https://github.com/leswright1977/rpi-ba63

Using the BA63 customer display with the Raspberry Pi
https://github.com/leswright1977/rpi-ba63

Last synced: 3 months ago
JSON representation

Using the BA63 customer display with the Raspberry Pi

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/leswright1977/rpi-ba63
• Owner: leswright1977
• License: apache-2.0
• Created: 2020-08-22T10:37:57.000Z (almost 5 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2020-08-23T10:05:17.000Z (almost 5 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-01-22T05:28:53.906Z (5 months ago)
• Language: Python
• Size: 1.57 MB
• Stars: 2
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

        
# RPi-BA63

Python code and Hardware modifications to use the BA63 Vacuum Fluorescent display with the Raspberry Pi

The BA63 display is a Vacuum Fluorescent display with a RS232 serial interface. These are easy to control over serial, but if you want to control it with the Raspberry Pi, there a a couple of small hitches:

1 The Raspberry Pi cannot drive 12v serial.

2 Seemingly the Raspberry pi built in serial cannot be changed to odd parity that the display expects by default.

https://www.dieboldnixdorf.com/-/media/diebold/ag-downloads/poslotterysystems/manuals/peripherals/baxx/ba63_display_operating_manual_english.pdf

From the manual we can see it is easy to turn parity off by simply jumpering JP3

![Screenshot](media/jp3.png)

To power the display (12v) you can either use the PS/2 port, or solder wires directly to the pins as shown below. Be careful not to strike the vacuum sealing pip with your soldering iron:

![Screenshot](media/pwr.png)

To drive the serial directly from the Raspberry Pi, we simply need to find a point on the PCB that will accept our 3v3 levels.

The BA63 is controlled with the TEMIC TSC80C31-16CB microcontroller. Pin 5 is the RX pin.

https://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/29664/TEMIC/TSC80C31-16CB.html

There is a convenient pad on the board that a small piece of wire wrap wire can be soldered to:

![Screenshot](media/temicsolder.png)

Connect your Raspberry Pi tx pin to this, and you are good to go.

All the Python code is in src/ containing demos that: Display Text, Display the time, Scroll text and so on.

Code is well commented but refer to the BA63 manual for escape codes etc.