Microcontroller User Interfaces - Revision history

Guestblinky: mention e-ink displays, etc.

2025-06-13T06:11:28Z

mention e-ink displays, etc.

DavidCary: link to article that goes into more detail on the subtopic

2022-08-12T01:25:20Z

link to article that goes into more detail on the subtopic

DavidCary: link to related articles, etc.

2015-12-07T04:22:08Z

link to related articles, etc.

Russ hensel: /* PC on Serial Port */

2010-04-26T19:33:15Z

PC on Serial Port

Russ hensel: /* Potentiometer */

2009-07-21T15:14:01Z

Potentiometer

Russ hensel: /* Input */

2009-07-08T22:46:17Z

Input

DavidCary: fill in some details

2009-07-08T14:02:49Z

fill in some details

Russ hensel: /* LCD */

2009-07-06T21:48:44Z

LCD

Russ hensel: /* 7 Segment Led */

2009-07-06T21:43:34Z

7 Segment Led

Russ hensel: /* Potiometer */

2009-07-06T21:40:40Z

Potiometer

@@ Line 89: / Line 89: @@
 : ''(Many [[watch display]] are graphical LCDs or OLEDs)''
 === PC on Serial Port ===
 Control with a terminal program or a custom application.  PC provides both input and output.
 *Pro 2 bit only.  Can have very fancy smart interface.  Can be very useful for debugging.
 *Con Needs PC.  May need custom application. For good flexibility needs a uart on the chip.
 [[category:Microcontroller]][[category:Serial Communications]]

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 *Con  Cost is about 10 bucks.  You may not have the 7 port bits available.
-: ''(Many [[watch display]] are character LCDs)''
+The Hitachi HD44780 parallel interface is extremely common on character LCDs.
 === graphical LCD or OLED ===

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 === 7 Segment Led ===
 * Pro: All segments matched brightness and packaged nicely.
 * Con: difficult to display letters
@@ Line 73: / Line 75: @@
 * Pro: Can have lots of characters, small displays are often 2 x 16.  Cost is about 10 bucks. Perhaps the simplest and lowest-power way to display text.
 *Con  Cost is about 10 bucks.  You may not have the 7 port bits available.
 === graphical LCD or OLED ===
 * Pro:
 * Con:  graphics often fill up and overflow whatever memory you have available. The person programming the system often spends huge amounts of time tweaking the graphics.
 === PC on Serial Port ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:33, 26 April 2010
Line 83:		Line 83:
	*Pro 2 bit only. Can have very fancy smart interface. Can be very useful for debugging.		*Pro 2 bit only. Can have very fancy smart interface. Can be very useful for debugging.
	*Con Needs PC. May need custom application. For good flexibility needs a uart on the chip.		*Con Needs PC. May need custom application. For good flexibility needs a uart on the chip.
		+
		+
		+	[[category:Microcontroller]][[category:Serial Communications]]

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 *Find Code at:
-=== Potentiometer ===
+=== Potentiometer Or Resistor Network and Switches ===
 Use to feed a voltage to an analog to digitial converter.  You sould be able to get quite a few discrete values out of this while still having it easy to use.  Instead of a pot you can use a rotary switch with fixed resistors switched.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 == Input ==
@@ Line 7: / Line 9: @@
 *Pro  Cheap, simple, uses only 1 bit port
 *Con  If you use a bunch uses a lot of port bits
 === Toggle switch ===
 === Rotary Switch ===
 *Pro
 *Con
+*Find Code at:
 Can be self decoding: position of switch indicates state of microcontroller.
 === Rotary Encoder ===
-*Pro
+*Pro  2 wire interface.
-*Con
+*Con  Code a bit complex, needs interrupt processing or fast polling.
 === Potentiometer ===

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 *Pro  Cheap, simple, uses only 1 bit port
 *Con  If you use a bunch uses a lot of port bits
 === Rotary Switch ===
@@ Line 28: / Line 30: @@
 *Pro
 *Con
 == Output ==
@@ Line 35: / Line 41: @@
 In its simplest form either on or off, slightly harder to read are various patterns of blinks.
-*Pro
+* Pro: easiest to program and lowest-cost user interface: from under $.10 for a tiny LED to a few dollars for a high-intensity LED. Can "read" from all the way across the room.
-*Con
+* Con: only shows 1 bit of information at a time
 === Multiple Led ===
 *Pro Cheap, simple, easy to drive.  One port bit per led ( untill you get to large numbers where ticks kick in )  Match with a pushbutton and state of the microcontroller and means to change it is simple.
-*Con Can use more port bits than you have.
+* Con: Can use more port bits than you have. Some LEDs may be dimmer than others. Uses more power than most other user interfaces.
-A shift register can make driving a large number easier.
+[[POV display]]
 === 7 Segment Led ===
-*Pro
+* Pro: All segments matched brightness and packaged nicely.
-*Con
+* Con: difficult to display letters
-=== LCD ===
+=== character LCD ===
 In the nibble mode mode needs a total of 7 port bits.  Some displays are backlit, others are not.
-*Pro Can have lots of characters, small displays are often 2 x 16.  Cost is about 10 bucks.
+* Pro: Can have lots of characters, small displays are often 2 x 16.  Cost is about 10 bucks. Perhaps the simplest and lowest-power way to display text.
 *Con  Cost is about 10 bucks.  You may not have the 7 port bits available.
 === PC on Serial Port ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:48, 6 July 2009
Line 50:		Line 50:

	=== LCD ===		=== LCD ===
		+	In the nibble mode mode needs a total of 7 port bits. Some displays are backlit, others are not.
		+
		+	*Pro Can have lots of characters, small displays are often 2 x 16. Cost is about 10 bucks.
		+	*Con Cost is about 10 bucks. You may not have the 7 port bits available.
		+
		+	=== PC on Serial Port ===
		+	Control with a terminal program or a custom application. PC provides both input and output.
		+
		+	*Pro 2 bit only. Can have very fancy smart interface. Can be very useful for debugging.
		+	*Con Needs PC. May need custom application. For good flexibility needs a uart on the chip.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:43, 6 July 2009
Line 46:		Line 46:

	=== 7 Segment Led ===		=== 7 Segment Led ===
		+	*Pro
		+	*Con

	=== LCD ===		=== LCD ===

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 *Con
-=== Potiometer ===
+=== Potentiometer ===
-*Pro
+Use to feed a voltage to an analog to digitial converter.  You sould be able to get quite a few discrete values out of this while still having it easy to use.  Instead of a pot you can use a rotary switch with fixed resistors switched.
 *Con
 === Keypad ===