Hi!
Today, I received a SainSmart display...
http://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-Serial-Enabled-Backlit-Screen/dp/B00LGMYHQO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419563196&sr=8-3&keywords=sainsmart+ttl
and am having trouble driving it.
I have tried using Serial1.print() to run it but am not getting any characters to show on the screen itself.
(Using my Arduino Micro)
Is there a specific way I need to use this display?
Thanks!
Is there a specific way I need to use this display?
Yes, and it is quite specific. The information must be provided by the manufacturer or the vendor since there is no generic software that works with all serial adapters.
On the other hand, your device most likely has a PIC processor on it and there is a good chance that the software on it was written by or derived from software written by P.H. Anderson back in the microprocessor stone age.
Mr. Andersen is deceased but others are maintaining his work. If you cannot get some definitive information from Sainsmart or Amazon about your specific device then a search for "phandersen" may yield some useful information.
Don
Have you tried this link?
Curiously, Sainsmart themselves appear to have no connection with this product, certainly none that can be located on their website.
I am still unable to run the display...
Is there a sketch that you know of that I could try?
This seems to be the same product:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SainSmart-TTL-Serial-LCD-UART-Display-ARM-Cotex-M0-For-Arduino-Raspberry-Pi-/351109739927?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item51bfc57597
Here you have a few examples for that kind of LCD's. You need to download and install this library.
All that you need is in the link that Paul__B gives you.
Somehow I think you are going to need a lot more information to really use the display. For example: How do you deal with clearing the screen? How do you position the cursor? How do you implement user defined characters?
Don
Finally got it to work using the link given! Thanks for your help!
Before I mark it as solved, I had one more question. Is this display safe to use? I noticed that if the VCC wasn't connected, the backlight tried to turn on using the RX pin... Is this a cause for concern?
Is this display safe to use? ... Is this a cause for concern?
It was OK before you applied signal inputs with no VCC.
After the abuse it may or may not work up to specifications.
It will probably function acceptably and it shouldn't be unsafe.
Don
Ok, thanks! I guess the warnings about the displays doesn't apply to TTL displays. Thanks again for your help!