Mac LCD

GrowLCdproc 1.4.1 Available

2009-12-11T01:30:00.000-08:00

GrowLCDproc 1.4.1 is now available for download.

GrowLCDproc 1.4.1 is compiled for 64-bit Leopard running on Intel processors. It also includes a feature to display the current date and time when no other notifications are visible. It is largely untested and may have some minor bugs in the configuration screen. It appears to work otherwise.

See it in action.

Take a look at the documentation.

Download the latest version now.

Note:

GrowLCDproc 1.3.9 is still available for GrowLCDproc users using Pre-Leopard Operating Systems. Future builds of 1.4.x will likely include support for Mac OS X Tiger.

Update:

GrowLCDproc 1.4.1 fixes an error in GrowLCDproc 1.4.0 that would cause the display to not load on some systems.

iMon based VFD and remote on ebay

2009-10-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

This seems like a good deal:

Cooler Master RC-260-OSB1 Multimedia Value Pack w/VFD M. Less than $15 shipped.

I just bought my next project!

Update 4-NOV-2009

This device lists as: Product ID: 0xffdc Vendor ID: 0x15c2 and works with the iMon LCDproc Compiler Script. Just change the /usr/local/etc/LCDd.conf file to include the proper USB Product id.

I was also able to get the remote working with some additional code, applescript and the very impressive Remote Buddy

iMon LCDproc Compiler Script

2009-10-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

I uploaded the iMon LCDproc Compiler script / installer for Mac OS X. You need to have the Apple developer tools installed to use it. The script will download the latest LCDproc, compile it and install it with the iMon LCD driver. You may need to edit the LCDd.conf file to suit your particular LCD. This will likely block the mouse from working on your remote.

To use it, just:

Download the latest version now.
Open the iMon_LCDproc_Installer archive
Double-click the "install.command" script
Enter your password to allow installation
Edit the /usr/local/etc/LCDd.conf file to include the product id of your iMon display

Download the latest version now.

Update!

The iMon LCDproc driver for Mac OS X now supports many more iMon displays including product IDs 0xffdc, and 0x0037.

LCDproc Compiler script

2009-03-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

I have had a lot of requests for an Intel compile of LCDproc. Here is a compile script you can use to compile it yourself. You will need to have the Apple Developer Tools installed. Then run the install.command script and it will:

download LCDproc
download libusb, if not installed already
set up any necessary environment variables
configure, compile and install LCDproc
run LCDproc with the default LCDd configuration
open the LCDd.conf file so you can edit the configuration if you want
open the LCDd StartupItem installer to allow you to run LCDd at start up

You may need to enter your password when prompted.

In the end you will have a fully-featured LCDproc compiled with all of the USB drivers enabled. You will need to edit the LCDd.conf file to suit your display. If you have to specify a device in the LCDd.conf file,be sure to use the cu.usbserial device, not the tty.usbserial device.

Unfortunately, because this is a default install, some drivers such as imon will not work properly without other Mac OS X specific patches.

Many USB displays will work with minor configuration file changes, including the Mac OS X USB LCD Kit.

Download the latest version now.

Universal Belkin F5U103 kext/Driver

2009-10-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a Universal Binary driver for the Belkin F5U103 usb serial adapter. It works on Intel and PPC on Mac OS X 10.4 and should work on 10.5 also. Compiled from source available at: ubsa-osx project.

Download

The ownership of the kext file will likely need to be changed to root:wheel

GrowLCDproc 1.3.9 Available

2009-10-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

GrowLCDproc 1.3.9 is now available for download.

GrowLCDproc 1.3.9 improves priority handling of Growl notifications, causing normal priority notifications to be displayed immediately on your LCD.

See it in action.

Take a look at the documentation.

Download the latest version now.

LCDproc iMon driver

2009-03-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

Working with a user on InsanelyMac, I was able to get LCDproc working with an iMon VFD product id 0x0036. I am working with another user to get it working with an iMon LCD product id 0x0038, and I will hopefully have a download available soon.

2009-03-14T15:57:00.001-07:00

I wrote some code to get LCDproc working on Mac OS X with the iMon LCD 0x0038. I am currently trying to get the remote to work with it as well.

I should have a compiled binary to release soon.

GrowLCDproc 1.3.8 Available

2008-10-08T20:25:00.001-07:00

GrowLCDproc 1.3.8 is now available for download.

GrowLCDproc 1.3.8 adds true coalescing support, iTunes ratings support and improved display format. This means you will no longer get multiple screens for different songs if you skipped a song once it started. Also, the number of stars you have given a song will be translated by GrowLCDproc into asterisks. A marquee scroll is now used to improve readability for longer single-line messages. Finally, vertical scrolls have had the speed reduced and horizontal scrolls have been sped up slightly.

See it in action.

Take a look at the documentation.

Download the latest version now.

LCDproc installer Mac OS X

2008-10-11T18:40:00.001-07:00

I have created an LCDproc installer for Mac OS X. It is built for G3, G4 or G5 PowerPC Macs, but I should have an Intel build available soon. Intel Macs will not be able to use it. LCDproc gets installed into /usr/local/. A start-up script is included in /Library/StartUpItems/LCDproc. It is pre-configured for the Mac OS X USB LCD Kit. Once you install, just restart as instructed and LCDproc should be running on your Mac OS X USB LCD Kit. If you don't have the Mac OS X USB LCD Kit, you can edit the configuration file in /usr/local/etc/LCDd.conf

Download the Mac OS X PowerPC LCDproc installer.

LCD Software

2005-05-26T14:53:00.001-07:00

So, I am continuing to develop some software for the display.

Here are the priorities:

Develop simple user-space code to access the parallel port functions. - Almost finished.
Develop some simple code for running the HD44780.
Write a small interactive Cocoa application to output data to the LCDs
Write a display plug-in for Growl.
Finally, create a kernel extension for accessing the parallel ports through Apple's IOKit. This may become an open source project, or maybe even part of Darwin.

Not Possible?!?

2005-06-02T14:56:00.001-07:00

I thought I would collect some links that say this can't be done.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=835731

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-12958.html

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1026134744

http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/cspplcds.asp?df=100&forumid=23720&exp=0&select=1098863 (Go to the bottom)

search.belkin.com

Bad cables...

2005-06-07T15:00:00.001-07:00

So I found out that there are apparently several types of Belkin F5U002 adapters out there. I just bought some that don't work, so watch out. They have a different usb vendor id, and they do not have a separate USB cable. Otherwise they look very similar.

They might even use the same chip, but they put out different voltages and behave a little differently.

Until I can find the correct cables, or figure these out, I am going to have to temporarily suspend the group buy.

I will keep everyone updated here.

thanks

Command Line Tool Updated

2005-12-20T15:10:00.001-08:00

I made an update to the command line tool and instructions. The update adds some more features and increases compatibility with the LCDproc text driver.

The instructions and updated command line tool are available here: Mac_OS_X_USB_LCD.tgz

LCDproc Server running LCD on Mac OS X

2005-12-20T15:20:00.001-08:00

So I managed to get the LCDproc server working with my LCD kit using Mac OS X! To get this to work, you basically need to compile the LCDproc server (server only, the clients have not been ported yet), then set up the text driver, and pipe the output of the LCDproc text driver to my test program. The result is that LCDproc displays the server screen on the attached LCD!

I will work on porting some of the clients in the coming weeks so that it actually displays useful information, but a major stumbling block has been overcome!

LCD Housing

2006-01-05T15:17:00.001-08:00

Currently, the USB LCD Kits do not come with any sort of housing or case. However, I have been doing some experimenting and have found a very neat way to house the LCDs:

(Note: this procedure can be adapted to work with most character LCDs that you want to mount externally, regardless of the source.)

Parts:

Mac OS X USB LCD Kit
1593TBK or 1593QBK (slightly deeper) Hammond project box
Small machine screws as long as the project box is deep.
a Decora style light switch plate
short piece of double stick tape
some wire (single strand wire like in cat 5 cable is easiest)

Procedure:

USB printer adapter preparation

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut around the edge of the Belkin USB parallel adapter from the kit. It is easiest to cut into the adapter on the seam on the edge.
Peel back the brown cover and peel away the copper tape and the clear substance that is on the board resembling hot glue.
Cut off the centronics port by scoring the pins where they contact the PCB, and bending it back and forth, or with a small wire cutter.
Remove the USB B port by desoldering the pins and the ground wire and pulling it off the PCB.
Cut the USB cable leaving the amount of cable you need connected to the USB A (rectangular) cable end.
Strip back the rubber insulation and push the shielding to one side. Then strip a small amount of insulation off of each of the 4 wires.

This leaves you with just the PCB from the parallel adapter which is tiny compared to the adapter itself. You may want to cut a cheaper USB cable instead of the nice Belkin one included in the kit.

Project box preparation

On the larger side of the the 2 piece box (we don't need the side with the battery door), clip off the 4 bits of plastic on the inside sides of the box.
Cut off the 2 screw riser posts in near the middle of the box.
cut off the board riser blocks in near the middle of the box
place the decora cover over the box, center it and mark where the 2 holes on the plate should be oriented on the box.
drill the holes through the box.
notch the small end plate on one side where the cord will come through.

Assembly

(If you want a strain relief on the USB cable, remember to put it on before you solder.) Solder the four wires and the shield of the USB cable to the small end of the USB adapter PCB. The wire pads are marked with the color of the wire.
Using about 3/4 of an inch of wire , solder the pads of the USB PCB to the rear pads of the LCD following the wiring of the adapter cable included in the kit.
Place some double stick tape on the back of the USB PCB and mount it to the LCD.
Place the LCD in the box and hot glue the end plate of the box in place, aligning your USB cable with the notch you made in the plate.
Using some machine screws, attatch the Decora switch plate by threading them through the box into the small holes drilled earlier.

Conclusions

This project box is perfectly sized to to hold the display, and just deep enough to hold the PCB also. The deeper box is a little better suited to getting everything in there. The Decora switch cover is absolutely the right size for the 16x4 LCD display, and is available in many colors and materials. Most of all, the parts for the housing cost less than $6.00. I have a brushed aluminum plate for my powerbook and a white one for my iBook. You an even get clear switch plates for a hi-tech look.

Pictures to come!

Just Bought a VFD from ebay

2006-02-16T18:46:00.001-08:00

I just bought a VFD from ebay. It is a 20x2 model, though I have seen some nice 40x2 models pop up at a decent price. It is from a point of sale display, so I don't really know exactly what I'm am getting. It was cheap though, so if you want a good price on a VFD, look for surplus POS displays. Mine was 99¢ plus shipping.

Since it is from a POS machine, it probably uses serial input, but like many of the Noritake VFDs, it might have parallel too. If so, I will try it with the parallel adapter and let everyone know my results.

Ultimately, I would like to get this working with LCDproc, and write a Growl plugin to connect with LCDproc. That way, I would not have to write any more code for formatting data for the LCD/VFD. This should open a lot of doors for people wanting to use LCDs on Mac OS X.

New LCD Ideas Using Nokia LCDs

2005-08-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

http://serdisplib.sourceforge.net/ser/pcd8544.html

This should be pretty easy to integrate with the Belkin USB->Parallel adapter on a mac.

In other news, I STILL haven't received the cables I ordered, so I'll keep on it.

Group Buy Update

2005-06-13T18:58:00.001-07:00

Quick update on the group buy:

If you already paid, I will be sending your kits out this weekend (with the correct cable).

As I mentioned, I received the wrong cables from my source. Fortunately, he has the right ones and will replace them for me. If you are still interested in the group buy, stay tuned!

Thanks again for everyone's interest!

LCD Group Buy Update

2005-07-15T18:59:00.001-07:00

The correct cables are in the mail, so I will let everyone know when everything is ready to go.

If you are buying your own cable, you need the ones that have the cable as a separate piece. Most of the ebay vendors show a picture of the right one, but give you one with an integral cable. I tried using the ones that have the cable all as one piece, but they use a different chip and different voltages, and I couldn't get it to work properly.

Thanks for your interest!

Basic Growl Support!!

2005-06-13T19:02:00.001-07:00

So, everyone showed a lot of interest in Growl support. Unfortunately, I needed to focus my efforts on getting a basic display utility. After some work, I realized I can just set Growl to log, and have the tail utility pipe the output to my LCD display utility. As a result, I have basic Growl notification support.

I will certainly continue to work on a real display plugin, but this should be a nice benefit to the people who will be buying the kit.

GrowLCDisplay plugin now available!!

2006-02-13T19:13:00.001-08:00

Try the GrowLCDisplay plugin for Growl that allows you to send Growl notifications to your Mac OS X USB LCD Kit!!!

Update!

All known bugs have been fixed!

Download the latest version now.

Check out a screenshot.

Post a writeback if you try it or have any problems.

GrowLCDproc Display

2006-11-22T19:20:00.001-08:00

I just finished working on a Growl Display plugin that will send Growl notifications to an LCDproc server. It works very well! I will hopefully have a download available soon. This will allow you to view Growl notifications on any character LCD supported by LCDproc, or on any linux machine if you run the curses or text drivers. Because it uses LCDproc's TCP/IP connection protocol, you can send your notifications almost anywhere!

Check out the screenshot. Notice the LCDproc server running a text based curses display in the terminal.

GrowLCDproc Pre-release now available!!

2006-11-26T19:27:00.001-08:00

Here is the new Growl Display plugin that will send Growl notifications to an LCDproc server. This will allow you to view Growl notifications on any character LCD supported by LCDproc, or on any UNIX or linux terminal using the curses or text drivers. Because it uses LCDproc's TCP/IP connection protocol, you can send your notifications almost anywhere!

Using this plugin, I was able to forward my notifications to my wireless Zaurus PDA running in another room.

Download the latest version now.

Check out a screenshot.

Shipped First Group Buy

2005-06-15T19:29:00.001-07:00

So if you already paid, you have been shipped the parts.

The download for the instructions and command line tool is here:
Mac_OS_X_USB_LCD.tgz

Also, if you are putting one of these together yourself, download the tool and try it out.