Jump to content

Really quick 4x20 display for the MB6582?


Hawkeye
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hola,

I want to tune up the MB6582 (received the transparent waldorf knobs from the bulk order which still need to be backlit - thanks again, phunk!)

Now what really annoys me a lot is my 9$ el-cheapo chinese backlit LCD. It is so slow, when you switch the menu pages you can walk to the kitchen, boil yourself a nice espresso, come back and it has not fully switched (ghosting effect).

I searched for a VFD (they are insanely quick, like old-school electron tube displays), but I failed, as it would not fit (the vacuum tube conflicted with some tactile switches, which Wilba deliberately placed there to cause a big truckload of pain for old Hawkeye).

Now the question is - does anyone of you have/know an especially quick 20x4 LCD, one that does not ghost so much and long? How about OLEDs and PLEDs - even if they have a life expectancy shorter than my average goldfish i would consider them, if still available... any feedback is welcome :-)

Thanks and have a good night,

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find this interesting from a usability point of view, not just in the MIDIbox context. Until now you are the only person I know that is complaining about such effects - is your particular display that bad, or are you extremely sensitive? Apart from the annoyance factor, what is the benefit of a "faster" display? Would you be able to handle the unit in a faster way? I doubt that...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, i guess mine is particularly bad, that´s why i complain - maybe i should just try any other - i have no problems with the backlit lcds on other gear...

The MB6582 itself is not the problem, its response is instantaneous. If I had a highspeed-cam, I would film it, you would understand then ;-).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Hawkeye,

I bought on Mouser NEWHAVEN 16x2 LCD and is very fast.

Mouser code 763-0216K1Z-FSB-FBW I will use for my MB808 ( in the future :whistle: )

I dont know if the 20x4 of this series is faster the same but you can try.

In the next days I will test some 20x4 LCD I bought from Zyscom and I will let you know

how them works.

regards .

Antix

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the CrystalFontz LCDs and I haven't experienced any delay as long as the LCD is getting proper power and things. I was getting some weak power to the LCD from my MB-6582 for some reason and, in that state, the panel would be very slow. Otherwise it ran like a champ! The number of choices of colors available from CrystalFontz for the 4x20's seem to be fewer than they were in the past, but there is still a decent amount of choice directly on their website. Just be sure to check that you are getting a 4x20 that fits the MB-6582 (namely the larger one that matches the same measurement sheet that is on the MB-6582 build guide). Assuming you order from them, anyway. There are others, perhaps that are even better, but CrystalFontz treated me quite well in the past so I tend to stick with 'em.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way, the Tempest looks pretty damn cool! Been looking at the Maschine as well recently (friend of mine and fellow MidiBoxer let me play with his last week). Have to wait on either of those as there is much MidiBoxing left to do (60% done with my sammichFM and still need to finish my CS board designs for my MB-SID) but man there sure it plenty to droll over these days!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Well,

A little ghosting on the Zyscom LCD too

Not very annoyng but it exist.( for me it is OK )

More on the 20x4 ( I have the green on black ) less on 20x2 ( I have the green on black and the white on blue )

Anyway it seems to me the same ghosting I have on my 20x4 white on blue Displaytech so...

( as all the black on any color positive LCD I have are very speedoflight ... may the negative LCD are less fast than the positive ? )

Regards

Antix

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey man, thanks for reporting back!

Due to Antichambres amazing picz in the gallery from the samsung VFD in his Sammiches, I will just look around if I can find any Samsung 4x20ies. But thanks a lot, the Zyscoms or the Crystalfontz displays are a good fallback position :-) - but i would so love a VFD ;-)

Bye and greetz to Italy,

Peter

Edited by Hawkeye
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes... and I searched for hours, not only samsung, but noritake, matrix orbital... also out-of-production ones.... imho there is no 4x20 VFD with a 4 or 8-bit parallel connectivity, which would fit into the MB6582... either the vacuum tube is in the way, or the high voltage coils... so don´t worry for me... non-availability is a cure for all addictions - a LCD it must be therefore ;-).

And we need something to be really looking forward to, e.g. the OLED in the MBSid V3 ;-)

Edited by Hawkeye
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dude, cool you are starting the project :-)

The compatibility (hd44780) of the Zyscom looks good and the price is nothing to worry about.

I am currently investigating newly (02/2011) manufactured (and supposedly long-living) character OLEDs which look totally awesome (e.g. the background is really black and it has ca 180° visibility angle) but have not hit the market yet, but I am prepared to drown the manufacturer in daily mails or telephone calls until i get an evaluation sample :rolleyes:

The display update times should be very quick (if it is the same oled technology as in my car stereo :-)).

http://www.lcd-modul...dukte/oled.html

If I can get two for a reasonable price, I am willing to send you one, if you are interested Martin - it is at least a very unique display for the MB6582 :-).

Bye,

Peter

Edited by Hawkeye
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thx for replying Peter, yes I'll finally start building two of these MB6582 together with a friend. He finances the project and I will source the right parts for him, while he is studying and working. So after all, they won't be mine but I'm planning to marry them with a RME Fireface 400 and a sammichFM. Hope this turns out great. Thanks for the kind offer, I'll ask my buddy if an OLED is an option. We wouldn't turn down a suitable VFD either :whistle:

Edited by kristal=
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great to hear that - let me first inquire the availibility and the prices and i´ll contact you - all VFDs, that i have researched are unfortunately not fitting into the mb6582 case... but the electronic assembly oled really should be nearly equally nice and will shine for sure, if we get it :-) (maybe you should consider yellow or orange control surface leds to fit better with the display, should you want to have it - i will not change my red leds, too much work ;-)).

Have fun with the project!

Peter

Edited by Hawkeye
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am currently investigating newly (02/2011) manufactured (and supposedly long-living) character OLEDs which look totally awesome (e.g. the background is really black and it has ca 180° visibility angle) but have not hit the market yet, but I am prepared to drown the manufacturer in daily mails or telephone calls until i get an evaluation sample :rolleyes:

The display update times should be very quick (if it is the same oled technology as in my car stereo :-)).

http://www.lcd-modul...dukte/oled.html

If I can get two for a reasonable price, I am willing to send you one, if you are interested Martin - it is at least a very unique display for the MB6582 :-).

Bye,

Peter

Eeek! Warum gelb, das ist böse! Mangelhaft!

Apart from that ahem, detail, that OLED looks like the business! Wish it was green :whistle:

Burp!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, i didn´t like the yellow color too, but using the color foil trick (-> http://midibox.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=viewimage&img=547 ) you might be able to shift the color a little and if not - nevermind, an OLED it must be! :-)

Hear hear!

If I knew then I would have used yellow LEDs all over and all that. Now that the rest of my 6582 is green it would look like it was aesthetically challenged with a yellow OLED. But, you're right. It must be OLED now!

Plus I want it to display a falling rain-effect like in the Matrix when idle. And use Cyrillic characters since those are inherently cool. And... meh! Just OLED please :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second that matrix screensaver wish :-)

Btw forget the hue-shifting of the OLED color with a color foil, I just tried it with a yellow LED and of course it does not work, as they emit color only in a very narrow band of light - a color foil filters it rather than shifts it - it works well with VFDs because they emit in a wider range ;-)

Edited by Hawkeye
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second that matrix screensaver wish :-)

Btw forget the hue-shifting of the OLED color with a color foil, I just tried it with a yellow LED and of course it does not work, as they emit color only in a very narrow band of light - a color foil filters it rather than shifts it - it works well with VFDs because they emit in a wider range ;-)

Too bad they don't offer the 4x20 in white as they do with some of the smaller sizes. White (if it is real white, not the blueish white) should give almost endless coloring options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yupp, i second that - but as Wilba stated, they appear to be yellow/green, so that they could go well with green LED control surfaces (@ olga42) :-) (no guarantees, though ;-))

Edited by Hawkeye
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Yes, it seems we paid a little bit of an early adopter premium :) - the ones we obtained from Electronic Assembly really look most similar to these on mouser

http://de.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Newhaven-Display/NHD-0420DZW-AG5/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMt7dcPGmvnkBjOoT7p5TTraIGPgBWSf%2fAE%3d

Thanks for finding them, jojjelito!

At this moment I am quite sure, that the display needs a different initialization string than the standard 20x4 CLDs, or I really have had a bad hangover and soldering session last night :). Will keep you updated...

Best regards,

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...