BH QDII - Can I extract data going to the LCD?

[jerryk]

Hello all,
I'm new here, thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm a programmer with lots of interest in hardware, but only took a few digital logic classes in college.

Since my Quick Draw's LCD has such a simple interface, I thought I might be able to pull the depth integer (1-6) off the LCD pins, and material (1-9). My plan is to solder a 6" pigtail to each of the LCD's contacts (they're long) and buy a rs-232 or USB controller. Then send that data out to my PC to put in a database. (along with a GPS waypoint - I've already established communication with my GPS)

The problem is the LCD has no label, so I can't get a datasheet on it. I'm assuming Bounty Hunter wouldn't be in a hurry to send me one.

I googled every chip on the board, and there's no external controller. So I'm thinking it's serially controlled, and that the big Zilog chip that drives the whole detector is connecting to the LCD serially.

The bad news is, this isn't as simple as pulling a 5-volt spike off one of the pins, and sending it to an external USB/RS-232.

So my questions are:
-If this is serial, is there a standardized comm spec for serial LCD's?
-If it's serial, and I had help mapping the pinout, could I simply wire my pigtails to an RS-232 plug and code a listener on my PC to parse the data?
-Might the LCD only be taking an integer for those arrows (and not drawing pixel-by-pixel)? I'm thinking this because the startup only draws arrows, and doesn't turn the whole screen black.

Many thanks for any opinions you might have. Below are a couple images, hopefully some of you have dealt with LCDs and might have advice....

[Carl-NC]

Detector LCD's are almost always custom designs. I expect the LCD itself has some kind of parallel interface, possibly multiplexed.

- Carl

[jerryk]

Thanks Carl,
I might run led's to each contact and see if I can make sense of it.... or borrow 18 multimeters.

[kt315]

imo if you may have good potencial as chip nuts guy you are only wasting a time on ended subject. what you are about to crack up GT and XLT chip (or for best DFX)? XLT board is on my table now. it has universal LCD at least, not is the one very specific you try re-program.

yours

[Krzysztof]

Hello Jerryk.
You are a good programmer to write His It self program it will be faster.
This is the LCD monitor Specifically coded as They Are of the few. You can not reverse all this is a RS232.
This is the line DATA (D0-D3 / D0-D7) in LCD monitor lines are still needed, and ENABLE and RESET.
For the very curious, you can do your set-top box with a few, but the result Will be very inaccurate, Because You have one number.
To not worth recording.
Faster design a thing from scratch.
Best regards Chris.

[kt315]

Hello Jerryk.

this is XLT board. I think if we re-place chip on modern Atmel we must get new advanced project.

[Melbeta]

Motorola MC68HC705C8A tough chip.....

Okay, on the Whites XLt board, it has a Motorola microprocessor, which is a MC68HC705C8A series 705 chip. In it, one can build his own chip reader unit, and read that part of the program inside that is not secured, it is so many lines. If the entire part is secured, that is all you will read. If it is not secured, you can read the entire chip inside. There was a guy in Michigan, who built his own software, before the FBI raided him, and he used to read those particular chips. I belive I have a data sheet on this chip.

Now on the other detector, with the Zilog chip, again same way. Some of those are not secured, some are secured. Those are microprocessor chips, and they use them also in cable TV boxes.

[Melbeta]

You can build a logger unit.....

Hello all,
I'm new here, thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm a programmer with lots of interest in hardware, but only took a few digital logic classes in college.

Since my Quick Draw's LCD has such a simple interface, I thought I might be able to pull the depth integer (1-6) off the LCD pins, and material (1-9). My plan is to solder a 6" pigtail to each of the LCD's contacts (they're long) and buy a rs-232 or USB controller. Then send that data out to my PC to put in a database. (along with a GPS waypoint - I've already established communication with my GPS)

The problem is the LCD has no label, so I can't get a datasheet on it. I'm assuming Bounty Hunter wouldn't be in a hurry to send me one.

I googled every chip on the board, and there's no external controller. So I'm thinking it's serially controlled, and that the big Zilog chip that drives the whole detector is connecting to the LCD serially.

The bad news is, this isn't as simple as pulling a 5-volt spike off one of the pins, and sending it to an external USB/RS-232.

So my questions are:
-If this is serial, is there a standardized comm spec for serial LCD's?
-If it's serial, and I had help mapping the pinout, could I simply wire my pigtails to an RS-232 plug and code a listener on my PC to parse the data?
-Might the LCD only be taking an integer for those arrows (and not drawing pixel-by-pixel)? I'm thinking this because the startup only draws arrows, and doesn't turn the whole screen black.

Many thanks for any opinions you might have. Below are a couple images, hopefully some of you have dealt with LCDs and might have advice....

Well, since you are involved in electronics, you can build a logger circuit and you can read the output pin, coming out of the microprocessor unit, it will not tell you the software inside the chip, which is usually secured, but it can tell you the data it send out. I have a logger circuit for Windows that will log the data of cable boxes, and it may possibly work on that unit, one never knows for sure, it is set up for selectable baud rates and baud settings. It is how they cracked the analog Cable TV cable boxes, read the FM commands coming through the cable TV boxes, then figured out what each line of command meant. Each line of command had a beginning byte, which indicated how many bytes were in that line of command, the first number after that number of bytes in the command was, the number of that command. The last byte in the command, was a line checksum byte. By checking the total line of bytes, you can figure out the beginning of the line of command, and of course, the line checksum byte is the last bytes in the command line. I am speaking of cable TV boxes of course, not metal detector MCU units....

[Krzysztof]

Hi Jerryk.

-If this is serial, is there a standardized comm spec for serial LCD's?
-If it's serial, and I had help mapping the pinout, could I simply wire my pigtails to an RS-232 plug and code a listener on my PC to parse the data?
-Might the LCD only be taking an integer for those arrows (and not drawing pixel-by-pixel)? I'm thinking this because the startup only draws arrows, and doesn't turn the whole screen black.

I looked at it accurately.
LCD is specific, it has only 17 marks (arrows and points, the left section is probably not used) and 18 wires + GND.
This Means That there are no internal LCD driver - decoder, after everything comes already decoded lines. Inflammation of the correct character will become a signal on the line.
Similar to the characters in the LCD backlight Low battery for example, the choice of AC / DC / OHM; today are already combined with the 5x7 matrix, in the past was not so good, there was only one choice of technology.
Proposal for Jerryk, just two encoders and one of 10 already.
The question is whether it is worth.
Best regards Chris.

[jerryk]

Hi Jerryk.
I looked at it accurately.
LCD is specific, it has only 17 marks (arrows and points, the left section is probably not used) and 18 wires + GND.
This Means That there are no internal LCD driver - decoder, after everything comes already decoded lines. Inflammation of the correct character will become a signal on the line.
Similar to the characters in the LCD backlight Low battery for example, the choice of AC / DC / OHM; today are already combined with the 5x7 matrix, in the past was not so good, there was only one choice of technology.
Proposal for Jerryk, just two encoders and one of 10 already.
The question is whether it is worth.
Best regards Chris.

Thanks, Chris.
I'm making a parallel wire interface to read those pins data with logic analyzer program. I hope to read the high-low values from each pin and determine the 4 or 8-bit word associated with the particular arrow.

"The question is wether it is worth"... good question. If this unit + 12" BH coil is no good for meteorite detection, then I agree. But If this unit + 12" bh coil is ok, I'd buy 2 more, and make a 36" blanket out of the 3 coils, with each unit's data going to my PC.

[Krzysztof]

test

Hi Jerryk.
Make provisional test: laws signal so, to former keen only one arrow, but all the time.
You have time now and access to every line. See oscillograph every line. On proper expect level H or impulses about frequency several kHz; it depends from technology LCD extorting shining sign.
I in casino would place on this second possibility; this stupid would be today but you have 19 lines (18 signs + GND).
This was applied such tricks long ago.
With bases working LCD - sign shines in pulsating electric field, it in solid electric field vanishes after fraction of second.
Best regards Chris.

[kt315]

especial price for you jerrik
http://www.futurlec.com/LED/BLUE128X64LCD.shtml

[kt315]

http://www.md4u.ru/forum/viewtopic.p...446725e8e49acc
colour godo [VDI] for CZ-5
is it a good example for your future advanced project vision?

[jerryk]

Actually, what I'd like to do is drag a 'blanket' containing coil(s) behind a small vehicle. I'd like to have all the hits just drop into my pc with a gps coordinate. Then I could review large areas graphically and dig at my leisure.

To scan a large area I'm thinking of my kids' 12v motorized jeep (toy). Nice and slow, but strong enough to carry a laptop, gps and drag a blanket.

I'd scan a circular area. In the center I'll mount a pole whose circumfrence = 80% of my blanket's width. The jeep should spiral toward the center collecting gps waypoints. (think high-tech tetherball)

Yes, I'm crazy. But I should get a good education doing this.

[Krzysztof]

Yes, I'm crazy. But I should get a good education doing this.

Hi Jerryk!
You have good ideas - Congratulations.
One of the critical point.
If you have GPS on your jeep is not Expect a good positioning accuracy. I have a bad experience, good modern GPS, 10x10metr the field lines at 1m, and the map came out that i was drunk.
If the GPS Should have the type of GIS for Surveyors to accept, but this solution is Several thousand $ extra.
I think it better to use the technique of positioning as in the HD disc after formatting. At least one line Between the field axis and a point and 100% Outside Certainty in a region can be Several lines.
The intersection line positioning of the photocell can Hypothetical or Manually to the test.
Good fun in front of you.
Best regards Chris.