Driving small LCDs (video glasses type)

[Peter "Sci" Turpin]

I asked about this about 15 months ago, but got no replies. Since we
have more members now, I thought I'd ask again.

Basically I have a bunch of old-stock Kopin Cyberdisplays. They're a
discontinued type. I paid about �25 for two packs of 42 some years back.
Have sold a few individualy since, but must have about 60 of them left.

The interface board is no longer produced, and even if it was it'd be
something like �100 for one.

A guy did make his own version, but it was limited to 1-bit colour
depth, rather than the 8-bit the display is capable of:
http://www.btinternet.com/~family.entwisle/personal-blog/static/project-wearwulf-display.html

Does anyone know of a more off-the-shelf way/chip of driving them? Or
can suggest other good starting points?

The LCDs are "Kopin CyberDisplay 320 monochrome", type KCD-QD01-AA. I
thankfully still have a copy of the datasheet PDF here:
www.sci-fi-fox.com/offsitelinked/320_Mono_.24-Spec.pdf

The spec of them is:

� 320 (H) � 240 (V) spatial resolution (76,800 pixels).
� Active pixels 320 � 240 (76,800 pixels).
� 3.3�5.0volt CMOS logic compatible control signals with
built-inlevel-shifter
� Low power consumption: 12mW
� High performance: up to 72 frames per second
� 1 positive and 1 negative polarity staggered analog video inputs
� Integrated horizontal and vertical shift registers
� Right to Leftor Left to Right Scanning
� Ultra-compact size: Active display area 4.80 mm � 3.60 mm (0.24
inches diagonally)

Okay it's greyscale, but I thought they'd make nice basic
head-up-displays. So turning them into something that'd take a
reasonably standard video input would be nice.

[Adrian Godwin]

An FPGA is probably the obvious way, but might be a steep learning
curve. But you might be able to do it with one of the devices intended
to bit-bang peripherals in software - the Parallax Propellor, or the
Xmos chips.

-adrian

On Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 9:55 PM, Peter "Sci" Turpin <s...@sci-fi-fox.com> wrote:
> I asked about this about 15 months ago, but got no replies. Since we have
> more members now, I thought I'd ask again.
>
> Basically I have a bunch of old-stock Kopin Cyberdisplays. They're a

> discontinued type. I paid about £25 for two packs of 42 some years back.

> Have sold a few individualy since, but must have about 60 of them left.
>
> The interface board is no longer produced, and even if it was it'd be

> something like £100 for one.

>
> A guy did make his own version, but it was limited to 1-bit colour depth,
> rather than the 8-bit the display is capable of:
> http://www.btinternet.com/~family.entwisle/personal-blog/static/project-wearwulf-display.html
>
> Does anyone know of a more off-the-shelf way/chip of driving them? Or can
> suggest other good starting points?
>
> The LCDs are "Kopin CyberDisplay 320 monochrome", type KCD-QD01-AA. I
> thankfully still have a copy of the datasheet PDF here:
> www.sci-fi-fox.com/offsitelinked/320_Mono_.24-Spec.pdf
>
> The spec of them is:
>

> • 320 (H) × 240 (V) spatial resolution (76,800 pixels).
> • Active pixels 320 × 240 (76,800 pixels).
> • 3.3–5.0volt CMOS logic compatible control signals with
> built-inlevel-shifter
> • Low power consumption: 12mW
> • High performance: up to 72 frames per second
> • 1 positive and 1 negative polarity staggered analog video inputs
> • Integrated horizontal and vertical shift registers
> • Right to Leftor Left to Right Scanning
> • Ultra-compact size: Active display area 4.80 mm × 3.60 mm (0.24 inches

[Peter "Sci" Turpin]

Probably, I've never touched an FPGA. No idea how to program for them,
select the right sort, how much they cost or anything.

On 03/07/2012 23:13, Adrian Godwin wrote:
> An FPGA is probably the obvious way, but might be a steep learning
> curve. But you might be able to do it with one of the devices intended
> to bit-bang peripherals in software - the Parallax Propellor, or the
> Xmos chips.
>
> -adrian
>
> On Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 9:55 PM, Peter "Sci" Turpin <s...@sci-fi-fox.com> wrote:
>> I asked about this about 15 months ago, but got no replies. Since we have
>> more members now, I thought I'd ask again.
>>
>> Basically I have a bunch of old-stock Kopin Cyberdisplays. They're a

>> discontinued type. I paid about �25 for two packs of 42 some years back.

>> Have sold a few individualy since, but must have about 60 of them left.
>>
>> The interface board is no longer produced, and even if it was it'd be

>> something like �100 for one.

>>
>> A guy did make his own version, but it was limited to 1-bit colour depth,
>> rather than the 8-bit the display is capable of:
>> http://www.btinternet.com/~family.entwisle/personal-blog/static/project-wearwulf-display.html
>>
>> Does anyone know of a more off-the-shelf way/chip of driving them? Or can
>> suggest other good starting points?
>>
>> The LCDs are "Kopin CyberDisplay 320 monochrome", type KCD-QD01-AA. I
>> thankfully still have a copy of the datasheet PDF here:
>> www.sci-fi-fox.com/offsitelinked/320_Mono_.24-Spec.pdf
>>
>> The spec of them is:
>>

>> � 320 (H) � 240 (V) spatial resolution (76,800 pixels).
>> � Active pixels 320 � 240 (76,800 pixels).

>> � 3.3�5.0volt CMOS logic compatible control signals with
>> built-inlevel-shifter

>> � Low power consumption: 12mW

>> � High performance: up to 72 frames per second
>> � 1 positive and 1 negative polarity staggered analog video inputs
>> � Integrated horizontal and vertical shift registers
>> � Right to Leftor Left to Right Scanning
>> � Ultra-compact size: Active display area 4.80 mm � 3.60 mm (0.24 inches

[Zach Fine]

I think the "MCVVQ111AFB" is the driver chip - I see them going for $10 + shipping on eBay.

Here's the data sheet.