Modding Noritake GU126x32F-K612A4 graphic VFD

Re: Display problems

Hello PillPu$her,
You've a reply to the email you sent me directly, so I hope that assists you with the problem diagnosis.
If it’s an LCDC problem the guys here will chip in with a few suggestions I'm sure.

"power on the display" means connect the display and apply power, I think. I'm not sure in what context the phrase was used, but that’s the general meaning. (Or my interpretation )

Please check the self-test / reset that's detailed on page 1 or 2 of this forum, then follow my advice in the personal email.

I hope that you're up and running soon, and please post here for more help if you need it.

Best Regards,

Phil Dakin
Itron (UK) Ltd

 

If you could test the display on another computer, it should be able to confirm if this is the display's hardware at fault or not

Rob.

p.s. and are you sure you did nothing wrong while unsoldering the wires from pins 4 and 8? Did you hot plug or unplug the display? Sounds to me like the display was working fine, had the flow control problem, and when you tried to fix it you blew the fuse (or similar)... I'm just guessing though

 

I don't know what happened exactly, but the fuse is definitely blown since I can't see any red lines on the display and the paperclip reset does nothing. It's already in the mail back to Itron. Kudos to Funks for responding so quickly. I'd heard their support was outstanding and now I know why. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks.

 

hey everybody!

Im after one of these beauties but i really want it wireless (well, apart from power), back on P22 Phil mentions a better way to make it wireless, any more info on this?

It would be greatly appreciated!

phaSe

 

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Dont tell me I've killed this thread!

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It's not something I think anyone has done...

Might be something for the electronics forum.

If I had £60 to try this I might give it a go... but I would also need some time too!

 

YAY a reply!

I know no-one has done it, its just that Phil from Noritake said he had another way of doing it and i was trying to find out what it was..... oh well ill keep searching (possibly for another way to do it, possibly fo £60!)

RoB

 

Wireless Display

Hello Pahase,

I’ve looked back at my previous post and still think it s possible. Perhaps as Enak suggest this would be better in the electronics forum, and if anyone wants to give the idea a go, it would make an interesting article.

So how to replace the cable with an RF link, and make the display wireless.
The Transmitter / Receiver pair I mentioned are fairly simple to use, and the transmitter really only needs interfacing to the PCs COM port. A simple MAX232 type buffer chip is required to take the COM port RS232 signal levels (+/- 10V) and shift them to 5V logic (0 – 5V) for the transmitter module. :Cheese:: found a simpler way of doing this using a CMOS 4000 logic chip and a few Rs, Cs and a diode or 2, but I can’t find his post or article.)

For the display I suggest that instead of the GU126X32F-K612A4 the Noritake-Itron GU126X32F-K610A4 is used. (go to to take the data sheet http://www.noritake-itron.com/SubPages/vfmodgu.htm ) This module is identical to the K612A4 except the data input is asynchronous serial at 5V logic levels.
Using this variant of the usual display means that the receiver module output can be connected directly to the displays data in. (Note here that I’ve not worked out the phase of the data signal. It may be necessary to have an inverting buffer between the receiver output and the displays input.)
For the power to run this remote display, I think that NiCad batteries would be OK and I’d suggest a capacity of over 4AHr, or a small mains to 5V would be quite satisfactory.

This idea seems to work in theory, and the only drawback I can see is that the data flow is unidirectional, so the use if the switch inputs on the display is impossible. Using the GPO as outputs will still work though. Data rates should be OK, but may have to be reduced to 9600 max.

It really needs someone now to take up the cudgels and see what can be done and how practical it is!

If anyone wants to purchase the GU126X32F-K610A4, email the Itron sales office at sales@noritake-itron.com and they’ll give you a price. (It will be a fraction less than the kit price we offer).

Best of luck,

Regards,
Phil Dakin
Itron (UK) Ltd

 

Funks's last post – Long live Itron VFDs!

Hello everyone,

I have to announce to you all that as of this Friday 9th May, I will no longer be working for Itron (UK) Ltd.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Bit-Tech, and especially ::Cheese:: (Rob) for all the support that he has given to the Noritake-Itron displays and taking the time and effort to review 2 of our displays.

I hope that this posting does not close this thread or stop you from wanting to continue using Noritake-Itron displays. This forum has been a great experience for me, and I know that a lot of readers have contacted me and asked about our displays, sought advice, and told me of their experiences.

From now on, anyone needing availability or pricing information, please contact Itron (UK) directly at sales@noritake-Itron.com
If you have any technical problems of any sort, please use the same mail address, but make the subject TECHNICAL SUPPORT and either Andy or Jonathan will assist you all they can. (My email address may still be live untill the end of May, but it will not be me who replies)

Thank you too, to all those that have posted kind comments about Noritake products and support. I’m pleased that we have been able to have so many happy users that are enjoying using VFD displays.

THANKS TO ALL A BIT-TECH FOR A GREAT SITE AND FORUMS, LONG MAY YOU CONTINUE

Phil Dakin
Itron (UK) Ltd

 

Good Luck for the future Phil!

The only problem with making the link wireless would be DC bias on the radio signal.

The receiver module works out what is a 1 and what is a 0 by working out hte average of the signal. If you send a lot of 1111s then the receiever will be DC biased and you will get a lot of errors.

Ideally, you will need something like an encoding buffer at either end using something like manchester encoding 1=10 and 0 = 01.

Something like this might already be available or be possible with a PIC chip or similar.

 

Good luck Phil, thanks for your help/support,

Rob.

 

Good Luck Phil!

Thanks for the reply, I've just got to wait for all my exams to be over and then I'll look into it a bit further! Obviously ill post everything i do....

Thanks,

RoB

 

Good luck Phil you helped me loads with this when I first got mine all those months ago!! Best buy I made all last year!!

Also anyone know if noritake do a bezel for this yet just wondered as my DIY job is ok but I want an alu one. Or if someone has a template for it that would be good to!!

Thanks

 

Anyone know if these kits are still available? I emailed them a week ago and still no response. Thanks

 

Yeah I'm sure they do... they're just slow at replying to emails

Rob.

 

VFD in a biscuit Tin...



After searching around the house for something to stuff an ITX board into I came across this Biscuit tin. Now not very original you may think. But hey it's ALUMINIUM!... The equivalent sized case would cost me ££'s at least.

Th tin itself is very flashy as it's not your normal run of the mill but rather one of those special edition tin's that we brits normally get around christmas. I liked the label on top so much that I left it on. It really brings home the fact that this is no ordinary PC to whoever observes it.

As for the SPEC it's as follows:

Via Epia 800 Board
Toshiba 40Gb 2.5" HDD
256 ECC SDRAM
Noritake 2 Line Blue VFD
Morex AC-DC PSU (Purchased from Mini-ITX)
Running XP Pro & Redhat Linux Pro 8.0
Hi-Brightness Blue LED's
Chrome Faced Power & Reset Switch.

Unfortunately I lost all 2MB of the modding pics when I sold my laptop. (Silly me forgot to save em & typed FORMAT C:/S!!)

But here's roughly what I did:

Mounted the Mainboard using bras risers doubly secured by a nut at the bottom.
Used dremel to make opening at the back for the Mainboard connectors and at the front for the VFD.
Secured the AC-DC convertor next to the Mainboard.
Drilled a hole at the back for the Power Plug.
Screwed HDD to the top using 5.25" to 3.5" Adaptor.
Attached Perspex to the top and front which gives it a nice finish, although I must admit I't would look better if less screws were used!

Using LCDC to power up the VFD and it's great! Using it for BBC news ticker, weather, Network/System statistics & inbox watcher.

More Pics...

 

Looks good. I want one (VFD) so bad, but it's just so expensive. I hate spending money especially when it's mine.

 

BTW... is this still the VFD to have? If i'm going to buy one i want to make sure that a similar product is not out and better or cheaper. Thanks

 

I haven't found anything better...

Rob.

 

hi i'm interested in having animations, i spoke to cheese on some over forums and he said about a parrell version so i sent an email to itron asking which to get and they said this one: GU128x32-800A and said to use this software: http://liquidmp3.schijf.org/

but that is only for winamp and i'd like to use it for other things. After reading the first 20 pages of this and then realising there was 59 I thought i'd be easier to ask so it might already have been answered but the program you are all using with the screens that were in the reviews is LCDC and this other one keeps coming up called LCDG. What added benifits will this program bring for extra things that can be done? Also is this coming out anytime soon/out now? Also are there any more programs for the GU128x32-800A screen?

cheers!