Custom LCD

[Carl-NC]

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.

Direct and COG are equally easy to work with, just depends on how many free pins your micro has.

I design custom displays using Visio. The display house can typically work with a PDF file. Problem is the cost... tooling runs several $1000 USD and typically includes a few samples. After that, it's $5-20 per display, but they want to sell in quantity. I don't know of anyone set up to do these as protos, like PCB houses.

[Altra]

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?

Sure what would you like to know?

I looked into the ink displays and they take some heavy programming and lots of ram to build screen frames.

Here are some cog displays using the same ST7565 controller with through hole pcbs

Parallel/serial
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-New-12...gAAOSwbw1aHWC7

Serial
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-3V-5V-128....c100005.m1851

C code and arduino libraries with tutorial

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/lcd/st7565.html

[ivconic]

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

[Skippy]

This was the custom LCD glass article mentioned earlier, which has links to some Youtube videos:
https://hackaday.com/2018/07/24/cust...heap-and-easy/
There's no high tooling cost mentioned there.

[ivconic]

4 million pins !!! and expensive!
...
I use only 3 pins with my 128x64 graphical lcd, with own controller. and it is cheap.
...

Crystal On Glass... sucks!
...

[Carl-NC]

This was the custom LCD glass article mentioned earlier, which has links to some Youtube videos:
https://hackaday.com/2018/07/24/cust...heap-and-easy/
There's no high tooling cost mentioned there.

That's interesting... I don't see where the source is ever mentioned. But they did say the company expects volume orders to follow, so they might be spreading the tooling costs into the per-piece price. If so, enough people getting $100 protos with no future orders will put a quick end to this.

[waltr]

Sure what would you like to know?

I looked into the ink displays and they take some heavy programming and lots of ram to build screen frames.

Here are some cog displays using the same ST7565 controller with through hole pcbs

C code and arduino libraries with tutorial

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/lcd/st7565.html

Ahh... didn't realize you basically ported Ada's code to the PIC18. That works. Thanks for the link.

Reason I was asking is I want a display and controls for a PI detector project I'm working on. The main processor is a PIC32, 28pin DIP so just enough pins. So am doing a PIC16F, 28 pin to do a 2x16 4bit display (have a few laying around) and several inputs for switches, etc. This 'display' PIC runs as an SPI Slave.
Plan to possibly changing to a graphic display and you have it all worked out.

[Skippy]

The actual EEV-Blog on the LCD design:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projec...ly-custom-lcd/

[Carl-NC]

Still see no mention of the supplier.

[ivconic]

https://hackaday.com/2018/07/24/cust...heap-and-easy/

Same link, reading comments bellow, many people asks for possibility to replace dead screens at their beloved devices.
Usually some vintage bijou, kept for memory on a good times.
Exactly justifying that custom LCD's are problem.
You simply want some device to last "forever". And than 10 years after you realize that there is no way to find LCD for it anymore.
Especially for old equipment, no documentation available. Nobody seen any sense to keep, scan and post on the internet.
How to re-engineer and revive such cases?
Even if there is a company to do custom LCD's; they will not accept to make one or two, just for your device.
I found this statement amusing:
"?We?re amazed at how low the barrier to entry into custom electronics has become, and even if you don?t need a custom LCD, at these prices it?s tempting to order one just because you can.?
I have cases here with dead screens, among people i know.
Few Garrett GTI2500 with broken LCD. One T2, MANY White's Spectrum's (not custom, but rare, impossible to find by sane price).
...
Hopefully situation will change in favor of non-custom but standard LCDs, when it comes to "professional" equipment. Expecting to last more than a warranty.
Because there is enormous offer of large number of the "standard" screens on Aliexpress by more than affordable prices, going even lower if you order larger quantity.
That's how easily i collected tens of various LCDs in last few years.
...
But... philosophy at some manufacturer has changed. Now products are made not to last long. Only to cover the warranty period.
Cell phones industry counts on software side while some other industries still counts on non replaceable parts.
It's their to pick any strategy they want.
As for the amateurs and diyers; standard screens is better choice, by my opinion.
How funny and stupid would be; somebody here to post a md project with some custom LCD?!
Which nobody can obtain.

[sinclairuser]

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

yeah its the sharp one isnt it, looking down that list it seems the original adafruit sharp display is discontinued, but the newer hybrid lcd/e ink is available.
i have noticed that a lot of pi hats, displays and controller boards seem to have a very short shelf life, as these things come out you need to grab them, because when they are gone there is almost never a second batch.
thats ok for one off projects but for reliable repeatable builds it is useless, i only mentioned the sharp/nokia type as it has been around for ever and is totally understood,
if now however the only source is old nokia phones then these too are useless, iv'e seen them on deal extreme before(the original type) but even those were obviously pulled from old units.
i guess they finally killed the nokia screen.
the "replacement" is nothing of the sort, it can only be used on high ram devices, so pics, arduinos etc are no longer compatible what a waste of time.

[ivconic]

3-wire(d) 0.96" OLED in Apple Macintosh micro case:




3-wire(d) GLCD 128x64, precise square signal generator with some unfinished graphical elements:

[ivconic]

Only 3 wires at both examples.
How many wires were at some custom COGs we seen so far?
Anything what COG can do; GLCD can do better, not to mention what OLED can do!
Death to COGs!!!!


This is so typical to COGs (missing dead elements and ghosts):