Kent Displays on sale!

[leon_heller]

That might work, but it's very fiddly and won't be very reliable. If you give me the part number of the connector, I can make a little PCB adapter for you that brings the connections out to a standard 0.1" header. I make my own PCBs at home and often make that sort of thing.

[jonathan]

Thanks Leon!

Not sure what the part number for the connector itself is, the datasheet doesn't seem to give clues:

Electrical connection to the display module is made through the 16-contacts located at J1 (see section 5.4). Connection options include a 1mm pitch ZIF flat flex connector (FFC – with top or bottom contacts) soldered to the printed circuit board at J1

However, the cable is an AXON cable: AXO-01264 - 1mm pitch 16-pin FFC cable.

Not sure that's enough info to go on? The cable also has "AWM 2896 80C VW-1" printed on it.

I bought two 30cm cables as I anticipated screwing at least one of them up or having to cut one of them up, so I've got some flexibility in trying to split one if I get too impatient! :-)

Thank you again.

[jonathan]

That might work, but it's very fiddly and won't be very reliable. If you give me the part number of the connector, I can make a little PCB adapter for you that brings the connections out to a standard 0.1" header. I make my own PCBs at home and often make that sort of thing.

Hmm sorry I've gone and confused myself. Are you offering to make a PCB with the connector soldered on and the connections brought out onto a standard header? In which case I'd better find the connector number for you... sorry.

I guess this kind of thing in 16-pin variant would do?

http://www.imperial-connect.com/connect ... =1&e=s&c=t

[leon_heller]

Yes, that looks like it. You could get one as a sample and check that it fits.

If it's OK I'll design and make a PCB for it and solder it on for you, I've got all the gear - Metcal soldering station, hot air rework, stereo microscope. If it works I could get some proper PCBs made and flog them to other people who've bought that display. :D

This is what the PCB looks like:



As it's much easier for me to make single-sided boards, the FFC connector will be on one side, and the header on the other side. If you want something compact, wires could just be soldered to the header pads. I've provided a couple of mounting holes.

I thought I'd see what RS had, and came up with these:

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/sear ... &R=6706760

They might be easier to get hold of, as I have an RS account. The PCB footprint is different, but it will be easy to change it.

[jonathan]

Leon - thanks that looks awesome. I'll happily buy some of these connectors to check - I'll do this later today.

In the meantime, I'm fairly impatient, so I split the wire and used the few wires I had to connect this to the XC-1A.

The board does something strange if I power it up with the display connected - the chip doesn't seem to boot and the demo code doesn't run...

If I power it up standalone and then plug in the display, no problem - the chip boots fine and the demo code runs.

http://twitpic.com/1751jo

Next step I'll get it to do something using the SPI bus.

[leon_heller]

That is strange. You could try removing the wires and replacing them one by one until it stops working. :)

Which connectors are you getting, the Imperial ones or the RS Molex ones? I've created a PCB part for the Molex ones, as well, but the footprint in the data sheet is difficult to interpret. I could make it out if I could see one of the connectors. The vertical Molex one was in the supplied library.

[otitov]

@jonathan why not upload this picture to this forum? its so nice!

great work! keep going!

[jonathan]

Here's the pic...

[jonathan]

That is strange. You could try removing the wires and replacing them one by one until it stops working. :)

Which connectors are you getting, the Imperial ones or the RS Molex ones? I've created a PCB part for the Molex ones, as well, but the footprint in the data sheet is difficult to interpret. I could make it out if I could see one of the connectors. The vertical Molex one was in the supplied library.

Leon, I'll get whatever makes your life easier with this. Just let me know. I'm only trying to connect stuff together so it's not like it needs a low profile or minimal form-factor or anything...

[leon_heller]

I'll get some of the Molex ones, then. I think I've sorted out the footprint problem, but I can check when I get them on Tuesday.