Keyboard control of GPO

[Roundboy]

Hello..

I am going to buy a matrix orbital LCD.. but I wanted one question cleared up..
Looking at : LK204-25PC

Does the datasheet say that the keypad can't control the gpo directly?? I don't want to control the gpo device ONLY via software, but be able to control via keypad on case..

Is this possible? Or are you saying that the software must be programed to have a display like what is shown here:

http://www.matrixorbital.com/serial-vfd.htm

main picture of vk202-25

[Mat-Moo]

The keypad interface sends commands (Characters) back down the RS232 link for software to pick up, and then that can turn on/off GPO's etc...

[Lonely Raven]

Hmmm...I'm not sure that answers the
question, and I was wondering the same
thing.

Here is my application.

I'd like to be able to hit a key combination,
to quote a Dilbert comic, "Something easy
to remember like Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F4" and
activate GP01 which is tied into my Cold
Cathode Lighting in this nice new window
in the side of my computer.

Is this possible? Anyone support this if it
is?

[Mat-Moo]

We are talking about the keypad interface for MO not the keyboard interface for software... I was thinking of adding that to LCDC though!!

[Henry]

The LCD only sees the keystroke and send it down the serial port. It actualy dosn't do anything with it. So you need software/hardware to see the keystroke and do something with them.

[relix]

or you can use some microcontroller (like the OOPIC at http://www.oopic.com) to check if the LCD sends keystrokes to the PC, and then let the microcontroller activate the GPO's directly. This way, you're not wasting CPU cycles (well, not of the main CPU) and it works indipendent from the other stuff inside your PC.

[Henry]

On 2002-02-20 13:06, relix wrote:
or you can use some microcontroller (like the OOPIC at http://www.oopic.com) to check if the LCD sends keystrokes to the PC, and then let the microcontroller activate the GPO's directly. This way, you're not wasting CPU cycles (well, not of the main CPU) and it works indipendent from the other stuff inside your PC.

Have you used the OOPIC? or know people who have? I'm looking for some source code for examples.

[Henry]

[Thlayli]

I have an oopic stashed away somewhere, I made it into a standalone computer guarder, it had a IR rangefinder and an old polaroid sonar, tracked in on a moving object and if it got within 5 feet shot a nerf dart at it =) ANYWAYS, I'm not sure if I still have the code, I could dump the eeprom if you want, not sure if you were looking for machine code though... Or I could just write something new I suppose heh

[Henry]

I was hoping for some LCD/OOPIC code, just basics, "hello world", GPO on/off and so on...

[Thlayli]

Oh, in that case,the <a href="http://www.oopic.com">oopic</a> page has what amounts to an online book with examples, sadly in some form of basic, but they do give some good examples, including the <a href="http://www.oopic.com/pgchap13.htm">hello world</a> on one page. They have compiler support for C and Java now too =) I think you get a seperate manual or primer for those languages if you get their software, not sure on that its been a while...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Thlayli on 2002-02-21 07:06 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Thlayli on 2002-02-21 07:06 ]</font>

[relix]

It's really easy to program the OOPIC, I've researched it a bit, and it sure isn't that hard to program, it's as simple as Visual Basic, especially with the built in I

[Roundboy]

If i am reading that site correctly.. then the controls provided on the MO LCDs are redundant right?

I would just use the LCD portion.. and send my commands to the chip directly

[Henry]

not ssure what you exactly mean, bu to send a command to the LCD over the RS232 or I2C line you just send it.

0xFE
'X'

clears the screen.