Re: Possible VFD Bulk Buy

["PatrickLidstone" <patrickl@xxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@y..., "Mark McCall" <mark@a...> wrote:
> > If you want to drive the VFD stand-alone (rather than PC based),
I 
> > have made a rabbit-based driver available on an open-source 
basis. 
> > Add a rabbit core, plug into your network, install the 
appropriate 
> > xAP components, and you're in business.
> 
> Patrick - can one PC drive many displays with a multi-port serial 
card?

Just to clarify: The rabbit solution connects  display direct to your
network, not to a PC serial port. All communication is over ethernet. 
A PC can potentially control any of the displays on the network, 
collectively or individually.

It is true that is also possible to connect the display directly to a 
PC serial port, and it's an easy job to write the xAP driver for such 
a display, but I haven't done it yet :-)

> Does a single CAT5 have enough pairs to do the RS232 and Power?

Power requirements are modest, so I think it should be possible to 
power the display over CAT5 in principle. It would require some break-
out wiring at the rabbit end (the ethernet connector is bonded to the 
rabbit core).

Patrick



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