LCDProc 0.5.4-dev

easyhugo

@mdima:

@easyhugo:

Hi Guys

Is it possible to ad this Lcd to

http://allnet.de/1577.html?&tx_mmallnetproductplugin_pi1[showUid]=421433&cHash=949c8a38a8
ftp://212.18.29.48/ftp/pub/allnet/utility-server/fw8888/lcm_server_1.0.tar.bz2

i,m trying this for some time but with no success, see other posts from me

thx max

Hi Max (easyhugo),
it's impossible to know for me which driver this LCD panel uses… do you know the chipset? Can it use one of the drivers already made or you need another driver?

Ciao,
Michele

Hi
sorry but no driver work with this display, it does not work without these lcm server.

@stephenw10:

My German is very bad! :-[ (Only beaten by my non-existant Italian! ::))

However, according to [url=http://www.ipcop-forum.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=26948#p231301]this post by IPCop ledgend Wintermute the display in the FW8888 is an LCM-162.

This doesn't appear to be supported directly by LCDproc but this blog post seems to show it is possible. That's quite old now so support maybe better integrated.

What drivers/versions have you tried?

Steve

Edit: This post confirms this.

and yes wintermute is an excellent ipcop programmer, but ipcop is not an freebsd os so i cant copy the files .
i have tried to copy the lcm to the pfsense and change the config files but with no success.
my test with these lcm if i tried the dev version was not born :D so at now i will connect the guys from allnet how this lcm will work
the answer i would then post

thx

edit:
from the lcm pckage:

Make commands:
Static binary:
gcc –static -o lcm_server lcm_server.c

Dynamic linked binary:
gcc -o lcm_server lcm_server.c

Execution command:
lcm_server /dev/ttyS1 "Banner"

Command FIFO:
/var/run/lcm_cmd

Available commands:
Clear -- Clear the LCM display
Home -- Set the cursor back to row 0, column 0
Display {on/off/nocur} -- Turn display on, off and on without cursor
BKLight {on/off} -- Turn LCM backlight on and off
Setpos {0~1} {0~15} -- Set the cursor position to row and column
Write {text} -- Write the text to LCM start from
current cursor position
Examples:
echo "Display oncur" > /var/run/lcm_cmd
echo "Setpos 0 0" > /var/run/lcm_cmd
echo "Write test message" > /var/run/lcm_cmd

Key FIFO:
/var/run/lcm_key

Available keys: UP, DOWN, RET, ESC

Example:
cat /var/run/lcm_key

Note: There is no key de-bounce mechanism on LCM.
Multiple key response may happen while receiving keys.

hi

the guys from allnet are not the fastest, no response to my mail from 18.2.2012
so google is now my friend angain to my problem with these lcm server on fw8888

in found an interesting site http://www.tecnowledge.net/2009/06/getting-lcdproc-to-work-with-an-lcm-162-freebsd/
how the managed these lcm server in freebsd
this description are from 2009 with an lcdproc version 0.5.2 but now im not sure if these changes are now included

thx max

max

stephenw10

In a parallel discussion we have established that the lcm-162 is in fact almost identical to the firebox lcd (or at least the nexcom display is).
Try using the firebox sdeclcd driver and see if you get anything at all.

Steve

fmertz

Execution command:
lcm_server /dev/ttyS1 "Banner"

This tells me the interface is serial, not parallel. Good old RS-232. My SDEC LCD driver will not work.

Looking through the code here:```
ftp://212.18.29.48/ftp/pub/allnet/utility-server/fw8888/lcm_server_1.0.tar.bz2


It seems like the commands for the LCD are the "usual" set (same as SDEC LCD, and possibly HD44780). Being serial interface, you can give a shot to the HD44780, part of lcdproc. You will have to read the documentation for the driver to properly configure it for your display. The reward is that, once working (if it does), then clients like lcdproc itself, or the pfSense PHP client will work, too. Good luck, and keep us posted.

PS: [http://www.tecnowledge.net/2009/06/getting-lcdproc-to-work-with-an-lcm-162-freebsd/](http://www.tecnowledge.net/2009/06/getting-lcdproc-to-work-with-an-lcm-162-freebsd/) is for a parallel port interface, not serial.

mdima

Hi fmertz,
well, if the command/behavior is the same, maybe the sdec driver could accept the port as parameter from the client (there are already serial and parallel ports). Just an idea…

Ciao,
Michele

fmertz

This would require new code. The parallel interface is driven directly with in/out machine language commands. Serial ports are typically coded with more abstraction, i.e. treated like files. At this point, let's see if the HD driver will do…

easyhugo

hi guys

thx for the answers
the parallel discussion i know i have read it
i tried the hd44780,nexcom and watchgard driver bevor my post but with no succes

so at now i am setting up a 2nd fw8888 to test these driver on testing machine

thx max

mdima

@stephenw10:

Here's a suggestion, while reading through some other bootup scripts I found this:
// Do not process while booting
if($g['booting']) 
	exit;
Perhaps we could use this somehow to limit the number of reloads? Of course it could easily stop it loading at all. ::)

Steve

Hi Steve,
I did this change, but I didn't notice any difference on my system (verified from the system.log file), the service is synced 2 times but run only one.

Btw, can you apply this change to your "lcdproc.inc" file:
Line 525 becomes:
if(is_service_running(LCDPROC_SERVICE_NAME) && ! $g['booting'] ) {

if this works for you I will release a new version with this change!

Thanks,
Michele

mdima

Steve,
also, can you check in your /usr/local/etc/rc.d folder if you have a second .sh file running LCDd at startup? The one created by the package is "lcdproc.sh".

Thanks,
Michele

tester_02

I've only recently stumbled upon this thread and it caught my interest.
I'd just like to see throughput on a panel.

This thread is huge, but I still can't find a recommended panel that I can easily order (say ebay).
I found mention of U204FB-A1. but all I can find is the A2 model of it, and that one does not mention lcdproc (where the a1 specifically says lcdproc).
Can someone recommend a cheap, easy to order panel that just works?

The idea is interesting to say the least.

mdima

Hi Tester,
well… I cannot recommend my panels because I had a bit to complain with the supplier (they are not precise, when I bought them, the main picture on ebay was the panel with the frame, frame that they didn't ship. When I bought a case it was not precise for my panels. When I complained with them they just said a kind of "that's it", and so on), but at least their stuff worked for me. Also, consider that this forum is not a marketplace, and I think it's better to avoid to turn it into one.

So, after this introduction, I was buying two of this ones:
http://www.ebay.it/itm/20-4-LCD-Smartie-Display-Board-UART-USB-PC-Edition-III-/350546524199?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519e337827

made by this company: http://www.sureelectronics.net/

Consider that I was buying them last year, so was a different hardware version, but I think the "sureelect" driver should work also with this new release of the panel.

A little disclaimer:

I am not swearing this will work;
I am not taking any reward from that company;
I am not related to that company (and responsible for any issues you could have with them: billing, payment, shipping, damaged items and so on);
I am just saying "in my case it worked".

but if you want to try to spend about $30 to try them (about 20 Euro) it might work. I don't think there is nothing cheaper on the market (at least last year I was searching and searching).

Ciao,
Michele

tester_02

I was looking for something that mounted in a drive bay slot.
for example.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/U204FB-A2-8-USB-HD44780-204-Blue-LCD-Smartie-Computer-Case-Bay-Drive-PC-Modding-/220978640726?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item33735a7756

otherwise I'd jump on your suggestion and give it a try.
I'd just like to have something clean looking in the slot…

Any thoughts on the item above, or another item that mounts in a drive slot? No commitments, it's cheap and it seems like a nice toy to play with :)

mdima

Hi,
yes, it looks nice, even better than mines! On the paper it should work (to tell you for sure I should try one, but for that price it worth a try).

The only positive consideration to have it external, is that I am using HP servers to run pfSense and I have an active care pack. If something happens to the server, it's better the HP tech won't find anything "not HP" inside the case. Also, if some short or whatever happens to the panel, it does not compromise the server.

Ciao,
Michele

Brak

THis might be related to the LCM-162 talk above, but I have no idea…

Been working on getting the Lanner LCMs working. I got some official code from Lanner, but it's for lcdproc-0.5.2. Of course it's outdated, but I figured I'd at least get it working before I try to move to the latest. I assume this code is for the lanner "standard" LCM, but maybe it's not...

Using lcdproc-0.5.2, I used the attached Lanner patch files (remove .png, etc). Patch works great, "compile" works great.

When I start LCDd with the driver, I get:

Could not open driver module server/drivers/hd44780.so: server/drivers/hd44780.so: Undefined symbol "hd_init_lanner"

Obviously, something is wrong with the patch code, but I can't figure it out (hd_init_lanner seems defined) or understand why Lanner would release broken code.

I'd appreciate any help possible, I'd be willing to toss some bucks someone's way if they get my Lanner LCMs working.

edit: since my code is broken, see fmertz's post for the driver

fmertz

@Brak:

When I start LCDd with the driver, I get:

Could not open driver module server/drivers/hd44780.so: server/drivers/hd44780.so: Undefined symbol "hd_init_lanner"

Seems like the code in the new source file is not getting linked in the library (.so). Try:

make distclean

This should scrub the existing build files, then recompile again.

Brak

@fmertz:

@Brak:

When I start LCDd with the driver, I get:

Could not open driver module server/drivers/hd44780.so: server/drivers/hd44780.so: Undefined symbol "hd_init_lanner"

Seems like the code in the new source file is not getting linked in the library (.so). Try:
make distclean
This should scrub the existing build files, then recompile again.

Hmm, just tried it now, I did:

make distclean
./configure –enable-drivers=all
make all
make install
LCDd -c ./LCDd.conf

Gets the same error. :(

fmertz

Try https://github.com/downloads/fmertz/sdeclcd/hd44780.so

Brak

@fmertz:

Try https://github.com/downloads/fmertz/sdeclcd/hd44780.so

Well, it works in that it doesn't crash - but there is no change to anything with the LCM.

How should I go about making sure the driver is even compatible? Check the wiring diagram with the h44780-lanner.c file?

The connector is very similar to the Firebox connector. It's like a small parallel port.

Brak

I'm not even sure what device this thing works as… /dev/parport0, /dev/lpt0 or /dev/ttyS0? They all don't work... Ugh...

I can't even get the FreeBSD LCD sample that shipped with my unit to work... :-\

stephenw10

Looks like it should be on lpt0 from the patch code. Assuming it's on 0x378 on your box.

Steve

Brak

Hmm… I checked the BIOS, looks like the LCM port might have been disabled. I set the parallel port to 0x378.

This is the output of "cd /dev/":

acpi       ata        cuau0.init fd         md0        pf         stdin      ttyu1.lock ugen3.1
ad0        bpf        cuau0.lock fido       md1        ppi0       stdout     ufs        urandom
ad0s1      bpf0       cuau1      geom.ctl   mdctl      ptmx       ttyu0      ufsid      usb
ad0s1a     console    cuau1.init io         mem        pts        ttyu0.init ugen0.1    usbctl
ad0s2      crypto     cuau1.lock klog       nfslock    random     ttyu0.lock ugen0.2    xpt0
ad0s2a     ctty       devctl     kmem       null       speaker    ttyu1      ugen1.1    zero
ad0s3      cuau0      devstat    led        pci        stderr     ttyu1.init ugen2.1

Not sure what "led" is, but I don't see anything in here interesting…

...breaking news: The backlight shuts off now when LCDd is started... Not sure why everything else doesn't work.