Datasheet GU128x64D-K610A8 Datasheet (NORITAKE-ITRON)

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

 128 x 64 High Brightness Dot Graphic Display
 Single 5V DC Supply
 4 ASCII Fonts ( 5x5, 5x7, 10x14, 7x15 )
 Asynchronous, SPI, I2C & Parallel interfaces
 8 User I/O Pins with Key Scanning Capability

The module includes the VFD glass, VF drivers and micro­controller, character generation, interface logic and transformer­less DC/DC converter. The interface type is selected by a push
button on the back of the module. Auto key scanning and general
I/O are available on port PA0 – PA7 for user control.

2.5∅ x 4

CON3

1

1

57.45

93.0

96.0 typ

17.6

CON2

1

CON1

28.65

1.5

10.7

ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION

Parameter Sym Min Typ Max Unit Condition

Supply Voltage Vcc 4.5 5.0 5.25 V VSS=0V
Supply Current Icc - 410 - mA Vcc=5V All dots
Logic High Input VIH 3.0 - Vcc V VCC=5V
Logic Low Input VIL -0.5 - 1.5 V VCC=5V
Logic High Output VOH 4.2 - - V IOH =-3mA Vcc=5V
Logic Low Output VOL - - 0.6 V IOL = 20mA

ENVIRONMENTAL and OPTICAL SPECIFICATION

Parameter Value

Display Area (XxY mm) 57.45 x 28.65
Dot Size/Pitch (XxY mm) 0.3 x 0.3/0.45 x 0.45
Luminance 800 cd/m2 Typ
Colour of Illumination Blue-Green (Filter for colours)
Operating Temperature
Storage Temperature
Operating Humidity (non condensing) 10 to 90% @ 25°C

SOFTWARE COMMAND SUMMARY

Command Type Description

Cursor Move ASCII commands for Back Space, Horizontal Tab, Line Feed, Home,

Character Write Display a character from the selected font and increments the cursor

Graphic Write Write graphical data directly to a display area in either orientation. It is

Macro Write Store combinations of commands and data in up to 8 macros to reduce

Area Control Set, clear, invert and outline an area of the display for easy creation of

Window Control Pre-define 2 areas of the display as windows in which commands and

Scroll Vertically or horizontally scroll data in either direction within an area

Flash / Wipe Flash selected window’s contents. / Perform a wipe action on the

Font Select Select proportional mini font, fixed spaced 5x7 font, fixed spaced 10x14

Key Scan Set I/O port to key scanning. The I/O ports are continuously scanned for

I/O Port Set I/O port direction. A ‘1’ indicates an input, a ‘0’ indicates an output. All

Brightness Set the display brightness. Level = F8H - FFH. F8H = display off. F9H =

Power On/Off Turn on VFD power supply (default)/Turn off VFD power supply (display’s

Set Up Display Set the serial communication interface. Clear or reset the display. Lock or

Vertical Tab, Carriage Return and Cursor Position

according to the write mode.

important to disable Hex receive mode. Set or clear individual pixels.

host communication time. Macro 0 operates at power on.

highlights and menu screens.

data for scroll, flash, wipe and pattern are active.

defined by window 1. Space padding, speed and repeat options.

selected window with predefined user patterns / wallpaper.

font. Use the extended font command for 7x15 font or advanced settings.

any key press and the connectivity data output to the serial port.

output lines are immediately set low.

minimum, FFH = maximum (default). Auto-fade to a defined level.

contents will be preserved). Current consumption is about 25mA.

unlock the EEPROM for macros and setup configuration.

-40°C to +85°C

-40°C to +85°C

2.4

40.5

3.0

7.9 typ

8.7 max

1.6

46.5 typ

Uses patent applied PSU which has no inductive components.

CON1

Pin Async SPI I2C

1 5V 5V 5V
2 Nc SCK Nc
3 RXD /SS SCL
4 Nc SIN Nc
5 0V 0V 0V
6 Nc SOUT Nc
7 TXD /IRQ SDA
8 /RES /RES /RES
9 MB MB MB
10 HB HB HB

Nc = Do Not Connect

Dimensions in mm & subject to tolerances.

Brown out detector active when RES is not connected.

CHARACTER SETS

MINI FONT (PROPORTIONAL SPACING)

5x7, 7x15 & 10x14 FONTS (FIXED SPACING)

The module defaults to an 8 line of 21 character display using
the 5x7 font with single pixel spacing. The cursor position
auto increments after each character write. The bottom left of
a character is placed at the cursor x,y. The M(odule) Busy
line indicates the module is busy when low. Connect the
H(ost) Busy input to the MBusy to disable handshaking. Use
the rear SMT button to select the configuration which is then
stored in EEPROM. To send commands as hexadecimal,
prefix the 2 bytes using character 60H.
Example: `10`3F`01 = Position dot x=64 y=1. To send
character 60H to the display, send 60H twice.

Please note that the module defaults to HEX Receive
Mode.

Subject to change

without notice.
Software command
syntax and port pin
out Copyright 2006

Noritake Co. Limited

Doc Ref: 10736 Iss.2

.

19 Jan 08

CON2

Pin Signal

1 0V
2 ENABLE
3 PA0
4 PA1
5 PA2
6 PA3
7 PA4
8 PA5
9 PA6
10 PA7

CONTACT

Noritake Sales Of fice Tel Nos

Nagoya Japan: [phone]

Canada: [phone]

Chicago USA: + 1-847-439-90 20

Munchen (D): [phone]

Itron UK: [phone]

Rest Europe: [phone]

www.noritake-itron.com

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

SOFTWARE COMMANDS

Instruction Data Format Description

Macro Start

(BUSY time depends on contents)

Back Space

(50µs)

Horizontal Tab

(50µs)

Line Feed

(50µs)

Home

(50us)

Vertical Tab

(50us)

Carriage Return

(50us)

Clear EOL

(2.5ms)

Test

(50µs)

Cursor Position

(50us)

Set Area

(50us + 1ms [last byte])

Clear Area

(50us + 1ms [last byte])

Invert Area

(50us + 1ms [last byte])

Set Outline

(50us + 1ms [last byte])

Clear Outline

(50us + 1ms [last byte])

Set Pixel

(50us)

Clear Pixel

(50us)

Graphic Write

(50us + 250us [each data byte])

Reset

(500us)

Write Mode

(50us)

Set Macro

(50us)

Brightness

(50us)

Erase Macros

(250ms)

Lock/Unlock EEPROM

(50us + 40ms [last byte])

Checksum

(50us)

Power On/Off

(50us)

Hex/Binary Mode

(50us)

Set Serial Comms 1BH + 49H + comms Set Asynchronous Communications. Takes affect at power-up or hardware reset.

Enable I/O Port

(50us + 80ms[last byte])

Set Port Lines

(50us)

Read Port

(50us)

Enable Key Scanning

(50us + 40ms[last byte])

Select Font (50us) 1CH / 1DH / 1EH Select font. 1CH = proportional mini font. 1DH= fixed spaced 5x7 font. 1E = fixed spaced 10x14 font.
Graphic Area Write

(50us + 250us [each data byte])

Hex Prefix

(50µs + 50us + command BUSY)

Character Write (500us) 20H - FFH Display character from selected font.

01H - 07H Start user defined macro 1-7.

08H Non destructive backspace. Cursor is moved left by the width of the currently select font. If the cursor is at the

left end of the display, no cursor movement is made.

09H Cursor is moved right by the width of the currently select font. If the cursor is at the end of the display, no

cursor movement is made.

0AH Moves the cursor down by the height of the currently selected font. If the cursor is at the bottom of the display,

no cursor movement is made.

0BH Moves the cursor horizontal position to 00H, the vertical positioning is dependent on the currently selected

font, allowing for immediate character writing in the top-left corner of the display.

0CH Moves the cursor up one character row. If the cursor is at the top of the top end of the display, no cursor

movement is made.

0DH Moves the cursor horizontal position to 00H. The vertical position is unchanged.

0EH Clear all characters from the current cursor position to the end of the display.

0FH Place module into self-test mode. The module will repetitively show a few test screens. The test mode will

stop on the next received byte.

10H + xpos + ypos Set the cursor position.

11H + xleft + ytop + xright + ybot Fill specified area. All dots within the specified area are illuminated. Please note that the cursor position is

affected with this command.

12H + xleft + ytop + xright + ybot Clear specified area. All dots within the specified area are cleared. Please note that the cursor position is

affected with this command.

13H + xleft + ytop + xright + ybot Invert specified area. All dots within the specified area are inverted. Please note that the cursor position is

affected with this command.

14H + xleft + ytop + xright + ybot Draw box outline. All dots within the specified outline are unchanged. Please note that the cursor position is

affected with this command.

15H + xleft + ytop + xright + ybot Clear box outline. All dots within the specified outline are unchanged. Please note that the cursor position is

affected with this command.

16H Illuminate a single pixel at the current cursor position.

17H Clear a single pixel at the current cursor position.

18H + len + data Write graphical data, length len, direct to display. See write mode command (1AH) for graphic orientation and

cursor movements.

19H Resets display to power-on defaults: - Display is cleared. 5x7 font selected. Write Mode = 00H

Brightness Level = 7. VFD Power = On.

1AH + data Bit 7 = graphic data orientation - 0 = horizontal, 1 = vertical (default = horizontal)

Bit 6 = cursor movement - 0 = horizontal, 1 = vertical (default = horizontal)
Bit 5 = cursor direction - 0 = forward, 1 = backwards (default = forwards)
Bit 4 = underscore cursor - 0 = off, 1 = on (default = off)
Bit 3 = underscore cursor - 0 = static, 1 = flash (default = static)
Bit 1/0 = pen type - 00 = overwrite, 01 = AND, 02 = OR, 03 = XOR (default = overwrite)

1BH + macro + len + data Send macro data to EEPROM. macro = 00H - 07H. Macro0 is executed at power-up only. A maximum of 468

bytes is allowed for macro data. The display may flicker whilst writing macro data.

1BH + level Set the display brightness. level = F8H - FFH. F8H = display off. F9H = minimum, FFH = maximum (default).

1BH + 4DH Clear all downloaded macros in EEPROM. Screen may blank momentarily while macro data is being erased.

1BH + 4CH / 55H All data contained within the non-volatile EEPROM is locked (4CH), and no changes are possible until the

unlock command (55H) is executed.

1BH + 43H All data received is added to the checksum. This command will read the lower 8-bits of that checksum, before

being cleared. Please note that the checksum is cleared when executing the test mode.

1BH + 50H / 46H 50H = Turn on VFD power supply (default).

46H = Turn off VFD power supply, display’s contents will be preserved.

1BH + 48H / 42H 48H = Enable hex receive mode, character 60H is interpreted as a hexadecimal prefix.

42H = Disable hex receive mode. Hex mode is enabled at power up.

Bit 7 = Automatic I/O Send On(1)/Off(0). Bit 6 = Packet Mode On(1)/Off(0).
Bit 5 = Communications Buffer On(1)/Off(0). Bit 2 = Parity Even(1)/None(0).
Bit 3/1/0 baud rate: - 000 = 4800 001 = 9600 010 = 19200 011 = 38400
100 = 57600 101 = 76800 110 = 1200 111 = 2400
Factory Default = 19200 with no parity, auto I/O send is off, packet mode off, buffer = off.

1BH + 44H + data Set I/O port direction. A ‘1’ indicates an input, a ‘0’ an output. All output lines are immediately set low. All input

lines have their pull-ups enabled. This value is stored in EEPROM and will automatically be set at power up.

1BH + 4FH + data Set Output lines on I/O port, a ‘1’ will set 5V on the output ports, or enable the pull-ups on the inputs.

1BH + 52H Read current I/O port status. A single byte is transmitted showing the current state of the I/O lines.

1BH + 4BH Set I/O port to key scanning. The I/O ports are continuously scanned for any key press. This mode is stored in

EEPROM and will automatically be selected at power up.

1FH + xl + yt + xr + yb + data Write graphic data within defined area. See write mode command (1AH) for graphic orientation and cursor

movements.

60H + dhH + dlH Write to the display module using a 2-byte hexadecimal number. dhH = high nibble, dlH = low nibble. E.g.

Sending `19 will reset the display.

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

Window 1 Select (50us) 1BH + 80H Select window 1 so that window and area command functions operate on the underlying data or text scroll.
Window 2 Select (50us) 1BH + 81H Select window 2 so that window and area command functions operate on the underlying data.
Window Define

(50us + 60us[last byte])

1BH + 82H +xl+yt+xr+yb Define window co-ordinates.

Window Mode (50us) 1BH + 83H + mode Set window mode: - 00H = Invert, 01H = Clear, 02H = Fill, 03H = Pattern.
Window Show (50us) 1BH + 84H Make selected window visible.
Window Flash

(50us)

1BH + 86H + no Flash selected window’s underlying data.

Flash type depends on window’s write mode.
no = number of flashes. FFH = infinite, 00H = stop flashing.

Window Flash Speed

(50us)

1BH + 87H + speed Set flash rate of selected window: -

0 = ~15ms 1 = ~30ms 2 = ~45ms 3 = ~100ms
4 = ~150ms 5 = ~200ms 6 = ~250ms 7 = ~350ms
8 = ~500ms 9 = ~750ms 10 = ~1.0sec 11 = ~1.5sec
11 = ~2.0sec 13 = ~2.5sec 14 = ~3.0sec 15 = ~3.5sec
Speed bits 4-7 = flash on duration, bits 0-3 = flash off duration.
Default speed = 88H (500ms on, 500ms off).

Window Wipe Effect

(50us)

1BH + 88H + wipe Perform a wipe action on the selected window’s underlying data: -

00H = left to right cover 01H = right to left cover
02H = top to bottom cover 03H = bottom to top cover
04H = left to right uncover 05H = right to left uncover
06H = top to bottom uncover 07H = bottom to top uncover
08H = horizontal centre to edge cover 09H = horizontal edge to centre uncover
0AH = vertical centre to edge cover 0BH = vertical edge to centre uncover
Note: All uncover wipes will alter the window co-ordinates.

Window Wipe Speed

(50us)

1BH + 89H + speed Set the wipe effect speed (pixels per second) for the selected window.

00H = halt wipe
01H = ~17Hz 02H = ~35Hz 03H = ~52Hz 04H = ~70Hz
05H = ~87Hz 06H = ~105Hz 07H = ~122Hz 08H = ~140Hz
09H = ~157Hz 0AH = ~175Hz 0BH = ~192Hz 0CH = ~210Hz
0DH = ~227Hz 0EH = ~245Hz 0FH = ~262Hz 10H = ~315Hz
The wipe effect duration depends upon the size of the window. Default speed = 04H (~70Hz).

Window Pattern Select

(50us)

1BH + 8DH + pat Select pre-defined pattern (00H-0FH) for window: -

Window Pattern Data

(50us)

Window Pattern Option

(50us)

1BH + 8EH + data A user 16x16 pixel pattern (32 bytes) can be defined for the selected window.

All data should be in vertical format with D7 uppermost.

1BH + 8FH + option Window Pattern Options: -

Bit 3 = invert pattern data.
Bit 2 = pattern alignment on / off.
Bit 1 = pattern align with top(1) or bottom(0) of window.
Bit 0 = pattern align with left(1) or right edge of window.
Default option = 00H (pattern alignment off & not inverted).

Scroll Text In Window 1

(50us + no of data bytes * 50us
[last byte])

1BH + 90H + mode + no + data Scroll text data within area defined by window 1.

mode bits 1&0 = direction: ­ 00 = Scroll Up 01 = Scroll Down 10 = Scroll Left 11 = Scroll Right

mode bit 4 = scroll window's contents (yes/no)
mode bit 5 = pad end of text with spaces (yes/no)
no = repeat number (00H = infinite)
data = text to be scrolled with 00H = end of text. Use 0DH for multi-line scrolling messages.

Up to 8 rows of text can be scrolled horizontally.

Scroll Speed

(50us)

1BH + 91H + speed Set window 1 scroll speed (pixels per second): -

00H = halt scroll
01H = ~35Hz 02H = ~70Hz 03H = ~105Hz 04H = ~140Hz 05H = ~175Hz*
06H = ~210Hz* 07H = ~245Hz* 08H = ~315Hz*
*Horizontal scroll only. Default speed = 02H (~70Hz).

Select Extended Font

(50us)

1BH + 98H + font Select extended font: -

bits 0-2 = font number: ­ 00H = 5x5 ASCII mini font. 01H = 5x7 ASCII font. 02H = 10x14 ASCII font.
03H = 7x15 ASCII font. 04H = 5x7 Cyrillic font. 05H = 10x14 Cyrillic font.
bit 3 = proportional / fixed spacing. 1 = proportional, 0 = fixed.
bits 4-6 = horizontal font spacing 1-8 pixels, where 000 = 1 pixel through to 111 = 8 pixels.

Auto Fade

(50us)

1BH + 9CH + level Perform automatic fade to a defined level.

Bits 0-2 = luminance level, where 000 = off through to 111 = 100%.
Bits 4-5 = speed, where 00 = fast through to 11 = slow.

Command Delay

(50us + delay [last byte])

1BH + 9FH + delay Delay any pending commands: -

00H = wait for display scan to finish.
01H-F0H = multiple of 10ms delay period (10ms to 2.5 seconds).
F8H = wait for Scroll to finish.
FAH = wait for Window 1 Flash to finish.
FBH = wait for Window 2 Flash to finish.
FCH = wait for Window 1 Wipe to finish.
FDH = wait for Window 2 Wipe to finish.
Note: If scroll or flash is set to infinite repeat, the delay is ignored.

Important Notes: - Busy times are not inclusive of a 100us scan period, this must be taken into consideration. If the cursor is enabled, busy times will increase by
a further 50us. All coordinates are absolute. The origin (00H, 00H) is the top left of the display. All data shown is in hexadecimal format.

The Back Space (08H) command is disabled when using proportional font.

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

A

A

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

GU128x64D-K610A8 SETUP

The VFD module features a buffered asynchronous serial port and an unbuffered parallel port at CMOS level. Interface selection/set-up can be
made using the single push button switch on the back of the module. Pressing the switch for the first time will display the initial configuration
menu. On each subsequent switch press the menu pointer will advance. The current menu item will be selected if the switch is not pressed
within 2 seconds.

To select the required interface, press the switch until the ‘COMMS’ item has been selected.

Wait 2 seconds for the communication menu to be displayed. Press the switch until the required
communication method is selected. The factory default interface is “SERIAL”.

Wait 2 seconds for the interface menu to be displayed. Press the switch until the required
interface is selected. The factory default interface is “SPI”.

Wait 2 seconds for the related communication settings and select the property to be edited.

Wait 2 seconds to display the related communication settings. The current configuration is displayed
first. The factory default settings are “DATA: D7-D0”, “EDGE: RISE:”, “MODE: BUFFER”.

Note: Production items can be supplied with the configuration preset and fixed.

Interface selection example.

RESET TIMING

The module is reset when a low-level signal is applied to the /RES line. This will cause the
Module to clear the display, initialise the communication settings and set all power-up defaults.
During this initialisation period, the user must delay any transmission to the module. If the user
stores macros in EEPROM, the auto check and repair routine may take up to 9ms per stored
byte in addition to the standard reset time.

SYNCHRONOUS SERIAL COMMUNICATION (SPI)

/RES

DATA

>1.5us

30ms

Reset timing diagram

With synchronous communications enabled, data can be clocked into the VFD module using the rising or falling edge of SCK. This is
selectable by the push switch on the rear of the module which also sets the data order. By default, data is clocked in on the rising edge with the
most significant bit sent first. The host must provide adequate delays for the module to process the data. These busy times are specified in the
software command section. Alternatively the host can monitor the MB (Module Busy) line.

HOST
SYSTEM

I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O

SIN

SOUT

SCK

GU128x64D-K610A8

/SS
MB

/RES

VDD GND VDD GND

The /SS pin can be used as an enable pin if other devices are
connected to the SPI bus. The use of the /SS line is optional,
and can be permanently pulled low if not required. This is not
recommended since /SS ensures synchronisation of the SPI bus.

SCK (RISING)

SCK (FALLING)

SIN (D7-D0)

SIN (D0-D7)

>125ns

/SS

>65ns >125ns

D7

D0

MB

SPI Synchronous Serial Communication.

D6

D1

tBUSY + 10us

>125ns

D0

D7

<10us

D7

D6

D0

D1

D0

D7

ASYNCHRONOUS SERIAL COMMUNICATION

The asynchronous communication speed and parity can be set with the push switch on the rear of the module, or with the ‘SET SERIAL
COMMS’ command. The default settings are 19200 baud with no parity.

HOST
SYSTEM

TXD
RXD
DTR

CTS

I/O

RXD
TXD

GU128x64D-K610A8

HB
MB
/RES

VDD GND VDD GND

RXD

MB

synchronous serial communication from host system to VFD module.

The host busy line (HB) stops the module from sending data
to the host until the line falls. The use of the HB and MB lines
are optional, and can be connected together if not required.

TXD

HB

synchronous serial communication from VFD module to host system.

START

D0

D1 D2 D3 D4 D4 D5 D6

>2us

START

D0

D1 D2 D3 D4 D4 D5 D6

D7

PARITY

<10us tBUSY

STOP

D7

PARITY

STOP

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

A

Y

SDA

SC

tBUS

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

I2C COMMUNICATION

The I2C interface operates as a slave either in ‘slave receive’ or ‘slave transmit’ mode with a fixed address of 70H. A START condition is
signaled by driving SDA low while SCL is high. A STOP condition is signaled by driving SDA high while SCL is high. After a START condition is
detected followed by ‘SLA+W’ (R/W bit low) with an address of 70H, the command / data bytes may be stored in the serial / packet buffer if
selected (command data must not exceed buffer size). The module will pull SDA high during the 9

th

clock cycle of a data transfer to acknowledge
the receipt of a byte. Additional data may be sent after an adequate delay for the module to process the data providing the host receives an Ack.
If the host has not detected an Ack the data transfer must be started again by providing a STOP and START condition and SLA+W. When a read
command is sent the requested data is buffered then an I2C packet must be sent with SLA+R (R/W bit high) to read the command / data byte(s).
The host can monitor the MB (Module Busy) line to provide adequate delays.

HOST
SYSTEM

I/O

I/O

I/O

GU128x64D-K610A8

SCL

SDA

MB

VDD GND VDD GND

L

START SLA+W / SLA+R

MSB LSB R/W ACK

1 7 8 9

>1us

MSB LSB ACK

1 8 9

DATA

<10us

Y

STOP

The SCL and SDA lines are internally pulled up with 10K resistors.

PARALLEL COMMUNICATION

The 8 I/O lines can be configured as a slow parallel interface. Data on PA0-7 is clocked into the module with the Enable line, this can be set to
either a rising or falling edge trigger by the push switch on the back of the module. The host must keep the data stable for the time period
indicated in the timing diagram. The module busy line (MB) can be used in parallel communication mode.

HOST
SYSTEM

I/O

I/O

I/O

PA0-7

GU128x64D-K610A8

MB

ENABLE

VDD GND VDD GND

The input lines D0-D7 are not internally pulled up.

ENABLE (RISING)

ENABLE (FALLING)

D0 - D7

MB

Parallel Communication.

>125ns

DATA

<10us

>250ns >125ns

tBUSY

The host system should be configured to ensure the stability of these lines.

SERIAL BUFFER

A 256-byte serial receive buffer can be activated through the setup switch on the rear of the module. This buffer can be used with any of the
available serial communication modes. The buffer can also be enabled through the ‘Set Serial Comms’ command (see command table). Once
enabled, any I/O data transmitted from the display module due to a read request or automatic I/O read, will be preceded with an identification
character. Character 49H (‘I’) precedes I/O data bytes and 43H (‘C’) precedes checksum data bytes.

PACKET MODE

The packet mode offers a more secure communication for display writing. The packet mode can be used with any of the available serial
communication modes. The packet mode can also be enabled through the ‘Set Serial Comms’ command (see command table). Up to 32-bytes
of data can be sent to the display module, encapsulated with a header (02H) and footer (03H) byte. The length of the packet should follow the
header byte. An 8-bit checksum is used to validate the data. This checksum is the sum of the data bytes. The display acknowledges the packet
with a 50H (‘P’) code for successful transfer, or a 45H (‘E’) for a data error.

Example packet transfer: -

If an error occurs, the display module will discard the data, the host should then re-send the entire packet. If the packet is received correctly,
then the data is placed within the 256-byte receive buffer. The receive buffer is enabled automatically when using packet mode.

HEADER (02H) DATA LENGTH (1-32) DATA CHECKSUM FOOTER (03H) DATA DATA DATA

Packet format.

HEADER

LENGTH

02H 13H 19H 1BH 98H 0BH 10H 00H 0FH “Packet Write” 79H 03H

RESET SELECT FONT SET CURSOR TEXT

ACKNOWLEDGE

FOOTER CHECKSUMDAT

BYTE SENT

FROM DISPLA

50H

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

KEYBOARD CONTROL

All 8 I/O lines can be configured to scan a key matrix with up to 16 keys. The 1BH + 4BH command will configure the I/O lines to key scan
mode. The I/O port status will indicate the row/column position of the pressed key. The ENABLE line acts as hardware scan enable input, and
should be tied to ground.

GU128x64D

-K610A8

ENABLE

PA0

PA1

PA2

PA3

PA4
PA5
PA6
PA7

S4 S3 S2 S1

S8 S7 S6 S5

S12 S11 S10 S9

S16 S15 S14 S13

The following example enables the key-scanning mode and the automatic I/O send when
using asynchronous communications.

ENABLE KEY SCANNNG

1BH 4BH

AUTOMATIC I/O SEND

1BH 49H 82H

On each key press, the I/O port status will be sent out of the asynchronous
communication port. e.g. pressing key switch 1, the module will send 03H to the host
system.

When using synchronous serial communication, the /IRQ line will indicate when a key
has been pressed, the host should then issue a ‘Read Port’ command to determine the
I/O port status.

I/O CONTROL

The module contains simple Input and Output functions for the 8 I/O lines (PA0-PA7). All inputs include an
optional pull-up resistor, 30K-120K in value. The outputs can source ~5mA and sink ~30mA.

The following example sets up the I/O lines to control the 2 LED’s and provide a pull-up resistor for the
switch.

ENABLE I/O MODE

P0/1 = OUT, P7 = IN

SET I/O LINES

ENABLE P7 PULL-UP, TURN ON LED1&2

1BH 44H 80H

1BH 4FH 80H

With asynchronous communications enabled, the status of PA0-PA7 can be transmitted when a change in
level is detected on any pin. This automatic response mode can be enabled by using the ‘UART SETUP’
command. When this mode is enabled, the VFD module can reliably check port changes every 15ms. With
auto send disabled (default) a manual read command is required to determine the port status.

LED1 LED2

SW1

VDD

GU128x64D-

K610A8

PA0

PA1

PA7

GND

READ PORT

RESPONSE

1BH 52H

SW1 CLOSED

00H

When I/O control is used, the Enable line can be used as an active low
read or write strobe. With the I/O read command, the enable line will
clock before the module reads the I/O port status. With the I/O write
command, the enable line will clock after the I/O lines have been set.

SW1 OPEN

80H

ENABLE

PA0 - PA7

I/O WRITE I/O READ

I/O Write & Read.

~400ns ~400ns

<250ns

<250ns

DISPLAYING TEXT

0,0

The module contains 3 font sizes, a proportional mini-font, 5x7 pixel, and a 10x14 pixel font.
Characters of any size can be written to any part of the display. All data sent to the module from
20H to FFH is treated as character data. Characters are positioned above the current cursor
position, see Fig1. Each character written will include a one pixel space on the right side of the
character. After each character is written to the display, the cursor position is automatically
advanced. If the cursor position reaches the end of the display, the host must reposition to the

0,7

next line.

Cursor Positioning, example of writing 2 characters

6,7

from cursor position 0,7.

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

The following example displays two text messages in the center of the display.

5x7 FONT DISPLAY TEXT SET CURSOR DISPLAY TEXT SET CURSOR

1DH 10H 15H 1FH ‘NORITAKE ITRON’ 10H 1EH 27H ‘VFD MODULES’

The next example displays one line of text using the 10x14 font.

10x14 FONT DISPLAY TEXTSET CURSOR

Displaying text in the small 5x7 font.

The module can display a cursor to aid character positioning and text input. The
size of the cursor depends upon the currently selected font, and can be set to flash
or remain static.

1EH 10H 21H 27H ‘128x64’

Displaying text in the large 10x14 font.

5x7 FONT DISPLAY TEXT ENABLE FLASHING CURSOR SET CURSOR

1DH 10H 0DH 0EH ‘ENTER NAME: ’ 1AH 18H

Using the cursor to aid user input.

DISPLAYING GRAPHICS

Graphical images can be displayed on the VFD module in either a horizontal or vertical byte orientation. After each graphical data write, the
cursor is automatically advanced, depending upon the direction selected in the ‘Write Mode’ command. The most significant bit is positioned to
the top (vertical data) or to the left (horizontal data).

The following example displays a simple graphical image using horizontal graphic data. The write mode
is first set to horizontal data format, with a vertical cursor movement. The cursor is positioned before
sending the 8 byte of graphical data using the graphics command.

SET HORIZONTAL WRITE MODE

GRAPHIC DATA GRAPHIC WRITE SET CURSOR LENGTH

1AH 40H 10H 1FH 1CH 18H 08H 1CH 5CH 48H 3EH 1DH 1DH 14H 36H

The next example displays a simple graphical image using vertical graphical data. The write mode is
first set to vertical data format, with a horizontal cursor movement. The cursor is positioned, then the
top 20 bytes are sent using the graphic write command. The cursor is then repositioned to send the
bottom 20 graphical bytes.

SET VERTICAL WRITE MODE

GRAPHIC DATA GRAPHIC WRITE SET CURSOR LENGTH

1AH 80H 10H 47H 18H 18H 14H 00H 00H 00H 00H 07H 04H C7H FEH 72H 73H
32H 3EH 3FH 1DH 00H 00H 00H 00H 00H 00H

10H 47H 20H 18H 14H 00H 3CH 42H 81H B9H C1H 42H 7CH 20H D8H
FCH 3CH FCH CAH 49H B1H 89H 42H 3CH 00H

The graphic area write command 1FH uses top-left and bottom-right XY co-ordinates to define an
area to which graphical data bytes will be written. The orientation is set-up using the write mode
command 1AH. Unused bits are masked where the screen area is not a byte multiple.

MSB

Graphic Image using horizontal data

MSB

BYTE1 BYTE21

BYTE2

Graphic Image using vertical data

Displaying graphic images in vertical and horizontal format.

- 1CH

- 5CH

- 48H

- 3EH

- 1DH

- 1DH

- 14H

- 36H

BYTE19

BYTE20 BYTE40

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

AREA COMMANDS

The VFD module contains commands to fill, clear and invert defined areas of the display. Also an outline command is available to draw
rectangles around objects.

The following example displays three options for the user to select, each option is contained within a box with a shadow effect. Drawing
horizontal and vertical line using the fill area command creates the shadow effect.

SET CURSOR DISPLAY OPTIONS

10H 05H 23H ‘SETUP’
10H 2FH 23H ‘PRINT’
10H 5EH 23H ‘RUN’

BOX OUTLINE

TOP LEFT

Display options with simple text write.

BOTTOM RIGHT TOP LEFT BOX OUTLINE BOTT OM RIGHT

14H 00H 1AH 26H 24H
14H 2AH 1AH 50H 24H
14H 54H 1AH 7AH 24H

HORIZONTAL LINE SET AREA VERTICAL LINE FILL AREA

Boxes created using the ‘Set Outline’ comm and.

11H 01H 25H 27H 25H 11H 27H 1BH 27H 25H
11H 2BH 25H 51H 25H 11H 51H 1BH 51H 25H

11H 55H 25H 7BH 25H 11H 7BH 1BH 7BH 25H

Drop Shadows created with the ‘Set Area’ comm and.

The next example uses the invert area command to select one of the options.

INVERT AREA BOTTOM RIGHT

TOP LEFT

13H 55H 1BH 79H 23H

Option ‘Run’ selected with the ‘Invert Ar ea’ command.

WRITE MODES

By default, display data that is overwritten will be cleared prior to displaying any new data. This display data can be maintained whilst writing by
selecting the ‘OR’ mode with the ‘Write Mode’ command, this will effectively merge the old data with the new. The ‘AND’ write mode will only
display written data if existing data is present on the display. The other ‘Write Mode’ is ‘XOR’ which can be useful for writing text on an inverted
display.

The following example uses the XOR mode to write text on a full display.

WRITE MODE XOR M ODE SET AREA TOP LEFT BOTTOM RIGHT

1AH 03H 10H 18H 23H ‘INVERETED TEXT’

This next example uses the XOR mode to display the percentage completed on
a progress bar.

WRITE MODE XOR M ODE

1AH 03H 10H 38H 2BH ‘50%’

11H 00H 00H 7DH 3FH

Displaying inverted text using the ‘Write Mode’ command.

10H 26H 1DH ‘PROGRESS’
14H 00H 22H 7DH 2CH
11H 00H 22H 3CH 2CH

Using inverting text for displaying progress level.

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

MACROS

A string of data and commands can be sent to the module and stored in non-volatile EEPROM by using the macro feature. This string of data
and commands can then be executed by using just one command. Up to 8 macros can be used at any one time, one of these is executed at
power-up.

This example uses the first macro (Macro 0) to display an initial message at power-up.

WRITE TO MACRO-0 LENGTH

1BH 00H 24H

10H 1EH 1DH ‘PLEASE WAIT’
10H 06H 29H ‘INITIALISING SYSTEM’

This next example saves the previous graphic icon into Macro 1, and then is used as a user-defined character.

WRITE TO MACRO-1 LENGTH

1BH 01H 0CH

DISPLAY ICON DISPL AY ICON SET CURSOR SET CURSOR

1AH 40H 18H 08H 1CH 5CH
48H 3EH 1DH 1DH 14H 36H

10H 05H 15H 01H 10H 72H 14H 01H
10H 35H 1EH 01H 10H 46H 26H 01H

This example creates a display template, which can be helpful if many screens require the same look.

WRITE TO MACRO-2 LENGTH

RESET

1BH 02H 1BH

DISPLAY TEMPLATE SET CURSOR DISPLAY M ESSAGE

19H 14H 02H 02H 7BH 3DH 11H 00H 00H 04H 04H

11H 00H 3BH 04H 3FH 11H 79H 00H 7DH 04H
11H 79H 3BH 7DH 3FH

02H 10H 1CH 23H ‘SYSTEM READY’

EEPROM PROTECTION

The EEPROM contains information such as macro data, asynchronous communication settings and I/O configuration. So it is important to
protect this information from stray commands due to communication failures. To protect the EEPROM, the module contains a ‘EEPROM Lock’
command (1BH + 4CH). Once this command is issued, no further EEPROM updates can be made until it is unlocked (1BH + 55H). This
feature is also accessible from the set up menu, using the push button switch on the rear of the module. During reset, EEPROM is
automatically checked and repaired. When macros are stored, the module remains busy for 9ms per stored byte.

USING THE CHECKSUM

All data written to the module is added to an internal checksum. The lower 8-bits of this checksum can be read at any time from the module by
the host system to confirm accurate data transfer. It is up to the user if or when this feature should be used. The checksum is cleared at power­up and after each checksum read.

Example: Read checksum at power-up, or directly after it has been cleared.

Example: Read checksum after data has been written to the display.

POWER-UP MESSAGE

GRAPHIC DATA

AREA COMMANDS

READ CHECKSUM

1BH 43H

Power-Up message using Macro 0.

Using Macros as user-defined characters.

Using Macros as a screen template.

CHECKSUM

SENT TO HOST

5EH

WRITE DATA

19H 31H 32H 33H

READ CHECKSUM

1BH 43H

CHECKSUM

SENT TO HOST

0DH

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

WINDOWS

The user can create 2 independent windows which can manipulate underlying display information without changing the data stored in RAM.
The window area can be filled with pattern data as well as flashing and wipe effects. Window 1 can be used for scrolling multi-line text.
Window examples: -

SELECT FONT

1BH 98H 0AH 10H 0EH 15H “WELCOME TO”
10H 17H 27H “NORITAKE”
10H 26H 39H “ITRON”

SET CURSOR

DISPLAY TEXT

SELECT WINDOW 1 DEFINE WINDOW CO-ORDINATES

WINDOW FILL SHOW WINDOW

1BH 80H 1BH 82H 10H 04H 2FH 3DH
1BH 83H 02H 1BH 84H

1BH 81H 1BH 82H 50H 04H 6FH 3DH
1BH 83H 00H 1BH 84H

SELECT WINDOW 2 DEFINE WINDOW CO-ORDINATES

WINDOW INVERT SHOW WINDOW

Display without windows.

Display 2 windows: - Fill & Invert.

FLASHING

The 2 windows can be utilized for display area flashing. The window flash speed and the flash amount are user-defined. The display’s contents
are preserved during the flash period. The flashing can also be stopped at any time.

Invert flash example: -

SELECT FONT

1BH 98H 09H 10H 27H 1FH “WARNING!!!”
10H 17H 27H “Power Overload”

WINDOW INVERT INFINITE FLASH

1BH 80H 1BH 82H 26H 17H 54H 1FH
1BH 83H 00H 1BH 86H FFH

SET CURSOR

DEFINE WINDOW CO-ORDINATESSELECT WINDOW 1

DISPLAY TEXT

The window mode can be changed to ‘clear’ for a flash on/off effect.
The flash on and off time duration are independent, and can be set at anytime: -

WINDOW CLEAR FLASH SPEED

1BH 83H 01H 1BH 87H 44H

Window flashing.

SCROLL

The module has the ability to scroll multi-line text within any area of the display defined by window 1. Text can be scrolled in a horizontal or
vertical direction. The scroll operates independently from other commands, allowing display changes during the scroll effect. All scroll data is
stored within a separate 256-byte buffer. Scrolls can be repeated a defined amount, and any font can be chosen. For multi-line scrolls, each
line should be terminated by a carriage return code (0DH). A maximum of 8-lines can be scrolled horizontally.

Scroll example: -

SELECT WINDOW 1 DEFINE WINDOW CO-ORDINATES

1BH 80H 1BH 82H 10H 10H 67H 2FH

1BH 98H 0BH

1BH 90H 02H 01H “Scrolling” 0DH “Text Message” 00H

SCROLL LEFT ONCE SCROLL TEXT SCROLL TEXTNEW LINE TEXT END

SELECT FONT

Scrolling horizontal text data.

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

PATTERNS

One of 16 pre-defined pattern designs can be selected, and each window can have a uniquely associated
pattern. Each pattern consists of 16x16 pixels and can be aligned to the top-left, top-right, bottom-left or
bottom-right corner of the window. The pattern data can be inverted (negative image) if required. A user
defined pattern can also be created for each window.

86H

FEH

7EH

00H

FCH

86H

86H

86H

86H

FEH

7EH

00H

FCH

86H

86H

86H

Pattern example: -

SELECT WINDOW 1

ENABLE PATTERN

SHOW WINDOW

DEFINE WINDOW CO-ORDINATES

1BH 80H 1BH 82H 00H 00H 7FH 3FH

1BH 83H 03H 1BH 84H

1BH 8EH

DEFINE PATTERN 32-BYTE PATTERN DATA

86H FCH FEH 86H 7EH 86H 00H 86H FCH 86H 86H FEH 86H 7EH 86H 00H

86H FCH FEH 86H 7EH 86H 00H 86H FCH 86H 86H FEH 86H 7EH 86H 00H

INVERT

1BH 8FH 08H

FCH

Custom Pattern Data.

Define custom pattern.

86H

86H

86H

86H

FEH

7EH

00H

FCH

86H

86H

86H

86H

FEH

7EH

00H

WIPE EFFECTS

The wipe commands modify the window co-ordinates to cover or uncover the display data. The display data is retained when using any of the
wipes. The wipe effects operate independently from other commands, allowing display changes during the effect. The time duration of the wipe
effect is dependant upon the defined wipe speed and the window size. The window mode is used to select the wipe fill type - Clear, Fill, Invert
or Pattern. A curtain effect can be created using a pattern wipe with the align feature, the pattern data will scroll in unison with the wipe.

There are 12 wipe actions to choose from: -

00H - Left-to-Right Cover. 01H - Right -to-Left Cover. 02H - Top-to-Bottom Cover. 03H - Bottom-to-Top Cover.

04H - Left-to-Right Uncover. 05H - Right -to-Left Uncover. 06H - Top-to-Bottom Uncover. 07H - Bottom-to-Top Uncover.

08H - H. Centre-to-Edge Cover. 09H - H. Edge-to-Centre Uncover. 0AH - V. Centre-to-Edge Cover. 0BH - V. Edge-to-Centre Uncover.

Wipe examples: -

SELECT WINDOW 1 DEFINE WINDOW CO-ORDINATES

1BH 80H 1BH 82H 00H 00H 7FH 3FH

1BH 83H 03H 1BH 88H 02H

ENABLE WIPE PATTERN START WIPE DOWN EFFECT

Wipe down effect with pattern enabled.

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8

Dot Graphic VFD Module GU128x64D-K610A8

CHANGE WIPE PATTERN LOCK PATTERN TO BOTTOM OF WINDOW

1BH 8DH 07H 1BH 8FH 06H

SELECT 7x15 FONT SET CURSOR

DISPLAY TEXT

Change pattern.

1BH 98H 0BH 10H 22H 20H “Welcome to”
10H 17H 30H “Noritake Itron”

1BH 88H 07H

UNCOVER WIPE EFFECT

Uncover hidden text.

ADDITIONAL FONTS

Cyrillic 5x7 & 10x14 Font Standard 7x15 Font

NORITAKE ITRON VFD MODULES GU128x64D-K610A8