VFD Displays

[philip davies]

Hi,

I've purchased an analog metric remote control kit for an amplifier. The kit has been split into 2 pcb's. the main board uses a (PIC16F873A) to control a motorized volume pot (6 ch), muting relays, the IR receiver for the remote and a relay board for input selection. The second board uses a (PIC18F252) and it is used to drive a 16x2 display. It receives commands from the main board for the LCD display in order to show input selection and volume percentage. Everything works fine except the volume percentage and input selection flickers if the pot is turned slowly or if it's set mid way, for example if the display is on 50% it will flicker slightly betwean 49% and 50%. I would like to use a VFD display instead of LCD but the VFD is even worse. I did buy a VFD display that is compatible with LCD commands.

Also can I use flowcode 4 (with the right hardware) to read the code that's already on the mcu that drives the display?

Any help or sugestions would be very gratefull.

Kind Regards
Phil

[Benj]

Hello Phil,

Display flickering is normally due to the display being fully cleared rather then specific sections of the display being cleared. i.e. its probably down to bad coding.

Flowcode cannot be used to readback code from a device. You may be able to do this using a PICkit but this depends on whether the manufacturer has enabled the code protections settings. If you do manage to readback the code then it will be in hex form. You can convert hex code back into assembler using available conversion tools but there is no way to convert back into C or Flowcode.

[philip davies]

Hi Benj,

Thank you for your last reply. I thought this would be the case so what I plan on doing is to design my own display board for the display. I do have two flowcode diagrams (with the help of other users on this forum) for an input selector and an ADC to show volume. I would like to know how can I use flowcode to bring the two codes together so that the display can show the selected input and volume?

Kind Regards

Phil

[Benj]

Hi Phil,

It should just be a case of adding the bits from each program into a single program. i.e. most of the code will be needed but you will only have to call the LCD start macro once etc.

You can do this by opening one program and then copying and pasting parts from the other program in.

[philip davies]

Hi Benj

Ok I will give that a try. Thanks again for your help

Kind Regards

Phil

[philip davies]

Hi Benj

I've given that a try and I can't get the ADC to show a reading on the display, also when I simulate the code it keeps showing an error message on th screen but when I click ignore I can still geth the display to show the selected input + the led's and buttons work

Any advice would be very greatfull

Kind Regards

Phil

[Benj]

Hi Phil,

Can you post up your programs and your new combined program and I will have a look for you.

[philip davies]

Hi Benj

I've attached 3 programs. The Volume Reading and Input Selector are two seperate codes and the Input Selector with ADC readout is my attempt to putting the two programs together. There's probally a huge mistake in my attempt to putting the two programs together but my lack of experience isn't helping me find the problem.

Kind Regards

Phil