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Application Notes and Tips
for Serial Display Products
updated August 19, 2005
Our LCDs are easy to use, and the manuals contain program examples. But the applications for these products are unlimited, so we've generated some app notes to stimulate your creative juices. Check this page from time to time for updates.
- Serial LCD DLL for 32-bit Windows
- DLL makes it easy to write programs that control our serial displays under Windows 95/98/NT. Includes Visual BASIC 6 program example. (HTML for online viewing w/link to file for download)
- Power Considerations for Serial LCDs
- Practical tips for powering serial LCDs, including polarity protection and power-up timing. (HTML for online viewing)
- Practical Tips on Serial Communication
- Quick primer on understanding and troubleshooting serial hookups. (HTML for online viewing)
- Custom-Character Calculator for Alphanumeric LCDs
- Draw custom-character bitmaps for alphanumeric LCDs. Javascript-powered page implements a simple LCD font editor for BPK-, BPI-, and ILM-series modules (as well as non-serial LCDs). (HTML/Javascript for online usage)
- Tip Sheet: Easy Clear-screen Trick for BPK-series Displays
- BPK-series displays require a short time delay after clearing the screen (BPP-, ILM-, graphics displays don't). If your computer can't generate a delay, what do you do? Follow the instructions in this tip!
- Tip Sheet: Configuring and Using Hyperterminal
- Hyperterminal is the communications program included with Windows 95+. This tip sheet shows how to configure the program, and lists some known peculiarities. HTML for online viewing.
- Tip Sheet: User-contributed C Program for Serial Comms
- A customer has contributed a C program that communicates with our G12864 display via the serial port of a DOS-based computer. The program compiles under Borland C++ V4.52.
- Big numbers, backlight control, extended temperature
- App note 1 provides background information on big-number display, tips on controlling LED backlights, and negative-voltage circuits for users of extended-temperature LCDs. PDF format, approximately 109kB.
- Block graphics for alphanumeric LCDs
- App note 2 goes into considerable detail on LCDs' custom-character capabilities, with examples that produce simple static and animated graphics. PDF format, approximately 65kB.
- Strip Plots with SGX-120 and BGX-128
- Generate strip plots (like an EKG) with our graphics displays and the BASIC Stamp II®. (HTML for online viewing w/links to files for download)
- Horizontal Bar Graphs with the ILM-216L
- A BASIC Stamp II® generates a fast, smooth bar graph on the ILM-216L using EEPROM-stored custom characters. (HTML for online viewing w/links to files for download)
- Horizontal Bar Graphs with BPK- and BPI-216 Displays
- A BASIC Stamp II® generates a fast, smooth bar graph on the BPI-216 or BPK-216 LCD using custom characters. (HTML for online viewing w/links to files for download)
- Horizontal Bar Graphs with the SGX-120L and BGX-128L
- A BASIC Stamp II® generates a fast, smooth bar graph on our serial graphics displays using EEPROM-stored custom characters. (HTML for online viewing w/links to files for download)
- Wind Speed and Direction Display on G12032 Graphics Display
- This application note uses a BASIC Stamp II® to format wind data for the G12032 serial graphics display. It demonstrates strip chart plotting, multiple font sizes, right alignment of text, and a moving-pointer wind vane. (HTML for online viewing w/link to ZIPped files for download)
- Tip Sheet: BS2-SX Baudmodes
- Program examples for the BASIC Stamp II® will run on the faster BS2-SX with slight modifications. This tip sheet shows how to change the baudmode settings for the new processor.
- Odometer-style animated counter
- A clever trick with LCD custom characters produces an animated, rolling digit like the tenths-of-a-mile digit on a mechanical odometer. (A brief animation shows what the effect looks like.) HTML for online viewing (image 5kB).
- Animated "Pong" Game with G12032 Graphics Display
- This application note, contributed by programming author Al Williams, revives the Pong video game as a demo for the BASIC Stamp II® and our G12032 serial graphics LCD. Nobody's suggesting the G12032 as a video-game platform, but the demo offers the programming insights Al is famous for.
- Connectors for Serial Displays
- Detailed explanations and supplier part numbers for header-post connectors used with our serial-display products. (HTML for online viewing)
- Vehicular Power Supply
- Reprint of a circuit originally published in Nuts & Volts magazine that safely converts vehicular 12V to regulated 5V. Particularly applicable to our VFD-420 display, which is popular in automotive applications.
- Mounting an LCD
- Photos show how easy it is to use our display mounting kits (available for BPK-216 series, BPP- and VFD-420, and SGX-120L. HTML for online viewing (images total 24kB). Also see the instruction manuals and templates for the mounting kits (PDF, 63kB).
- Linux C Program for Converting/Downloading BMPs to G12032
- User-contributed C program for Linux converts .BMP graphics and downloads them serially to the G12032 serial graphics LCD. (HTML for online viewing w/links to files for download)
- Linux C Library for Serial Displays
- User-contributed C library for Linux provides a convenient interface to our G12032 serial graphics LCD. (HTML for online viewing w/links to files for download)
- X-based Simulator for SGX-120L
- DJ Delorie's simulator mimics the operation of our SGX-120L serial graphics LCD to speed development. (off-site HTML)
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