LK202-24-USb and Linux -- works!

LK/ELK/VK/PK/OK/MX/GLK/EGLK/GVK/GLT Series

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wayn3
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LK202-24-USb and Linux -- works!

Post by wayn3 »

I managed to get the new LK202-24-USB device working under the latest, stable version of the Linux kernel (2.4.20). To do this, I had to make some small modifications to the ftdi_sio USB serial driver and recompile the kernel.

To see a (admittedly) brief how-to how I did this, please visit http://www.webbastards.com/projects/. In short, the edits are small, and if you don't mind spending a couple hours compiling, it's a great little project to learn how to rebuild the kernel.

Thanks to Henry J for his kind assistance in this project.

Wayne

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Post by Henry »

:D Glad it all worked out!!!
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Basem
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Re: LK202-24-USb and Linux -- works!

Post by Basem »

Hi all
For the MX2xx USB LCDs no need to patch kernel 2.6.x just configure to include:

Devicec drivers
-USB Serial Converter Support
-- USB Serial Converter Support
-- USB Generic Serial Driver
-- USB FTDI Single Port Serial Driver

compile and reboot, use lcdproc and enjoy 8)
Basem

g1000user
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Post by g1000user »

Works with linux, kernel 2.6.* but appears to hog the bus. As soon as I try to print with my usb printer, the whole computer locks up hard. Solution is either leave the display running and not print, or just leave the display off. Any suggestions as to how to run both the display and be able to print?

Paradigm
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Post by Paradigm »

Last I saw, the FTDI driver was still flagged as experimental. That is to say that they are still buggy. If you want to contact the maintainers, here are the email addresses attached to the top of the source code in my 2.6.11 kernel:

* Copyright (C) 1999 - 2001
* Greg Kroah-Hartman (greg@kroah.com)
* Bill Ryder (bryder@sgi.com)
* Copyright (C) 2002
* Kuba Ober (kuba@mareimbrium.org)


As you can see, Kuba is the most recent, I'd start with contacting him. He might be able to help you out. I usually find that Linux maintainers are more than willing to help you out of you can provide them with useful information or at least willing to work with them to figure things out. Provide as much detail as you can, and hopefully they'll work with you from that point.

Sorry I can't help you much more than that. I'm an avid linux user/administrator, but I'm no kernel developer.
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Post by AJB2K3 »

It also helps to point the the wrong device :oops: ive got mine working now i just need to get the button to be read.

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Post by Tom »

What device are you using?

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Post by AJB2K3 »

212 on mandriva LE 2005 kernal 2.6.??
I just cant get the keys to be read, do i need to eneble a keypad driver or something?

Paradigm
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Post by Paradigm »

Keypresses are sent to the same serial port that you have the display on. There is no keypad driver. If it is all setup correctly, then you could even "cat" the serial port to watch what keys are being pressed.
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Post by AJB2K3 »

cat?
is there similer to the xev keyboard tool?
Also how do i set functions to the keys?

Paradigm
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Post by Paradigm »

Sorry for the confusion. "cat" is a command line tool that takes a file and dumps it to the screen.
Also how do i set functions to the keys?
The short answer is that you don't. Not easily anyway. The LCD will do everything over a serial port device in the /dev directory. Linux doesn't give it any special preferences. If you want to setup X events to happen on the key presses, then you're going to need a program that will read that serial port, generate the events and submit them to x-windows. I personally don't know of anything that does that at the moment, although it isn't impossible.

Let me ask you first: What are you using to drive the display right now?
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Post by AJB2K3 »

Paradigm wrote:Sorry for the confusion. "cat" is a command line tool that takes a file and dumps it to the screen.
I realised cat was a command and i worked out that cat /dev/etc/etc scand the driver for output.
Paradigm wrote:
The short answer is that you don't. Not easily anyway. The LCD will do everything over a serial port device in the /dev directory. Linux doesn't give it any special preferences. If you want to setup X events to happen on the key presses, then you're going to need a program that will read that serial port, generate the events and submit them to x-windows. I personally don't know of anything that does that at the moment, although it isn't impossible.

Let me ask you first: What are you using to drive the display right now?
Currently lCDd and LCDproc :-? without the perl extension and without the ability to compile :oops:

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Post by AJB2K3 »

YAY i got perl working now but how on earth do i make simple text screens using it?

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