TESTING DISPLAYS-II CARD

Let's test our Displays-II card.

We connect Displays-II card to J1 connector on Master card. Then we connect Master card from its parallel port to the parallel port J1 on the USBExp card (directly or using an extension cable). We feed master with 5 volts DC using for example an old PC power source. Finally we connect USBExp to any available USB port on our PC.

We need to know the pins correspondence between the display we are using and the card. We can see on the picture the correspondence for the Kingbright SC36-11YWA display. To connect more displays, we would link every "a" segments, every "b", etc. up to 16 displays. The common cathode would be connected to one of the pins on the right hand connector.

The red jumper indicates that this Displays-II card is number one (up to 4 can be connected to the same Master card). So, the displays are numbered from 0 to 15 in this case.

Another option is to use the PCBs available at Opencockpits. In this case the one for three displays is going to be used, although we are testing only one display. Connections are shown on the pictures:

We will use now "Controlador" software. Let's check the configuration file "controlador.ini":

[ fichero de configuracion para el programa CONTROLADOR ]
[ Configuration file for CONTROLADOR ]

[ Uso de Expansión USB ]
[ Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB=yes    we are using USB Expansion card

[ Múltiples USBs ]
[ Non unique USB ]
MUSB=No   only one USB Expansion card

[ Número de periférico para el USB ]
[ USB Device number ]
deviceUSB=2048

[ Número de A/D a usar de la placa de Expansión USB ]
[ A/D used by Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB_AD=0

[ Puerto donde se encuentra conectada la IOCard Master ]
[ Iocard Master, parallel port address ]
Port=$0378

[ Modo compatible yes/no , necesita cable especial ]
[ Compatibility Mode yes/no, needed special cable ]
FullCompatible=No

[ Utiliza placa de expansión yes/no]
[ Use Expansion card yes/no]
Expansion=no    we are not using the old parallel expansion card

[ Activar en modo SIMULADOR yes/no]
[ Use simulated card yes/no]
simulator=no

[ Numero de tarjetas Master inter-conectadas ]
[ Number of connected master cards ]
NCards=1

[ Refresco de poll tarjetas Master ]
[ Master cards refresh ]
Master refresh=10

[ End of File ]

 

Once checked, we start the program and click on "Start". As we have nothing connected to the cards, every box must show blank.

We start with the first display (number 0). We connect its common cathode pin to the corresponding pin on the card (red cable):

Then we write '0' in the "IN/DPLAY" box , and the number to be shown in the "Digit (0-9)" box . By clicking "OK" the led will show the number:

Testing another value:

Let's test the last display (number 15). We change the common cathode (red cable):

The new parameters are:

And the test has finished. Displays-II card works properly.

 

 

Last edition: 03.01.2006