Help about software for LCD Displays

wolflair

New member
I'm about to buy several Crystalfontz displays

I'm building an airplane's flightdeck panel to make my Microsoft's Flight Simulator experience even more realistic. The goal is to have lots of buttons and handles and avoid the use of keyboard and mouse while flying the sim.

I want to add some LCD Displays in order to show some information like comm and nav radio frequencies, Transponder settings, Autopilot's settings, etc.

I will use Peter Downson's FSUIPC.dll to obtain that information from Flight Simulator. My idea is to run an interfase software made in VisualBasic, sending the data I want to LCDs, reading it with FSUIPC SDK.

I haven't decided which LCD displays I will use, it's all up to the easiest method to have at least 3 LCDs attached to the same computer at the same time. If the prototype works fine, I'll build at least 5 more panels.

My questions are:

How can I communicate with the LCD displays using Visual Basic as development platform? Do you recommend me to use another programming language?
Is there a way to connect a HD44780 controlled display to a USB port (perhaps a USB to parallel cable adapter)?
If I get a 633 display, is there a way to make my software interact with the display's buttons?

Regards,

Jorge Martinez
Looking for additional LCD resources? Check out our LCD blog for the latest developments in LCD technology.
 

CF Tech

Administrator
You can get "beta" USB versions of the 634 and 632 now, you just have to call your order in since they are not on the site yet. Using these you can connect more displays than serial ports.

I do not think a USB->Parallel could be configured to drive an HD44780 display. Probably a matter of software.

We do not have any Visual Basic examples, but it should be very straight forward: Open the COM port, send the data. The USB displays simply appear as more COM ports.

You should be able to takk to a 633, including reading its buttons using Visual Basic, but again we do not ahve an example.
 

wolflair

New member
Is there any manual available for those USB modules? I'd like to check it out because it will certainly modify my panel design and perhaps it will make it easier!
 

CF Tech

Administrator
There is a driver that gets loaded in Windows.

Then there is a cable that has one end connected to the display, and the other end has a USB "A" plug on it.

Plug it in and away it goes.

Physically the USB adaptor is very compact and does not alter the outline or thickness of the module.
 

CF Mark

Administrator
Hmmm....
Email/tell me where to get info on using the DLL for getting info from MS Flightsim and ill look at making CrystalControl support it.
 
Top