A small microcontroller like an AVR, PIC, 8051, etc. and an LCD module. Parallax
Judging by your question you are very new to this: Parallax is probably the way to go -- and sci.electronics.basic may be the better newsgroup.
-- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com
Um, not to change the subject, but some guys are top-down designers (or programmers) and some are bottom-up. Personally, I'm a sort of all-over-the-place designer; I don't usually even know what I'm trying to do until it's halfway done, and I keep changing both structures and details until I like it. That doesn't work as well, of course, in team designs.
John
[snip]
"Step by step". Extraordinarily well put! It is refreshing to observe some real engineering thought! My compliments!
...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
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| Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
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I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
How many do you want? If you only need one, an HP100/200LX works great. If you want a more visible color graphic display and touch input, the 690 palmtop works well. I use 'em for the user interface to PIC projects. HP95 works in termnial mode, but has problems when you try to use the port from QuickBasic. They can be had CHEEP, as long as you don't try to buy 'em on ebay.
If you want to spend more money, you can roll your own. I'd use a PIC16F877A just 'cause there are easily available development tools and bootloaders. Scale it back if you find you really can't use the extra ports to advantage. You can multiplex a 2-line display and keypad on one port. Can't find the link, but can email you the data if you need it.
You can also do some interesting wireless things decoding a TV remote control.
mike
-- Return address is VALID. Wanted, Slot 1 Motherboard 500MHz Tek DSOscilloscope TDS540 Make Offer http://nm7u.tripod.com/homepage/te.html Wanted, 12.1" LCD for Gateway Solo 5300. Samsung LT121SU-121 Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below. http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/
Start by using Windows program Hyperterminal. When setup, what it typed on the keyboard is output on serial port (DB9) pin 3. What is received on DB9 pin 2 is displayed on screen. Simple test. Connecting pin 2 to 3 so that what you type on keyboard goes out of and back into serial port and then is displayed on screen.
Serial ports often require handshaking. Serial port puts out a request and waits for a response before moving on. Those handshake signals can be setup (made redundant) by placing jumpers from DB9 pins 7 to 8 and pins 4 to 6.
IOW first get the computer keyboard to talk to its screen via Hyperterminal and jumpered serial port. Then later, replace serial port jumpers with what you want computer to really talk to.
Notice the step by step process. Break the problem down > OK, I have no idea where to start with this and am looking for some
OK, I have no idea where to start with this and am looking for some guidance on how to go about it.
Basically I want to send predefined text to my PC via the DB9 serial port when a button is pressed, there are several different strings of text varying in length from 4 to 8 characters (although they could be all the same length if it helps) and each one is sent when its corresponding button is pressed.
I'd also like to include a small 1 or 2 line LCD screen to recieve responses to the sent text, the only thing that would be recieved is text to be displayed.
What is the best way to go about this and what are the best components to use.
Thankyou. Darren
"Darren" wrote
You can buy things like this. If you only need 1 (or a few) units and are not an electronics maven then I would advise using 'purchase order engineering'. This sort of device is called, variously: industrial terminal, operator terminal, data entry station.
If you want to do it yourself from scratch, try a 'Basic Stamp', a Hitachi LCD display module and a few switches.
Googling for "lcd display keyboard one line rs232" brought up:
Look on amazon for books on 'Basic Stamp', that should help you get started.
-- Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics. Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/
I read in sci.electronics.design that martin griffith wrote (in ) about 'Sending text via the serial port', on Thu, 16 Dec
2004:'Lateral' as in 'lateral PNP'? Slow, with poor gain?
-- Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. The good news is that nothing is compulsory. The bad news is that everything is prohibited. http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk
snip
I think its better to call "all-over-the-place designer" Lateral Thinking
martin
Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared. Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
"martin griffith" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...
Of course a team of all-over-the-place designers ought not to be confused with Brownian designers.
Of course too, the numerous adjustments made between blocks at the end of projects by those teams of all-over-the-place designers should not be confused with Lateral Tinkering.
-- Thanks, Fred.
In LT's AN83, about LDO's, on the last page Guru Jim Williams put in a cartoon "Speak Softly and carry a Big PNP"
I rest my case
martin
Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared. Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
I read in sci.electronics.design that martin griffith wrote (in ) about 'Sending text via the serial port', on Thu, 16 Dec
2004:But it's not a lateral PNP, I think.
-- Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. The good news is that nothing is compulsory. The bad news is that everything is prohibited. http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk
Tim Wescott wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:
Thankyou for all the replies, I forgot to mention that I'm in the UK, do you know of any websites that stock these components?
Thankyou
You should be able to generate the correct serial signal out of the microprocessor, either because you're wise enough to choose one with a UART or because you're clever enough to bit-bang the PIC. To go from there to RS-232 you need a logic-to-232 converter such as the MAX-232 or similar.
Perhaps you should look around on the web for projects that happen to use PICs; there will be complete sections of schematics that you can copy.
-- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com
Tim Wescott wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:
OK, forgetting about the LCD screen for the time being, how easy/difficult would this be.to create, is the microcontroller the only bit required to send serial formatted data through the com port? Or does this need timers and other stuff between the comm and microcontroller.
I suppose what I'm asking for is a diagram to show how to link it all together. I think I can program the chip to send the serial data.
Thanks
Darren
Tim Wescott wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:
Thankyou very much, you've given me a place to start and hopefully continue from :), much appricated.
Darren
In article , Tim Wescott wrote: [...]
I think Digikey carries the LT1081
Doing a bit-bashed RS-232 transmit is quite easy. The receive is a bit harder because of the need to sync to the center of the incomming bit stream.
BTW: You forgot to add "or both" in the above. I know of 2 cases where a micro with a UART was also programmed to bit bash a serial port.
One was a 6800 development board with debugger software. They left the UART free for the developer to use.
The other was a case where I needed 2 UARTs.
-- -- kensmith@rahul.net forging knowledge
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