Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Manual

Document revision 04-Apr-2003
This document applies to the MikroTik RouterOS V2.6

Overview

The MikroTik RouterOS supports the following LCD hardware:

Contents of the Manual

The following topics are covered in this manual:

Installation

The MikroTik Router should have the LCD software package installed. The software package file lcd-2.6.x.npk can be downloaded from MikroTik’s web page www.mikrotik.com To install the package, please upload the correct version file to the router and reboot. Use BINARY mode ftp transfer. After successful installation the package should be listed under the installed software packages list.

How to Connect PowerTip LCD to a Parallel Port

Data signals are connected that way:

DB25m Signal LCD Panel
1 Enable (Strobe) 6
2 Data 0 7
3 Data 1 8
4 Data 2 9
5 Data 3 10
6 Data 4 11
7 Data 5 12
8 Data 6 13
9 Data 7 14
14 Register Select 4
18-25, GND Ground 1,5,16

Powering:

Powering LCD

As there are only 16 pins for the PC1602 modules, you need not connect power to the 17th pin

GND and +5V can be taken from computer's internal power supply (use Black wire for GND and Red wire for +5V).

WARNING! Be very careful connecting power supply. We do not recommend using external power supplies. In no event shall MikroTikls be liable for any hardware damages.

Note that there are some PowerTip PC2404A modules that have different pin-out. Compare:

From www.powertip.com.tw (probably newer one)
From www.actron.de (probably older one)

Some LCDs may be connected without resistors:
DB25m Signal LCD Panel
18-25, GND Ground 1,3,5,16
+5V Power 2,15

Hardware Resource Usage

Before connecting the LCD, please check the availability of ports, their configuration, and free the desired port resource, if required. For serial LCD:

[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> /port print
  # NAME			     USED-BY			      BAUD-RATE
  0 serial0			     Serial Console		      9600
  1 serial1							      9600
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd>

Please install the LCD module hardware into the PC accordingly the instructions provided by the module manufacturer.

The basic installation steps should be as follows:

Configuring the LCD's Settings

The LCD configuration can be accessed under the menu system lcd

Use the /system lcd set command to configure the type and to enable the LCD.

For Powertip parallel port LCDs:

[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> print
	enabled: no
	   type: powertip
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> set enabled=yes
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> print
	enabled: yes
	   type: powertip
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd>

For Crystalfontz serial LCDs:

[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> set type=crystalfontz
ERROR: can't acquire requested port - already used
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> set type=crystalfontz serial-port=serial1
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> /port print
  # NAME			     USED-BY			      BAUD-RATE
  0 serial0			     Serial Console		      9600
  1 serial1			     LCP Panel			      9600
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd> print
	enabled: yes
	   type: crystalfontz
    serial-port: serial1
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd>
Note as You see, the first try to set LCD type failed because it wanted to use serial0 (that is commonly used for Serial Console) by default.

Argument description:

enabled - turns the LCD on or off
type - sets the type of the LCD (powertip, crystalfontz) serial-port - name of the port where the LCD is connected

LCD Information Display Configuration

The system lcd page menu is used for configuring the LCD information display. Use the system lcd page print command to see the configuration of the information display. Example output of the print command:

[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page> print
Flags: X - disabled
  #   DISPLAY-TIME	   DESCRIPTION
  0 X 5s		   System date and time
  1 X 5s		   System resources - cpu and memory load
  2 X 5s		   System uptime
  3 X 5s		   Aggregate traffic in packets/sec
  4 X 5s		   Aggregate traffic in bits/sec
  5 X 5s		   Software version and build info
  6 X 5s		   ether1
  7 X 5s		   prism1
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page> enable [find]
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page> print
Flags: X - disabled
  #   DISPLAY-TIME	   DESCRIPTION
  0   5s		   System date and time
  1   5s		   System resources - cpu and memory load
  2   5s		   System uptime
  3   5s		   Aggregate traffic in packets/sec
  4   5s		   Aggregate traffic in bits/sec
  5   5s		   Software version and build info
  6   5s		   ether1
  7   5s		   prism1
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page>
The output of the print command shows the number, time, and short description of the displayed information items. Use the enable command to enable the specified item, or the disable command to disable it.

Use the /system lcd page set command to set the display time for specified item.

[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page> set 0 display-time=10s
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page> print
Flags: X - disabled
  #   DISPLAY-TIME	   DESCRIPTION
  0   10s		   System date and time
  1   5s		   System resources - cpu and memory load
  2   5s		   System uptime
  3   5s		   Aggregate traffic in packets/sec
  4   5s		   Aggregate traffic in bits/sec
  5   5s		   Software version and build info
  6   5s		   ether1
  7   5s		   prism1
[admin@MikroTik] system lcd page>

LCD Troubleshooting

  1. LCD does not work, cannot be enabled by the /system lcd set enabled yes command.

    Probably the selected serial port is used by PPP client or server, or by the serial console.
    Check the availability and use of the ports by examining the output of the /port print command.
    Alternatively, select another port for connecting the LCD, or free up the desired port by disabling the related resource.

  2. LCD does not work, does not show any information.

    Probably none of the information display items have been enabled.
    Use the /system lcd page set command to enable the display.


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