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Yeah I'm in PDX, too. Got some of those frustratingly beautiful Planar EL displays, too. Wacky Willy's, yeap!
But... I did some digging(like under and behind stuff) and came up with a test interface and a test/project card that matches up. They are both labeled for EL160.80.38.

The interface card is two sided with a 32pin connector(input), and SED1335 on one side, and an inverter, Caps, Xilinx chip, and a 18pin connector on the other.
I've been doing my home-work for awhile. I've only found that the Data lines XD0-XD3 from the SED1335(pins30-33) are connected to the output. VS, HS, VCLK, (pins 35, 37, 40)are terminated on the board.

Now, I have a question. Is there a reason they didn't use these lines on the interface?
Obviously, I can solder jumpers from these. Or, do I need to?

And to answer the questions...
Yes, I will try to get some pics of the interface soon.
Yes, the interface was VERY expensive... $7,900.00 VND (Vietnam Dong)

Schlepp

Indeed if you don't have the matching 160 display you'll need to hack up that piggyback or recycle the SED and make your own board.
Here's the application note for interfacing Planars to SED133x

Was it that expensive? I've seen them go rather cheap on e-bay

_________________
My Plexeon-Insane LCD!-Or this one!-LCDinfo-LCDStudio

Is the interface anything like this ?





I have seen these but haven't yet been able to find good enough use for them to justify getting one. Of course it can be usable even if you don't have just that specific display it's made for if you trace the signals and find better use for them.
As there is the Xilinx FPGA on the board I don't expect all the signals to go straight to the display but instead the FPGA has some processing job there probably related to the display scanning. But I haven't looked into it more.

You didn't mention what display you'd like to interface with. It all depends of the display how to connect things and if that's even possible with the stuff you have now.

That is exactly it. Where is that pic from?
Allthough I don't have the connectors(bottom pic, 2 on the left) on mine. But it does have the solder holes for them.

>>Yes, the interface was VERY expensive... $7,900.00 VND (Vietnam Dong)<<
>>Was it that expensive? I've seen them go rather cheap on e-bay<<

FYI $7,900.00 VND equals aprox. $0.50 US.

Yes I've been tracing out ALL the pins. Since you found this picture(way better than I could take); I'll try to photochop it with highlights of the traces that I have found.

I plan on interfacing with whatever I have. I have come across quite afew displays over the last year.(Portland has LOTZ of high tech industry) Most seem to be samples/one off's and I can't find anything on them.

OK now to start highlighting.

Thanks
Schlepp

OK now.

This is something I found on the Xilinx FPGA.
Am I over hoping this? Or is this as "easy" as it seems?
http://www.fpga4fun.com/board_dragon.html
more
http://www.fpga4fun.com/board_dragon_LCD.html

I've got to do abit more tracing for the FPGA yet. But it seems in the circuit, that my FPGA is after the SED1335; as my VS HS and VCLK all seem to go into the FPGA. I've got 2 of these boards and maybe I should pull one apart and "turn" everything around.

But, back to reality.
The only signals I need to worry about finding
into the SED1335 are...

INTERFACE................-->...................SED1335
........................................................VSS = -
........................................................VDD= +
........................................................RES = RESET
AF = AUTO FEED.......-->...................RD = READ SIGNAL/ENABLE CLOCK
INIT = INITIALIZE PRINTER.....-->.....WR = WRITE SIGNAL
STR = STROBE.......-->......................CS = CHIP SELECT
SLCT = SELECT.......-->.....................A0 = DATA TYPE SELECT
D0-7 = DATA 0-7.......-->...................D0-7 = DATA BUS 0-7

and out of the SED1335 are...
XD0-3 = X DRIVER DATA.......-->........VID0-3 = VIDEO DATA 0-3
XSCL = X DRIVER SHIFT CLOCK..-->..VCLK = VIDEO CLOCK
LP = LATCH PULSE.......-->.................HS = HORIZONTAL SYNC
YD = SCAN START PULSE.......-->.......VS = VERTICAL SYNC

Is there anything I'm missing?

Thanks for the help,
Schlepp

I forgot to add...

I'll be "trying" to interface it with a Planar EL640.200-SK.
I've got quite a pile of displays and have been hacking away with text ones for about a year.
I saw that display of Coorz http://lcdgallery.net/?f=view&lcdid=258
and once I realized that I had some similar to his.
Well, I just had to get to work on mine.

I've also gotten a hold of a Planar EL640.480AF1. I've got a friend working with a computer recycling firm; he is always on the look out for an old PCI video card with a C&T controller chip on it for me. Boy will that be lovely.

Schlepp

Schlepp,

Quite a pile? Of Planar EL ones? Interested in selling any? Specifically one of those 640x200 ones?

_________________
Syridian,
http://syridian.com

Hurry we want to see that!

_________________
My Plexeon-Insane LCD!-Or this one!-LCDinfo-LCDStudio

Hurry???
Did he say hurry???

Oh, I forgot to mention in my profile.
I have 3 kids. Yes, THREE!
And that means... afew minutes here and a few minutes there.

Actually, I've been working on a total case mod for my daughters' birthday and want to put the 640x200 into thier case. (yes, daughters' birthday as they BOTH turn 8 years old today)

TODAY... ah cr*p! I guess I WILL have to hurry this along.

I figured to have thier case done about 2 weeks ago; but I just never seem to have time. I've still got about 2 weeks more to finish it.
Now, if I can just stop playing/working with this display controller.

Schlepp

Ah 3 kids, finally someone i can talk to; got 2 myself
Very nice of you to mod for your daughter, however i do suggest testing the SK with SED before you gonna cut any holes for it, might not be that good looking.
So take yer time, but hurry for the kiddos, and congratz, have a great birthday party!

_________________
My Plexeon-Insane LCD!-Or this one!-LCDinfo-LCDStudio

I think it depends what you mean with "easy". If you are familiar with FPGA's and know how to work with them then I suppose it can be called easy. But if you don't then I can tell you that there are very many different models of Xilinx FPGA's and the one in these Planar boards seem pretty old and I don't think there's development tools available for these from Xilinx anymore. And as the FPGA is a programmable IC we don't know what it exactly does in the Planar board.


I think you pretty much have it there.


It's true that S1D13305 as a controller for Planar displays might not be very good looking for usual LPT port applications. But I hope to be able to offer something better for Planar displays after a while.

Just got back from the Birthday dinner. My how they grow up so fast.

And even though they(and my wife) will probably hate me for it later... I swear, I will make geeks out of them.
I've gotten bought my girls (they are 8 now) and my son (he's 3 1/2) into robotics. Lego MindStorm/Technic robotics, but it's a start. And had them banging away on the computer at an early age. The startling thing is the girls have a presentation coming up at school, soon. They are in the second grade, and they are using MS Power Point!!!! I'm not even comfortable using Power Point; let alone, know enough about it to help. Guess they will be teaching me.
OK then the FPGA is for further down the road. (after they learn to program it in the third grade) But I think for my tinkering the SED will be alright for my applications, and if my friend comes across a C&T video card then even better. And if Henri would HURRY UP with his "something to offer".
Oops, that was Coorz who said that.
I will keep at these EL screens and hopefully I will be able to offer help to those that have come across them too.

Schlepp

I have a EL320.240.36 HB and a EL640.480.AF1 coming this way, as well as the exact same controller card that was pictured earlier in this thread, so hopefully you will keep us posted with your progress?

Oh hey, another happy Wacky Willys customer! Thats where I got all my Planar screens too. Were there many of those planar interfaces left? I'd like to get at least one of my Planar screens working before I goto PXDLAN on March 18th. I'll be watching this thread to see how things go.

_________________
- autobot -

It is going. But, not with-out major hurdles.
I have traced every pin on the display and the "contoller" card, documented, drawn up skematics, designed an interface, checked and rechecked, and rechecked, and rechecked, and rechecked some more.
I have just finished up soldering together a "6h3tt0" interface. Which is nessesary, since the connectors are odd sized and not readily available. And also it lets me finalize my "L337" interface.
I'm ready to plug it all together and give it a try.

But, to be sure. I'm going to check and recheck, and recheck, and recheck, and recheck some more. Though I can say the screen works, and I got the intial test pattern.

Schlepp