MTL Instruments MTL647, MTL646 Programming Guide

Download

MTL646/647

IS Text Display–Programming Manual

Instruction Manual

INM646-7PG

Contents

INM646-7PG-2

September 2003

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................1

What’s in this Programming Guide.............................................................................................................................1

What’s in the Instruction Manuals..............................................................................................................................1

Other sources of information.......................................................................................................................................1

Instrument Features.........................................................................................................................................................2

Display..........................................................................................................................................................................2

Switch Inputs................................................................................................................................................................2

Switch Outputs .............................................................................................................................................................2

A few words about Modes…............................................................................................................................................3

Display Features ...............................................................................................................................................................4

Write Modes..................................................................................................................................................................4

Background Modes......................................................................................................................................................5

Frames...............................................................................................................................................................................6

Active and Visible Frames...........................................................................................................................................6

Saved Frame Locations................................................................................................................................................7

The MTL Protocol............................................................................................................................................................8

Command format .........................................................................................................................................................9

Response format...........................................................................................................................................................9

Operational Modes.......................................................................................................................................................9

CRC Generation.........................................................................................................................................................10

Multidrop Operation:.................................................................................................................................................10

Graphics Transfers.........................................................................................................................................................11

File Format ................................................................................................................................................................11

Downloads..................................................................................................................................................................11

Uploads.......................................................................................................................................................................12

Command Summary ......................................................................................................................................................13

Screen Handling & Text............................................................................................................................................13

Attributes ....................................................................................................................................................................14

Line Graphics.............................................................................................................................................................14

Pixel Graphics............................................................................................................................................................15

System.........................................................................................................................................................................15

Command Reference ......................................................................................................................................................16

<..> <AFn> <BDy,x,l> <BMn> <CA> <CCn> <CE> <CI> <CLn> <CMy,x> <CP> <CRn,m> <CS> <CW> <DFn> <DG> <DS>

<DWyt,yb,xl,xr> Define Window....................................................................................................................... 34

Command...............................................................................................................................17

Active Frame.......................................................................................................................... 18

Box Draw............................................................................................................................... 19

Background Mode.................................................................................................................. 20

Centre Align...........................................................................................................................21

Check Code............................................................................................................................22

Configuration Enable.............................................................................................................23

Command Implement............................................................................................................. 24

Clear Line.............................................................................................................................. 25

Cursor Move.......................................................................................................................... 26

Configuration Prohibit...........................................................................................................27

Cyclic Redundancy Check......................................................................................................28

Clear Screen ..........................................................................................................................29

Clear Window........................................................................................................................ 30

Download Font...................................................................................................................... 31

Download Graphic.................................................................................................................32

Download Screen...................................................................................................................33

Enable Flashing.....................................................................................................................35

Erase Line..............................................................................................................................36

Font 1..................................................................................................................................... 37

Font 2..................................................................................................................................... 38

Font 3..................................................................................................................................... 39

Font 4..................................................................................................................................... 40

<HSm,n,r,s,t,u,v> Horizontal Scroll....................................................................................................................48

<WTmessage> Write Text............................................................................................................................... 86

Font 5..................................................................................................................................... 41

Flashing................................................................................................................................. 42

Font Restore........................................................................................................................... 43

Fill Screen.................................................................................................................... .......... 44

Fill Window............................................................................................................................45

Horizontal Bargraph..............................................................................................................46

Home Cursor..........................................................................................................................47

Inhibit Flashing......................................................................................................................49

Keep Fonts............................................................................................................................. 50

Left Align................................................................................................................................51

Line Feed ...............................................................................................................................52

Line Horizontal......................................................................................................................53

Line New................................................................................................................................ 54

Line Vertical ..........................................................................................................................55

Make Connection................................................................................................................... 56

No Align.................................................................................................................................57

No Linefeed............................................................................................................................58

No Underline..........................................................................................................................59

Output De-energised..............................................................................................................60

Output Energised................................................................................................................... 61

Pixel Mode............................................................................................................................. 62

Right Align............................................................................................................................. 63

Reboot....................................................................................................................................64

Release Connection................................................................................................................ 65

Restore Frame........................................................................................................................66

Restore Logo..........................................................................................................................67

Row Mode.............................................................................................................................. 68

Request Status........................................................................................................................69

Set Backlight.......................................................................................................................... 70

Screen Defaults......................................................................................................................71

Save Frame............................................................................................................................ 72

Save Logo............................................................................................................................... 74

Steady..................................................................................................................................... 75

Smart Wrap............................................................................................................................76

Time Out ................................................................................................................................77

Text Wrap............................................................................................................................... 78

Upload Enable.......................................................................................................................79

UnderLine.............................................................................................................................. 80

Upload Screen........................................................................................................................81

Vertical Bargraph..................................................................................................................82

Visible Frame......................................................................................................................... 83

Write Mode ............................................................................................................................ 84

Write Soft character...............................................................................................................85

Introduction

This guide describes the MTL Mode Protocol for the MTL646 and MTL647 Serial Text Displays. This information is only required when programming a host to communicate with these displays; it is not required by the end user. The target audience for this guide are software programmers with some experience in communicating with ASCII devices.

For hardware installation information, please refer to the separate instruction manuals available for each model.

The MTL protocol is very straightforward, being loosely based on the principals of HTML. Simple text messages can be displayed by using only a handful of commands. However, with a bit more perseverance, some quite advanced displays can be created.

What’s in this Programming Guide

• A description of the instrument display

• An overview of the protocol

• Specific information on more advanced features

• A command summary, where the commands are grouped together by function and presented in a series of

tables

• A command reference, where each command is listed in alphabetical order and covered in detail. The information is presented in a consistent layout and examples given to demonstrate the use of the command in context.

What’s in the Instruction Manuals

• An overview of the instrument

• Intrinsic Safety Certification information

• System Design and Installation

• Configuration

• Programming Overview

• Maintenance

Other sources of information

Our website at

• All of the examples in this guide

• Demonstration programs showing the capabilities of the display

• A ‘Virtual Instrument’ – a PC based simulator that behaves exactly like the real thing. This can be used during

After reading through this guide, if you still have a problem getting the results you need then email us at

support@mtl-inst.com

www.mtl-inst.com

program development or to demonstrate the application to end users

and we will do our best to help you.

has several files available to download:

Instrument Features

A detailed overview of the instrument is given in the instruction manual for each product. This should be read before implementi ng any system using this instrument. However, it is useful to summarise the main features of the display before attempting to design any controlling software application.

Display

The instrument display is organised as 120 pixels horizontally by 64 pixels vertically. Each pixel is approximately

0.7mm square, which makes it ideal for displaying text and simple graphics. The size of the pixels improves the contrast and hence the readability at greater distances.

The display is also backlit by an ultra-efficient green LED module, which enables the screen to b e vie wed in all conditions, from bright sunlight to total darkness.

Switch Inputs

There are six switches on the front of the panel mounted instrument, and four on the field mounted instrument. Both models have the option of overriding these with up to six external switches, which can be sized and labelled to suit the application.

Switch Outputs

There are two switch outputs available, which are under total control of the host. These are totally isolated and can be energised or de-energised independently of each other.

A few words about Modes…

It is worth reviewing the different modes that are referred to in this manual - these can become confusing if taken into the wrong context!

Operational Modes Refers to the communication protocol between the host and the instrument

These can range from Mode 0 (the simplest) to Mode 4 (the most complex). This mode essentially determines how much error checking is applied to the data d uring transmission.

See the Protocol section (Page 8) for a detailed explanation

Row and Pixel Modes Refers to the way text and graphics are positioned on the screen

The simplest and quickest mode is Row Mode – think of it as being able to position objects on a page with ruled lines. In this mode the screen is split up into eight horizontal rows each eight pixels high. Text is then aligned with these rows

Pixel Mode allows objects to be placed anywhere – but the drawback is that it takes a bit longer for the display to be updated

See the <RM> Row Mode and <PM> Pixel Mode commands for further information

Write Modes Refers to the way text and graphics are written on the screen

Mode 0 is normal : objects appear as a black image on a clear background Mode 3 is inverse : objects appear as a clear image on a black background Mode 1 and 2 are more complex and are used for special effects

See the Write Mode section and also the <WM> command

Background Modes Refers to the image that appears when the screen is flashed

A text or graphic object can be flashed against a clear background, a black background or an inverse of that image

See the <BM> Background Mode, <FL> Flashing and <EF> Enable Flashing commands

The “Command Reference” section (Page 16) shows which modes are applicable to each command.

Display Features

Some powerful features are built into the display that allow re lativel y complex visual effects to be generated with only a few simple commands. The command reference section of this programming guide has many examples of what can be achieved with a little creativity and lateral thought.

One of the most important concepts to understand is the mechanism of writing to the display.

The display has a foreground and a background. Objects ar e written to the fore gro und by sending commands to the instrument. The background is updated automatically, although commands are available to control what is actually written there. These choices are described as the “Background Modes”

When an object needs to be written to the foreground there are a number of choices available that affect the appearance of that object. These choices will also effect what is written to the background, so these choices are described as the “Write Modes”

Write Modes

A new object can be added to the screen in four ways, each being associated with a particular Write Mode. However, the write mode is ignored in two cases where it is not considered appropriate, namely restored frames and bargraphs. In these cases, changing the appearance of such items may render them meaningless.

The four modes are:

Write Mode 0 is the ‘normal’ method of updating the screen. The object is written to the screen where it over-writes

the current screen contents i.e. if a pixel is set on the new object being written, then the corresponding pixel is set on the screen. If a pixel is not set on the new object, it is cleared on the screen

For example:

Existing New Object Resultant

Screen to be written Screen Display Display

Write Mode 3 is almost the same as Mode 0, except that the resulting image is the inverse of the new object. The object

is written to the screen where it over-writes the current screen contents i.e. if a pixel is set on the new object being written, then the corresponding pixel is cleared on the screen. If a pixel is not set on the new object, it is set on the screen

For example:

Existing New Object Resultant

Screen to be written Screen Display Display

Write Mode 1 is slightly more complex in that the new object is ‘ORed’ with the existing screen contents i.e. if a pixel

is set on the new object being written OR the corresponding pixel is set on the existing screen, then the pixel is set on the screen. The pixel is only ever cleared if both the new object and existing screen are clear.

This can be summarised in a table as follows:

Existing screen

display

not set not set not set not set set set

set not set set set set set

For example:

Existing New Object Resultant

Screen to be written Screen Display Display

Write Mode 2 is the most complex in that the new object is ‘XORed’ with the existing screen contents i.e. if a pixel is

set on the new object being written OR the corresponding pixel is set on the existing screen, then the pixel is set on the screen BUT if both are set then the pixel is cleared. The pixel is also cleared if both the new object and existing screen are clear.

This can be summarised in a table as follows:

For example:

Existing New Object Resultant

Existing screen

display

not set not set not set not set set set

set not set set set set not set

Screen to be written Screen Display Display

New Object

to be written

New Object

to be written

Resultant screen

display

Resultant screen

display

Background Modes

The background is only ever visible when the screen is set to flash; the foreground image alternates with the background image every second i.e. If the background is clear, then some text on the foreground will disappear and re-appear every second. Alternatively, the background can be made all black. This gives a totally different visual effect which can be more noticeable. However, by modifying the background so that it is the inverse of the foreground will make a very eye-catching effect.

Rather than force the host to do all this work, the background is updated by the instrument automatically. The <BM> Background Mode command is used to control whether the background is clear, black or the inverse of what’s written. Once the <BM> command is issued, the background is updated automatically by each new screen object. Therefore it is possible to have all three flashing effects on the screen at once, simply by changing the Background Mode during the constructio n of the screen.

Frames

Active and Visible Frames

Another concept to grasp is the commands never actually write directly to the screen. Instead there are two “display buffers” that we refer to as ‘Frame 0’ and ‘Frame 1’. Only one of these frames is visible at any time, which is selected by the <VFn> Visible Frame command.

Similarly, only one of the frames is “Active” – that is, becomes the destination for all screen write commands. The destination is selected by the <AFn> Active Frame command.

Frame 0 Background

Choice of Choice of Active Frame Visible Frame Screen <AFn> <VFn> Write Commands

Frame 1 Background

Whilst this may seem complex at first, it is actually a very powerful method of displaying one message while building up another screen of data hidden from view. This hidden screen can then be made visible by issuing a single command. This is especially useful where the host cannot sustain a high data rate, or where very complex screens are being generated. As far as the operator is concerned, the display updates almost immediately, even though it may have taken several seco nds to construct.

For simple applications, frames can be disregarded. The unit powers up with both the Active Frame and Visible Frame set to 0. If the <AFn> and <VFn> commands are not issued, then the instrument behaves as if screen writes act directly on the display.

Important Note

For brevity this manual simply refers to commands writing to the screen. This has been done to keep the description of each command as simple as possible, so as to convey the main principals of that command. In reality, all commands write to the active frame, with one notable exception, <RL> Restore Logo.

Frame 0

Display

Frame 1

Saved Frame Locations

It is possible to store the screen contents for later use by saving the Visible Frame to memory via the <SFnm> Save Frame command. (This command can actually save either frame but, for simplicity, disregard this for now)

There are two types of memory available for saves:

- Non-volatile EEprom that is retained on power fail and

- A Scratchpad area in RAM that is lost when power is removed from the unit.

It is important to be aware that saves to EEprom take about 3 seconds, whilst saves to the scratchpad are immediate.

There are two independent EEprom locations, which may be used as required.

In addition to the two EEprom locations there is a totally separate location, also in EEprom, that is used to store a power-on logo. This is a full screen graphic that appears when the unit is first turned on, or after the unit is re-booted. It is possible to use this area as another storage location, but whatever is in that location will also be used as the logo.

<SF> Save Frame ( From either frame ) <RF> Restore Frame ( To the Active Frame )

Beware! The Scratchpad area is overwritten by the following commands:

More information can be found in the Command Reference (Page 16) section.

Frame n

Restoring a frame after one of these commands will give unpredictable results.

<RL> Restore Lo go ( To the Visible Frame )

<SL> Save Logo ( From the Visible Frame )

Power-on Logo

EEprom 0

EEprom 1

Scratchpad

The MTL Protocol

The MTL protocol is very loosely based on the principals behind HTML. Fundamentally, the intention is to make the scripts that generate a screen display “human readable”, in the same way that the source for a web page may be read.

The main features that achieve this are:

• It is a pure ASCII protocol except for graphics downloads, checksums and CRCs

• Commands are always two characters, case insensitive, enclosed in angled brackets

• All commands are active until overridden by another command

• Some commands require parameters

o Parameters follow the command directly o Multiple parameters are separated by commas o Any detected parameter error causes the command to be ignored, and an error is returned o A command and its parameters are enclosed within a single set of angled brackets

• No spaces are allowed in commands or parameter strings (except for written text strings)

• Any characters not enclosed in angled brackets are written directly to the screen at the current cursor position,

unless error checking is active

Features have been added to maintain the data integrity between host and display. These allow the host to be confident that the display is actually showing valid data that has not become corrupted during transmission. The level of checking is adjustable, depending on the application.

• The unit’s response to received messages is programmable. Modes are:

o No response o Response to every correctly formatted command o Response to a combination of correctly formatted commands

• Where a response is returned, a user must wait for the response before sending further commands

• Message error checking is programmable. Modes are:

o No error checking o Simple checksum o 16bit Cyclic Redundancy Check

• Switch status is encoded into the returned message, or can be explicitly requested

Command format

The command format is: <AB[param1],[param2]…,[paramN]>

where:

AB is the command. [ ] indicates optional parameters separated by comas

example:

<CM4,90> Cursor Move to Row 4 Column 90

<CS> Clear Screen

Response format

The response format is: Ka or Ea or ?a or P0

where:

K indicates that the previous command/command set has been accepted. E indicates a parameter or communications error has been detected in the previous command string. ? indicates that the command is unrecognised. P indicates that a message has been received but NOT actioned, as the unit is being configured by a local user “a” returns the key status (1=Key 1, 2=Key 2, ….. 6=Key 6)

example:

K0 Command accepted, no keys pressed E4 Command error detected, key 4 pressed ?6 Command unrecognised, key 6 pressed P0 Command r ejected, unit being configured

Note: The unit is configured by a local user accessing the configuration menu directly on the instrument front panel. Access to this menu can be denied by issuing the <CP> Configuration Prohibit command.

Operational Modes

The unit can be configured to expect data in a certain format. These formats are termed “Operational Modes” and range from a simple VDU like mode (0) to a fully error checked mode (4).

The operational mode is configured using the display keypad and in-built menus. Refer to the instruction manual for more information.

The modes are:

Mode 0: Commands are executed immediately, no reply message except when specifically requested.

Plain text is written directly to the screen, no reply message.

Mode 1: Commands are executed immediately, a response is returned to each command. Plain text is

written directly to the screen, no reply message.

Mode 2: Multiple commands can be sent, but these are not executed until a “Command Implement” <CI>

command is sent. One reply is returned for each set of commands. An error in any of the commands will result in a Command Error response. Plain text is ignored.

Mode 3: As Mode 2 but the <CI> command is replaced by a <CCn> command where n is a single byte

simple checksum of all characters sent (including spaces) up to, but not including the <CCn> command. The returned command has a similar single byte checksum appended to the end of the response. The command string is not actioned if the checksum of the data received does not match the parameter of the <CCn> command. Plain text is ignored

Mode 4: As Mode 3 but the <CCn> is replaced by <CRnn> where nn is a 16-bit CRC code.

CRC Generation

The 16-bit CRC used in the protocol is the same as u se d for the well known Modbus Protocol. Details are as follows:

The CRC is started by first preload ing a 16-bit register to all 1's. Then a process begins of applying success ive eight-bit bytes of the message to the current contents of the register. Only the eight bits of data in each character are used for generating the CRC. Start and stop bits, and the parity bit, do not apply to the CRC.

During generation of the CRC, each eight-bit character is exclusive ORed with the register contents. The result is shifted in the direction of the least significant bit (LSB), with a zero filled into the most significant bit (MSB) position. The LSB is extracted and examined. If the LSB was a 1, the register is then exclusive ORed with a preset, fixed value (A001 hex). If the LSB was a 0, no exclusive OR takes place.

This process is repeated until eight shifts have been perfor med. After the last (eighth) shift, the next eight-bit character is exclusive ORed with the register's current value, and the process repeats for eight more shifts as described above. The final contents of the register, after all the characters of the message have been applied, is the CRC value.

Generating a CRC

Step 1 Load a 16-bit register with FFFF hex (all 1's). Call this the CRC register.

Step 2 Exclusive OR the first eight-bit byte of the message with the low order byte of the 16-bit CRC

Step 3 Shift the CRC register one bit to the right (toward the LSB), zero filling the MSB. Extract and

examine the LSB.

Step 4 If the LSB is 0, repeat Step 3 (another shift). If the LSB is 1, Exclusive OR the CRC register with the

polynomial value A001 hex (1010 0000 0000 0001).

Step 5 Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until eight shifts have been performed. When this is done, a complete eight-bit

byte will have been processed.

Step 6 Repeat Steps 2 ... 5 for the next eight-bit byte of the message. Continue doing this until all bytes have

been processed.

Result The final contents of the CRC register is the CRC value.

This CRC value is then appended to the message. The LSB of the CRC is sent first followed by the MSB.

Multidrop Operation:

Multidrop operation is possible. A unique unit address between 1 and 47 has to be given to each instrument by using the display keypad and in-built menus. Refer to the instr uction manual for more information.

Command <MCn> Make Connection is used to define the instrument address (n) to which subsequent commands are directed. This “virtual connection” remains in force until it is explicitly released by issuing the <RC> Release Connection command. These two commands are necessary in order to confirm that all instruments receive and react to the commands successfully. Once connected, the units respond in exactly the same way as single units would, with error responses being issued if a problem occurs.

If a unit has a non-zero address, then on power-up, a <MCn> command must be sent prior to any other command, even if it is the only unit on the line.

Graphics Transfers

File Format

In all cases the file format used is a two colour (black and white) bitmap in standard Windows™ / OS2 format. These commonly have a .BMP extension on most PC applications.

Downloads

The protocol is extended as follows to cover the simple graphics download commands <DS> and <DG> and <DFn>

To avoid confusion, a download is defined as being from the host to the display

<DS> Download Screen command

The command <DS> is issued with any additional bytes (checksum, CRC etc) as r e quired by the current operational mode. The command is acknowledged if correctly received.

A binary download (from the host to the display) of the graphic file is then expected. The image must be exactly 120x64 pixels and if not an error response is returned.

After the file has been downloaded the <CI>, <CCn>, or <CRnn> command must be sent as per the current operational mode, the check byte(s) being calculated from all of the bytes in the .BMP file

The download is acknowledged if it was correctly received (including checksum or CRC checks) and the image is displayed. The downloaded image disregards the Write Mode setting and is displayed normally, i.e. as though it was preceded by a <WM0> command. In addition, it only adopts the display attributes concerned with Flashing. All other attributes are ignored.

There is a 2 second timeout for the download operation, during which time if no bytes are received the download is aborted and an error response is returned. Of course, the actual total download time depends on the speed of the serial link.

<DG> Download Graphic command

Command <DG> follows exactly the same mechanism as the <DS> command above, but any size of image can be sent up to 120x64. Files in excess of this size will cause an error response.

The display must be in Pixel Mode <PM> and the downloaded image is displayed at the current cursor position.

The image dimensions are computed from the bitmap file that is sent; no parameters are necessary.

The image is drawn upwards and to the right of the current cursor position. If any part of the image exceeds the display bounds the image is NOT displayed and an error response is returned.

The downloaded image adopts the display attributes currently in force (Normal, OR, XOR, Inverse, Flashing, Steady), and the Write Mode setting is taken into account.

Please note:

The <DS> command is just a special case of the <DG> command but because of its fixed size is executed much more quickly.

Graphics can be uploaded to a hidden frame using the <AF> command to select the destination, and the <VF> command to make it visible when complete.

<DFn> Download Font command

The display has the capacity of storing four user defined characters for each font size. These “Soft Characters” can then be written onto the screen by using the <WSn> command. They may also be underlined and flashed using attributes, as any other character

After the <DFn> command is issued, the display expects a binary download of the soft character. The required image size depends on the currently active font

Font: F1 Image Size (v x h): 8 x 6 pixels F2 16 x 10 pixels F3 24 x 15 pixels F4 32 x 19 pixels F5 48 x 29 pixels.

The image must be exactly as defined above otherwise an error response is returned.

Nothing is drawn to the screen during this command

Uploads

The protocol is also extended to give the facility of obtaining a screen dump from the display. The main use for this is in the preparation of instruction manuals, but it could also be used in a debugging role.

<UE> Upload Enable command

Because a graphic upload generates a significant amount of data, there must be safeguards in place to ensure that the data is really required. The <US> Upload Screen command will therefore not re spond unless it is immediately preceded with the <UE> Upload Enable command.

<US> Upload Screen command

The command <US> is issued with any additional bytes (checksum, CRC etc) as r e quired by the current operational mode. The command is acknowledged if correctly received.

After a short delay of 500ms, a 1086 byte block of data is sent to the host.

(This delay is introduced to allow the host to set itself up for data reception).

A command acknowledgement then follows with the check bytes as per the current operational mode. The check bytes include the data block bytes and the acknowledgement, but not the check bytes themselves.

The 1086 byte data block, once saved to file, is a graphics image of the screen in 2-colour Windows .BMP format

Command Summary

There are 68 commands that can be arranged into 5 functional groups:

Screen Handling & Text - used to control the screen in text mode Attributes - affect the appearance of text and graphics Line Graphics - draw lines and boxes on the screen Pixel Graphics - draw graphical objects on the screen System - affect the operation of the text display

Screen Handling & Text

Command Meaning

<CLn> Clear Line <CMy,x> Cursor Move <CS> Clear Screen <CW> Clear Window <EL> Erase Line <FS> Fill Screen <FW> Fill Window <HC> Home Cursor <LN> Line New <RS> Request Status <SD> Screen Defaults <WSn> Write Soft character <WTthis is a message> Write Text

Attributes

Command Meaning

<BMn> Background Mode <CA> Centre Align <DWyt,yb,xl,xr> Define Window <EF> Enable Flashing <F1> Font 1 <F2> Font 2 <F3> Font 3 <F4> Font 4 <F5> Font 5 <FL> Flashing <IF> Inhibit Flashing <LA> Left Align <LF> Line Feed <NA> No Align <NL> No Linefeed <NU> No Underline <RA> Right Align <ST> Steady <SW> Smart Wrap <TW> Text Wrap <UL> UnderLine <WMn> Write Mode

Line Graphics

Command Meaning

<BDylength,xlength,lwidth> Box Draw <HBnm> Horizontal Bargraph <LHxlengt h, lwidth> Line Horiz ontal <LVylength, lwidth> Line Verti cal <VBnm> Vertical Bargraph

Pixel Graphics

Command Meaning

<DG> Download Graphic <DS> Download Screen <UE> Upload Enable <US> Upload Screen

System

Command Meaning

<AFn> Active Frame <CCn> Check Code <CE> Configuration Enable <CI> Command Implement <CP> Configuration Prohibit <CRnm> Cyclic Redundancy check

<DFn> Download Font <FR> Font Restore <HSmnrstuv> Horizontal Scroll <KF> Keep Fonts <MCn> Make Connection <ODn> Output De-energised <OEn> Output Energised <PM> Pixel Mode <RB> ReBoot <RC> Release Connection <RFm> Restore Frame <RLx> Restore Logo <RM> Row Mode <SBn> Set Backlight <SFnm> Save Frame <SL> Save Logo <TOn> Time Out <VFn> Visible Frame

Command Reference

The following section lists each command in alphabetical order. Each page is formatted in the same way so that commands can be compared and reviewed easily.

The following page explains the format of each page:

<..> Command

Group

Description

Parameters

Initial Value

Modes

Notes

Uses

Example

This is a brief description of the command

The allowable range of values

The value at initialisation, if applicable

Some commands are only available in certain modes

Detailed comments

Describes where the command may be used

A simple example showing how to use the command

Be aware that most examples assume a <SD> command has been issued to clear the screen first

Caution!

See Also

Common pitfalls to be aware of

Other related commands

<AFn> Active Frame

System Comma nd

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Specify that all writes are directed to Frame n n = 0 or 1 - frame number

Frame 0 is the default at power up, or after a <SD> Screen Defaults command All Modes All commands (with the notable exception of <RLn>) write to the Active Frame, not the Visible

Frame. This gives the flexibility to make complex data screens appear r e lativel y quickly, to provide an intuitive user interface

Detailed information about the use of frames can be found in the Frames Section (Page 6). The <AF> command allows:

• Complex screens to be drawn and then displayed when they are complete

• Rapid switching between two different information screens

Assume the display is showing some data, and the active frame and visible frame are both set to 0

<AF1> <CS> <SW> <WTThis text is

written on a hidden frame and can displayed using a <VF1>> command>

Set active frame to 1; LCD display screen unaltered Clear the hidden frame; LCD display screen unaltered Set smart wrap formatting on to cope with a long line of text

Write out the text to the hidden frame; LCD display screen unaltered

Caution!

See Also

LCD display screen at this point

<VF1>

Make sure that the section on Frames (Page 6) is read and understood

Frame n may or may not currently be visible. Use the <VF> command to achieve the desired result VF Visible Frame

Make frame 1 visible

<BDy,x,l> Box Draw

Line Graphics

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Draws a box y pixels high, x pixels wide with a line thickness of l y = 1 to 64 - height

x = 1 to 120 - width l = 1 to 32 - line thickness

Pixel mode only The box is drawn from the current cursor position upwards and to the right.

The cursor position is unchanged after the command

The parameters may be any value that will keep the box being drawn on-screen. If any part of the defined box is off-screen, then the box is not drawn and an error response it returned to the host.

The <BD> command allows:

• information to be segmented

• borders to be drawn

• line images to be constructed

<BD64,120,1>

Clear Screen Set Pixel Mode Move the cursor to the bottom left had corner of the display LCD A box ,a single pixel thick, is drawn round the edge of the display

LCD

Caution!

See Also

<CM31,60>

<BD16,30,5>

The entire box must fit on the screen, otherwise nothing will be drawn and an error response generated

LH Line Horizontal LV Line Vertical

Move the cursor to the centre of the LCD display A box 16 by 30 pixels, 5 pixels thick, is drawn with its bottom left

hand corner in the centre of the LCD display

<BMn> Background Mode

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Defines the appearance of the ‘flashing’ attribute n = 0 to 2 - flashing style 0 All Modes The flash background is defined by the value n

n = 0 sets all pixels off n = 1 sets all pixels on n = 2 sets the pixels to the inverse of the character or graphic being written

To use this command the flashing attribute <FL> must be set for each object, and then the enable flash <EF> command sent

The <BM> command allows:

• attention gra bbing messages

• special effects

Background to flashing characters is all pixels off Write the text FLASH to the screen

Alternates each second with

Caution! See Also

<BM2>

To use these effects successfully, the background mode must be set before the screen is written to. EF Enable Flash

FL Flashing

Background to flashing characters is all pixels on Write the text FLASH to the screen

Alternates each second with

Background to flashing characters is all pixels are the inverse of the image being flashed

Write the text FLASH to the screen

Alternates each second with

<CA> Centre Align

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Set the attribute so that written text is aligned horizontally within the screen or defined window None Not aligned; Text appears at the current cursor position All Modes This command only affects text written after the attribute has been set.

In Pixel Mode <PM> the centring is always based on the full screen. In row mode the text is centred in the currently defined window, which by default is the full screen.

The attribute is cancelled by the <NA> command or any of the other text alignment commands <LA>, <RA>, <SW> & <TW>

The <CA> command allows:

• Text to be automatically aligned without the need for cursor move commands

• Tidy screen presentation

<PM>

<CM40,0>

Set Pixel Mode Set up the vertical position: move the cursor to 40 pixels down from

the top of the screen, on the left hand side of the screen Align all following text centrally Write the message

The horizontal position is calculated from the length and size of the text

See Also

LA Left Align NA No Align RA Right Align SW Smart Wrap TW Text Wrap

Set Row Mode Define a window as the right hand half of the screen Move the cursor to row 1 (one row from the top) Align all following text centrally Write the text Move the cursor down one line Write the text Move the cursor down one line Write the text

<CCn> Check Code

System

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Command terminator with 8-bit checksum The parameter is an 8 bit checksum of all the characters in the preceding command string.

To calculate the value of the parameter, sum the ASCII values of all the characters in the command string up to but not including the <CCn> command. Divide this sum by 256 decimal (0x100 hex). The checksum is the remainder after the division and is sent as a single byte.

Operational Mode 3 only This command is the signal to verify the checksum of the preceding command string and, if correct,

action the commands.

If the checksum is not correct, no commands are actioned and an error response is returned.

The <CCn> command terminator is used in the most basic of the error checked modes, Operational Mode 3. If higher data security is required consider using Operational Mode 4 which has two parameters in the <CRnn> command terminator, representing a 16 bit CRC of the preceding command string.

The <CCn> command allows:

• Commands to be queued but not actioned until required

• Basic message error checking

Assume the text display is in operatio nal mode 3.

In order to clear the screen, a <CS> command must be sent followed by the <CCn> command where n represents the 8-bit sum of the characters “<”, “C”, “S”, “>”

ASCII values of the example command are: “<” = 60 decimal (3C hex ) “C” = 67 decimal (43 hex) “S” = 83 decimal (53 hex) “>” = 62 decimal (3E hex)

In decimal notation:

The sum is 60+67+83+62 = 272 and the checksum is the remainder after division by 256. Hence the checksum is remainder of the division 272/256 = 16

In hexadecimal notation:

The sum is 3C+43+53+3E =110 hex and the checksum is the Least Significant Byte (LSB) of this sum. Hence the checksum is 10 hex.

The checksum must be sent as a single byte 16 decimal (10 hex).

Hence the full command string is:

Note! The square brackets are not sent, they are just there to

emphasise that a single byte 16 is sent. The checksum, as in this case, may not be a printable ASCII character.

Caution! See Also

The checksum is always a single byte, and may be an unprintable character.

CI Command Implement CR Cyclic Redundancy Check

<CE> Configuration Enable

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Control access to the configuration menus None This is the default All Modes The <CE> and <CP> commands control access to the main and quick access menus used for unit

configuration.

The <CP> command will prevent user access to the configuration menus via the dual P -E and PUpArrow key presses.

The <CE> command will re-enable user access to the menus.

The Quick Access menu can also be disabled within the ‘Display’ section of the main menu. When it is disabled in this way the <CE> command has no effect on the access to this menu.

The commands have no effect on the LCD display screen.

The instrument sends a different response to commands from the host when it is in the programming menus.

The <CE> command allows:

• changes to instrument configuration to be made after a <CP> Configuration Prohibit command

Example

See Also

<CP>

Any

<CE>

CP Configuration Prohibit

Lock out the menus A set of commands or operator instructions that should not be

interrupted by adjustments to the display configuration be made Re-enable access to the menus for maintenance

There is no effect on the display LCD screen

when these commands are used

<CI> Command Implement

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Command terminator without any checksum None Operational Mode 2 only The <CI> terminator is the signal to action the preceding command string.

It is used only in Operational Mode 2 where a string of commands can be “queued” and then actioned at the same time. This is essentially the same as the more complex Operational Modes 3 or 4, but without any error checking

The <CI> command allows:

• Commands to be queued but not actioned until required

• Commands to be as actioned as quickly as possible as there is no error checking or

responses to the host until all the commands ha ve b een actioned.

• Complex screens to be designed and tested just using a terminal emulator

Assume the display is in Operational Mode 2.

The command string:

will clear the display LCD, then turn all the pixels on , clear the display again, and turn all the pixels on again. The command string <CS><FS><CS><FS> is only actioned when the <CI> command is received.

See Also

CC Check Code CR Cyclic Redundancy Check

<CLn> Clear Line

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Clears a complete line on the screen n = 0 to 7 - line number Row Mode Only There are 8 lines on the screen numbered 0 to 7, 0 being the top line.

The command clears a number of lines upwards from the stated line, depending on the current font: For font 1 <F1> only one line is cleared For font 2 <F2> two lines are cleared, and so on.

This command is window aware. If a window is in use, the line numbers are relative to the window. That is, line 0 is the top line of the window.

Cursor position is unchanged by this command The <CLn> command allows:

• Message/status information to be clear ed

• Ensures new messages can be written without leaving part of an old message in place

• Clearing of lines in a window

Assume the initial display is:

Caution!

See Also

The current font size must be take n into account before issuing this command. In the example above, if Font 2 were in use then line 5 and line 4 would be blanked.

DW Define Window EL Erase Line Fn Font n

Make sure we know the font in use Clear line 5

<CMy,x> Cursor Move

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Moves the cursor on the screen Row Mode: Pixel Mode:

y = 0 to 7 y = 0 to 63 y x = 0 to 119 x = 0 to 119

x In both modes, co-ordinate 0,0 is at the top left of the screen

All Modes This command moves the cursor to the position defined by the parameters y and x. The cursor is

never visible; it can be considered an insertion point on the screen for text and graphics.

Text and graphics are always drawn upwards and to the right of the current cursor position.

When text is written, the cursor is placed at the end of the inserted text. When graphics images are written to the screen, the cursor position is unaltered.

In Row mode this command is window aware. If a window is in use the parameters y and x are relative to the current window.

The <CM> command allows:

• Positioning of text and graphics objects

<CM1,20>

Clear Screen Set Row Mode Small 8x6 pixel font Move the cursor to the second row, 20 pixels from the left edge of

screen Write a heading

Move the cursor to the next to bottom row, on left edge of screen Write in process value Small font again Move cursor to row 5, 30 pixels from right had side of screen Write in units

Caution! See Also

The horizontal resolution is always 1 pixel. DW Define Window

<CP> Configuration Prohibit

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Control access to the configuration menus None <CE> Configuration Enable is active on power up All Modes The <CE> and <CP> commands control access to the main and quick access menus used for unit

configuration.

The <CP> command will prevent user access to the configuration menus via the dual P -E and PUpArrow key presses.

The <CE> command will re-enable user access to the menus.

The Quick Access menu can also be disabled within the ‘Display’ section of the main menu. When it is disabled in this way the <CE> command has no effect on the access to this menu.

The commands have no effect on the display LCD screen.

The instrument sends a different response to commands from the host when it is in the programming menus.

The <CP> command allows:

• The prevent i on of unauthorised changes to instrument configuration

• The prevention of operators missing messages from the host, due to the instrument being in

programming mode

Example

See Also

<CP>

< Anything >

<CE>

CE Configuration Enable

Lock out the menus A set of commands or operator instructions that should not be

interrupted by adjustments to the display configuration be made Re-enable access to the menus for maintenance

There is no effect on the display LCD screen

when these commands are used

<CRn,m> Cyclic Redundancy Check

System

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Command terminator with 16-bit checksum The parameters n and m are two 8 bit bytes of the 16 bit checksum of all the characters in the

preceding command string, n being the LSB, and m the MSB.

To calculate the value of the parameter, use the ASCII values of all the characters in the command string up to but not including the <CRnm> command. See the section on CRC Generation (page 10) .

Operational Mode 4 only This command is the signal to verify the checksum of the preceding command string and, if correct,

action the commands.

If the checksum is not correct, no commands are actioned and an error response is returned. The <CRnm> command allows:

• Commands to be queued but not actioned until required

• Rigorous message error checking

Assume the text display is in operatio nal mode 4.

To clear the screen the following command needs to be sent:

The parameters n and m are calculated by running the ASCII value of the characters “<”, “C”, “S”, “>” through the CRC algorithm. When this is done the CRC code generated is 0x8040

Hence n = 40 hex (64 decimal), m = 80 hex (128 decimal).

The full command is then:

Note! The square brackets are not sent, they are just there to emphasise that n and m are single 8-bit bytes. The check bytes may not be printable ASCII characters.

The CRC code for the message <WTHello World> is 0x721B

Hence n = 1B hex (27 decimal), m = 72 hex (114 decimal).

The full command is then:

Caution! See Also

Make sure that the section on CRC Generation (page 10) is read and understood!

CC Check Code CI Command Implement

<CS> Clear Screen

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Caution!

Turn all pixels off, creating a blank screen None All pixels are off All Modes This command also:

• Removes an y windows that may be defined (equivalent to issuing a <DW0,7,0,119> command)

• Homes the cursor

(equivalent to issuing a <HC> command)

The <CS> command provides:

• A known starting point before drawing a new screen

<CS>

If windows are being used, they must be defined after this command

Clear Screen

See Also

CW Clear Window DW Define Window FS Fill Screen HC Home Cursor

<CW> Clear Window

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Turn all pixels off within a defined window None All pixels are off Row Mode only This command also homes the cursor in the defined window area, equivalent to issuing a <HC>

command.

Apart from its main use in just clearing the contents of a window, it can also be used to create frames to contain text and graphics. Using this technique i s much faster than usin g a <BD> Box Draw command in Pixel Mode.

The <CW> command allows:

• A known starting point before updating a window

• Creation of a simple border

Set Row Mode Turn all screen pixels on

See Also

<DW2,5,20,100>

<CW>

BD Box Draw CS Clear Screen FW Fill Window HC Home Cursor

Define a window two rows from top and bottom, 20 pixels in from both sides

Set all the pixels in the window area to off

<DFn> Download Font

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Download soft fonts to the display n = 0 to 3 - soft font character All Modes A soft font is any user defined image that is the same size as the current font.

The display will store 4 soft fonts (n = 0 to 3) for each font F1 to F5.

Soft characters are written to the screen by using the <WSn> command and may be used in both Row and Pixel Modes. They may also be underlined and flashed using attributes, as any other character.

After the <DFn> command is issued, the display expects a download of a Windows 2-colour BMP file of the soft character. The required image size depends on the currently active font

Font: F1 Image Size (v x h): 8 x 6 pixels F2 16 x 10 pixels F3 24 x 15 pixels F4 32 x 19 pixels F5 48 x 29 pixels.

The download mechanism is identical to the <DG> Download Graphic and <DS> Download Screen commands. Detailed information is in the Graphics Transfer Section (Page 11).

Soft fonts are lost when power is removed from the display. Most fonts can be saved / restored as a block using the <KF> Keep Fonts and <FR> Font Restore commands

Uses

Example

Caution!

The <DF> command allows:

• Any special character to be stored in the display so that it can be written to the screen just like any other character

<DF0>

Binary download of graphics file

Make sure that the section on Graphics Transfer (Page 11) is read and understood!

Font 5 characters cannot be saved to EEprom with the <KF> command

Soft characters can be underlined with the <UL> attribute – care should be taken when designing fonts if this attribute is to be used.

Clear Screen Set largest font size Tell the display that a soft character number 0 (for Font 5) is going

to be downloaded Send a .BMP file of the required soft character to the display. In

this case a 48 x 29 pixel image of a GBP symbol (£) Write the soft character to the screen Write normal text

See Also

DG Download Graphic KF Keep Font FR Font Restore WS Write Soft Character

<DG> Download Graphic

Pixel Graphics

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Download a graphics image to the screen and display it at the current cursor position None Pixel Mode Only The size of the image is computed from the data sent. If any part of the image would be off-screen

when drawn then nothing is drawn on the screen and an error response returned to the host.

The download mechanism is identical to the <DFn> Download Font and <DS> Download Screen commands. Detailed information is in the Graphics Transfer Section (Page 11).

The cursor position is unchanged by this command. The <DG> command allows:

• Complex images to be generated on a PC and then downloaded to the display.

• Images can form a backdrop onto which standard text or data is then added.

• Pictures can sometimes convey simple messages more easily than text.

<CM60,50>

<DG> Binary download of

.BMP file

Clear Screen Set Row Mode Small 8x6 pixel font Move the cursor to the start of the 4th row. Write the word “Graphics” Move the cursor to the start of the 6th row. Write the word “Example” Change to Pixel Mode Move the cursor to three pixels from the bottom of the screen, 50

pixels from the left hand side Tell the display to expect a graphics image download

Download a 56 x 67 pixel image of a tank to the display

Caution!

See Also

Make sure that the section on Graphics Transfer (Page 11) is read and understood

If any part of the graphic would be off-screen, then nothing is drawn and an error response is returned to the host

DS Download Screen US Upload Screen

<DS> Download Screen

Pixel Graphics

Description Parameters Modes

Notes

Uses

Example

Download a full-screen 64 x 120 pixel graphic image to the screen. None All Modes

The <WMn> Write Mode has no effect on this command This command is really just a special case of the <DG> command, but because of the fixed size is

executed much faster.

This command ignores the current Write Mode setting, and d raws the downloaded image to the screen normally.

All other attributes are ignored, except those concerned with the ability to Flash the image.

The download mechanism is identical to the <DFn> Download Font and <DG> Download Graphic commands. Detailed information is in the Graphics Transfer Section (Page 11).

The cursor position is unchanged by the command. The <DS> command allows:

• A full screen image to form a backdrop onto which standard text or data is then added

• A customised logo to appear at power on when used with the <SL> Save Logo command

<CS>

<DS>

Binary download of .BMP

file is now sent

Clear Screen Tell the display to expect a 64 x 120 pixel graphics image that it

should display full screen.

Caution! See Also

Image is displayed when received

The logo is not stored in EEprom unless the <SL> Save Logo command is issued.

RL Restore Logo SL Save Logo

<DWyt,yb,xl,xr> Define Window

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters

Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Defines an area of the screen into which certain screen write commands are constrained

yt = 0 to 7 - top row of the window area yb = 0 to 7 - bottom row of the window area xl = 0 to 119 - pixel column of the le ft hand side of the window xr = 0 to 119 - pixel column of the right hand side of the window

The initial window size is the full screen <DW0,7,0,119> Row Mode Only When a window is in use, all cursor related commands are relative to the window area. For example:

<HC> will home the cursor in the window area <CM0,0> will move the cursor to the top row, left hand side of the window area.

The window may be redefined at any time without affecting the screen contents. In this way a window can be removed by defining the whole screen as a new window i.e.<DW0,7,0,119>

The <CS> Clear Screen and <PM> Pi xel Mode commands also remove a window definition. The <DW> command allows:

• Text to be scrolled in a window

• Trend graphs to be drawn by combini ng the use of the Horizontal Scroll <HS> command

• Static text and graphics to be protected; headings, footers or titles can be left in place while

different messages are displayed and cleared within a window

<WM3>

<WTFlow:> <WM0> <DW3,5,60,115> <F3> <CW> <WT2.74>

Fill Screen Set Row Mode 16x10 pixel font Move the cursor to fifth row from the top, at the left of the screen Write characters in Inverse mode (clear character on black

background) Write the text “Flow:” Back to normal write mode (black character on white background) Define window for a value to be written Larger font Clear the window Write out a value

Caution! See Also

Subsequent values then only need:

The <CS> Clear Screen and <PM> Pixel Mode commands re move any defined windows CW Clear Window

Home the cursor in the window area Write out the new value

<EF> Enable Flashing

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Flash text and graphics written with the Flashing <FL> attribute set None Inhibited (N o Flashing) All Modes The <EF> is a global command that affects the whole screen

The opposite of this command is the <IF> Inhibit Flash command The <EF> command allows:

• Flashing text generally attracts a ttention.

• Sending the <EF> command after the text is written ensures that all the text (written

with the flashing attribute set) starts flashing at the same time.

<FL>

Set a known state for the display Move the cursor to the first line down from the top of the screen All text is aligned centrally Write out the text Set the flash background to the inverse of the foreground image Font size 2, 16 x 10 pixels Move the cursor to the fourth line down from the top of the screen Set the Flashing attribute, so any text written will flash if flashing is

enabled Write out the text Move the cursor to the sixth line down from the top of the screen Write the fo reground text as i nverse (white on black background) Write out some text

Caution!

See Also

<EF>

Attributes are not saved and restored when screens are moved to and from memory with the <SFnm> and <RFm> commands

BM Background Mode FL Flashing IF Inhibit Flashing ST STeady

Enable the flashing for the whole screen

Alternating each second with

<EL> Erase Line

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Erase any text or graphics from the current cursor position to the end of the row None Row Mode only The command erases a number of lines upwards from the current cursor position, depending on the

current font: For font 1 <F1> only one line is erased For font 2 <F2> two lines are erased, and so on.

This command is window aware. If a window is in use the command erases only to the end of the window row.

Cursor position is unchanged by this command The <CLn> command allows:

• Message/status information of variable length to be erased.

• Ensures new messages can be written without leaving part of an old message in place

Sets the single row font, 8 x 6 pixels Turn on the centre align attribute Write out a line of text Down to the next line Last two commands repeated up to…….

Caution! See Also

<CM3,50> <EL>

The current font size must be take n into account before issuing this command.

CL Clear Line DW Define Window Fn Font n

Move the cursor to row 3, 50 pixels in from the left of the screen Text erased from this cursor position to the end of the screen.

<F1> Font 1

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Define the text size written by the <WT> command as 8 x 6 pixels None Font 1 is the default used on initialisation All Modes Font 1 is a single row font, each character being 8 pixels high by 6 pixels wide.

Font 1 does NOT have true decenders Font 1 has a full 7-bit ASCII character set This command also homes the cursor to the top left character position.

There are five separate commands that define the text size written by the <WT> command. They also affect free text written in Operational Modes 0 and 1.

The font sizes are as follows:

F1 Single row font 8 x 6 pixels F2 Two row font 16 x 10 pixels F3 Three row font 24 x 15 pixels F4 Four row font 32 x 19 pixels F5 Six row font 48 x 29 pixels

All fonts have a full 7-bit character set, except F5 All fonts have true decenders, except <F1>

Uses

Example

Caution!

See Also

The <F1> command allows:

• The maximum number of characters on the screen

• Creation of long messages without resorting to multiple screens

The cursor is homed by this command, and may need to be moved to the desired position b e fore writing anything

DFn Download Font WSn Write Soft Character WT Write Text

Clear Screen Select font 1 Move cursor to the lower left of the display Write “12YZ”

<F2> Font 2

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Define the text size written by the <WT> command as 16 x 10 pixels None Font 1 is the default used on initialisation All Modes Font 2 is a two-row font, each character being 16 pixels high by 10 pixels wide.

Font 2 has true decenders Font 2 has a full 7-bit ASCII character set This command also homes the cursor to the top left character position.

There are five separate commands that define the text size written by the <WT> command. They also affect free text written in Operational Modes 0 and 1.

The font sizes are as follows:

F1 Single row font 8 x 6 pixels F2 Two row font 16 x 10 pixels F3 Three row font 24 x 15 pixels F4 Four row font 32 x 19 pixels F5 Six row font 48 x 29 pixels

All fonts have a full 7-bit character set, except F5 All fonts have true decenders, except <F1>

Uses

Example

Caution!

See Also

The <F2> command allows:

• Improved readability over font 1

The cursor is homed by this command, and may need to be moved to the desired position b e fore writing anything

DFn Download Font WSn Write Soft Character WT Write Text

Clear Screen Select font 2 Move cursor to the lower left of the display Write “12YZ”

<F3> Font 3

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Define the text size written by the <WT> command as 24 x 15 pixels None Font 1 is the default used on initialisation All Modes Font 3 is a three-row font, each character being 24 pixels high by 15 pixels wide.

Font 3 has true decenders Font 3 has a full 7-bit ASCII character set This command also homes the cursor to the top left character position.

There are five separate commands that define the text size written by the <WT> command. They also affect free text written in Operational Modes 0 and 1.

The font sizes are as follows:

F1 Single row font 8 x 6 pixels F2 Two row font 16 x 10 pixels F3 Three row font 24 x 15 pixels F4 Four row font 32 x 19 pixels F5 Six row font 48 x 29 pixels

All fonts have a full 7-bit character set, except F5 All fonts have true decenders, except <F1>

Uses

Example

Caution!

See Also

The <F3> command allows:

• Improved readability over font 2

The cursor is homed by this command, and may need to be moved to the desired position b e fore writing anything

DFn Download Font WSn Write Soft Character WT Write Text

Clear Screen Select font 3 Move cursor to the lower left of the display Write “12YZ”

<F4> Font 4

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Define the text size written by the <WT> command as 32 x 19 pixels None Font 1 is the default used on initialisation All Modes Font 4 is a four-row font, each character being 32 pixels high by 19 pixels wide.

Font 4 has true decenders Font 4 has a full 7-bit ASCII character set This command also homes the cursor to the top left character position.

There are five separate commands that define the text size written by the <WT> command. They also affect free text written in Operational Modes 0 and 1.

The font sizes are as follows:

F1 Single row font 8 x 6 pixels F2 Two row font 16 x 10 pixels F3 Three row font 24 x 15 pixels F4 Four row font 32 x 19 pixels F5 Six row font 48 x 29 pixels

All fonts have a full 7-bit character set, except F5 All fonts have true decenders, except <F1>

Uses

Example

Caution!

See Also

The <F4> command allows:

• An important parameter to dominate the screen layout

The cursor is homed by this command, and may need to be moved to the desired position b e fore writing anything

DFn Download Font WSn Write Soft Character WT Write Text

Clear Screen Select font 4 Move cursor to the lower left of the display Write “12YZ”

<F5> Font 5

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Define the text size written by the <WT> command as 48 x 29 pixels None Font 1 is the default used on initialisation All Modes Font 5 is a six-row font, each character being 48 pixels high by 29 pixels wide.

Font 5 has true decenders Font 5 has a limited 7-bit ASCII character set consisting of the following:

0 to 9, A to Z, space, comma, full-stop, plus, minus.

This command also homes the cursor to the top left character po sition.

There are five separate commands that define the text size written by the <WT> command. They also affect free text written in Operational Modes 0 and 1.

The font sizes are as follows:

F1 Single row font 8 x 6 pixels F2 Two row font 16 x 10 pixels F3 Three row font 24 x 15 pixels F4 Four row font 32 x 19 pixels F5 Six row font 48 x 29 pixels

All fonts have a full 7-bit character set, except F5 All fonts have true decenders, except <F1>

Uses

Example

Caution!

See Also

The <F5> command allows:

• Maximum visibi l it y

• Eye-catching warnings when used with the <FL> flashing attribute

• Display of one critical process variable

The cursor is homed by this command, and may need to be moved to the desired position b e fore writing anything F5 has a limited character set

DFn Download Font WSn Write Soft Character WT Write Text

Clear Screen Select font 5 Move cursor to the lower left of the display Write “12YZ”

<FL> Flashing

Attributes

Description

Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Set the flashing attribute, so that any subsequently written text or graphic will flash when the global attribute <EF> is set.

None Steady (No Flashing) All Modes The <BMn> Background Mode attribute controls what background appears when the image flashes.

This attribute applies to all writes to the screen except bargraphs.

The Flashing attribute is cancelled by the <ST> STeady attribute. The <FL> command allows:

• Attention grabbing messages to be displayed

• Screens to be built with both flashing and non-flashing text and graphics

• Sending the <EF> command after the text is written ensures that all the text (written with

the flashing attribute set) starts flashing at the same time.

<FL>

enabled Write out the text Move the cursor to the sixth line down from the top of the screen Write the fo reground text as i nverse (white on black background) Write out some text Enable the flashing for the whole screen

Alternating each second with

Caution!

See Also

Flashing messages with a blank background can cause the message to be missed on a glance at the display. If this could be a problem, use a flash background which is the inverse of the of the image <BM2> as in the example above.

Attributes are not saved and restored when screens are moved to and from memory with the <SFnm> and <RFm> commands

BM Background Mode EF Enable Flashing IF Inhibit Flashing ST Steady

<FR> Font Restore

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Recover previously stored soft fonts from EEprom None All Modes This command recovers all the soft fonts in sizes F1 to F4 from EEprom, overwriting any that may

have been downloaded, but not kept. This command is required as all currently defined soft fonts (except those stored in EEprom) are lost when power is removed from the instrument.

Fonts can only be recovered as an entire block. There is no provision for restoring a single soft font number, or a single font size.

This command is used in conjunct i on with the Download Font <DFn> and Keep Fonts <KF> commands.

The <FR> command allows:

• Time to be saved, rather than having to download soft font sets after a power down

<FR>

Clear the screen Define the font size required Write out the text “Status:” Bottom line of screen, 65 pixels from the left of the screen Write the text “Alarm” Recover soft fonts.

N.B. The position of the command is unimportant. The command could have been issued at any time after

power-up and before the Write Soft <WS> command. Choose the font size Go to the position to write the character Writes character number 3 (bell) in soft font size F4 to the screen

Caution!

See Also

This is an ‘all-or-nothing’ command – all fonts of all sizes are restored at once

Performing a <FR> Font Restore without first downloading and saving the desired characters will yield unpredictable results

DF Download Font KF Keep Font

<FS> Fill Screen

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Caution!

Turn all pixels on, creating a black screen None All pixels are off All Modes This command also:

Removes an y windows that may be defined (equivalent to issuing a <DW0,7,0,119> command) Homes the cursor (equivalent to issuing a <HC> command)

The <FS> command provides:

• A known starting point before drawing a new screen

<FS>

If windows are being used, they must be defined after this command

Fill Screen

See Also

CS Clear Screen CW Clear Window DW Define Window HC Home Cursor

<FW> Fill Window

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Turn all pixels on within a defined window None All pixels are off Row Mode only This command also homes the cursor in the defined window area, equivalent to issuing a <HC>

command.

Apart from its main use in just filling the contents of a window, it can also be used to create inverse frames to contain text and graphics. Using this technique is much faster than using a Box Draw <BD> command in Pixel Mode.

The <FW> command allows:

• A known starting point before updating a window

• Creation of a simple border

<DW1,6,10,110>

Set Row Mode Turn all screen pixels on Define a window one row from top and bottom, 10 pixels in from

both sides Set all the pixels in the window area to on Set required font size Move the cursor to the third row down in the window Centre align the following text Set inverse mode Write out the text

See Also

BD Box Draw CS Clear Screen DW Define Window HC Home Cursor

<HBn,m> Horizontal Bargraph

Line Graphics

Description Parameters

Modes

Notes

Uses

Example

Draw a horizontal bargraph n pixels long with m pixels filled n = 3 to 120 - Length of bargraph

m = 0 to n - Number of filled pixels, starting from the left

Row Mode only The <WMn> Write Mode has no effect on this command

The horizontal bargraph is drawn at the current cursor position.

The cursor is restored to its original position after the command.

The number of filled pixels has to be less than or equal to the overall length o f the bargraph. Note that the first and last pixels are always filled in to form the frame, so <HB80,0> and <HB80,1> are visually identical, as are <HB80,79> and <HB80,80>

The <HB> command allows:

• Simple graphical representation of values or progress

• Bargraphs to be combined without restriction with other text and graphics

<SD>

<CM2,20>

<HB80,20>

<CM5,20>

<HB80,60>

Return screen to known state Move cursor to the second row down, 20 pixels from the left of the

screen Draw a horizontal bargraph 80 pixels long of which 20 pixels are

filled. (25% fill) Move the cursor to the fifth row down Draw another horizontal bargraph 80 pixels long but this time with

60 pixels filled (75% fill)

See Also

VB Vertical Bargraph

<HC> Home Cursor

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Return the cursor to the top left of the screen None All Modes This command is a special case of the <CM> Cursor Move command. The vertical position of the

cursor is set such that the currently active font will display normally at the top left of the screen.

For example, with <F1> active <HC> is equivalent to <CM0,0>. Similarly with <F5> active <HC> is equivalent to <CM4,0> (in Row Mode)

Home cursor is done automatically by commands such as <CS>, <FS>, <CW>, <FW> and setting any font size

The <HC> command allows:

• Any subsequently written text to be easily positioned at the to p of the display

• A starting point for constructi ng new screens

Put the display in a known state Set the font size Cursor down to the bottom of the screen Write out some text Home the cursor Write out some text showing the effect on the cursor of the <HC>

command

Caution! See Also

Make sure that the font size is selected before issuing the <HC> command

CS Clear Screen CW Clear Window Fn Font FS Fill Screen FW Fill Window

<HSm,n,r,s,t,u,v> Horizontal Scroll

System

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Scrolls a defined area of the screen by one pixel

m = 0 or 1 - scrolls the screen either Left (m = 0) or Ri ght (m = 1) n = 0 to 7 - The first row to scroll. r = 0 to 7 - The last row to scroll s = 0 to 64 - Starting position of line 1 t = 0 to 64 - Length of line 1 u = 0 to 64 - Starting position of line 2 v = 0 to 64 - Length of line 2

Row Mode only This command scrolls a defined area of the screen, left or right by one pixel. In addition, two vertical

lines of any length may be drawn in the ‘new’ pixel column.

The parameters s and u define the starting positions of these two new lines, in pixels above the bottom of Row r. The length of these lines are defined by the corresponding parameters t and v, again in pixels. These lines are drawn in the blank pixel column created by the left or right pixel block move. The lines may overlap if necessary.

If no lines are required, set s,t,u,v to zero.

By default the command acts on the whole width of the screen, but as it is a window aware command, the effective width may be controlled by setting up a suitable window.

The <HS> command allows:

• Line, bar, block charts that scroll with time

• Visual effects

Example

Caution! See Also

To use this command effectively takes more commands than can easily be listed here. However consider the following screen which will illustr ate the possibilities.

If the command is used in a window, the parameters are relative to that window.

DW Define Window LH Line Horizontal LV Line Vertical

This illustrates the use of the command in displaying a tre nd grap h. The ‘y’ axis is drawn with the <LH> and <LV> commands

Similarly, the initial ‘x’ axis is drawn in the same way, but the <HS> command can be used to ‘move’ the axis with the data if desired.

A window is set up just to the right of the vertical ‘y’ axis an d the whole height of the screen.

The command <HS0,0,7,0,0,0,0> will scroll the graph area and the horizontal ‘x’ axis left by one pixel.

The line draw parameters are used to:

1. Draw in the next point on the graph

2. Draw in the ‘x’ axis and its marker lines

The scale values are created with normal cursor moves and write text comma nds

<IF> Inhibit Flashing

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Inhibit the automatic 1 second flash of any text or graphics drawn with the <FL> attribute None Inhibited (N o Flashing) All Modes This command acts on the whole screen.

Flashing ca n be re-enabled by using the <EF> command. The <IF> command allows:

• A menu structure to be built up of flashing and static screens

• A simple method of acknowledging operator input

<FL>

Set a known state for the display Enable the flashing for the whole screen Move the cursor to the first line down from the top of the screen All text is aligned centrally Write out the text Set the flash background to the inverse of the foreground image Font size 2, 16 x 10 pixels Move the cursor to the fourth line down from the top of the screen Set the Flashing attribute, so any text written will flash if flashing is

enabled Write out the text Move the cursor to the sixth line down from the top of the screen Write the fo reground text as i nverse (white on black background) Write out some text

Alternating each second with

Caution!

See Also

<IF>

When this command is received, the foreground image will be immediately displayed, even if the background was actually on screen at that time

EF Enable Flashing FL Flashing IF Inhibit Flashing ST Steady

Now inhibit the flashing

(Steady image)

<KF> Keep Fonts

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Caution!

Save previously download soft fonts (F1-F4) to EEprom None All Modes This command causes all the soft fonts in font sizes F1 to F4 to be saved to EEprom. Due to space

limitations, font size F5 soft characters cannot be saved or restored.

Downloaded soft fonts not stored in this way are lost when power is removed.

It is not possible to save just an individual soft font number or even all the soft fonts in a given size. Soft fonts are restored with the <FR> command. This is not done automatically on power-up.

The font data is written as a block and will overwrite any previously stored data.

To add a soft font definition to the current stored values they should be restored to the instrument memory first. The new font can then be downloaded and the entire new font set re-saved

The <KF> command allows:

• A quicker method of providing soft fonts after power-on.

<FR> <F4> <DF3> Binary download of

32 x 19 pixel image <KF>

Font size F5 soft characters cannot be saved or restored

Get any existing font data Set required font size Tell the display to expect a BMP file download of font data

Send the file Save fonts

See Also

DF Download Font FR Font Restore

<LA> Left Align

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Set the attribute so that written text is aligned to the left of the display or defined window None Not aligned; Text appears at the current cursor position All Modes This command sets the attribute that causes text written with the <W T> command to be aligned at the

left hand side of the screen (or window, if defined).

It only affects text written after the attribute has been set.

The attribute is cancelled by the <NA> command or any of the other text alignment commands <CA>, <RA>, <SW> & <TW>

The <LA> command allows:

• Text to be automatically aligned without the need for cursor move commands

• Tidy screen presentation

Set the display to a known state Move the cursor to the middle of row 3 Set left align attribute Left align the word ‘Left’ on the current row Set the right align attribute Right align the word ‘Right’ on the current row. Move cursor one row down Set centre align attribute The word ‘Middle’ is written centre aligned on the current row.

See Also

CA Centre Align NA No Align RA Right Align SW Smart Wrap TW Text Wrap

<LF> Line Feed

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

See Also

Add a line feed character after a carriage return character has been received None This attribute is cleared; Line Feed and Carriage Return are independent actions Row Mode only This command causes the display to add a line feed character after a carriage return character has

been received.

This has the effect of moving the cursor to the beginning of the next row down when a single ‘carriage return’ character (13 decimal, 0x0D in hex) is received.

If the cursor is already on the bottom line of the display or window, the current screen is scrolled up one line and the cursor positioned at the beginning of the bottom line.

The <NL> command cancels this attribute, making LF and CR independent actions. <NL> is the default condition.

The <LF> command allows:

• The display to be used as a dumb terminal

• Hosts that only send CR instead of CR+LF to be accommodated

NL No LineFeed

<LHx,l> Line Horizontal

Line Graphics

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Draw a horizontal line x pixels long with a line thickness of l x = 1 to 120 - length

l = 1 to 64 - line thickness

Pixel mode only The line is drawn from the current cursor position upwards and to the rig ht.

The cursor position is unchanged after the command

The parameters may be any value that will keep the line being drawn on-screen. If any part of the defined line is off-screen, then the line is not drawn and an err or response it returned to the host.

The <LH> command allows:

• information to be segmented

• borders to be drawn

• line images to be constructed

<SD> <PM> <CM33,0> <LH120,4> <RM> <SW> <HC> <WTThis is the top

half of the screen> <CM5,0> <WT … and this is

the bottom half of the screen>

Set the display to a known state Set display to Pixel Mode Move the cursor to pixel row 33, at the left of the screen Draw a horizontal line 120 pixels long and 4 pixels wide Back to Row Mode Turn Smart Wrap attribute on. Text wraps without splitting words Home the cursor to top left of screen

Write out some text Cursor move to sixth row down

Write out some more text

Caution!

See Also

The entire line must fit on the screen, otherwise nothing will be drawn and an error response generated

BD Box Draw LV Line Vertical

<LN> Line New

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Send a ‘CR + LF’ to move the cursor down one line and to the left hand side of the screen or window None Row Mode Only This command sends a ‘Carriage Return’ + ‘Line Feed’ to the display so that the cursor is moved

down one line and to the left hand side of the screen or window.

If the cursor is already on the bottom line the display will scroll up one line, leaving the cursor on the new bottom line.

The <LN> command allows:

• A vertical scroll of text (and graphics) to occur if the cursor is already on the bottom line

• A quicker but more limited version of the Cursor Move command

Set the display to a known state Align all following text centrally Write some text Move the cursor down one line Write some more text Move to the bottom line Write some more text

See Also

<LN>

SW Smart Wrap

Move the cursor down one line

<LVy,l> Line Vertical

Line Graphics

Description Parameters

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Draw a vertical line y pixels high with a line thickness o f l y = 1 to 64 - height

l = 1 to 120 - line thickness

Pixel mode only The line is drawn from the current cursor position upwards and to the rig ht.

The cursor position is unchanged after the command

The <LV> command allows:

• information to be segmented

• borders to be drawn

• line images to be constructed

<SD> <PM> <CM63,58> <LV64,4> <RM> <DW0,7,0,57> <SW> <HC> <WTThis is the left

half of the screen> <DW0,7,63,119> <HC> <WT … and this is

the right half of the screen>

Set the display to a known state Set display to Pixel Mode Move the cursor to pixel row 63, in the middle of the screen Draw a vertical line 64 pixels long and 4 pixels wide Back to Row Mode Define a window on the left half of the screen Turn Smart Wrap attribute on. Text wraps without splitting words Home the cursor to top left of window

Write out some text Define a window on the right half of the screen

Home the cursor to the top left of the window

Write out some more text

Caution!

See Also

The entire line must fit on the screen, otherwise nothing will be drawn and an error response generated

BD Box Draw LH Line Horizontal

<MCn> Make Connection

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

The following commands are intended for the instrument with address ‘n’ n = 1 to 47 - address range

This command is used in multidrop or multiple instrument configurations Only the instrument with address ‘n’ will acknowledge this command. Each instrument must have a

unique address; commands cannot be ‘broadcast’ to several displays at once.

This command remains in force until cancelled by a <RC> Release Connection command. After an <RC> command has been confirmed by the currently active instrument, no instruments will respond to any commands until a further <MCn> command is sent to a valid instrument.

Multiple instrument configurations must send a valid <MCn> command when powered up as all instruments with a non-zero address will initially assume they are not ‘connected’.

Single instrument configurations with address 0 will return an error response to this command. The <MC> command allows:

• Multiple instruments to be connected to one host port

<MC1> <CS> <SW> <WTThis text has

been sent to the instrument at address 1>

<RC> <MC15> <WM3> <FS> <SW> <WTThis text has

been sent to the instrument at address 15>

<RC>

Make connect to the instrument with address 1 Clear the screen on instrument address 1 Set the smart wrap attribute on instrument address 1

Send this text to the instrument with address 1

Release the ‘connection’ to instrument 1 Make a ‘connection’ to the instrument with address 15 Set inverse write mode on the instrument at address 15 Fill the screen on instrument address 15 Set the smart wrap attribute on instrument address 15

Send this text to the instrument with address 15

Release the ‘connection’ to instrument 15

Caution! See Also

Instrument add ress 1:

Instrument address 15:

There is no such thing as a ‘broadcast address’. RC Release Connection

<NA> No Align

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Cancel all of the text alignment attributes <LA>, <RA>, <CA>, <SW> and <TW> None This is the default All Modes This command clears all alignment attributes so that text written with the <WT> command appears at

the current cursor position.

It only affects text written after the attribute has been set. The <NA> command allows:

• manual formatting after special alignment attributes have been used

Set screen to known state Set right alignment attribute on Write out some text Cursor to next line down, left of screen Write some more text Cursor to next line down, left of screen Cancel text alignment attribute Write some text, this time it appears at the current cursor position.

Caution! See Also

<NA> also cancels <SW> Smart Wrap and <TW> Text Wrap

CA Centre Align LA Left Align RA Right Align SW Smart Wrap TW Text Wrap

<NL> No Linefeed

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Cancel the automatic execution of a ‘CR + LF’ when just a single ‘CR’ is received None This is the default All Modes This command reverses the action of the <LF> command by cancelling the automatic execution of a

‘carriage return’ + ‘linefeed’ when just a single ‘carriage return’ is received. The <NL> command allows:

• The display to be used as a dumb terminal

• Hosts that send CR and LF separately to be accommodated

<SD> <LF> <WTFirst line of

text>

<WT[CR]>

Set screen to known state Set Linefeed attribute on

Write a line of text Send a [CR] character, with the Line Feed attribute set, this would

be interpreted as [CR]+[LF]

Note! The square brackets are not sent, they are ju st there to show that a Carriage Return character (ASCII 13) is sent.

This text written on the line below

See Also

LF Line Feed

Turn off line feed attribute Send another [CR] character As the Line Feed attribute has been turned off, the display has only

actioned the [CR] so this text overwrites the “More Text” string sent earlier.

<NU> No Underline

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Cancel the <UL> Underline attribute None This is the default All Modes This command cancels the ‘Underline’ attribute so that text written with t he <WT> command

appears without being underlined

It only affects text written after the attribute has been set. The <NU> command allows:

• A combination of underlined and plain text to appear on the same screen

Set screen to known state Centre alig n the text Set Underline attribute on Choose a font size (not F1) Write out some text that is underlined Cancel the underline attribute Move the cursor down Write out some more text which is not u nd erlined

See Also

UL Underline

<ODn> Output De-energised

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Control the state of the output contacts, making it de-energised n = 1 or 2 - Output number De-energised (open circuit) on power up All Modes These commands allow the user to control the state of the output contacts.

There are two isolated solid state contacts per display, A1 – A2 and A3 – A4

The parameter n selects which output is being controlled:

n = 1 controls the output A1-A2 n = 2 controls the output A3-A4

The command <ODn> turns off (de-energises) output n The command <OEn> turns on (energises) output n

The <OD> command allows:

• The display to control alarms, annunciators, sounders etc. under program control

Output A1 – A2 is energised (short circuit) Output A3 – A4 is energised (short circuit) Output A1 – A2 is de-energised (open circuit) Output A3 – A4 is de-energised (open circuit)

See Also

There is no effect on the display LCD screen

when these commands are used

OE Output Energised

<OEn> Output Energised

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Control the state of the output contacts, making it energised n = 1 or 2 - Output number De-energised (open circuit) on power up All Modes These commands allow the user to control the state of the output contacts.

There are two isolated solid state contacts per display, A1 – A2 and A3 – A4

The parameter n selects which output is being controlled:

n = 1 controls the output A1-A2 n = 2 controls the output A3-A4

The command <OEn> turns on (energises) output n The command <ODn> turns off (de-energises) output n

The <OE> command allows:

• The display to control alarms, annunciators, sounders etc. under program control

Output A1 – A2 is energised (short circuit) Output A3 – A4 is energised (short circuit) Output A1 – A2 is de-energised (open circuit) Output A3 – A4 is de-energised (open circuit)

See Also

There is no effect on the display LCD screen

when these commands are used

OD Output De-energised

<PM> Pixel Mode

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Put the unit into Pixel Mode None Row Mode All Operational Modes This command allows all text to have pixel positional reso lution in both vertical and horizontal

directions, rather than being constrained into rows as with Row Mode.

Most graphics commands require the display to be in Pixel Mode.

The vertical parameters for the cursor move command <CM> are 0 to 63 when in Pixel Mode.

Pixel modes writes to the screen are always slower than the corresponding Row Mode write. It is recommended that Row Mode operations are used whenever possible to optimise the response time. Alternatively, complex screens can be written to the non-active frame and then made visible; This gives the appearance of a fast redraw after a short pause.

The <PM> command allows:

• Flexibility of text and graphics positioning

• Tidy screen presentation

Set Pixel mode Move the cursor to Line 11, Row 1 Write the word ‘Text’ Move the cursor to Line 15, Row 26 Write the word ‘here’ Move the cursor to Line 19, Row 51 Write the word ‘here’ Move the cursor to Line 23, Row 76 Write the word ‘and’ Move the cursor to Line 27, Row 95 Write the word ‘here’

Caution!

See Also

Pixel mode is much slower than Row mode

The <PM> Pixel Mode command clears any currently defined window

AF Active Frame RM Row Mode VF Visible Frame

<RA> Right Align

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Set the attribute so that written text is aligned to the right of the disp lay or defined window None Not aligned; Text appears at the current cursor position All Modes This command sets the attribute that causes text written with the <W T> command to be aligned at the

right hand side of the screen (or window, if defined). Effectively, the horizontal cursor position is ignored and the text is automatically positioned such that it ends on the right hand edge.

It only affects text written after the attribute has been set.

The command is cancelled by the <NA> command or any of the other text alignment commands <CA>, <LA>, <SW> & <TW>

The <RA> command allows:

• Labelling the rig ht ha nd ‘so ft ke ys ’

• Constraining text away from text or images on the left of the screen

• Text to be automatically aligned without the need for cursor move commands

See Also

CA Centre Align LA Left Align NA No Align SW Smart Wrap TW Text Wrap

<RB> Reboot

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Cause a complete restart of the instrument, just as if it had been powered up None All Modes This command causes a complete restart of the instrument, just as if it had been powered up after

being switched off.

The receipt of this command is acknowledged in the normal way and then the instrument is restarted by causing a deliberate watchdog timeout.

This can be used to force a complete restart of the instrument, which may be needed if the host and display are independently powered.

An alternative is to issue the <SD> Screen Defaults command, which simply initialises the disp lay to a known state

The <RB> command allows:

• The entire instrument to be put into a known state

<RB>

Reboot the instrument A delay of up to 2 seconds may elapse before the watchdog timeout

restarts the hardware

Caution! See Also

The unit reads its configuration settings from EEprom and displays the power-on logo

Soft fonts must be restored with the <FR> Font Restore command after a reboot SD Screen Default

<RC> Release Connection

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Disconnect the currently ‘connected’ instrument None All instruments with non-zero addresses power up with no connection active This command is used in multidrop or multiple instrument configurations After an <RC> command has been confirmed by the currently active instrument, no instruments will

respond to any commands until a further <MCn> command is sent to a valid instrument.

Multiple instrument configurations must send a valid <MCn> command when powered up as all instruments with a non-zero address will initially assume they are not ‘connected’.

Single instrument configurations with address 0 will return an error response to this command. The <RC> command allows:

• Multiple instruments to be connected to one host port

<MC1> <CS> <SW> <WTThis text has

been sent to the instrument at address 1>

<RC> <MC15> <WM3> <FS> <SW> <WTThis text has

been sent to the instrument at address 15>

<RC>

Make connect to the instrument with address 1 Clear the screen on instrument address 1 Set the smart wrap attribute on instrument address 1

Send this text to the instrument with address 1

Send this text to the instrument with address 15

Release the ‘connection’ to instrument 15

See Also

Instrument add ress 1:

Instrument address 15:

MC Make Connection

<RFm> Restore Frame

System

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Restore a previously saved frame to the currently active frame m = 0 to 2 - Saved Frame memory location The <WMn> Write Mode has no effect on this command This command restores a frame image saved with the <SF> command to the currently active frame.

The parameter m specifies which memory location the stored frame is recovered from:

m = 0 specifies EEprom area 0 m = 1 specifies EEprom area 1 m = 2 specifies the scratchpad area in RAM

The scratchpad area is faster than the EEprom areas, but must be used with care as some commands will overwrite this location. See the <SF> Save Frame command for details

The <RF> command allows:

• Images to be transferred from one frame to another

• Any data screen to be flashed using the sequence <SF0,2><FL><EF><BM2><RF2>

Assume the display is showing some data, and our active frame is set to the same value as the visible frame

<SF0,2> <CS> <LN> <WTImportant> <LN> <WTMessage> <CM7,0> <WTAny key to

confirm>

Save frame 0 to scratchpad RAM Clear screen for new message Move down a line Write out a message….

Caution!

See Also

<RS>

<RF2>

Attributes are not restored The currently Active Frame may not be the currently Visible Frame

AF Active Frame SF Save Frame VF Visible Frame

Wait for an operator response. N.B. Loop sending this command until either a response or timeout

Restore the original screen from scratchpad

<RLn> Restore Logo

System

Description Parameters Initial Value

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Restore a logo that has been saved with the <SL> command n = 0 or 1 - Static or Scrolled There is a default “MTL” logo built in that appears if no user logo is defined.

All Modes This command is used to restore a logo that has been saved with the <SL> command. The parameter

n specifies whether the logo scrolls, as on power up. n = 0 specifies no scrolling n = 1 specifies logo should scroll

Scrolling will start after 20 seconds and pause for 10 seconds between each screen scroll

If there is no saved logo, this command will restore the default MTL logo.

The logo is always recovered to the current visible frame, overwriting the frame contents. Note this command is the only command that does not write to the current active frame.

The <RL> command allows:

• A customised logo to appear if the system is not being used, or there have been no messages for a period of time

• A scrolling logo to reassure operators that the display is still functioning correctly, without any host programming

<RL1>

Display the logo with scrolling enabled

Caution! See Also

Image is displayed when received

This command is the only one that does not write to the currently active frame.

DS Download Screen RF Restore Frame SL Save Logo

<RM> Row Mode

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Put the unit into Row Mode None Row Mode All Operational Modes This command enables Row Mode. In this mode the screen is split up into eight horizontal rows

each eight pixels high. Text is then aligned with these rows

In this mode the vertical position in the Cursor Move command it limited to 0 to 7.

Windows are available in Row Mode to constrain and align text.

Writes to the display in Row Mode are always faster than Pixel Mode operation, and should be used wherever possible

The <RM> command allows:

• Rapid display of text messages

• Simple text alignment

<CS> <RM> <CA> <WTPlease> <F2> <CM3,0> <WTPRESS KEY 6> <F1> <CM5,0> <WTwhen the

operation> <LN> <WT is complete>

Clear screen for new message Set Row Mode Centre alig n the text Write out message…. Use a larger font size Move the cursor to row 3 Write more text Back to the small font Move the cursor to row 5

Write out more text Next line down

Write out final line of text

See Also

PM Pixel Mode DW Define Window

<RS> Request Status

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Get key-pre ss status information from the display None None All Modes This command is used to get key-press status information from the display. It has no effect on the

screen or any of the display settings.

This command was included primarily to be able to read the keys in Operational Mode 0, where there is not normally a response to commands. However, it works in any mode and can be used in a loop waiting for an operator key-press.

The <RS> command allows:

• Operator feedback

• The only method for checking the keys in Operational Mode 0

<CS> <RM> <CA> <WTPlease> <F2> <CM3,0> <WTPRESS KEY 6> <F1> <CM5,0> <WTwhen the

operation> <LN> <WT is complete>

Clear screen for new message Set Row Mode Centre alig n the text Write out message…. Use a larger font size Move the cursor to row 3 Write more text Back to the small font Move the cursor to row 5

Write out more text Next line down

Write out final line of text

See Also

<RS>

CI Command Implement CC Check Code CR Cyclic Redundancy check

Wait for an operator response. N.B. Loop sending this command until either a response or timeout

<SBn> Set Backlight

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Caution!

Alter the intensity of the backlight n = 0 to 40 - Backlight Intensity Dependant o n setting made in configuration menus All Modes This command alters the intensity of the backlight depending on the parameter n:

n = 0 backlight off. n = 40 backlight fully on.

The actual brightness of the backlight depends on the single/multiple unit configuration. See the instruction manual for further information

The new backlight intensity is not saved in EEprom. If permanent changes to the backlight intensity are required, use the configuration or quick access menus

The <RB> ReBoot command restores the backlight to the default value as part of the initialisation process

The <SB> command allows:

• The backlight to be flashed to attract attention

• Panel illumination to be controlled by the host

<SB0>

<SB40>

The current backlight intensity cannot be read back from the display, nor can the defaults be changed by the host

Turn the backlight off

Turn the backlight to full intensity

See Also

RB ReBoot

<SD> Screen Defaults

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Cancels all attributes and returns the display to a kno wn configurat ion None This is the default at power up All Modes This command behaves as if the following commands were received by the display:

<AF0> Active frame = 0 <VF0> Visible frame = 0 <F1> Small font 8 x 6 Pixels <CS> Clear Screen <HC> Cursor homed <WM0> Normal text <RM> Row Mode <IF> Inhibit Flashing <ST> Text Steady attribute <NA> No Text Alignment or Wrap <BM0> Background Mode = 0 <NU> No Underline

As a consequence, the screen is cleared, window definitions are removed, display scrolling is turned off and key press data cleared

The <SD> command allows:

• A known starting point for the creation of each screen

Example

Caution! See Also

<SD>

<CM7,0> <WT12YZ>

Use the <CS> Clear Screen for a less drastic initialisation

CS Clear Screen RB ReBoot

Set Screen defaults

Move cursor to the lower left of the display Write “12YZ”

<SFn,m> Save Frame

System

Description Parameters

Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Save the specified frame n to memory location m n = 0 or 1 - frame number

m = 0 to 2 - memory location

None All Modes The save frame command allows the specified frame n to be saved to memory location m.

m = 0 saves the frame m to EEprom area 0 m = 1 saves the frame m to EEprom area 1 m = 2 saves the frame m to scratchpad RAM

Saved frames are restored with the <RFn> command.

If more non-volatile frame storage is required, the <SL> Save Logo command can be used, but a frame saved using this command is automatically displayed on power-on.

The scratchpad RAM area is also used by the following commands:

Use of any of these commands will corrupt a saved image in scratchpad ram.

Detailed information about the use of frames can be found in the Frames Section (Page 6). The <SF> command allows:

• Complex screen backdrops to be saved, to which live data can then be added

• Temporary frame storage while another message is displayed

• Images to be moved between frames

• Normally static frames to flash, by saving them and then restoring them with the <FL> and

<EF> attributes turned on. This is a simple way of indicating an alarm condition.

Example 1

<WT1>

<SF0,1> <SF1,2>

Start with the active frame and visible frame set to 0 Clear frame 0 Set the required font Let the display centre the text automatically Write out the word “Frame” Down a row Write out the number “0” Switch to the hidden frame Clear the hidden frame Write out the word “Frame” Down a row Write out the text to the hidden frame; LCD display screen

unaltered Save frame 0 to EEprom area 1 Save frame 1 to scratchpad RAM.

Visible frame

Hidden Frame

Example 2

Caution!

<SD>

<RF1>

<RF2>

Make sure that the section on Frames (Page 6) is read and understood

Be aware of the limitations regarding scratchpad RAM – unexpected results may easily occur

Frame n may or may not currently be visible. Use the <VF> command to achieve the desired result

Sets active and visible frames to 0 and clears the screen

The text “Frame 0” is restored to the screen from EEprom

The text “Frame 1” is restored to the screen from scratchpad RAM

Note: If this last sequence is repeated after the power has been removed and restored, then only the RF0 will restore the saved image correctly as the scratchpad ram contents will be undefined.

See Also

RF Restore Frame VF Visible Frame

<SL> Save Logo

System

Description Parameters Initial Value

Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Save the currently visible frame contents as the power-on logo None There is a default “MTL” logo built in that appears if no user logo is defined.

All Modes The screen may be drawn using the text and graphics commands or simply downloaded from the host

as a .BMP file using <DS> or <DG>

A saved logo can be overwritten at any time by issuing another <SL> command.

If a user logo is no longer required, then clear the screen and execute the <SL> command. This will restore the default MTL logo

The <SL> command allows:

• A customised logo to appear at power on

<CS>

<DS>

Binary download of .BMP

file is now sent

Clear Screen Tell the display to expect a 64 x 120 pixel graphics image that it

should display full screen.

See Also

DS Download Screen DG Download Graphic

Image is displayed when received

Save Logo to EEprom ReBoot the display

User logo is shown (and scrolled)

on power up

Clear Screen Save Logo to EEprom ReBoot the display

Default MTL logo is shown

(and scrolled) on power up

<ST> Steady

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes Uses

Example

Cancel the flashing attribute set with the <FL> command None Steady (No Flashing) All Modes

The <ST> command allows:

• Screens to be built with both flashing and non-flashing text and graphics

Set the display in to a known state Set the flashing attribute Enable flashing Use font 2 Align the text in the centre of the screen Down to row 2 Write the word “Flashing” Cancel the flashing attribute Down to row 5 Write the word “Steady”

Alternating each second with

See Also

BM Background Mode EF Enable Flashing FL Flashing IF Inhibit Flashing

<SW> Smart Wrap

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Force text that cannot fit on the current line, to be written on the next line without splitting words None <NA> No Alignment Row Mode only With the <SW> attribute set, the <WT> command will automatically wrap lon g lines o f te xt without

splitting words. It means that the programmer does not have to worry about the formatting as long as the text all fits on the screen. The display will scroll in order to display all the text sent.

Smart Wrap is a text alignment attribute that cannot be used in conjunction with any other alignment command <CA>,<LA>, <RA> or <TW>. It is cancelled by the <NA> command.

<SW> can be used with either the full screen, or within a window. The <SW> command allows:

• Simple formatting of text strings

<SD> <SW> <WTThis is a very

long line of text that shows how the Smart Wrap attribute automatically formats the text.>

Set the display to a known state Set the Smart Wrap

Write a lot of text. It all fits on screen

See Also

<CS> <DW0,7,20,100> <WTThis is a very

long line of text that shows how the Smart Wrap attribute automatically formats the text.>

CA Centre Align LA Left Align NA No Align RA Right Align TW Text Wrap

Clear the screen Define a window

Send the same line of text, but because of the narrowed window it does not all fit on screen. The display scrolls to accommodate all the text.

Note that the display has scrolled

<TOn> Time Out

System

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Activate a timer that warns if communications from the host ceases for a (n x 10) Seconds n = 0 to 255 - Multiples o f 10 Seconds

0, no timeout active All Modes This command activates a timer that warns via a screen message that there has been no

communication from the host for a defined period of time.

The parameter n sets a timeout period of n x 10 seconds.

n = 0 deactivates the timeout function.

In order to reset the timer, a valid command with a correct checksum (if used) must be received and acknowledged by the display. In a multidrop application, each individual display must be communicated to within their timeout period.

The <TO> command allows:

• Users to be warned that the message displayed may be out of date

<TO2>

Sets a timeout period of 2 x 10 = 20 seconds Assume that the following screen was being displayed

Caution!

See Also

If no communication was received for more than 20 seconds the warning screen will alternate every second with the original screen.

In normal operation, make sure that the host communicates at least once every timeout period. The <RS> Request Status command may be used for this purpose

RB ReBoot RS Request Status

When a communication is received, the warning message will not be displayed again until the timeout period has been exceeded once again.

Alternating each second with

<TW> Text Wrap

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Force text that cannot fit on the current line, to be written on the next line None <NA> No Align Row Mode only This attributes forces any text that will not fit on the current line to be written on the following line.

The operation is not intelligent in any way, the decision of whether to wrap to the next li ne is made on a character by character basis. This means words will usually flow across two lines.

Text written off the end of the bottom line will cause the screen to scroll.

The Text Wrap attribute may be used with the whole screen or constrained within a window.

It is cancelled by the <NA> No Align command.

Text that exceeds the line length without either the <TW> or <SW> attributes set will not be written to the screen and an error is returned to the host.

The <TW> command allows:

• Strings can be sent without worrying a bout their length

• Maximum visible message size, albeit with poor formatting

<SD> <CM3,0> <TW> <WTThis text

exceeds the line length>

Set the display to a known state Cursor Move to line 3 Set Text Wrap attribute

Send a long line of text, which exceeds the screen width

Caution! See Also

Note that all the text is displayed without an error being returned to the host, but the word “the” is split on to two lines.

<NA> <CM3,0> <WTThis is a long

line of text that wraps on to three rows>

If text needs to wrap, but without splitting words, use the <SW> attr ibute instead. NA No Align

SW Smart Wrap

Cancel Text Wrap Move back to the same starting point

Send another long line of text, which exceeds the screen width

This time the first line is overwritten, but the second line is not because the text has not been wrapped. Also, an error response is returned to the host to indicate that the write command failed

<UE> Upload Enable

Pixel Graphics

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Enables the use of the Upload Screen <US> command None Not enabled. <US> command will return an error unless preceded by <UE> All Modes This command enables the use of the Upload Screen <US> command, and must be sent immediately

prior to that command.

The Upload Screen <US> command is the only command that uploads data from the display, so this enable command is included to prevent accidental use of the <US> command which would disrupt normal communications for a few seconds.

The <UE><US> commands allow:

• Screen contents to be uploaded to a host computer as a Windows format .BMP file. These screen captures can be included in operator user manuals and other documentation.

This combination of commands was used to generate the example screen-shots in this manual.

Assume default logo is displayed

Caution! See Also

In Operational Modes greater than 0, command responses and checksums will surround the data US Upload Screen

Bitmap file of screen image is returned to host

<UL> UnderLine

Attributes

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Set the Underline attribute, so that any subsequently written text is underlined. None <NU> No Underline All Modes Once this attribute has been set, any text written in Fonts 2 to 5 ar e underlined in the dece nder ar ea o f

the font. As Font 1 does not have decenders, this attribute is not recognised. If Font1 text really does need to be underlined, use a line draw command <LH> in pixel mode.

Characters defined in the soft fonts are also underlined using this command. This should be born in mind when defining the characters.

The Underline attribute is cancelled with the <NU> command. The <UL> command allow:

• Attention to be focussed onto certain text

• Screen presentation to be improved by the use of headings

Set the display in to a known state Maximum font si ze Down to row 6 Set centre align attribute Set underline attribute Write the message

Caution! See Also

Font 1 cannot be underlined using this method US Upload Screen

<US> Upload Screen

Pixel Graphics

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Upload the current screen contents to the host. None Not enabled. <US> command will return an error unless preceded by <UE> All Modes Detailed information about the upload procedure is in the Graphics Transfer Section (Page 11).

The <US> command is acknowledged in the normal way. After a short gap (500ms), a 1086 byte block of data is sent to the host. A command acknowledge then follows with the check bytes as per the current operational mode. The check bytes include the data block bytes and the acknowledge, but not the check bytes themselves. The 1086 byte data block, saved to file is a graphics image of the screen in 2-colour Windows .BMP format

This command requires the Upload Enable <UE> command to be sent immediately prior to it. The <UE><US> commands allow:

• Screen contents to be uploaded to a host computer as a Windows format .BMP file. These screen captures can be included in operator user manuals and other documentation.

This combination of commands was used to generate the example screen-shots in this manual.

Assume default logo is displayed

Caution! See Also

In Operational Modes greater than 0, command responses and checksums will surround the data UE Upload Enable

Bitmap file of screen image is returned to host

<VBn,m> Vertical Bargraph

Line Graphics

Description Parameters

Modes

Notes

Uses

Example

Draw a vertical bargraph n pixels high with m pixels filled n = 0 to 64 - Height of bargraph

m = 0 to n - Number of filled pixels, starting from the bottom

Row Mode only The <WMn> Write Mode has no effect on this command

The vertical bargraph is drawn at the current cursor position.

The cursor is restored to its original position after the command.

The number of filled pixels has to be less than or equal to the overall length o f the bargraph. Note that the first and last pixels are always filled in to form the frame, so <VB60,0> and <VB60,1> are visually identical, as are <VB60,59> and <VB60,60>

The <VB> command allows:

• Simple graphical representation of values or progress

• Bargraphs to be combined without restriction with other text and graphics

Set the display in to a known state Cursor down to the bottom row, five pixels in. Draw a vertical bar 64 pixels long with 44 pixels filled Cursor to bottom row 14 pixels in Write a “0” as the lower scale value Cursor to top row, 14 pixels in Write “1200” as the max scale value Large font Cursor position for variable Write out the value Smaller font Pixel mode so units label can be precisely positioned Position of units label Write out the units

See Also

HB Horizontal Bargraph

<VFn> Visible Frame

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Page frame n is made visible n = 0 or 1 - frame number

0 All Modes The display comprises of two virtual screens, screen 0 and screen 1. Only one of these screens is

visible at a time. The <VFn> command is issued to make the required screen visible. It is used in conjunctio n with the <AFn> Active Frame command.

The <VFn> command a llows

• complex screens to be drawn while hidden and then instantly displayed

• frequently used screens to be instantly restored

• a single command to alternate two images

<AF1>

<VF1>

All writes to the display after this command are directed to screen 1, which is currently hidden

Screen 1 is cleared, display still shows the initial me ssage Large Font enabled, display still sho ws the i nitial message The word STOP is written on the hidden scr een, display still shows

the initial message Screen 1 now made visible. The word STOP appears on the LCD

screen

Caution!

See Also

Cursor positions are not saved or restored with frames

This command only makes the selected frame visible; it does not change the fra me t hat is written to. Make sure that the Active Frame <AFn> command is issued appropriately

AF Active Frame RF Restore Frame

<WMn> Write Mode

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Determine how text or graphics is drawn on the screen n = 0 to 3 - mode number All Modes The write mode is defined by the value n

n = 0 data is written normally to the screen, over-writing the current screen contents n = 1 data being writte n to the screen is ‘ORed’ with the current screen contents n = 2 data being writte n to the screen is ‘XORed’ with the current screen contents n = 3 the inverse of the data is written to the screen, over-writing the current screen contents

Detailed information is in the Display Features Section (Page 4) The <WM> command allows:

• Complete flexibility over the appearance of text and graphics

• Allows objects to be written that although they may overlap do not overwrite each other

• Inverse can be used to highlight

• XOR writes will undo what has been written

Original screen

The following examples show the effect of writing the text ‘1234’ in font 5 on a chequer-board background for the 4 write modes:

Caution! See Also

<WM0>

<WM2>

Write modes do not apply to Bargraphs or Restored Frames BM Background Mode

<WM1>

<WM3>

<WSn> Write Soft character

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Write the soft character number n of the current font at the current cursor position n = 0 to 3 - soft font character

All Modes A soft font is any user defined image that is the same size as the current font.

The display can accommodate 4 soft fonts (n = 0 to 3) for each font F1 to F5.

The soft character written assume all the current attributes, just as any normal character.

Although normally used for text characters or symbols that not in the normal character set, the soft characters can be used to store and write any image of the correct size.

This command will assume that the soft font specified has already been downloaded o r restored. No error is generated if a soft font does not exist, it j ust writes uninitialised data.

Soft fonts are lost when power is removed from the display. Most fonts can be saved / restored as a block using the <KF> Keep Fonts and <FR> Font Restore commands

The <WS> command allows:

• Any special character to be written to the screen just like any other character

<DF0>

Binary download of graphics file

Clear Screen Set largest font size Tell the display that a soft character number 0 (for Font 5) is going

to be downloaded Send a .BMP file of the required soft character to the display. In

this case a 48 x 29 pixel image of a GBP symbol (£) Write the soft character to the screen Write normal text

See Also

KF Keep Font FR Font Restore

<WTmessage> Write Text

Screen Handling & Text

Description Parameters Initial Value Modes Notes

Uses

Example

Write text to the display, using any set attributes message = any 7-bit ASCII string None All Modes This command allows text to be written to the display and take ad vantage of all the attributes and

formatting commands.

This command can be used in any mode, but it must be used in Operational Modes 2 to 4 in order to write text to the screen

Free text can be written to the screen in modes 0 and 1, but it is not confirmed and cannot be formatted

If the ‘>’ character is required in a text string with the <WT> command the character should be included twice.

Text that exceeds the line length without either the <TW> or <SW> attributes set will not be written to the screen and an error is returned to the host.

The <WT> command allows

• Text to be written !

Put the display into a known state Cursor to row 4 Align all following text centrally Write the message

Caution! See Also

Font 5 has a limited character set WS Write Soft Character

MTL Instruments Pty Limited

1/30 Canvale Road Canning Vale Perth, WA 6155 Australia Tel: +61 (0)8 9455 2994 Fax: +61 (0)8 9455 2805 E-mail: enquiries@mtlaus.com.au

MTL Canada Safety Instrumentation

#102, 4249 97 Street Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6E 5Y7 Tel: +1 780 485 3132 Fax: +1 780 485 3122 E-mail: cinfo@mtlnh.com

MTL Instruments Pte

Room 1002A, The Gateway No 10 Yabao Road, Chaoyang District Beijing 100020 China Tel: +86 010 8562 5718/5720/5721 Fax: +86 010 8562 5725 E-mail: bjsales@mtl-inst.cn

MTL Instruments sarl

Les Carrés du Parc 10 rue des Rosiéristes 69410 Champagne au Mont d’Or France Tel: +33 (0)4 78 64 98 32 Fax: +33 (0)4 78 35 79 41 E-mail: info@mtl-inst.fr

MTL Instruments GmbH

An der Gümpgesbrücke 17 D-41564 Kaarst Germany Tel: +49 (0)2131 718930 Fax: +49 (0)2131 7189333 E-mail: info@mtl.de

MTL India Pvt. Limited

No. 36, Nehru Street Off Old Mahabalipuram Road Sholinganallur Chennai - 600 119 India Tel: + 91 (0)44 24501660/24501857 Fax: + 91 (0)44 24501463 E-mail: sales@mtlindia.com

MTL Italia srl

Via Cantù 11 I - 20092 Cinisello Balsamo MI Italy Tel: +39 (0)2 61802011 Fax: +39 (0)2 61294560 E-mail: info@mtl-inst.it

MTL Instruments KK

3rd Floor, Gotanda Masujima Building 1-8-13 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-Ku Tokyo 141-0022 Japan Tel: +81 (0)3 5420 1281 Fax: +81 (0)3 5420 2405 E-mail: sales@mtlkk.co.jp

MTL Instruments BV

PO Box 55, 6680 AB Bemmel de Houtakker 36, 6681 CW Bemmel The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0)481 450250 Fax: +31 (0)481 450260 E-mail: info@mtlbenelux.com

MTL Instruments Pte Limited

31 Ubi Road 1 #04-01 Aztech Building Singapore 408694 Tel: +65 6 487 7887 Fax: +65 6 487 7997 E-mail: sales@mtlsing.com.sg

MTL Instruments

Villa No. 4, Sector 2-17, Street 6 PO Box 53234, Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel: +971 2 446 6840 Fax: +971 2 446 6841 E-mail: mtlgulf@mtl-inst.com

Measurement Technology Limited

Power Court, Luton, Bedfordshire England LU1 3JJ Tel: +44 (0)1582 723633 Fax: +44 (0)1582 422283 E-mail: enquiry@mtl-inst.com

MTL Incorporated

4001 W. Sam Houston Parkway N. Suite 150, Houston TX 77043 USA Tel: +1 281 571 8065 Fax: +1 281 571 8069 E-mail: info@mtl-inst.com

Group Internet home page http://www.mtl-inst.com/

Members of The MTL Instruments Group

MTL Instruments MTL647, MTL646 Programming Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual