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I just got a batch of LED matrix modules from Sure Electronics (http://www.sureelectronics.net/goods.php?id=1120) and a driver board (http://www.sureelectronics.net/goods.php?id=972).

I've got it wired up, and connected to my Mac. I found the right drivers, and I'm now able to send text to the displays using the virtual COM port, as per the documentation from Sure Electronic's website: 

start with "0xFE,0x47 (G) 0x01,0x01" followed by 16 characters - display the 16 characters in the first row
start with "0xFE,0x47 (G) 0x01,0x02" followed by 16 characters - display the 16 characters in the second row

The plan is to hook it all up to a Raspberry Pi (when I eventually get one) and use it all to display information from a web service.

However, this setup is not optimal. The driver board requires some initialization each time it is powered up, in order to be available via USB. Also, I'd like more control over the display of characters (this setup, for instance, does not support non-ASCII characters, or text scrolling).

Heavy googling has led me to believe that I need to go deeper into the HT1632 chip on the driver board. The documentation from Sure Electronics is sparse.

The goal would be to be able to address each LED pixel individually from my code running on my computer (as in a 2D array of booleans, for example).

I'm totally new to micro programming, so I have no idea where to start. What do I need to do in order to program it? Can I even modify the code of the driver board, or do I need another kind of driver board? And how do I automate the boot up sequence, so that the board is automatically USB enabled?

Also, I'm mostly a Java/Web developer guy, so I would like to avoid as much C programming as possible.

If anyone with experience with this kind of programming could point me in the right direction to start, I would be grateful.

Vidar S. Ramdal
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3 Answers3

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Most microcontrollers can be programmed but you'll need to do things like set their reset pins to a higher voltage to put them into "programming mode", or in some other way signal them to do that. A brief look at the hardware you purchased indicates the micro is integrated into the board, so unless they support reprogramming of the controller they're using, you'd have to remove it from the board, hook it up to a programmer board, and then use whatever software comes with the programmer board to backup, modify, whatever the code on the controller.

I can't tell based on the small look I had at it which options are going to be available in this case, but that at least lets you know how it all hooks in in general.

Ultimately though, if you're a Java guy you're probably not going to enjoy micro programming - it's a totally different ballgame. You're also going to have to spend significant time in at least variants of C (and possibly occasional jumps to Assembly for things like control registers etc), because most hobby micros do not have nearly enough memory in general or powerful enough processors to run anything approaching the complexity of Java.

Jon Marnock
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Also, I'm mostly a Java/Web developer guy, so I would like to avoid as much C programming as possible.

You're going to have to learn to live with C if you wish to do much of anything with microcontrollers, at least have a passing knowledge anyway. Most code you'll see for microcontrollers is written in C. Even if you don't want to write it, you'll at least need to be able to read it.

Also, http://arduino.cc/playground/Main/HT1632C indicates how to set a font for that board and such. I'm sure it's possible to control individual pixels, but if you're planning on circumventing using their font support on their board and instead draw each letter by toggling pixels, your display is going to update very slowly...

Earlz
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I do not know the HT1632, but you should be able to get hold of the data sheet for it. Firstly you need to find out if the device is field programmable. Some (most?) are these days, but it's significantly cheaper to produce from One Time Programmable devices. From there, work out how to get a simple program to run - such as toggle a port pin and monitor it with an oscilloscope, then you may be able to get the LED display to work.

From the HT1632 data sheet, you may be able to find a way to get it into debug/programming mode. Does it have JTag?

Given your lack of experience, you will need to rely on perspiration and inspiration. To achieve what you are trying you would almost certainly need details from Sure Electronics about the board schematics.

EDIT: I scanned the manual. It appears that the driver board starts in serial mode- it has a serial port with no connector, but I did not find out if the serial is RS232 ot TTL level signals. What you should be able to do is attach your Mac to the serial port (You can by an RS232 dongle for this).

mattnz
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