20x4 in One 5.25 drive bay question

Dave97

New member
Do you have a 20x4 that will fit in 1 5.25 drive bay without the keypad thing? Plus have a PC drive bay kit for it.

Thanks
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temna

New member
Great, you finally have a USB 20x4 display for a single drive bay. Now, where is the unleaded version without all the butons and extra stuff. I want a more basic design for my HTPC. Any chance of it? Or maybe, to make everyone happy, a seperate controller that would take your basic non-serial/USB displays and make them USB? Ok, to put it simple, a HD44780 to USB converter board. I've seen these boards out there on the web. I would just like to see one from you guys. Tell me we have a better than 50/50 chance. Please?
 

CF Tech

Administrator
We probably will stay with the "integrated" approach rather than going to daughter boards. Sometimes it is tempting though--but it seems kind of dirty :)

You can remove the keypad from a CFA-635, and clip off the LEDs, then except for the large PCB it is essentially what you want.
 

temna

New member
Ok, I guess that might work.. Now, how much for a custom drive bay insert without the extra openings? Honestly, I would very much prefer a model manufactured without the extras.. Plus, then maybe the display could be centered in the drive bay.. For now, I guess I might as well buy the 635.. But it is now quite what I was looking for.. :(

BTW: The daughter board might be kinda messy, but then I could pull out one of those little 8x2's for a mini-itx project I'm working on..

PS: What's with the time on the server.. I'm posting at almost 9pm, but it's saying it was 1am??
 

CF Tech

Administrator
The only brackets we have accommodate the keys and the LEDs.

I was thinking if you were modding into a case or something, you could just cut the one hole for the display.

Sorry for the time being messed up.
 

temna

New member
I have been thinking about it.. I think CrystalFontz should rethink the single bay basic 20x4 USB display for the home theatre PC market.. Sure I can remove stuff, but then the display is off center, ruining the clean look of my HTPC.. Plus you do not have the bay mount for the "modified" display.. I really wish CF would reconsider it for the HTPC and microatx markets.. :D
 

CF Tech

Administrator
The CFA-631 is somewhat aimed at that market, but it is a 20x2, not a 20x4.

The CFA-635 "fills up" the 5.25 bay, so the centering of a display whose keypad and LEDs had been removed would still be an issue even if we reworked the bracket.
 

temna

New member
You might be able to make one up with one of these:

http://www.usblcd.de/

but it looks like you would need custom cable. And the bracket would be an issue. And you would have to find software.
That might be nice, but everything on their site is out of stock, and has been that way for months, if not years.. That is why I wish CrystalFontz would produce one of these adapter boards themselves.. I am not asking for the single bay 20x4 display on a whim.. I have been waiting for it since I got my first 20x4 CrystalFontz display way back in the v1 days.. All I'm saying is that not everyone wants all the bells and whistles that you have on the current single bay 20x4 USB display.. I just want a simple small 20x4 USB display that I can toss in my machine.. Apparently that is too much to ask for..
 
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