Hi lakee1,
Thanks for posting.
The MX series displays use the Dallas one wire protocol. The probes we provide are the DS18S20 model. You can use other one wire devices, but it won't come with any wires or connectors. You will need to modify them accordingly. It is best to get the probes from us at
http://www.matrixorbital.com/index.php?cPath=19_25 .
An unmodified floppy cable from your power supply has both 5V and 12V. The display will utilize the 12 V section of the cable to power up the advanced GPOs.
You will be able to turn off the backlight just to display the characters.
If you are planning on controlling 10 fans, the MX431 can be used. You will need to use splitters for the fans. Make sure you do not go over the power requirements for each GPO, which is 12V 1000ma per high power GPO. The splitters are also available at our website in the link above.
If you have anymore questions or concerns, please feel free to post.
Best Regards,
