All this international mailing stuff is incredibly tedious to sort through. Part of the problem is that some (many?) post office workers here don’t really know the regulations for international mail and give out incorrect information. For example, I was told by the post office that the boxes I have were too big to be shipped via the cheaper “First Class Mail International” and had to be sent via the much more expensive “Priority Mail International”. After reading the rules myself and discussions with SmashTV, my boxes are fine. So I will have to print out the regulations and take them with me to the post office to show them in case they refuse to use my boxes for first class. Ugh.
I just sent out invoices for all the international orders (except one- sent email instead confirming shipping charges are OK).
Please check your email inbox and if you did not get a PayPal request from me or if there is a problem with it, please email or send me a message via the forum.
When using this display you should not stuff resistor R12 on your core module unless you have an IIC module attached to your core.
Details
I was doing some work on my MB-FM Sunday night and noticed that my display was a bit unreliable with the current core (version 3 schematic - Smash TV board R4d). The problem was it would sometimes turn on but no characters would display. It worked perfectly on a version 2 schematic core module (which I have been using to test each LCD before I pack it - I have Smash TV board R3).
Investigation showed that the pull-up resistor R12 added in revision 3 of the core made the display somewhat unreliable. According to the core docs this is used if you have an IIC module attached. I don’t have an IIC module to test with (I have some on order from SmashTV now). Ultra’s MB-SEQ used this exact display with his Ultracore module that includes this pull up when used with IIC modules so this should not be a problem for MB-SEQ. For MB-FM you don’t need IIC modules so don’t stuff R12 for MB-FM.
So when you first test your display with a bare core module (you *are* testing as you go, right?) you should not stuff R12 to ensure the display is working with your core and your cable is wired correctly, etc. When you add in an IIC module then you should solder in R12.
I’ll report further details when I get my IIC modules for MB-SEQ.
BTW As Wilba discovered you need to keep the leads from the core to the FM board short, preferably under 10cm, or things get unreliable.
The interconnection from the Core to the FM module is a bit complex to do with headers. I tried this approach and then fried my LCD so I had to cut it off. When I went to solder a new LCD on (I’ve got plenty of replacements now it was making my head hurt to figuring out which wires went where so I decided to just make a “normal” LCD cable and solder the FM module ribbon cables to the bottom of the core as recommended by TK (so one end was soldered directly to the core pins on the bottom of the PCB and the other side has 2 female SIL headers). Having tried both methods, I’d recommend soldering directly to the core as in my second attempt.
I’ll have to post a pic of my FM module. Once I finish up the bulk order I plan on making a control surface PCB (unless I decide to just do it on perfboard). It would be my first PCB so we’ll see how that goes…
Update: All international orders are packed and boxed with address labels affixed. I still have to fill out the customs forms and print / attach invoices to the outside of the boxes and then I’m ready to go! Still looking good for Saturday shipping.
BTW I tested each display before packing each in an anti-static bag and wrapping each individually in bubble wrap. I found one display of the 70 I’ve tested so far that had a very, very minor defect (part of one pixel always stays on). It’s very minor (I’ll probably use that display myself on my MB-SEQ) but I’m glad I caught it. Anyway, each display I’m shipping should work 100%. If it doesn’t it was either damaged in shipping somehow, you soldered it wrong, or you left in R12 without an IIC module.
I shipped all the international orders today! We filled a whole cart - see the pic for the “work in progress” at the post office. Boops, I think the top box is yours.
I will send out an email to each of you with the customs # for your shipment later today or tomorrow.
Thanks again for everyone being so patient. I hope the displays bring lots of green goodness to your MB projects!
Well I won’t rest easy until all the LCDs arrive safely, but I think the hard part is over. I’m glad I’m handy with Excel and mail merge in Word since otherwise this would have been a ton more manual work. Sorting through the post office stuff was a huge pain, but thankfully SmashTV guided me expertly through the process, so huge props to him for that. Those receiving international orders will have an email from me that will look eerily familiar if you’ve ever ordered from SmashTV’s shop before.
Thanks again for all your help Wilba- it really made a huge difference.
If I ever do this again (who knows?) it will be *much* easier given all I’ve learned.
@Sirkit - Plenty LCDs still available, order away!
LCDs arrived yesterday. That was very fast coming all the way from the Live Music Capital of the World, Tx! Picked them up sans customs or suchas this very fine day in sunny Stockholm. Nicely done Chris! Go grab something at Chuy’s because you pulled it off 8)
it was making my head hurt to figuring out which wires went where so I decided to just make a “normal” LCD cable and solder the FM module ribbon cables to the bottom of the core as recommended by TK (so one end was soldered directly to the core pins on the bottom of the PCB and the other side has 2 female SIL headers). Having tried both methods, I’d recommend soldering directly to the core as in my second attempt.
thanks Cris.