mutiple character/graphic LCD's

[tgp]

hey all.

im trying to achieve using mutiple LCDs on my 3xMBLC. I want it to be like the Digidesign Pro control (or most other multi channel consoles):

http://www.awave.com.au/images/ppc_big.jpg

and  have a small 8character LCD over each channel rather than 2 or 3 2x40 LCDs with no dividers and stuck with a width between channels dependant on the LCD.

next question is the use of Graphic LCD's. can i use mutiple of those? i was thinking about using 24 small graphic lcds (1 per channel) and maybe later writing some software (not using MIOS to interface to it) to communicate between Logic7 on OsX and the graphic lcds.

i heard about the Midibox Link, but is it even possible to have 24 graphic or char LCD's? by using 24 chained core modules?

thanks for any help!

taylor

[illogik]

Hi, Taylor

i heard about the Midibox Link, but is it even possible to have 24 graphic or char LCD's? by using 24 chained core modules?

I think this way it's possible at least,.... but man 24 core modules in a box...... :o

2 lcd's per core should be "easy" though; saves you some money/time

good luck, marcel

[tgp]

marcel.

thanks for the reply.

2 questions:

1. i guess i could use 2 lcds per core. so 12 core cards in the box. would that induce lag or delay passing thru so many modules or is it still ok.

2. using 12 cores. will i be able to use 24 graphic LCD's? the code is written to the PIC of the core right? what problems would arise from any of this.

thanks again.

taylor

[Screaming_Rabbit]

marcel.

thanks for the reply.

2 questions:

1. i guess i could use 2 lcds per core. so 12 core cards in the box. would that induce lag or delay passing thru so many modules or is it still ok.

2. using 12 cores. will i be able to use 24 graphic LCD's? the code is written to the PIC of the core right? what problems would arise from any of this.

thanks again.

taylor

1. I wouldn't pass it through all the cores. Go from the host computer to the first core and from there over MIDI thru to a NAND Gate http://69.56.171.55/~midibox/forum/index.php?topic=4347.0

2. Yes: With 12 cores you'll get 24 character displays

Greets, Roger

[tgp]

Roger,

that NAND Gate is interesting. the 7400 looks like a quad chip. so thats 4 gates right? so four 2 to 1 gates. so that would get me 8 LCDs per 7400 IC right?

what about graphic LCD's? is there a bandwidth or memory problems with those compared to char lcd's?

thanks alot!

taylor

[Screaming_Rabbit]

Hey Taylor

that NAND Gate is interesting. the 7400 looks like a quad chip. so thats 4 gates right? so four 2 to 1 gates. so that would get me 8 LCDs per 7400 IC right?

... not exactly  :(  Let me explain:

I guess you'll work with the LC protocol. So if you want 24 faders you basically need 3 cores (one per 8 faders) that's how the LC is implemented into the host. So your host software sends you the LCD information for 8 faders over MIDI over one hardware MIDI port.... and the same for the next 2x8 faders.

Now just let's talk about the first 8 faders and at the end you just have to build this package 3 times.

You can have two character displays per core. So you have two displays on your "basic" core, which also runs all the functions (... encoders, buttons, faders). Normally on this core you would read out the display information for the first display of fader 1 to 4 and for the second display of fader 5 to 8. But you only read out the information of fader 1 for display one and fader 2 for the second display. Now you send the same MIDI signal which feeds your "basic" core over the thru port to the NAND Gate, which amplifies the signal so you have three times the same MIDI signal containing the same infrmation (of 8 faders). Those three MIDI signals are feeding your 3 additional "display" cores. One of those three additional cores reads out and diplays the information of fader # 3+4 on it's two displays, the next #5+6 and finaly the last one displays faders 7+8.

Greets, Roger

[Dr_Nick]

Maybe you can use the PCD5844 displays found in Nokia 3310 mobile phones, which is an 84x48 pixel graphic display. TK's driver allows for 8 of those displays to be connected to one core module, so that's one display per fader... I don't know if anybody has used those displays in an MIDIbox LC, but you might want to search the forum.

Best regards,

Dr. Nick

[Screaming_Rabbit]

I don't know if anybody has used those displays in an MIDIbox LC, but you might want to search the forum.

As far as I know: Nobody successgully yet

Greets, Roger

BTW: I'm also working on this  ;)

[tgp]

Hey Taylor

... not exactly  :(  Let me explain:

I guess you'll work with the LC protocol. So if you want 24 faders you basically need 3 cores (one per 8 faders) that's how the LC is implemented into the host. So your host software sends you the LCD information for 8 faders over MIDI over one hardware MIDI port.... and the same for the next 2x8 faders.

Now just let's talk about the first 8 faders and at the end you just have to build this package 3 times.

You can have two character displays per core. So you have two displays on your "basic" core, which also runs all the functions (... encoders, buttons, faders). Normally on this core you would read out the display information for the first display of fader 1 to 4 and for the second display of fader 5 to 8. But you only read out the information of fader 1 for display one and fader 2 for the second display. Now you send the same MIDI signal which feeds your "basic" core over the thru port to the NAND Gate, which amplifies the signal so you have three times the same MIDI signal containing the same infrmation (of 8 faders). Those three MIDI signals are feeding your 3 additional "display" cores. One of those three additional cores reads out and diplays the information of fader # 3+4 on it's two displays, the next #5+6 and finaly the last one displays faders 7+8.

Greets, Roger

Roger, thanks, im still reading this over and researching to see exactly what i need.

would the Graphic LCD's be treated the same way as this? or is there some sort of cap on the bandwidth, ect. if there was a memory problem with trying to do all the graphic lcd code on the original core, wouldnt the 24 (sounds stupid, i know) core system that was linked work because they each have their on main core and plenty of space?

thanks.

taylor