Crystall Motion - CodeProject

Sample Image - CrystallMotion.gif

Introduction

this aricle uses:
1. Comunicating with parallel port
2. Serialization using binary and soap
3. DLL working
4. Dynamic Arrays
5. GUI
6. String Parsing.
7. System DateTime
8. Win_32 Classes (Win32_Processor, Win32_OperatingSystem, Win32_LogicalDisk, ...)

It uses the inpout32.dll to send data to parallel port.
This project has two sections first is lcd_Class. this class Parse any string that given to its properties and other values such as scrolling and wips and...
then send them to LCD.
This class can used with 1x8 .... 2x40 LCDs.

IT also can show you the system free and total memory, free and total space on each hadrdrive partition,
date and time in any formats, os version and name, cpu speed and manufacturer,
and can caculate the percent of given nembers (ex. percent free mem or hard drive) and show that in a prgress bar on your LCD.

for example if u send this string to the class:
Free space on C: $FREESPACE(C) ($FREESPACE%(C))
Free memory: $FREEMEMORY() (%PERCENT($FREEMEMORY(),$TOTALMEMORY())
LCD Shows:
Free space on C: 1.7GB (12%)
Free memory 246MB (45%)

Second is Gui and user interface, at this time this only designed for 2x16 LCDs but simply can cheanged to use with other models.
This part using Serialization to save lcd_Data in two forms Binary and Soap.
It also used bitwise operands to check witch line must be scroll for example.

If u want some information to build your own LCD. It's very simple with a little knowledge about electronics.

See this pages for wirings:
http://www.icehw.net
or
http://www.ocinside.de

Enjoy! Enjoy!

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