---Werner Terreblanche <wterreb@PLESSEY.CO.ZA> wrote:
>
> When I recently designed a battery operated product
that uses an LCD
> display, I was interested in utilising a serial
interface chip to
> avoid bogging my microcontroller down with all the
extra code and
> I/O pins.  However, I was disappointed to discover
that the
> commercial LCD serial chips that I looked at were
quite expensive and
> was not really intended for power saving battery
applications because
> they were running at clock speeds of up to 20 MHZ
which make them
> draw a lot of power.  I also did not like the idea
of dedicating the
> serial port of my 8051 design exclusively to
driving the LCD display.
>  What I needed was an inexpensive chip that runs at
a relatively low
> clock speed, with a chip select (CS) line which
will allow the LCD
> serial interface chip to enter sleep mode with a
high impedance on
> its serial pins for most of the time, and for it to
only wake up when
> I address the LCD display by pulling the CS line
low.  This has a
> double advantage of freeing my communications port
the rest of the
> time when I don't need to update the LCD as well as
bringing current
> consumption to an absolute low.
>
> So, I decided to make my own LCD serial interface
based on a
> PIC16F84 chip running at 4MHz.  It works like a
charm!  In fact, I
> was so pleased with it that I decided to try and
market this to other
> design engineers.  But instead of selling it as
pre-programmed chips,
> I would provide them the option of burning their
own chips.  This is
> especially intended for manufacturers who want to
use this chip as a
> production item in their products.  But I also
wanted to give
> designers the opportunity of trying the chip out
before they buy,
> and to provide them with free engineering samples
design with.
> Therefore I decided to market this product almost
like a shareware
> program.  It works as follows:
>
> A HEX file called DEMF84.HEX contains the shareware
program which
> you can  program into a PIC16F84 microcontroller to
create your own
> LCD serial interface chip.   This shareware chip
contains all the
> features of the actual device, but there is a limit
of 1 000 write
> actions that you can make to the LCD, before it
enters into a mode
> prompting you on the display to register the
program.   This allows
> you to test the chip and even complete the
development of your
> product with this chip before you spend any money
to register it.
> Once you are happy that this chip proves usefull to
you, you can
> register it by sending me the registration fee and
I will provide
> you with a HEX file that will enable you to make as
many Serial
> Interface chips for yourself as you want.
>
> Right now I need people to try out my serial LCD
interface and report
> any bugs that they find.  I've put together a
prelimenary datasheet
> in PDF format and zipped it together with the
DEMF84.HEX file.  The
> whole zip file is 58K big.  If you are interested,
then please let
> me know by private email, and I will send it to you
as an
> attachment.   Or even if you are just interested, I
would still like
> to know about it.  Customization is possible.
>
> Rgds
> Werner
>
> http://users.iafrica.com/w/we/wernerte
> FOR SALE: Parachute. Only used once, never opened,
small stain.
> --
> Werner Terreblanche
http://users.iafrica.com/w/we/wernerte/index.htm
> wterreb@plessey.co.za (work)  OR
wernerte@iafrica.com  (home)
> Plessey SA, PO Box 30451,Tokai 7966, Cape Town,
South Africa
> or at home : Suite 251, PostNet X5061,
Stellenbosch, 7599
> Tel +27 21 7102251  Fax +27 21 7102886  Home +27 21
8872196
>
------------------------------------------------------------
> Hello
I am interesteed for your project the LCD serial
interface
and i want if it's possible to send me the Hex File .
I want  to try it!
Thanks
Revenides Nikos
regeman@rocketmail.com

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