Got a sweet deal on a VFD, & need some help

Pagan Wizard

Pagan Wizard

2[H]4U
Joined
Jan 12, 2002
Messages
2,634
I just got this VFD from someone on eBay for a whopping $9.95 plus S&H. It works fine, I plugged it in and the EMAX info screen popped right up as shown on the eBay page. I do have one minor problem though, it has a serial port plug on it, and my Asus A7N8X Deluxe ver 2.0 does not have a serial port on it, what would you recomend for me to connect it to my PC??
 
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Hmmmmm, I'll have to open up my case in the morning......I'm too tired to do it tonight, I'll have to see if my available PCI cards are not blocked by the cooling fan for my video card. I don't have a window on my rig and don't remember. Thanks for the link :D
 
its one of them BG Micro LCDs. few LCD programs around, best is Curtisbeefs but good luck finding a copy of it. Bastard has no hosting. If you need help hooking up theres things all over google...

http://www.vfdworld.com/index.php?page=usingyourvfd

is good info on how to hook it up but his program is a complete ripoff of curtisbeefs, dont bother with it

to address your post more


yes it does have a free serial port on the back, i have the board, i have my LCD plugged into it. it shouldve come with an internal header. the big thing is for full speed (and so you can use progs like LCDSmartie) you might want to consider rewriting it as parallel. i had mine as serial since i was lazy but didnt have a problem with it.
 
do you have curtisbeef's info?
 
FLECOM said:
do you have curtisbeef's info?
Click to expand...

yeh man i live down the street from him, we hang out all the time. his AIM is curtisbeef you can bother him via that, i wont give out his email unless he says its ok ;)
 
well, let him know i can hook him up with hosting for his app if he likes... he can email me at [email protected]
 
FLECOM said:
well, let him know i can hook him up with hosting for his app if he likes... he can email me at [email protected]
Click to expand...

problem is i dont know if he even has a copy lying around :-/ after the whole thing with dan_dude ripping off parts of his code he got really disgusted with the program. ill ask him since he really is proud of it.


also this thread makes me want to hook mine back up...i need a damn internal serial header though. blah.
 
well shit if anything he can just source forge it... but letting it die is worse than having it ripped off :(

anyway most vfd/lcd apps have the same features... i dont know about the whole story so i wont comment more than that....

now if i could only find my copy of LCDriver2, i would be a happy bunny
 
FLECOM said:
well shit if anything he can just source forge it... but letting it die is worse than having it ripped off :(

anyway most vfd/lcd apps have the same features... i dont know about the whole story so i wont comment more than that....

now if i could only find my copy of LCDriver2, i would be a happy bunny
Click to expand...

hes also the laziest bastard I know :D i sent him a message well see if he even sees it when he wakes up


also LOL @ LCDriver2 :D
 
Now that all of you were very helpfull in me getting everything I need to make this VFD work, all I need to do now is make a new case for the display. As you can see in the eBay pics, the case is missing its face. I think it would look pretty tacky at a LAN all exposed like that. I also want to install an in line power switch so I can turn it on and off without unplugging it. Thanks again to everyone!!!! :D
 
Make a new case... well... could you describe more how you want to mount it? Are you trying to fix it so it's still on the stand? Do you want an external enclosure? Or are you shooting for a bay mount?

"Help me.... help you!!!!" _Jerry Miguire
 
kronchev said:
also LOL @ LCDriver2 :D
Click to expand...

the funnier part is im not joking, i did have a copy of lcdriver2, i just cant find it :mad:
 
ProphetSix said:
Make a new case... well... could you describe more how you want to mount it? Are you trying to fix it so it's still on the stand? Do you want an external enclosure? Or are you shooting for a bay mount?

"Help me.... help you!!!!" _Jerry Miguire
Click to expand...


Well this thing is a bit too wide for a bay mount (the glass that protects the actual VFD is almost 7 inches wide itself......almost as wide as my PC case), and I would like to keep it on the stand if it is possible.
 
Well, I'd say it's prolly just as easy to repair as to make a new one, your call. All you need to do is fix/replace the top piece that holds the VFD.

I'd go down to an electronics shop and get a Project Box that fits around the VFD and the wiring, mount the VFD inside, cut a hole for the display to show through, cut a hole in the bottom to mount to the pole and for the wires to go through, and mount some plexi on the inside over the display hole (smoked of course). If you want to completely replace the pole with a longer pole, or if it's damaged/scuffed and needs replaced anyways, go down to the hardware store and get a length of 3/8" or 1/2" PVC pipe. Cut to length, mount to the Project Box, and mount to the case or a stand. Should be able to find something at the hardware store to mount the PVC while your're there. Primer all and paint to color you want.

Easy.
 
Hey pegan wizard I have a spare face for those displays. You can have it just give me a positive heatware. I beleve the VFD is a NEC FD20X2KB-100A

I bought one of those from Ebay and ripped out the VFD and contrller board and put in a BG - Micro IEE VFD refer to here I do beleve those vfds to be HDD4780 compatble though but without a data sheet I'm not sure

Link to some one selling one on Ebay

I emailed the seller and this is what I got back

Code: 
No, I wish I did.  The controller it hooked up to mates with it directly.
 Looking at the connector, 10 pins on each side from top to bottom data
pins D0 to D7, two pins +5V, other side, two pins E and R/W (don't know
which are which) 4 N/C and 4 for GND.  I got this from tracing the pins
back to the controller board.  No other info.

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 15:51:13 -0700 _______@________._____ writes:
> Dear ________,
> 
> Do you have a data sheet? I have a coupple of these I pulled From 
> EMAX POS Displays and would like to get them to work.and how to you 
> wire them you said they are standard HD44780 LCD?
> Thanks
> 
> To view the item, go to: 
> [url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3822266396[/url]
> 
> Thank you,
> computer_wiz_kid
>

VFDRear800.jpg


Thats a picture of the back of the VFD to see if any body can help me or pegan wizard wire up these VFDS
Thanks and hope I helped
 
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How about something like this here

The bad thing thou is that they are not for sale yet. I will grab one immediately for my LCD module when it's available.
 
Format _C: said:
Hey pegan wizard I have a spare face for those displays. You can have it just give me a positive heatware. I beleve the VFD is a NEC FD20X2KB-100A

I bought one of those from Ebay and ripped out the VFD and contrller board and put in a BG - Micro IEE VFD refer to here I do beleve those vfds to be HDD4780 compatble though but without a data sheet I'm not sure

Link to some one selling one on Ebay

I emailed the seller and this is what I got back

Code: 
No, I wish I did.  The controller it hooked up to mates with it directly.
 Looking at the connector, 10 pins on each side from top to bottom data
pins D0 to D7, two pins +5V, other side, two pins E and R/W (don't know
which are which) 4 N/C and 4 for GND.  I got this from tracing the pins
back to the controller board.  No other info.

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 15:51:13 -0700 _______@________._____ writes:
> Dear ________,
> 
> Do you have a data sheet? I have a coupple of these I pulled From 
> EMAX POS Displays and would like to get them to work.and how to you 
> wire them you said they are standard HD44780 LCD?
> Thanks
> 
> To view the item, go to: 
> [url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3822266396[/url]
> 
> Thank you,
> computer_wiz_kid
>

VFDRear800.jpg


Thats a picture of the back of the VFD to see if any body can help me or pegan wizard wire up these VFDS
Thanks and hope I helped
Click to expand...

Sounds like we have a deal, I will send you PM as soon as I get done writing this post. :cool:
 
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that looks like a very standard connector. I've wired up a VFD like that and posted somewhere the exact pinout. i'm sure if you do some websearches on the HD4470 controller you will find it. or better yet, look at other VFD datasheets. trust me, they do standardize these pinouts.
[edit] i did some work for you:
http://www.eio.com/public/lcd.2003/1352.html
 
Wow! you found my old post :D I posted on that forum asking for help along time ago If it is hd44780 compatible I just have to try and wire it up and see if it works just need to figure out were DO -D7 start pin 1 I don't quite untand that guys email
 
Hey Format _C:, I was just wondering if you have mailed out the package yet. I have not received anything from you since the last e-mail. ;)
 
Well folks, it has been almost a month, and Format _C: seems to have dissappeared. I sent him $10 through PayPal, gave him my address so he could mail the package off to me and I have yet to hear from him since. I have PM'ed him and even e-mailed him as well. I am taking a few moments here to forewarn any of you that might want to do business with him that he hosed me on a transaction. I am also posting this info on heatware as well.
 
Pagan Wizard, you left feedback for this transaction, or rather non-transaction it appears, to the wrong person. I am the registered owner of the Heatware membership "Format C:" that you left negative feedback for and I've just been notified via email of you having done so. I do not know you, have never dealt with you, and up until a few minutes ago was not a member of this forum. Furthermore, I don't even know what a "VFD" is nor what one does. I have a spotless feedback record at Heatware, as sparse as it may be, and would like to keep it that way, so I would appreciate your prompt attention in correcting this error. You can email me at the addy in my profile if you'd like to discuss this privately. Thanks!
 
Sorry about that....seems the idiot that I had dealings with gave me bogus heatware info. I'll go back and remove the post if it is possible.
 
The original FormatC: abandoned the [H] over a $10 trade? Weird. I have a couple BG micro VFD's srtting around I need to get going again. I am going to make one of those external bent plexi units.
I was not aware Dad dude stole Curtisbeef's code. :eek:
I thought some people actually got a beta copy of lcddriver2?:confused: edit: I see now you were not joking.
Could it still be taboo to talk about it after all this time? :confused:
Is Uller writing code for microsoft or something these days?:)

The actual reason I wanted to reply to this thread, I thought the A7N8X deluxe had a serial port.
 
I did some checking at Heatware and there IS a registered member there with the name of "Format_C:". CLICK HERE for his/her info.

This situation has me wondering now if it was just a matter of a simple spelling mistake on your part or something in Heatware's software which caused an error. In any case, if you wish to leave a negative rating for the other person linked above then you should be able to. If I end up with another negative rating afterwards then I guess we'd know for sure that there's a problem with Heatware's system. ;) I'm not exactly thrilled that they'd allow user names so similar, but, I suppose there's nothing can be done about that.

I do want to thank you for your understanding and your prompt attention to this matter. To be honest with you, if I'd been ripped off I'm not at all sure I'd have been as trusting or quick to respond as you've been. Having said that, I'd like you to know that if you have any lingering doubts as to this being a simple mistake and not all part of some elaborate scheme I'd be more than happy to provide you with any further information you request in order to assure you that I'm not the "Format_C:" in question. Just let me know, and thanks again.
 
If it helps you any I've done a bit of digging and the one person that left Heatware feedback for "Format_C:" is the AnandTech user who's registered as "htne". Still havn't located what nick this "Format_C:" used at AnandTech nor the thread in which the sale was made. Their deal was a couple of years back, but, he may still have some contact info or something of use to you if you want to contact him. Worth a shot anyway.
 
ah. You cant see the underscore in his username when it's shown in the underlined hyperlinked format on the left. Everyone knows that to format your C drive you would go with the space before the C: so that's probably what Pagen Wizard was thinking when he left feedback.

Um, welcome Format C: you may find you like it here when people arent inadvertently saying bad things about you.:)
 
Thanks for the welcome.

Yeah, people inadvertently saying bad things about me will take some getting used to. I'm more accustomed to 'em saying bad things about me intentionally. Repeatedly. And rather loudly. :eek:

You know, I said that I'd never been a member here but now I'm wondering. Way back a few years ago there was pretty much just AnandTech and one other site, the name of which I can't recall right now, that was its major competition, especially the FS/T forum, and I was registered at both. Best I recall, the other site went down for some reason and I think was "absorbed" by another or was moved, underwent a name change, and put back up, or something strange like that. Does any of that ring a bell, and if so, is this by any chance that site? The stylized [H] does for some reason create some small spark of recognition in this old swiss cheese brain but trying to drag it all out of the cobwebs is making me head hurt. :confused:

<edit>Well, geeze, I guess I owe everyone here an apology, especially Pagan Wizard. I said I had never been a member here, but, I find I have been. I did a search thru some old email archives dating back to the year 2000 using the "[H]" and found an email dated 4/17/2002 where I'd requested a password send/reset for my account of Format C: :( I can't find anything for my initial registration in the archive so I assume I either registered here prior to 2000, between then and 4/17/02 and the registration email was deleted (not likely as I'm a packrat), or the site was named something else when I initially registered. At this point I really don't know what to think and the more I dig the more strange it becomes and the more confused I get. And all that still doesn't explain why I could re-register with the same nick now. Where'd my old Format C: account go and what history do I have here with it, if any, that I'm not recalling? I know I'm gettin' old but damn. I'm starting to feel like I've got Alzheimer's now.
 
Format C: said:
<edit>Well, geeze, I guess I owe everyone here an apology, especially Pagan Wizard. I said I had never been a member here, but, I find I have been. I did a search thru some old email archives dating back to the year 2000 using the "[H]" and found an email dated 4/17/2002 where I'd requested a password send/reset for my account of Format C: :( I can't find anything for my initial registration in the archive so I assume I either registered here prior to 2000, between then and 4/17/02 and the registration email was deleted (not likely as I'm a packrat), or the site was named something else when I initially registered. At this point I really don't know what to think and the more I dig the more strange it becomes and the more confused I get. And all that still doesn't explain why I could re-register with the same nick now. Where'd my old Format C: account go and what history do I have here with it, if any, that I'm not recalling? I know I'm gettin' old but damn. I'm starting to feel like I've got Alzheimer's now.
Click to expand...


No need for you to offer an apology to me, after all, it was me trying to blast someone else for stiffing me on a deal and inadvertantly targeted you. :eek:

One bit of good news was found in my e-mail box today, an e-mail from PayPal returning the $10 back to my credit card, looks like all I ended up not getting chumped out of a few bucks after all.

As for where did your old Format C: account go.........[H]ardforum shut down for a couple months a short while ago and deleted all inactive accounts to clear up space in thier servers or something.
 
Pagan Wizard said:
As for where did your old Format C: account go.........[H]ardforum shut down for a couple months a short while ago and deleted all inactive accounts to clear up space in thier servers or something.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That explains one mystery at least. It may be that I didn't have any history/posts here other than just registering for some reason 2 years or longer ago. I have a hard enough time remembering last week much less going that far back. :p Been a lot of water under the bridge since then for sure.

In any case, I'm glad to hear you got a refund, but, if you don't mind me being nosey, I'm curious whether it was due to you filing a complaint with PayPal or if the infamous Format_C: could be reading the thread and returned it on his own. If the latter, then the guy should speak up and just own up to whatever happened to cause all this, take his lumps, and move forward. $10 sure seems to be an awful pittance to lose a good reputation over. Especially if you're not even gunna be crook enough to keep it. :confused:
 
Well now, thats strange indeed. If you're going to crook somebody you'd surely want to claim the booty as soon as possible. I would hope not, but it sounds as if something ominous may have happened to the guy.
 
No really. What happened to the release of lcddriver2. I never understood why, just that you were not supposed to ask about it because "the original [H]ardGawd" would shoot you with flaming arrows or something. Did it ever get past beta?
 
delbert said:
No really. What happened to the release of lcddriver2. I never understood why, just that you were not supposed to ask about it because "the original [H]ardGawd" would shoot you with flaming arrows or something. Did it ever get past beta?
Click to expand...

nope sure didnt :(

specialk can you email me a copy? im afriad to ask Uller for another one as this would be like the third time ive asked him for a copy cuz i lost mine lol...

i really should burn it onto a cd and keep it in a safe somewhere or sumthin lol
 
FLECOM said:
nope sure didnt :(

specialk can you email me a copy? im afriad to ask Uller for another one as this would be like the third time ive asked him for a copy cuz i lost mine lol...

i really should burn it onto a cd and keep it in a safe somewhere or sumthin lol
Click to expand...


Can you host it on a site somewhere for a brief amount of time so we all can enjoy it......please??? ;)
 
I'm going to dust this thread off. Old school! I have been using this VFD (or the one I think they're talking about the BGmicro VFD) for years, but my update to Windows 7 just killed it's Winamp interactivity. Anybody know how to get in touch with either of the guys who wrote the software for these, or have some code for it? Or better yet, how to make it work in Win7?
 
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