Custom LCD

[dbanner]

Can anyone recommend software for designing a custom LCD.
That produces a file which can then be sent off to manufacturer.
Anyone have any experience with this kinda stuff.
It's about time we leave the 16x2 in the dust.
I have a hunch that someone in China can make them for relatively cheap price in batches of 10 or 20.

[Skippy]

Just to clarify:
are you meaning a plain glass LCD that needs directly driving,, or an intelligent chip-on glass type, with the typical serial interface ?

[dbanner]

Just to clarify:
are you meaning a plain glass LCD that needs directly driving,, or an intelligent chip-on glass type, with the typical serial interface ?

I'm no expert, but the latter sounds like it would be easier to implement. I was thinking of LCD with custom segments for displaying battery strength, modes, vdi etc,etc.
I'm asking here first before I go fishing online for more information. I haven't a clue.
I seem to remember Dave, the Aussie from Eevblog, going through a step by step process on a custom LCD. I'll have to go watch that video.

[Skippy]

Ah ... I assumed you had done some research on this.
So I suggest you stay with the simplest solution, the plain glass LCD. And design your own driver circuit, for example a PIC micro and two or three 8-bit shift register chips 74HCxxx to control the pins of the LCD. Then the PIC ( or AT tiny etc ) can have whatever interface you like, eg serial, 4-bit parallel.

I have done a reverse-engineer of the Fisher F2 LCD, and the associated circuitry, which I can find and post up, if it can give you useful ideas ?

[waltr]

custom glass with custom symbols is old. I have an alarm clock like that.

The newer way is a simple Graphic display. Then All custom symbols, etc are done in software.

There are Bare glass displays available that then require a controller. Easier are the displays with built on graphics controller. These can have parallel (like the old 2x16 character LCDs) or with various serial interfaces.

These are simple to connect and just write software to send the desired symbols, etc.

[ivconic]

Custom LCD's ...
As "user" i hate custom solutions.
Meaning further that the device will have limited life and once LCD stops functioning (for any possible reason); device becomes trash.
You can service complete circuitry; but you can not service custom LCD.
F75 is excellent machine. What happens when LCD stops functioning (for any possible reason)?
Not a big deal if you live close to their customer support (if any lately).
But if you live in another country, far away, out of USA, EU (and other funny but pointless abbreviations) ; you may freely kiss your F75 goodbye.
It becomes trash.
But if they put some standard graphical LCD instead; F75 would get new life in no time, for small money.
F75 is only for example here. 99% of other brands and models are the same.
That's how you put the limit on product durability... along with other dozen dirty tricks.
I have my own saying from recently: "if there is custom lcd on it - don't buy it, just forget about it!".
If you want graphical symbols, colors, jingle&bells; any standard OLED and TFT will do just fine.
...
I prefer LCDs of any kind ... but with known and supported controller on it. Preferably with SPI. I2C is next best choice but somewhat slower.
I have dozen various of those, several different but standard controllers. No problems, no sweat... everything becomes nice and easy game.
You don't waste your time on LCD anymore, you focus only on device's functionalities. The essence.

[Skippy]

I don't know if they're large enough for MD use, but the dot-matrix LCD's from Nokia 3310 / 5110 cellphones are widely used in hobbyist projects, particularly by Arduino etc enthusiasts. They have a serial interface to a chip-on-glass controller built-in, 84 x 48 pixels. (More for the Nokia 3410, it's 96 x 65 pixels)
Example:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Sal...it-with-Ardui/
https://www.adafruit.com/product/338
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/84-48-Nok...K/264284402432
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nokia-331...t/153570520869

[ivconic]

I don't know if they're large enough for MD use, but the dot-matrix LCD's from Nokia 3310 / 3330 cellphones are widely used in hobbyist projects, particularly by Arduino etc enthusiasts. They have a serial interface to a chip-on-glass controller built-in, 84 x 48 pixels. More for the 3330?
Example:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Sal...it-with-Ardui/
https://www.adafruit.com/product/338
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/84-48-Nok...K/264284402432
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nokia-331...t/153570520869

I have few. I only don't like the backlight at those.
Also have some models with these controllers:

SSD1306 - no experience yet
SH1106 - no experience yet
SH1107 - no experience yet
SSD1306 - cool!
IL9341 - TFT, was tricky to bitbang it and rearrange the library, but once its done; it is cute cat! (forum censoring)
SPFD5408
ST7735 - TFT, good support, smooth operator!
SSD1309 - cool!
SSD1316 - cool!
SSD1317 - cool!
SSD1318 - cool!
KS0108 - obsolete, tricky, lot of bitbangs , ... once its done; it is cute cat! (forum censoring)
PCD8544 - Nokia...btw
ST7920 - with SPI, my favorite! Obsolete, graphical 128x64 (other resolutions too), cool BL, cool contrast, lot of completely compatible and cheap clones "Made in China"... most of those smooth operators!

[sinclairuser]

adafruit do a display that is based on the nokia but the screen is the paper white type, i really like those they are lower power too compared to standard nokia 5110 screens.
when they came out they did a video where they fitted the paperwhite screen into a 5110 as a project just to show they were compatible with all the projects, mods and software for the 5110 screens.

[Altra]

I've been using these cog displays made by Newhaven display. This model can be used in bright sun light. I use in the parallel mode for speed, but these also can be serial spi. Draw back is the connector and 9 capacitors. I got some generic pcbs made for a pic18f45k80 that drives the display, monitors an optical encoder, push buttons and sends variables to the main pcb using the uart.

attached photos of pcb and one in actual use


https://www.newhavendisplay.com/nhdc...bw-p-4363.html

Cheaper at

https://www.buydisplay.com/default/2...black-on-white

https://www.buydisplay.com/default/g...ay/128x64-dots

[Skippy]

Some good basics on custom glass LCD's here:
https://www.pacificdisplay.com/custom_lcd.htm

[waltr]

I've been using these cog displays made by Newhaven display. This model can be used in bright sun light. I use in the parallel mode for speed, but these also can be serial spi. Draw back is the connector and 9 capacitors. I got some generic pcbs made for a pic18f45k80 that drives the display, monitors an optical encoder, push buttons and sends variables to the main pcb using the uart.

I'm looking at these displays.
Big part of the project is a full controller like you designed, built and coded to handle display and controls that "talks" to another processor.
Up for sharing?

[ivconic]

adafruit do a display that is based on the nokia but the screen is the paper white type, i really like those they are lower power too compared to standard nokia 5110 screens.
when they came out they did a video where they fitted the paperwhite screen into a 5110 as a project just to show they were compatible with all the projects, mods and software for the 5110 screens.

That's new to me, any link?
...
BTW E-ink displays probably best choice when ultra low power consumption is the deciding factor.
But so far i haven't found cheap and "user friendly" one.

[Skippy]

One good thing about the Nokia '3310' style displays is they are sufficiently cheap that you could use two of them in a project, eg. one for settings menu etc, one for VDI / hodograph / depth gauge. It would only use one more micro pin to select displayA / displayB.

Don't forget there are some reasonably-priced OLED displays available now,eg.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-3-OLED-...J/293175963593

[waltr]

That's new to me, any link?
...
BTW E-ink displays probably best choice when ultra low power consumption is the deciding factor.
But so far i haven't found cheap and "user friendly" one.

One of these??
https://www.adafruit.com/category/150