No, both are powered up simultaneously from the same power supply, but the PIC is up and has run through the initialization sequence (configuring all of the inputs, the baud rate, etc) significantly faster than the display appears ready to accept commands. Maybe I can set the display to automaticall...

I'm controlling a VK204-25 over RS232 with a PIC 16F688 (hooray for a built-in UART) running at 8MHz - and a Max232cpe. The PIC starts up way before the display, so I have to pause for some period of time before I can start sending display data over - but I don't know exactly what that time is. The ...

Well, heck. I've got a couple of max232s sitting on my desk too, but I've never used those, or really even looked at the datasheet. Is it as simple as just hooking it up inline, or do I have to hook a bunch of other stuff (which my local Radio Shack probably doesn't have) up too? Pointers to an exam...

Doh! My VFD is an older revision of the board, and those solder pads aren't present. Do I have any options? I don't see a solder jum under the DB9, either - does that mean I'll have to feed 5V on the power thing like before? Is there an "upgrade" path for this board? :) BTW, what's the 3-p...

Ok, I'm sure I can handle the momentary 550mA (could probably sustain 550, but I'd rather not push things), and honestly I'm fine with having a design anticipating about 300mA only having to deal with 70. That's better than the other way around! :) Thanks much. Hopefully I'll have a PIC 16F688 talki...

I'm pretty confident that the LM2937ET-5.0 I'm using will produce a stable 5V. It's supposed to be good for "in excess of" 500mA with just the on-die heatsink, thermally limited by the internal thermal shutdown, and I've got a pretty substantial heatsink on it, so it should be capable of h...

Ok, so I cut the traces, and then bridge the two gaps in those two solder pads where it says "solder", and then I'll have TTL levels on the DB-9 where I would have originally had RS232 (ie, the receive and transmit are on the same pins as the RS232 Rx/Tx)? Is it possible to power the displ...

I bought a Matrix Orbital VFD back in about '98 to install in my car. Since I'm selling the car, though, I'm taking the in-car mp3 player out and reusing the display and computer for differnet things. I'm planning to drive the display with a PIC midrange MCU. Now, I have some Max232s laying around, ...