[lcd4linux @ 2000-03-19 08:41:28 by reinelt]

documentation available! README, README.MatrixOrbital, README.Drivers
added Skeleton.c as a starting point for new drivers

1 files changed, 40 insertions, 0 deletions

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+#
+# $Id: README.MatrixOrbital,v 1.1 2000/03/19 08:41:28 reinelt Exp $
+#
+
+This is the README file for the MatrixOrbital display driver for lcd4linux
+
+This driver supports the serial interface alphanumeric display modules by
+Matrix Orbital Corporation (http://www.matrixorbital.com).
+
+I could only test it with the LCD2041 model, but I think every other (LCD) model 
+should work. These displays are supported:
+
+  LCD0821: 2 lines by  8 characters
+  LCD1621: 2 lines by 16 characters
+  LCD2021: 2 lines by 20 characters
+  LCD2041: 4 lines by 20 characters (tested)
+  LCD4021: 2 lines by 40 characters
+
+I could not test the vacuum fluorescent display models, but I think they should work, too.
+There are no entries for this models in the driver table (at the bottom of MatrixOrbital.c),
+but they could be easily added.
+
+The displays come with an RS-232 and an I2C interface. The driver supports the RS-232 interface
+only (because I have no idea how to find the I2C bus on my motherboard). 
+
+Power can be applied either via an external DC power supply, a modified floppy power connector
+(be aware that you can destroy your display if you get the pins wrong!) or via the RI (ring) 
+signal of the RS-232 port. I choosed the latter, and modified a serial card so that it supplies 
++5V from the ISA bus to this pin (again, be aware that this is dangerous if you connect any other 
+serial device to this modified port).
+
+The driver supports vertical, horizontal and split bars (two independent bars in one line),
+all bar types can be used simultanously. As the displays only have 8 user-defined characters,
+the needed characters to display all the bars must be reduced to 8. This is done by replacing
+characters with similar ones. To reduce flicker, a character which is displayed at the moment,
+will not be redefined, even if it's not used in this run. Only if the character compaction 
+fails, this characters will be redefined, too.
+
+The displays have a GPO (general purpose output), where you can connect a LED or something. 
+The driver supports controlling this GPO, but this function is unused by now.