serial data monitor large display? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2020, 04:16:53 pm
content: Does anyone have a combo of a large display and something like a PIC mcu that can be put together to produce a serial data stream monitor independent of a computer? with all the display libraries handled.Can you get something like a 4x40 display but say 16x40, as one device?

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 12:51:13 pm
content: I don't know where you're headed for portability etc, but how about:An Android cell phone (either your own usual one or an old spare), a FTDI USB converter connected on USB OTG and an Android app.(There may be an existing app, but I'd just write my own.)If this is an old Android you might even be able to find an accessible internal UART and just use that.

author: l0wside
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 02:27:53 pm
content: How about these?https://www.lcd-module.com/produkte/edip.htmlDon´t expect them to be cheap, however.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 03:28:56 pm
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on October 22, 2020, 04:16:53 pmHere are a couple of suggestions...A VT-52 - Tried and TrueAt about 44 lbs [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/vt52.html], it does not, however, carry well in the pocket.https://hackaday.io/project/13273-diy-vt100-a-miniature-hardware-terminalThis one may be a bit more to your liking.as would this one with VGA or composite video outhttps://geoffg.net/terminal.htmlAlternatively, you could build your own using 4 of these:https://www.mpja.com/4-X-20-LCD-Character-Display-White-on-Blue/productinfo/34346+OP/To be a little more thoughtful...If you ONLY want to tap into an alphanumeric serial stream with little or no regard to handling any control codes and the like (all that stuff that gets included when making a terminal emulator), then it becomes a whole lot easier and depends a lot on the display you want to use - and what is in the onboard character memory or in your font firmware.As it turned out, while reading your post, I was playing around with a little 1.8" SPI graphic LCD (128x160 pixels) and quickly printed some characters to the screen in different font sizes....It also depends on your eyesBut slapping one of these onto a PIC or even a little Arduino board that just displays whatever comes in and can be displayed (again, restricted to what codes you can and want to display) is pretty easy ... [some baud rate selection or auto-baud code] and a serial port with whatever interface you might need (3.3 or 5 on board or some extra circuitry for old style RS232 that stuff).(yes, I was joking about the VT-52)

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 06:16:16 pm
content: Raspberry Pi and either a cheap TFT module if you can make do with a small screen or connect a computer monitor to it. In addition you can connect a regular USB keyboard to it too and use it as input as well - something your PIC would be hard-pressed to do.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 11:46:17 pm
content: yea i want a small device I can tap into a serial data stream to show me whats going on in a larger devicei am disappointed that a 16x40 display is 250 euro, since the 4x40 are like 10 dollars each.I was hoping to keep it simple with what I know so this project is not a big deal, I had EMI issues with TFT displays before making something simple turn into a total bastard (their module would not work with a cable extension), whereas my experience with the x40 displays has been stellar with crappy design.I barely want to do this project and if I need to figure out decoupling after i extend something by 2 inches its a problem. I am used to stuff being touchy like that to pass a compliance, but for it to just stop working totally is new, which is what I had with a TFT shield a while back. This thing reset looped after it was extended vertically by 2 inches, meaning dual CPU system, since the TFT needed to have a MCU right under it to work. And it was just extended on headers that move right up, not like a cable. I am sure it was not a continuity error because I got SLIGHTLY less nasty reset loop when I did some stuff with braid and ground points......... Anyway total bullshit for the ease of use you are supposed to get with shields etc, it would have been easier to design an entire PCB then figure out that retarded signal integrity problem. About as useful as a deck of cards because it will never translate to a realistic system! rapid prototyping my balls, you get a design that does not migrate at all to the real world with a TFT shield from my experience. And its not like you can copy the shield because the parts used are not economical most likely and you need to change code afterwards so you might as well not use it.Those chinese LCD modules are happy to work with minimum libraries and cheapest poorly crimped long thin gauge extension header with connectors that loosely fit into other connectors on a ghetto bread board. Extremely robust display solution, I am lucky to have started working on that component with my first designs. I can certainly make a TFT work, but its just not worth the frustration,the 40lb device seems like a better bet. Can it do SPI or only RS232?and, there is no standard chinese type 16x40 or similar display available for modest cost?

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 12:35:44 am
content: Hackaday was already mentioned once, but it has many links to terminal related posts and projects.Just choose one of the 100+ or so projects you like best.https://hackaday.com/?s=terminal

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 02:28:01 pm
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on October 23, 2020, 11:46:17 pmYou can get a large 2 X 40 character display on the cheap, even with I2Chttps://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-IIC-I2C-TWI-Character-40x2-Serial-LCD-Module-Display-for-Arduino-w-Library/293187606151?hash=item444357d687:g:sGMAAOSwBPldU9CPEasy controller, simple Arduino libraries available if you want. Write some scrolling routines and a freeze button - enhance buffer size, whatever. Sounds like you just want a simple tool.

author: ChristofferB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 04:54:31 pm
content: I've been using a serial thermal printer for just this purpose

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 01:12:58 am
content: would an old calculator happen to have that? I have a roll calculator I had extreme difficulty selling and its not worth much

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 01:21:15 am
content: If you have any FPGA experience, 40 column, 80 column, heck 1080p 240 column or 120 column 16x32 font output to any display could be done with a bottom end 6$ fpga, even VGA out. Never miss a character, or have simultaneous Hex and ASCII on each half of a 16:9 display.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 02:11:56 am
content: no thats not the direction where I want to head with thisI am very interested in that printer.

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 02:21:40 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on October 25, 2020, 02:11:56 amToo bad, because such completed products already exist:http://microvga.com/Just add an MCU in between if you want to trap, store or modify characters coming through,Sorry, my bad, you want a character module, not a character generator.

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 02:29:53 am
content: I haven't a clue or tried it myself, but here is a monochrome high res VGA output from a MCU with source:https://github.com/smaffer/espvgaxYou get WiFi as a freebee...Sorry, they say it's not stable if you use the WiFi or Serial port when when running the VGA code.

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 08:04:23 pm
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on October 25, 2020, 01:12:58 amHow old, dot matrix with ribbon?How fluently you do decimal coded binary?

author: texaspyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 07:47:11 am
content: Raspberry Pi with the "official" 800x480 touchscreen mounted in a Smarti Pi case along with an appropriate level converter. Run any serial terminal program. Total cost around $100

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 02:18:23 pm
content: $64 Walmart 8" Android tablet.https://www.walmart.com/ip/onn-8-Tablet-16GB-Android-Navy-Blue-Bonus-20-off-Walmart-eBooks-Included/767511102Root it and use an internal UART.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 03:26:09 pm
content: Quote from: Renate on October 26, 2020, 02:18:23 pmOff of the thread topic, but DamU @RenateFor S&G I went to your link and found that it is only - US$30! (7 left). I was tempted to pull the trigger...$30 is not a whole lot of $. Then I caught myself and did a little bit of searching and quickly foundhttps://forum.xda-developers.com/walmart-onn-tablets/walmart-onn-tablets-general/how-to-unlock-root-xposed-onn-8-walmart-t3945284For unlocking and rooting. Just using it as a $30 display would be cool.Then, sanity prevailed. I do not know Android program except in the barest minimum sense of the word. Yes, it is on the list, but there is much on the list and it has been dragging me down to have a never-ending list. So, for the last few (6) months, I have been just sticking to the list. An 8" (sort of) color screen for $30 is one heck of a deal....if you have the knowledge and/or time to gain the knowledge. My cooler head prevailed, but it is/was a good suggestion.EDIT: OK, I confess that I thought WTH I am up for a $30 toy...but no joy - that price is from one store only and is a pickup. Thank goodness

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 07:40:58 pm
content: Quote from: DrG on October 26, 2020, 03:26:09 pmHmm, I checked my local store and it was $49.Whatever you do, do not be tempted by any RCA tablet at any price!Edit: Walmart has the Onn 8" on clearance and is rolling out new, upgraded models.Still, I would have bitten for $30.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 10:24:01 pm
content: Quote from: Renate on October 26, 2020, 07:40:58 pmThe Onn 8" for $30 is in the San Leandro, CA 94577 store. Now, why that came up on my screen first is not clear. I am nowhere near there nor is the ISP I was using at the time. They still say they have 7 of them. But other places, as you noted, are higher priced. I did see those RCA's that were cheap and 'unliked' by many.I will keep it in mind if I can ever get prolific enough with Android programming - it does sort of bother me that you could get a screen that size with all the other stuff (include WiFi and BLE) but I see nothing at a similar price anywhere for just the screen alone that could be used in your projects!

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 05:25:37 am
content: A 2$ pic is fast enough to produce a monochrome vga signal at something like 640x480 or even higher.A used 10-14" lcd monitor is less than 40$ even on newegg... sometimes free on various sites.You can replace the internal power supply of such monitor with a lithium battery (2-3 18650 batteries in series) and a step-up/boost regulator... most monitors run from 12v..20v or you can get basic lcd controller boards from eBay for a few dollars.

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 02:08:54 pm
content: I have an old and small widescreen open right now and its power has HV for lamps, +5V and unused, probably full output of +22V.Mains fuse is 3,15A and stamped rate is 1A.Extra space inside them seems to be also a norm.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2020, 01:43:52 am
content: Quote from: Renate on October 26, 2020, 07:40:58 pmAs it turns out, the more I thought and read, the more I decided I want one just to play around with, so I sprung for this one:https://www.bestbuy.com/site/azpen-7-touch-screen-tablet-android-q-10-1gb-black/6436601.p?skuId=6436601For only $50, I owe myself a new toyI'll know more after it comes in (free shipping).BTW: with regard to the thread topic, there are several terminal programs that run on Android devices. Was playing around with this onehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.kai_morich.serial_usb_terminal&hl=en_US&gl=UStonight using my Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and, it works. I don't know how well it could keep up with very fast Baud rates, but it does work.