The LCD Serializer is a very small piggy-back board containing a PIC 16C54 (or 16F84) that converts any "standard" LCD module to a RS232 controlled display. This board has been integrated into other OEM systems, and built as a kit by other experimenters. Many small alphanumeric LCD displays utilize the same Hitachi controller chip and comes as a module with a 14 pin connector. Snap the serializer board on the back and hook it to any RS232 cable - and you got yourself a display device. Forget that Hitachi controller and simply send serial characters. LCD.ASM is the source code for the PIC chip. If you are familiar with the PIC, and you look at any LCD module's pin out, you should be able to come up with a simple board to support this program. EMAIL me if you have questions.

Click on README.TXT for more detail. I've included a little PC Visual Basic program that'll make these modules jump through hoops.

I've stopped offering the complete kits since I have now run out of all the parts in the original build. Sorry..

LCDREAD.TXT.....More Details, please.
LCD.ASM.....PIC ASM Source Code(~13KB)
LCD16F84.ASM.....Version updated for 16F84
VB_LCD.ZIP.....Visual Basic 4.0 Source Code for a test program with some special effects. Includes VB Source plus the .EXE, however, *not* the VB runtime DLLs...(~10KB)

Folks have been asking for the schematic, so here's a picture of it. It's simple enough that you can re-enter it into your actual schematic tool. LCD Schematic Diagram.

I have received many questions as to whether my code works on the 16C84. Thanks to several folks who have reported that YES the code may be modified to work for the 16C84. I have not verified this myself, and I don't have a precise list of the changes, but you should be able to simply retarget to the 16C84 device instead of the 16C54. Good luck.

One common point of misunderstanding is how to control the LCD and what the commands are. My board let's you send commands as well as data to the LCD controller, but I don't tell you what the codes are, for example, how to CLEAR the LCD or make the cursor go to a particular line, etc. My board simply let's you do all this over a SERIAL RS232 link. My little VB program shows you one or two commands, but there are many many more. The net has several good LCD summaries. Here's one very good on-line LCD document.

Back to Tom Coonan's Home Page (email link is there)