NCR 5972 futaba M202DL08A 2x20 VFD problem [SOLVED]

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1

How would i drive this beast of a display over serial. it is a NCR 5972 futaba M202DL08A 2x20 char. When i send it the command 0x1B 05 to bring it out of low power mode to display text it does not do anything. it runs on 12V and i do not have the cable for it. datasheet 1 www.maltepoeggel.de/html/vfd/m202ld08a.pdf datasheet 2 www.maltepoeggel.de/html/vfd/vfd_ncr5972.pdf


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2

The 2nd datasheet tells you you need a 'real' RS232 interface.
It also explains that that means the levels should be -10 and 10 volts.
Your Arduino doesn't do that.
So you'd need a driver IC like the MAX232 to connect correctly to that display.

3

thanks. i will try that and see how it goes

4

Got the display working!! :slight_smile:
used MAX232

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5

The real advantage to the RS-232 interface is that you can put the display on the end of a quite long cable - such as a remote status display for gas supply systems and such.

I had a mind to do such a thing for my office front door display a few years back. The VFD is somewhere under the rubble here still. And said office door sports a 15" video screen mounted to the glass using silicone, with a small PC mounted (high) on the adjacent wall. I would replace the PC with a Pi or similar except that the monitor is VGA (and very firmly attached).