RFC: UIRT3 supporting a LCD and 6 buttons

[Jas39]

Hi all
I would like to have your feedback on an extended version of the UIRT now with added support for a standard LCD and six keybuttons able to generate en event when pressed. The SW is based on and fully backwards compatible with Jon Rhees uirt 1.7 code. The HW design is based on the UIRT2 design with the addition of a shiftregister (as described in another thread here ), and some discrete component. The complete design, currently breadboarded, fits nicely in a 5"1/4 bay using a 2x20 backlit lcd, using the backlight as and indication of ir-reception.

I have tried to contact Jon, both directly and in this group, in order to have his agreement on using his code and hopefully support for the extended protocol needed to drive the LCD.

Questions
=========

1. Is this extension of common interrest, how many of you would like to build one?

2. Is there anyone that would like to participate and help out making a nice PCB?

3. Is there any other features that you think would make this the coolest thing on earth?

4. Is the name UIRT3 appropriate?

5. Other comments.....


Best Regards
/Anders

[PGPfan@work]

Sounds like a cool project!

I'd recommend opening up display options to 4-line VFD's also as many of us participated in the HTPC build up over at avsforum and have the Matrix Orbital VFD already.

Also, consider USB support (www.ftdichip.com) since they offer a really inexpensive and seemingly simple way to implement this, along with a driver that 'they' provide.

-PGPfan

[Eelector]

The LCD option sounds VERY interesting to me. Will it work with all Hitachi HD44780 -compatible LCD's?

[jediperry]

Yes, I am interested. Being able to set the display size is important though, as I have a 2*40 and a 4*20 HD44780 display.

Mike

[Marsupial]

Would it be possible to plainly *modify* the UIRT2 for LCD add-on?

I'm right now gathering the pieces to build the UIRT2, and would convert to a nice LCD 5.25 bay before implementation, but as I understood, most people already have a UIRT working, therefore a backward hardware compatibility would be great...

on my side, give me plans and I'll adjust mine :)

[Jas39]

It should be easy to add the LCD to the UIRT2 since it uses three previously unused pins (1,2,3). It should, as far as I know, be possible to use all features of the LCD in nibble mode. The idea is to do all controlling of the LCD from the host thus saving memory in the PIC.

Regards
/&&

[unimatrix]

Hi

Im am very interested in a extendet UIRT Version.

It would be great if it were possible to save macros in the PICs or an external I2C EEPROM, that could be fired by pressing a key or by recieving a IR Code. The macros could send some IR Codes, e.g. to switch on all the IR controlled devices simultaniously.

Perhaps you should use a bigger PIC like the 16F876, which has the I2C and the UART built in, so that the software has nothing more to do with sending RS232 Bytes a.s.o. Also the capture module could be used to improve the IR Reception features.

Ok - that is just an idea :)

Greetings,
unimatrix