LCDProc 0.5.4-dev

Brak

I think we should take this to a separate thread. This one is already massive and LED control on a particular Lanner box is not helpful for most people reading it.

Steve

Agreed, but honestly, it's probably not worth worrying about the LED in it at all.

Only thing I think we can keep from this side-tracking is that the 64-bit SDECLCD works, but it is hard-coded as 16x2 status screens still.

fmertz

@Brak:

Only thing I think we can keep from this side-tracking is that the 64-bit SDECLCD works, but it is hard-coded as 16x2 status screens still.

You can ask LCDd what it thinks the width is:


telnet <pfsense host="" ip="" or="" name="">13666
hello
connect LCDproc 0.5.4 protocol 0.3 lcd wid 20 hgt 2 cellwid 5 cellhgt 8</pfsense>

Brak

@fmertz:

@Brak:

Only thing I think we can keep from this side-tracking is that the 64-bit SDECLCD works, but it is hard-coded as 16x2 status screens still.

You can ask LCDd what it thinks the width is:
telnet <pfsense host="" ip="" or="" name="">13666
hello
connect LCDproc 0.5.4 protocol 0.3 lcd wid 20 hgt 2 cellwid 5 cellhgt 8</pfsense> 

Output:


[2.0.1-RELEASE][root@fringebox.blizzard]/root(4): telnet 127.0.0.1 13666
Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
hello
connect LCDproc 0.5.5 protocol 0.3 lcd wid 20 hgt 2 cellwid 5 cellhgt 8

Examples: (Kinda bad example, but it at least shows the screens are shortened. I know things are getting cut off since I can't change the "pfsense shutting down" to be any bigger without losing the extra 8 characters on the end. The Lanner-LCM hacked driver can write the shutdown line on all the 20x2 characters just fine)

Off center, not showing screens to be big enough:

Clearly addresses the extra characters with other displays:

stephenw10

Not a driver problem then.
Are you sure it ever shows more characters than that? The screens are always drawn from the left side.
E.g.

Steve

fmertz

Brak,

If you want to point me to the hacked Lanner code again, I can have a quick look. Without hardware available to me though, this is quickly becoming unproductive. I am in the mid-atlantic US, maybe you should look up shipping rates and mail me a stripped down box for development. I could probably get the full LCD and LED control coded in the driver for 32 and 64 bit. Up to you.

Brak

I think the issue was just with my implementation. No use you guys wasting time on my hardware.

I did notice the issue with lcdproc crashing on the initial boot, then later restarting into just the LCDd server/client menu. Once I start the service once, it's seemingly good forever (at least until an unlucky interface up/down!)

Is there anything I should try and look at to see why it's failing at the initial boot?

Also, is there any way we could get LCDExec to be included in the package (both 32bit/64bit, 32bit does NOT work on 64bit in my experience - makes no sense?), and have it check for an lcdexec.conf (and if it exists, start the process running that config right after lcdproc starts?) My menu system would be more easily implemented if we could get everyone already have a working lcdexec install. 80% of my installation scripts are just hacking in the lcdexec install.

Brak

There has to be something wrong with the rc.d or PHP scripts, but I just can't find it. Could it be the interface up/downs on boot causing this crash?

Brak

Alright, nevermind on the lcdexec stuff, I'm an idiot. It's already in /usr/bin/ for everyone.

But, as for the service crashing on boot, it still appears to happen. I've noticed it does not happen on full (x64) installs, but my nanoBSD installs require a service restart to get working after boot.

Any ideas?

fmertz

Time for a code release:

I just posted the ledsupport branch of the lcdproc package source code on github:

https://github.com/fmertz/sdeclcd/tree/ledsupport

Basically, this code adds driver support for known Firebox LED arrangements, from X-Core to X-Core-e to X-Peak and finally XTM. The code identifies the particular Intel Southbridge/ICH, and matches it up with specific GPIO pins as posted on this forum. It deals with ICH and SuperIO GPIO. As I only own an X-Core-e, it is not all completely tested.

There is a binary here: https://github.com/downloads/fmertz/sdeclcd/sdeclcd.so

If you can assist in the testing, replace your copy of the driver with this one, and give it a try:


telnet localhost 13666
hello
connect LCDproc 0.5.5 protocol 0.3 lcd wid 20 hgt 2 cellwid 5 cellhgt 8
output 1 <—Should start blinking red, rare short blink
success
output 2 <—Should start blinking green, rare short blink
success

The output logic is this: we have 32 bit to work with, and we need 3 states (Red, Green and off). This is 2 bits. So, in 32 bits, we have 16 time slots to work with. So, basically, code in the sequence of colors you want to see (Red, Green or off) and keep shifting to fill in the bits.

Worksheet:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
X is 1, 2 or 0

0000 0000 0000 0001 is slow quick blink red
0101 0101 0101 0101 is fast quick blink red
0011 0011 0011 0011 is medium medium blink red
0000 1111 0000 1111 is slow long blink red
0000 2222 0000 1111 is slow blink alternating between red and green

etc… The binary needs to be made decimal for the “output” command. Sequence lasts about 4 seconds.

As we know, there is no client yet that exercises this driver "output" feature. If this works with various models, I'll submit a pull request with the pfSense team so that new package installations will get this binary.

Anyone wants to add LED support to the PHP client? Something like controlling the LED based on availability of internet access, or the ISP's DNS server would be nice...

Brak

Here is an lcdproc.inc that seems to fix the startup crash issue.

Not sure if this will work for everyone or if it isn't working right, but let me know how it could be improved.

It generates this rc.d script:

#!/bin/sh

#!/bin/sh
# This file was automatically generated
# by the pfSense service handler.

rc_start() {
sleep 5
	/usr/bin/nice -20 /usr/local/sbin/LCDd -c /usr/local/etc/LCDd.conf 
	/usr/bin/nice -20 /usr/local/bin/php -f /usr/local/pkg/lcdproc_client.php &

}

rc_stop() {
	pkill -f lcdproc_client.php

	pkill -anx lcdexec
	pkill -anx lcdproc
	pkill -anx LCDd 
	sleep 1

}

case $1 in
	start)
		rc_start
		;;
	stop)
		rc_stop
		;;
	restart)
		rc_stop
		rc_start
		;;
esac

lcdproc.inc.png

nicktlloyd

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this question but I'm new here so any help would be much appreciated. I have a crystalfontz 634 running on pfsense 2.0.1 amd64 with LCDproc 0.5.5 pkg v. 0.9.4 installed. At startup I see the crystalfontz info come up, then the blinking light in the top left. After pfsense and LCDproc start up I see a bunch of garbage characters scroll down the lcd for like thirty seconds then just a blank screen. I'm pretty sure I've got the right usb com port as the top left blinking light will just keep on if I switch to another one. From the web settings I have it set to 4x20, CrystalFontz driver, 5 sec refresh, 9600 baud (tried default, same thing) and then default on the rest of the settings. For screens I have "Enable Traffic Interface, WAN" and "Enable Hostname". Here's the contents of LCDd.conf:


[server]
DriverPath=/usr/local/lib/lcdproc/
Driver=CFontz
Bind=127.0.0.1
Port=13666
ReportLevel=3
ReportToSyslog=yes
User=nobody
Foreground=no
ServerScreen=no
GoodBye="Thanks for using"
GoodBye="    pfSense     "
WaitTime=5
ToggleRotateKey=Enter
PrevScreenKey=Left
NextScreenKey=Right
ScrollUpKey=Up
ScrollDownKey=Down
[menu]
MenuKey=Escape
EnterKey=Enter
UpKey=Up
DownKey=Down
[CFontz]
Device=/dev/cuaU0
Size=20x4
Contrast=350
Brightness=1000
OffBrightness=50
NewFirmware=no
Reboot=no
Speed=9600

Anybody have any ideas about why it's doing this?

nicktlloyd

Ok, if anyone else has a crystalfontz 634: make sure you set the contrast over 50% or you won't see ANYTHING. DON'T LEAVE IT ON DEFAULT.

Brak

Bumping this so people can see and try my fixed lcdproc.inc

I was wondering if we could get that and the 64bit SDECLCD driver put in the real package.

stephenw10

Hmm, this looks like spam but doesn't have any links. :-
Please re-phrase this if you are really asking.

Steve

Edit: It was spam then! ::)

mirco.ippoliti

Hi !
congratulations for the work !
I am Celestix Scoprio X MSA 5000 user and the box run very nice with pfsense 2.0.1
…but..the lcd display don't work !
I tried different drivers ... but nothing ...
is a USB display of 40 x 2 (with 3 led for (1) attention / (2) HDD / (3) ON )
Would it be possible to control it with lcdproc?
Many Thanks !

stephenw10

Possibly. We need more information. Anything written on the the LCD unit itself? Any windows drivers that might provide a clue?

Steve

mirco.ippoliti

@stephenw10:

Possibly. We need more information. Anything written on the the LCD unit itself? Any windows drivers that might provide a clue?

Steve

The display manufactured is varitronix
Unfortunately, I have never written anything …
you can not find any drivers...even windows ...

stephenw10

The Varitronix MGLS19264 used in this box appears to use a HD61202 chip which is compatible with the KS108. This is a graphical LCD and lcdproc is setup to drive character based displays. However all may not be lost. It might work using the glcdlib driver:
http://lcdproc.sourceforge.net/docs/stable-0-5-x-user.html#glcdlib-howto
This appears to support the ks0108. However it looks like there would be quite a lot of additional packages/drivers needed.
This is beyond my usual level of tinkering. ;)

Steve

mirco.ippoliti

@stephenw10:

The Varitronix MGLS19264 used in this box appears to use a HD61202 chip which is compatible with the KS108. This is a graphical LCD and lcdproc is setup to drive character based displays. However all may not be lost. It might work using the glcdlib driver:
http://lcdproc.sourceforge.net/docs/stable-0-5-x-user.html#glcdlib-howto
This appears to support the ks0108. However it looks like there would be quite a lot of additional packages/drivers needed.
This is beyond my usual level of tinkering. ;)

Steve

Many Thank for the Info !
I can Try !

Gradius

Crystalfontz released the new 735, they are much better in quality and can emulate 635, but not 100% AFAIK.

I hope they gets supported.

See the quality:
https://www.crystalfontz.com/phpthumb/phpThumb.php?id=2235