I get only "garbage" on my CFAG320240C-FMI-T

ShowRide

New member
Hi,

yesterday I recieved a pre-built CFAG320240C-FMI-T package I ordered (the display with the CFAICCFL1-convertor and everything wired and set to be connected to the parallel port and power supply). It seems to be working but I only get garbage on the display.

I tried multiple programs such as LCDStudio 1.5 and Liquid-MP3. The config of both programs seems to be correct (resolution, pins, ...) because they both display "something" but it's not readable.

I've also set my parallel port to ECP - EPP and ECP/EPP and tried everything on a couple of computers with different motherboard. The result is always the same.

I have the impression that the screen is "locked" in a 40 * 4 character mode because I can see that the same pattern appears 3 to 4 times on the screen.

Anyone any idea?
Looking for additional LCD resources? Check out our LCD blog for the latest developments in LCD technology.
 

spock

New member
SED

First of all, your display is using a SED1335 controller, so you can forget the 40x4 character mode, because such thing does not exist. The SED controllers utilise graphic and character layers.
Have you configured the LCDstudio SED driver to your wiring scheme? Is the display initialising correctly? If it is, it should stop that "waving" effect it has while uninitialised.
If all is well, I'd advise you to check and re-check your wiring VERY carefully, if possible using a multi-meter with beeping continuity checker.
Lastly, I've made a little demo program of my own that drives SED displays. I can let you have it, if you're interested!

Good luck!
 

ShowRide

New member
Hi Spock,

first of all thanks for the reply. I suppose that the setup of LCDStudio is OK because I selected the SED1335 and configured the driver to match the wiring scheme. I can confirm that the display stops the waving effect and each time I press the "test" button in the "Test" button in the setup page of the SED-driver it displays something else. Unfortunately this is always unreadable garbage.

I'll check the wiring as you proposed with help of a digital multi-meter with beeping continuity checker and see what that'll give as result. In the meantime I'm naturally also interested to use your demo program to check if that works...

Can you send it to me or can I download it somewhere?

thanks and kind regards,

ShowRide
 

spock

New member
Sure!

Well, since the "TEST" button on the SED driver of the LCDstudio shows garbage, I'd say the problem lies elsewhere. To be more specific, my bet would be the wiring. Can you show me the schematic that you followed? What wiring scheme did you follow?

You can also try my program, it also has software wiring configuration. You can get it here:
http://skagon.teamfraud.com/pub/win_gfx_lcd_7.zip
However, I'm not expecting it to work any more than LCDstudio. But you can try different wiring configurations and see what happens.

Enjoy, and good luck!
 

ShowRide

New member
Hi Spock,

frist of all I want to say that I really like that little program of yours, well done! Unfortunately as you predicted it didn't do much more than LCDStudio already did...

The wiring is as follows:

Parallel LCD
1 4 (E)
2-9 7-14 (DB0-DB7)
14 15 (CS)
16 6 (A0)
17 5 (R/W)
18-25 => grounded 16 => NC

It came prewired like this and I set the correct wiring in the programs (like in yours). I can send you a scanned image if you'd like to but I can't post it since I currently can't upload any images.

kind regards,

ShowRide
 
Last edited:

spock

New member
WAIT!

Wait a minute!
First of all, you have the RESET pin floating? You *might* have burned your SED this way! I had mine too, but mine survived, however, I know people that did fry their controllers. You should connect that pin (16) through a pull-up resistor to Vcc (+5Volts that is).
Secondly, your pin designations look as if your LCD is in 6800 mode. You have to turn to 8080 mode in order for the programs to work. Looking on the back of your LCD you *should* see some kind of jumper (or copper pads) designated as JM; as I can see from the -unrevealing- datasheet of CF, where, on page 7, says "JM (right) short, for 6800 family". You have to switch to 8080 family! That may include a soldering iron, but I cannot tell for sure.
What's sure is: tie the RES pin to Vcc through a resistor, and make sure the LCD is working in 8080 mode, or else, it won't work!

I'll be right here!
 
Last edited:

ShowRide

New member
I think it didn't fry (yet) because it's still doing the same things as when I connected it for the first time.

What concerns the wiring, I bought the package from LC-Design in Germany and they prewired the whole thing. So naturally I supposed that it would have been done correctly...

After seeing different wiring schemes I already got a little suspicious. By the way my friend bought the same "package" as me at the same moment and after some minutes one of the chips burned (you already replied to his post on this forum).

So I think I was lucky till now and I'll be very cautious not to burn mine.

What concerns your advice:

- for the resistor between the res and Vdd pins, how much ohm should it be?
- I check for a jumper or something name "JM" but can't find it anywhere on the board, any idea?


thanks,

ShowRide
 

spock

New member
SED

Okay, first of all, the resistor can be anything. I used a 4k3Ohm resistor.
Secont, as to the selection pin, look at the back of your LCD. Looking at the SED chip upright (so you can read the label right), on the top row of pins, spot the second to the left. Trace the line from that pin on the LCD board, and see where it's going. There, should be your jumper/pad/whatever, with two other jumpers/pads/whatever, like that:
[Vcc]-[SEL]-[GND]
so, you can choose either to connect to ground that pin or to Vcc. Usually, there are three copper pits, with two of them connected with a solder blob.
I tried to spot that from a picture I found in the CF site, but there's the backlight wire in front!

Keep on!
 
Last edited:

ShowRide

New member
Update:

I found out (on another thread on this forum) that switching between 6800 and 8080 can be done but it needs some soldering.

There's a resistor on J68, this one has to be desoldered and should come on J80. That's no big problem on itself but => goodbye warantee...
 

ShowRide

New member
lol, our posts crossed each other but we were both talking about the same solder bops, so that's a perfect match!

I'll check the colorcode of the 4k3Ohm resistor and see if I have one lying around...

I'll keep you posted, I think we're getting there!

already thanks a lot for the help!

Greetz,

ShowRide
 

spock

New member
Choice

Well, the choice is yours! But the thing is all LCD programs, like LCDstudio work on 8080 mode. And that CF doesn't support using graphic LCDs through the parallel port, but sells them for embedded use only; that's probably why they have it hardwired for 6800.
However, if you want to do something with your LCD instead of sitting there looking at it, you have to change that!

Oh, by the way, your friend's SED probably fried due to the floating RES pin. Having it floating forces the SED in an endless loop resetting itself continuously.

Cheers!

EDIT: the 4k3 resistor is yellow-orange-red, but you can use anything from 1k to 20k.
 
Last edited:

ShowRide

New member
you're totally right, I bought the LCD to connect it to my PC so one soldering iron is warming up and it's goodbey warantee...

Thanks for the colorcode of the resistor, you're making it to easy for me ;-) I should find something within the range you mentioned.

greetz,

ShowRide
 

spock

New member
GOOD LUCK!

Well, good luck on your surgery, and keep us posted... which, I have a feeling you will...!

May the wind be on you sails!
;)
 

ShowRide

New member
Hi Spock,

I don't know why your nickname is Spock but for me you're Mr Scottie... After all the soldering you proposed it seems to work !!!

I switched the resistor from place J68 to J80 and soldered a 4K7Ohm resistor between the "res" and +5V and it seems to work fine now! The resistor is soldered a little bit "tatty" but I'll fix that later on to be sure the connection doesn't break in the future.

Thanks a lot for all your help. I got this LCD for a very special PC-project and I'll be finishing that now (still a couple of weeks work but thanks to you I'm getting there). If you want to see the results let me know so that I can send you some pictures...

By the way your test program is (naturally) also working very fine now. And I think that the design I'm just now testing in LCDStudio is also from your hand... (very nice work)

Thanks a lot again and very kind regards,

ShowRide
 

spock

New member
Well done!

Congratulations!
I'm so relieved now that you got it working! Well done!

Good thing also that my program is working on you too! And the LCDstudio design is probably mine, if you took it from our site!

Whatever you make, I'll be more than happy to see! Just send it to me (or pay us a visit at LCDstudio)!

See you around!
Mr Spock ;)
 
Last edited:

OBCENEIKON

New member
URL?

Is there a url to the place you bought that kit? I was considering to trying to get this LCD working on a pc a long time ago but never heard of anyone actually getting it to work. But with spocks detailed instructions and your detailed problems, I think i may be ready to give it a try since it comes in a prewired kit (LCD noobie).
 

ShowRide

New member
Hi,

the company where I've bought the kit is in Germany, their website is: www.lc-design.de

The LCD itself on their products page: http://www.lc-design.de/shop/en/index.htm, don't forget the CCFL-invertor for the backlight.

For some extra euro's they also do the complete wiring and test it. Don't forget to ask them to put the LCD in 8080-mode. If they do it you still have the warantee on the LCD but if you do it (it needs some soldering on the backpanel) you loose your warantee...

I have to say that the screen is very nice and it's high quality but when I use for example Liquid MP3 I still have problems with the stability. After a while I must stop and restart the application because the screen is full of "bad pixels". The backside of this nice screen is that there's not so much applications which support it. I currently use Liquid MP3 and LCDStudio, I don't know any other application which supports it.

I hope this helps you, please keep us posted of the results once you have the screen.

Good luck!

ShowRide
 
Top