11 general I/O pins to interface to this LCD screen”
A little add-on
CtC’s LCD has this little serial translator on the back, that apparently has a 4 bit interface to it’s attached LCD. That covers all but 4 of the pins on the LCD.
Ah-ha
So that’s what he meant by “3 screw terminals on the back.”
Gotcha. Thanks guys.
** Hey Chris, Does**
Hey Chris,
Does increasing the freq. to 8 hz to get the required baud rate pose a problem to the chip? I thought these chips like to run at 4 hz?
Thanks!
**@X **
I dunno – I switch to 8hz to send to the LCD and switch back to 4hz when I am done. --Going to 8hz can’t harm the chip, but you do have to recalculate all your pauses etc…
Yes
Yup, it is.
Did you ony use the dispaly
Did you ony use the dispaly or that and something else?
