First google hit:
Google hits only come up in the same order if you use the same search terms at about the same time and if your ISP is in the same country. In this case the thread subject line "Dataview LCD DV-16215-1-S2RB and Arduino" (which is all we really had at the beginning) is incorrect, but thanks to the workings of the Google search engine that informative thread shows up early even with the wrong search term.
The photos show that the displays themselves seem to be standard character mode LCDs, but the interface is obviously serial. The display controllers are under the epoxy blobs and the square device is most likely doing all of the serial to parallel interfacing.
... but i'm pretty sure a PICAXE is a british micro controller and different than an Arduino.
There's really very little that one microcontroller can do that the next one cannot. The real difference in capability from one to the next comes with the special modules that are tacked onto the central core. In the case of serial communication I doubt that there any difference at all. This doesn't mean that the code from the PICAXE can be used on the Arduino, but the sequence of operations should be essentially the same.
Besides, all the necessary commands are on the post if you just read it.
There's even more information if you follow the links back to the Ebay seller that one of those forum participants bought his device from:
Pin 1 : B+ 5v
Pin 2 : Serial Out
Pin 3 : Serial In
Pin 4 : Ground
Pin 5 : External Interrupt
The device needs a 7805 or equivalent voltage regulated power supply of 5v. The ground wire of a db9f needs to plug into the ground on the breadboard. The transmit line goes to pin 3 on the db9 (or you can use a active high ttl level serial signal from a 5v microcontroller on the same power supply). Start Hyperterm and set your com port to 4800 8 Odd parity and 1 stop bit Connect and you will start seeing your text on the top display. Send a ctrl/v (or a hex 16 with a micro or software) to switch to the bottom display. Hit ctrl/r (or hex 12) to switch back to the top display. Also applying 5v to pin 5 will put the device in test mode and you can see the firmware version and text on both. The default baud rate setting is 4800 8 o 1 but if you remove the solder from J3 then it is 4800 8N1 (then a basic stamp can run it) NEED TO PAUSE 100MS or longer AFTER THESE COMMANDS! '$12 goes to top display '$16 goes to bottom display '$17 throws 2 bytes away from the next text string?? '$19 the next byte is ??? like a t = omega?? '$11 then $0A blanks ?(disabled) top display '$11 then $01 = clear dosplay and goto home on top display '$11 then $04 = clear top and write backwards scrolling! '$11 then $07 = clear top and write backwards scrolling! '$11 then $0F = blinking cursor on top display $11 then $13 = top backspace cursor one space (leaves characters) need to do a $12 before writing over chars.... $11 then $1D = displays on top display "SPECIAL MESSAGE" whatever that means. $11 then &1f = shift top text one space to right $11 then $80 goes home, but does not clear. on top display '$15 then $0A blanks ?(disabled) bottom display.
Don