IO-Warrior compatibility? (Mac usage issue)

blakespot

New member
I am looking to setp an external USB-based LCD display for use on a Mac running Mac OS X, with a single particular application called Hardware Monitor.

A page detailing Hardware Monitor's support for LCD displays can be seen here.

This is a new feature of the application and, along with a dearth of OS X drivers for such displays, the range of supported displays is narrow. The author lists these as the requirements for compatibility with this application:

  • Alphanumeric liquid crystal display modules, following the original Hitachi HD44780 industry standard.
  • The LCD must be connected via an USB controller of the type "IO-Warrior", a product developed by Code Mercenaries Hard- und Software GmbH.
What I would ideally like is a pre-made external unit, in a little housing, that sits on the desktop - something like this Crystalfontz unit:

http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/634xe/index.html

...but the author tells me he feels these units do not meet the compatibility requirements of his app. Does anyone know of a similar unit that DOES use an IO-Warrior controller? Thanks.




blakespot
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Heffo

New member
The CF-63x Series of USB LCDs aren't IO-Warrior compatable. They use an RS-232 to USB converter chip to connect the LCD to the PC, and as far as windows is concerned the LCD is connected via a COM port.

The units are also intelligent in that they have their own controller and firmware to enable you to use a fairly simple protocol to tell the LCD what to do, or to read keypad, fan and temperature sensor information from them.

If I were you, I would ask the developer of "Hardware Monitor" to add support for the CF-63x displays since they are quite popular LCDs (I have 2, others have more) and once the driver is installed, writing software is quite simple. Very basic software can be written in less than a day. All the information they need is in the datasheet.
 

blakespot

New member
There are no OS X drivers for these displays. That is why they are not supported by the application. Hopefully, Crystalfontz will offer such drivers.



blakespot
 

CF Support

Administrator
Drivers can be acquired for Mac OSX by emailing support@crystalfontz.com and requesting them. I'm pretty sure that they work just fine for OSX, but since we don't have Mac in the office, they have not been tested here, and therefore have not been openly released.
 

blakespot

New member
Oh??

Drivers for the USB standalone LCD screens (with integrated controller)? That would be awesome - the author of the sys stats app in question stated he would instantly add support for the screen if OS X drivers were made available.



blakespot
 
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