Comments on: Pertelian X2040 http://the-gadgeteer.com/2006/10/30/pertelian_x2040/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:06:54 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: n9mtb http://the-gadgeteer.com/2006/10/30/pertelian_x2040/comment-page-1/#comment-22568 n9mtb Wed, 26 Apr 2006 21:58:13 +0000 #comment-22568 If you are willing to hack a bit, yes. The display is just a HD44780 connected to a FTDI serial converter, so there isn't really anything especially unusual about programming it. (And at any rate, the specs are on the Pertelian website, and there is a development forum for discussing how to make it work with other platforms.) The only thing you really need to look out for is that you need to insert a ~1ms delay between characters when updating the display, instead of just spitting an entire line at a time at it. The main thing standing in the way of using it with other software is that some LCD apps, it seems, don't natively support HD44780-over-serial. The hd44780-lcdserializer driver in lcdproc works (set DelayMult to 25), except for the backlight, and support for that can be added with a few lines of code. LCD Smartie gets pretty close with its test driver, but there is no way to put in the delays needed to prevent occasional dropped characters. I haven't tried anything else yet, but I think any sufficiently extensible app should be able to support the display without too much work. Hopefully the availability of this product will encourage support for it in more apps soon -- it's certainly easier to use one of these than to wire a display up yourself, at least for people like me who are not inclined toward hardware hacking. If you are willing to hack a bit, yes. The display is just a HD44780 connected to a FTDI serial converter, so there isn’t really anything especially unusual about programming it. (And at any rate, the specs are on the Pertelian website, and there is a development forum for discussing how to make it work with other platforms.) The only thing you really need to look out for is that you need to insert a ~1ms delay between characters when updating the display, instead of just spitting an entire line at a time at it.

The main thing standing in the way of using it with other software is that some LCD apps, it seems, don’t natively support HD44780-over-serial. The hd44780-lcdserializer driver in lcdproc works (set DelayMult to 25), except for the backlight, and support for that can be added with a few lines of code. LCD Smartie gets pretty close with its test driver, but there is no way to put in the delays needed to prevent occasional dropped characters.

I haven’t tried anything else yet, but I think any sufficiently extensible app should be able to support the display without too much work. Hopefully the availability of this product will encourage support for it in more apps soon — it’s certainly easier to use one of these than to wire a display up yourself, at least for people like me who are not inclined toward hardware hacking.

]]> By: Abaddon http://the-gadgeteer.com/2006/10/30/pertelian_x2040/comment-page-1/#comment-22567 Abaddon Wed, 26 Apr 2006 21:04:14 +0000 #comment-22567 Can you use non-proprietrary software (ie <a href="" />LCDC</a>) with the screen? I'm a big fan of LCDC's flexibility, but love the idea of a display to sit on my desk. Can you use non-proprietrary software (ie LCDC) with the screen? I’m a big fan of LCDC’s flexibility, but love the idea of a display to sit on my desk.

]]> By: Julie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2006/10/30/pertelian_x2040/comment-page-1/#comment-22566 Julie Wed, 26 Apr 2006 20:12:24 +0000 #comment-22566 Post your comments on the Pertelian X2040 review. <a href="http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/pertelian_x2040">http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/pertelian_x2040</a> Just click the POST REPLY button on this page. Post your comments on the Pertelian X2040 review.

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