Character Display gone...

Dr_kazza · Post by **Dr_kazza** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 3:13 am

I'm not sure what has gone on here but perhaps you have seen this before...

Something funny is going on, I went off for 2 weeks and the computer was off and the MO was working fine. When I came back my missus had used it and the display wouldn't show any characters.

The machine would only have been on for about a day or so at the most. and I know for a fact that there is no way she would/could have taken the back off and touched it.

The Matrix orbital GPOs and the backlight are working fine with all the software but it is as though the display has forgotten how to produce characters.

I switched the whole thing off and turned on again last night but that didn't fix anything, I haven't had a chance to test anything else with it yet. When I get home tonight I'll see if a good night's sleep has fixed it. (!)

Have you ever seen this happen before?

Thx

kazza

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dr_kazza on 2002-02-11 03:14 ]</font>

Post by **Cheese** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 5:34 am

Is the contrast set up ok?

Never let a woman touch a computer... should be a lesson to us all

r.

Dr_kazza · Post by **Dr_kazza** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 6:43 am

tell me about it... I can't slap her until after thursday too... (I don't want to be unromantic!)

How do you fiddle with the contrast? I was just looking for the MO powerup message and even that didn't appear...

Its the 204PC fyi

Post by **Henry** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 9:34 am

Try using alpha demo to turn up and down the contrast... then go to the download section and under universal software it's called contrast. Download it, and use it.

sygyzy · Post by **sygyzy** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 12:16 pm

Is there a contrast setting that will SAVE or a backlight one as well? I noticed from software to software it will mess up my backlight (ie turn it off on my VFD) or mess up my contrast.

Also, shouldn't the contrast be called brightness? That's all it does on my VFD, make it brighter. Is it bad to have it too high? Will it burn out?

What is the life of my VFD if I leave it on 24/7?

Can I hook the VFD to a baybus to turn it off? What happens if I do? Will it mess up? On and off?

Post by **Cheese** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:01 pm

I thought the contrast of lcds was controlled differently from the brightness of vfd's (in software I mean) - though I don't have an MO VFD so I can't help you...

As for lcd's it should be called contrast yes, and the program (contrast) that henry mentioned does save the contrast setting... that's the point of the program.

As for putting a vfd on a baybus (I take it you mean so you can just turn it on/off and not so you can control it's brightness) - that should be fine (might mess the display up on first turn on but shoudl recover on first refresh, though I'm not sure.

If you want to control the brightness of a vfd using a rhebus it's not very simple - see the manual for why (you have to vary the pulse width).

Cheers,

r.

Post by **Cheese** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:03 pm

On 2002-02-11 06:43, Dr_kazza wrote:
tell me about it... I can't slap her until after thursday too... (I don't want to be unromantic!)

lol

Very thoughtful of you!

r.

sygyzy · Post by **sygyzy** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 4:51 pm

On 2002-02-11 13:01, TheCheeseMan wrote:
I thought the contrast of lcds was controlled differently from the brightness of vfd's (in software I mean) - though I don't have an MO VFD so I can't help you...

As for lcd's it should be called contrast yes, and the program (contrast) that henry mentioned does save the contrast setting... that's the point of the program.

As for putting a vfd on a baybus (I take it you mean so you can just turn it on/off and not so you can control it's brightness) - that should be fine (might mess the display up on first turn on but shoudl recover on first refresh, though I'm not sure.

If you want to control the brightness of a vfd using a rhebus it's not very simple - see the manual for why (you have to vary the pulse width).

Cheers,

r.

No there is no brightness control for vfd's. They all call it contrast. I don't want to control brightness through a baybus. I only want to turn it on and off because I am not sure of it's lifespan. Pulse width!? Ha, child's play. (uh what is a pulse width?)

Dr_kazza · Post by **Dr_kazza** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 12:41 am

contrast worked a treat..

Bit strange though that it changed while I was away... MO = Mind of its Own

Lonely Raven · Post by **Lonely Raven** » Sat Feb 16, 2002 11:54 pm

Haha! Worked for me too!

Thanx guys! I was just about to be really
upset with this new MO that otherwise is
just friggen ROCKIN!!