#
# $Id: README.MatrixOrbital,v 1.2 2000/03/22 07:33:50 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.


Configuration:

The driver needs/supports the following entries in lcd4linux.conf:

Display: a valid Matrix Orbital Display name (e.g. "LCD2041")
Port: serial device the display is attached to (e.g. /dev/ttyS2)
Speed: the baud rate from the display (configured via jumpers) must match 
       this value. Possible values are 1200, 2400, 9600 and 19200
Contrast: sets the LCD display contrast to a level between 0 (light) 
          and 256 (dark). Default value: 160

85ce8d68b155828a4aa400105812aeb75d'>unfollow</a>)</div><div class='content'><table class='list nowrap'><tr class='nohover'><th class='left'>Age</th><th class='left'>Commit message (<a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/log/drv_EA232graphic.c?id=18590c85ce8d68b155828a4aa400105812aeb75d&amp;showmsg=1&amp;follow=1'>Expand</a>)</th><th class='left'>Author</th><th class='left'>Files</th><th class='left'>Lines</th></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 16:21:42 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/mkinstalldirs?id=ed0c3a645a248a31dfad5fa98fdb3ab2da7fbf7f&amp;follow=1'>revert spurious changes from last upload to minimize interdiff</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>7</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1546</span>/<span class='insertions'>+610</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 16:07:11 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/control?id=d57caee34ac1973ea700beb5a8619ee7578f9329&amp;follow=1'>add ${misc:depends} to lcd4linux</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+2</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 16:04:05 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/rules?id=bb405c2bde59ac023fc1e30a9370ca48d103931d&amp;follow=1'>tidy up clean rule, thank you lintian</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-3</span>/<span class='insertions'>+2</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 16:02:05 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/rules?id=5336cd681c927f629a2b191338a91a47abc551ab&amp;follow=1'>prefer dh_prep over dh_clean</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+1</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 15:59:25 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=fbe3708a0529654d3a2ee750290ec5801bcc381e&amp;follow=1'>update debian/changelog</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-0</span>/<span class='insertions'>+6</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 15:51:25 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/mkinstalldirs?id=014bb3e4179c3888fd8fdd84ea1355f2f51839cb&amp;follow=1'>rerun autoreconf</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>9</td><td><span class='deletions'>-8343</span>/<span class='insertions'>+5554</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 15:49:13 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/configure.in?id=0950720d01ac43fcd6419984d348bc17209c4ca2&amp;follow=1'>make configure.in reference the now renamed ax_python_devel.m4</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+1</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 15:47:26 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/rules?id=e2c5b654a5f6c4bbdff1b15f54b31f37b9ed0fc2&amp;follow=1'>disable switch --disable-mpd, it is not recognized anyways</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+0</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 15:41:18 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/ax_python_devel.m4?id=32d9da650ea0e177d4967bb964e89215a6554ff2&amp;follow=1'>don't include LOCALMODLIBS for linking. it was empty for python 2.5, and are ...</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+1</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-03-16 15:38:26 +0100'>2010-03-16</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/ax_python_devel.m4?id=45c665b2326c78c6c4f8e56623acd8fb67950ee1&amp;follow=1'>update ac_python_devel.m4 from upstream, has been renamed now to ax_python_devel</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-3</span>/<span class='insertions'>+8</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 23:25:25 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/rules?id=f36951777b61700d4fad375938111152770dd8f5&amp;follow=1'>fix typo, don't disable python support</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+1</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 22:11:31 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/init.d?id=502e79f85f60d2845544e353e5f158038aa6481a&amp;follow=1'>Allow user control over lcd4linux args, </a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+6</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 22:01:20 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/copyright?id=021393ed15cfb2a4e45d8e18ec27b5e5c60ce99c&amp;follow=1'>clarify copyright notice, reported by lintian</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+1</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:57:03 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/control?id=cfba7691d798351b945e5104dcd9438329c8204e&amp;follow=1'>bump standards version to 3.8.4.</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-2</span>/<span class='insertions'>+3</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:55:34 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/control?id=918de3ffff4c24c8f326ab94882b494b5df12efd&amp;follow=1'>bump debhelper compat level to 7</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>3</td><td><span class='deletions'>-3</span>/<span class='insertions'>+4</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:54:08 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/rules?id=ba48073925e51d0e35b4cafc234e9b90f85526e8&amp;follow=1'>disable mpd plugin. According to bugreports, it makes lcd4linux</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>3</td><td><span class='deletions'>-3</span>/<span class='insertions'>+6</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:49:47 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/control?id=daf7abfb18c188baf2af9f78965bdf694f6bec35&amp;follow=1'>prefer multiline depends</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+9</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:48:53 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=85bdb47c3256f86570c134590d7970bca4f1c66e&amp;follow=1'>update config.guess &amp;&amp; config.sub, Closes: #542077</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>3</td><td><span class='deletions'>-405</span>/<span class='insertions'>+624</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:45:42 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=e7ad9c5caca8d2985d94bedeef5cfb06265d329a&amp;follow=1'>update ac_python_devel.m4 from autoconf-archive package. This allows</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-66</span>/<span class='insertions'>+199</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2010-02-28 21:44:07 +0100'>2010-02-28</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/init.d?id=5833839b8ecfb7c8ca13347bed65b625a29c9804&amp;follow=1'>Add $remote-fs dependencies to init script. Reported by lintian.</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-2</span>/<span class='insertions'>+8</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2008-01-10 10:58:36 +0100'>2008-01-10</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=ea2d03d41845c4b118cc19fa8915e2b36b914846&amp;follow=1'>oops. fix version number</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+1</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2008-01-10 10:31:24 +0100'>2008-01-10</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/control?id=d09ff8ae38ccffbeda7bf1e00546075f491fd90e&amp;follow=1'>* add Vcs-Bzr and Homepage header.</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+4</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2008-01-10 10:29:51 +0100'>2008-01-10</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/control?id=f088293e085460cc1f930eee73fc2871399a7c61&amp;follow=1'>* bump to standards version 3.7.3 (no changes needed)</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-2</span>/<span class='insertions'>+3</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2008-01-10 09:48:54 +0100'>2008-01-10</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=57063d34027113d0150d4c861b247d8c7489e932&amp;follow=1'>new upload to unstable</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-0</span>/<span class='insertions'>+9</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2008-01-10 09:45:05 +0100'>2008-01-10</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/udelay.c?id=c724649a69607b3c76ad554d0700b2e9f53d63b8&amp;follow=1'>import commit 809 from trunk to fix http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport....</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>4</td><td><span class='deletions'>-255</span>/<span class='insertions'>+12</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-05 15:44:44 +0200'>2007-04-05</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/init.d?id=3e23b791eeb822bb2d7d6b9a5376675c0cf4bfe8&amp;follow=1'>missing depends in LSB init stanza</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-0</span>/<span class='insertions'>+2</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-05 15:41:23 +0200'>2007-04-05</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=d1b9883e0fb03412669ea418158a85b678f09e43&amp;follow=1'>* new upstream tarball no longer contains a debian/ directory at all</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+3</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-30 09:35:54 +0200'>2007-04-30</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/widget_timer.c?id=874ef72c5b807b61bc53dbaa0fa623b40bff1736&amp;follow=1'>new upstream version</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>63</td><td><span class='deletions'>-4596</span>/<span class='insertions'>+7100</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-05 15:37:52 +0200'>2007-04-05</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/init.d?id=cbaf3ad73900f63eae0add0e33439a1bf04b5a1e&amp;follow=1'>* add LSB keyword section</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-1</span>/<span class='insertions'>+12</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-05 15:26:06 +0200'>2007-04-05</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/changelog?id=832e050d8e61a27d6226b7695fb1d50992438f2c&amp;follow=1'>mark new upload in debian/changelog</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-0</span>/<span class='insertions'>+6</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-05 15:25:19 +0200'>2007-04-05</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/widget_timer.h?id=d0c7529cb9833ede3595051df5599a11fe03be48&amp;follow=1'>import new upstream</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>162</td><td><span class='deletions'>-10578</span>/<span class='insertions'>+5766</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2007-04-05 15:22:26 +0200'>2007-04-05</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/lcd4linux.8?id=3811bca55e79006fb5c3dc8f25d8ef29ccdda758&amp;follow=1'>improvements to the manpage</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>1</td><td><span class='deletions'>-2</span>/<span class='insertions'>+6</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2006-08-27 17:18:38 +0200'>2006-08-27</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/config.sub?id=96d96dc41dfdffc5130dacffcc1742180baabd3f&amp;follow=1'>update config.guess and .sub</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-350</span>/<span class='insertions'>+450</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><span title='2006-08-27 17:18:28 +0200'>2006-08-27</span></td><td><a href='/debian/lcd4linux.git/commit/debian/rules?id=c94e287e334c4d09dea922940e7531dc4e7e0570&amp;follow=1'>install new manpage</a></td><td>Reinhard Tartler</td><td>2</td><td><span class='deletions'>-2</span>/<span class='insertions'>+3</span></td></tr>