So hypothetically speaking, let's say someone ordered a fancy 20x4 serial VFD from Matrix Orbital 12v (Wide Voltage) Display ...

And hypothetically, let's say Matrix Orbital didn't really modify their "modified" floppy power connector. This connector should have been 12v--Grnd ... When instead it was really 5v-grnd-grnd-12v ... Thus upon plugging in this hypothetical device into the powersupply ... it hypothetically blew the f-ck up, smoke and all.

The serial controller looks moderately foocked, with a black bubble emerging from some integrated circuit thingy marked "PIC16C63A-2??" (Question mark is where the bubble is).

Do you guys think the whole thing is trashable, or, could someone conceivably either buy a new serial controller or just a new PIC circuit and get this thing to work again?

Greg

I did something similar to two Futaba VFDs. I dumped them. Then again, they were only $15 a piece. Matrix Orbital's stuff is usually premium priced.

You could buy a new PIC chip but you still need to program it as it's a general purpose microcontroller. It's the part that is doing the conversion between serial and the VFD commands.

There is some freely available source code for the PIC chips that allow you to control a LCD or VFD from the serial port. As to whether it is compatible is another problem.

- Trevor

There you go, letting the expensive smoke out again. Sounds like you'll have to pay the original company to put the smoke back into it for you. Ouch.

There's a 20x2 VFD display board with built in serial support at BG Micro if you're interested. I don't think it would be possible to rip the controller off as it's all built in from what I can tell and doesn't use a seperate microcontroller.

- Trevor

Yup, this one was about $145 ... Luckily they saw it was their fault, so they're sending me another one today ... I was just thinking two for the price of one (+PIC) might be cool.

g

I found the exact chip on Digikey ... It's about $7 ... So you're saying if I wanted to get one, I'd have to get an EPROM coder or something like that just to get the code in there, and even then it might not work.

Do you think the VFD is still good? Maybe I could buy a whole serial controller from Matrix Orbital and just solder it onto the old VFD?

I wonder how much those boards are ... It's possible they make up the bulk of the price I guess.

Greg

Afraid so. You must program the chip for it to do anything. You can make a programmer for a few $ though.

It's not a good sign that the PIC chip burnt out that badly. The VFD might still work but you can't really guarantee anything. Do Matrix Orbital sell the PIC chip seperately?

The Matrix Orbital LCD/VFDs are actually very expensive for what they are. What you're getting for your money is a nice looking preassembled module. The parts by themselves can be purchased cheaper from surplus electronic stores but to buy the parts new is much closer to the Matrix Orbital price.

- Trevor