LCD over Serial Panel  (LoS-panel)

NEWS

2006.05.18 : First attempt to set up this page

WHAT IT IS

The LoS-panel is an HD44780 LCD-module connected to a serial port of your PC or server by the use of a micro controller. It is primarily meant for interfacing to LCDd, the driver of the LCDproc (homepage can be found here). It also has the possibility to connect a keyboard (four arrow keys and/or a 4x4 matrix keyboard) for input to the PC.

The idea was from ....  But since I'm more into Atmel AVR than PIC micro's I decided to develop my own. 

• Interfaces to almost any type of LCD that uses an HD44780. Actual initialisation is done by your PC software
• Kept as cheap as possible
• Current version contains a simple In System Programmer for upgrading the firmware. Future versions should use a bootloader for this
• Possibility to connect a 4x4 matrix keyboard or just four keys for menu control. Or even both of them at the same time
• Both soft- and hardware are fully open source (see licence)

• Send a sample to Matteo to extend the driver
• Realize backlight switching
• Migrate to the ATmega8 instead of the ATtiny2313. It has more features, is more popular and doesn't cost much more (even less at some distributors!)
• Interrupt driven handling of incoming bytes
• Clean up the code
• Clean up the code ...
• Choose and figure out a decent bootloader
• Custom startup/wait message
• Design a proper PCB
• Make a USB version. (Simply replacing the MAX232 by an FT232RL)
• Add an Infra Red receiver to make it interface to LIRC as well
• Key test and config editor at power-up
• Extend the documentation and website

• Bas Lummen (first version of the firmware)
• Matteo Pillon (Rewriting and extending the serial driver of LCD-proc)
• Erik Brouwer (Hardware, website and project)
• You? (Improvements, ideas or just reports are welcome)