I am tempted to buy a graphical VFD module such as a Noritake 3000 series to drive it with the twatch, to create a fancy VFD graphical display panel. Has anyone tried this so far?
Hi,
I don't see why not. The #twatch PIC has gobs of free I/O and a good amount of memory. The challenge will be to develop the code on the #twatch without exceeding the max. number of programming cycles of 100. I just started working on a dedicated weather display based on the #twatch that uses a GLCD. I'm developing the data parsing routines (for WeatherBug) and the display routines using a 16F876A chip. Once I have that working, I'll port it to the #twatch and hope I can get everything else working in less than 100 tries. At worst, I'll have to replace the #twatch PIC before I finish.
Have you ever worked with graphical displays before?
John
Isn't there a developer's version of this PIC which accepts more programming cycles?
I do not have experience on purely graphical VFDs, but I will study the Noritake specs when I have a moment; AFAIK the way to talk to graphical VFDs might be less standardized than the 'classic' character LCD command set, which might be an issue when creating a generic LCD backpack...
Hi,
I'm not sure about the 'developers version', but I don't think so. The #twatch was developed on V1 hardware that used a separate PIC and ethernet IC. The PIC used had many, many program cycles available. I have a Olimex PIC-Mini-Web that is very similar to the V1 #twatch, and I'm going to use that for development before transitioning to the PIC on the V2 PCB.
You are correct, graphical displays are much less standardized than their character based cousins. I think you pretty much design for a specific GLCD or GVFD and that's that.... That's why you don't see 'generic' graphical backpacks.....
John