LCD Interface with myRIO

Objective
- Make user interface for myRIO
- Send and receive string commands or results to/from proprietary software via serial
communication
- Make example VI for controlling meter object, controlling scope object and reading slider object
on the LCD display

Hardware List
NI-myRIO
SK-32PTU (Starter Kit)
This item includes the following:
- uLCD-32PTU Display Module
- 2GB microSD Card
- uUSB-PA5 Programming Adaptor
- 150mm 5 way Female-Female jumper cable, for quick connection to another device
or breadboard
- 5 way Male-Male adaptor (for converting the Female-Female cable to be Male-
Female)
uUSB-PA5 Programming Adaptor
Cable jumper
Software List
LabVIEW 2013 or later
Labview Real Time 2013
Labview FPGA 2013
Labview myRIO Driver (Included in myRIO DVD 1)
Workshop Genie 4.0
Hardware Setup
Debugging/Development Mode using PC

Figure 1. Connection uLCD 32PTU to PC
Stand alone using NI myRIO




4D Systems
uLCD 32PTU
NI myRIO

Figure 2. Connection uLCD 32PTU to NI myRIO


Software Setup
Installing Workshop Software
Installing Workshop.
1. Double-click WORKSHOP4 INSTALLER.4.1.0.28
2. Click Next
3. In License Agreement section, click I Agree.
4. In Choose Install Location section, click Next. It will require around 310 MB harddisk space
5. Select program folder, click Next
6. In next section, click next to begin installation
7. After the installation is completed, click Close.
8. Youve now installed Workshop 4D Systems

Create user Interface in uLCD 32 PTU
1. Open Workshop IDE
2. Click New, choose product uLCD-32PTU


3. uLCD 32PTU use only USB Programming Cable from 4D Systems. Be careful when using USB
UART from another brand instead of 4D systems or warranty will be void.
4. Choose environment, click ViSi Genie arrow. We will use ViSi Genie environment to create user
interface in LCD

5. We will create user interface in LCD consisting,
a. 2 objects of Meter
b. 2 objects of Slider
c. 2 objects of Scopes
As shown below,

6. In ViSi Genie Environment, Click tab Gauges and click Meter icon, click on the blank LCD panel to
place Meter icon on LCD


Place all object as shown in picture step 5

7. You can modify the properties of object in Workshop ViSi Genie. For example, you can set
minimum and maximum value of Meter objects (default: minimum 0, maximum 100). In this
documentation, we will leave all objects properties as default
8. Save the Visi Genie Project
Downloading project into SD card
9. Prepare and insert SD Card from uLCD 32PTU into PC
10. Click Build Copy/Load


11. After finish build, it will ask which drive to use. Select the drive which uSD card is inserted


12. Reinsert uSD card into uLCD 32PTU
13. Turn on the LCD by connecting power supply 5V and ground to pin serial in LCD
14. After turning on, you should see the display of meter that you build in ViSi Genie in the LCD
screen

Debugging using workshop GTX
We can check the command for controlling using GTX
1. Connect uLCD 32PTU to PC using uUSB-PA5 Programming Adaptor as shown in figure 1
2. Start Workshop and open file project which is used in uLCD
3. Select Tools > GTX
4. The display should shows control of objects we have created on this project,

5. We can send the serial command to Set value to object or we can send serial command to
Query to get the value of object.
6. The command is represented as hexadecimal string. Once the command is sent, uLCd will
response.

Command from PC is represented in green, response from uLCD is represented in red
7. We can see the change in uLCD hardware s we send the command



Development using Labview and NI-VISA
Sending serial command from PC to uLCD 32PTU can be done by using Labview and NI VISA. Here is
an example about how to write program to send command to Set meter value using NI VISA
1. Serial command to uLCD 32PTU consists of several parameter , refer to documentation ViSi-
Genie-Reference-Manual-REV1.pdf for more detailed command
- Byte 1 : Command write
- Byte 2 : Object ID
- Byte 3 : Object Index
- Byte 4 : MSB
- Byte 5 : LSB
- Byte 6 : Checksum CRC
2. For meter write command, we can set byte 1 and byte 2 as a constant (0110)
3. Byte 3,4,5 we can derive the value from parameter in control
4. Checksum CRC is generated by calculating and XOR-ing byte 1 to byte 5
5. The representation of byte in serial command is converted into hexadecimal string
6. Use Visa Write function to send the command from PC to uLCD
7. Use Visa Read function to read response drom uLCD.

8. Use the same method for another object (Slider, scope) and save it as a subVI
9. Open Interface4d project under LCD VISA folder. Open Main.vi
10. When program below executes, it reads slider value, get the value and use the value for
writing meter and writing scope

11. Use VISA Configure Serial to set the configuration of serial setting and resource name

12. Use Visa Close to end device session
13. When the VI is running, we can control the meter and scope by moving the slider.


Implementation in NI myRIO
We will implement the serial command for uLCD 32PTU using myRIO. But we will use digital input
output as port Tx and Rx in serial communication. Because we cannot use NI VISA, we will build
serial communication protocol in myRIO FPGA connected to I/O digital input output.
Installing Software in NI myRIO
1. Ensure that the following software is installed in the NI myRIO:

2. By default the software NI myRIO 13.0.1 is already installed. But in case of it is deleted because
of formatted after previous use. You can find the software in NI myRIO CD

Implement Serial Communication on Digital Input and Output of NI myRIO
In this step, we will implement serial communication into FPGA into NI myRIO. Everytime we modify
the FPGA vi we must synthesize the code into gated level code which stored in bitfile.
14. Open RS232 LCD myRIO lvproj project file
15. Right click NI myRIO and click Connect


16. Verify the code which implemented in FPGA, click FPGA Target, and open FPGA Main block
Diagram.

We can see the Digital Input Output port used for serial Tx (DIO0) and Rx (DIO4). You can
change for desired your settings.

17. Expand Chassis (myRIO-1990) , click FPGA Target, open Build Specification

18. Right Click FPGA Main, click Rebuild. Choose compile server, select Use the local compile
server. Wait for Xilinx compiler to synthesize the gate level.

19. The synthesized gate is saved into file image bitfile with extension *.lvbitx in FPGA bitfiles
folder.
Implement bitfile into Realtime VI
We already made gated level configuration of FGPA into bitfile. We will implement this code in
serial communication. As we know, the common function serial communication is
- Serial Init
- Serial Read
- Serial Write
- Serial Close
The function is implemented in folder Real Time VI. And because we made change in FPGA code
and made new FPGA bitfiles, we need to modify the FPGA reference on those real time VI. This
step is
20. Open LV Serial Init VI, double click FPGA Main terminal


21. Choose Bitfile and browse the bitfile code we already made before, and click the bind FPGA
host reference to type definition. And save it on FPGAref.ctl. save the VI
22. Check all other VI (LV Serial Close, Read, Write) and see whether any broken wire.
23. If there is any broken wire, use FPGA ref.ctl as a control of FPGA Interface in and as an
indicator of FPGA Interface out
Using Application to read Slider, write Meter and write Scope
To read data from LCD and write data to LCD. The program is using serial communication. In this
documentation, the command for reading slider object, writing meter object and writing scope
object is presented. For specific command and more object command, refer to documentation ViSi-
Genie-Reference-Manual-REV1.pdf
Using Slider Read

This VI is used for reading data.
Input
- FPGA Interface In : Input of FPGA reference
- Object Index : Object ID to differ several object
- Error In : error cluster input
Output
- FPGA Interface Out : Output of FPGA reference
- Value Read : Value read from slider in integer
- Error Out : error cluster output
Using Meter Read

Input
- FPGA Interface In : Input of FPGA reference
- Object Index : Object ID to differ several object
- Error In : error cluster input
Output
- FPGA Interface Out : Output of FPGA reference
- Error Out : error cluster output
Using Scope Write

Input
- FPGA Interface In : Input of FPGA reference
- Object Index : Object ID to differ several object
- Error In : error cluster input
Output
- FPGA Interface Out : Output of FPGA reference
- Error Out : error cluster output
Guide to write application of specific object in LCD 32PTU
1. Refer to Documentation Genie-Reference-Manual-REV1.pdf for command list of Visi Genie
command.
2. The VI of specific command of an object must consists of serial write part and serial read
part

Serial Write
Serial Read
- Command
- Object ID
- Parameter
- CRC
- Response


3. Refer to this table (also available on Visi genie Documentation) for Serial write command

4. The command is represented as Hexadecimal of String.
5. Here is an example of application design of Slider Read.
Command : 4 byte : 1x00 , 1x04 , 1 byte object index, 1 byte checksum CRC
Response : 6 byte : 1x05, 1x10 , 1 byte MSB, 1 byte LSB , 1 byte checksum CRC



6. Here is an example of application design of Meter Write
Command : 6 byte : 1x01 , 1x10 , 1 byte MSB , 1 byte LSB , 1 byte checksum CRC
Response : 1 byte : 1x06 if success or 1x15 if fail



Implementing application with Labview real time
In this step, we will implement the VI in NI myRIO and use Labview in PC for debugging and
development purpose.

1. Setup the hardware configuration as shown in Hardware Section.
Warning : Use only USB UART TTL of 4D system (TTL 0 5V) for connection. Dont connect it to serial
port of external device (TTL 0 - > 12 V)
2. Open file CheckSLiderMeter.vi

3. This example shows the process of reading value in slide and then writing the value into
Meter and Scope. You can modify the application, for example showing sinusoidal wave in
Scope, or randomly generating number and show it in Meter objects.


4. The serial setting of LCD 32PTU is as below,
o Baud rate : 9600 bps
o Data bits : 8
o Parity : None
o Stop bits : 1 bit
o Invert Polarity : True

5. Right Click on CheckSliderMeter and select Deploy
6. Run the VI.
7. Try to change the value of Slider in LCD, see what happen to Meter and Scope objects.The
Meter and Scope should follow the movement of Slider.
8. Click stop button in PC Front Panel to stop the program