Rimon' Blog

Teensy++ LCD driver

rimon@rtadros.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:06:03 GMT

I got the microcontroller Teensy++ http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/index.html and I have a stander 8X2 LCD, and I wrote the driver in C to write strings to my LCD, here I am writing my name :-)

I used the Arduino IDE http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software and pjrc plug in http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/teensyduino.html
I connected the LCD “DB” port to the Teensy “D” port, LCD clock “E” to Teensy “C0”, and the LCD R/S to Teensy “E0”

/*
* LCD Write
* By: Rimon Tadros
*
*/

void setup() // run once, when the sketch starts
{
InitializePorts(); //makes the pins as output pins
SetDisplay();
ConfigDisplay();
ClearDisplay();
WriteString("Rimon");
SelectSecondLine();
WriteString("Tadros");
}

void InitializePorts()
{
for(int i = 0; i < 8 ; i++)
{
     pinMode(PIN_D0+i, OUTPUT);
}
pinMode(PIN_E0, OUTPUT);
pinMode(PIN_C0, OUTPUT);
}

void SelectSecondLine()
{
SendData(B11000000, true);
}

void ConfigDisplay()
{
SendData(B00111100, true);
}

void SetDisplay()
{
SendData(B00001100, true);
}

void ClearDisplay()
{
SendData(B00000001, true);
}

void WriteString(char* x)
{
int index=0;
while(x[index] != '\0')
{
WriteChar(x[index]);
index++;
}
}

void WriteChar(char x)
{
SendData(x,false);
}

void SendData(char x, boolean command)
{
for(int i = 0; i < 8 ; i++)
{
    if( (x>>i) & 0x01 == 0x01)
      digitalWrite(i, HIGH);
    else
      digitalWrite(i, LOW);
}
if(command)
    digitalWrite(PIN_E0, LOW);
else
    digitalWrite(PIN_E0, HIGH);
digitalWrite(PIN_C0, HIGH);
delay(1);
digitalWrite(PIN_C0, LOW);
}

void loop() // run over and over again
{

//nothing to do here ;)
}

Windows Azure Hello World Application in 8 Steps

rimon@rtadros.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:21:33 GMT

I started learning how to write applications using Windows Azure, here are the steps:

Download and install

Windows Azure SDK: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=130232
Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=128752

Request a Token: http://www.microsoft.com/azure
After getting the token create an application: https://lx.azure.microsoft.com
Open visual studio: new –> project –> Cloud Services –> Web Cloud Service
Write hello world code in the Default.aspx page (be creative)
Right click on your Service project (Not the _WebRole) and select publish.
Select Deploy and Upload you package and configurations
Select Run.

Done

Missing the old days?

rimon@rtadros.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:38:00 GMT

Before computers and Internet, to reserve anything, you have to call that place, you hear nice music and “all our agents are serving other customers please wait …” and nice music again, then hopefully someone will answer you, you ask for an appointment, and the person on the phone will use his/here agenda and pencil, he/she search for a suitable time slot for you and the negotiations continue until you get mutual agreement about a day and time. Thanks God, nowadays we have computers and online reservation systems :D but we still think as human ;)

I was trying to book a road test online and I was surprised by the ICBC website, take a look and tell me what do you think :)

and of course I tried “hours of availability” link and I got this

note: Sunday system starts at 9:00am not 6:00am.

I got some funny ideas about this online reservation system that works only for some hours during the day, here are some interpretations:

They shut down the server each day, because of electricity saving :)
Or for some reason they could not connect to the Database, so as a work around, they hired someone to sit in front of the computer with agenda and pencil.

tell me what do you think? ;)

Diff & Merge Tools

rimon@rtadros.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:20:09 GMT

One of the very important tools for all programmers is the Diff and Merge, there are many software products out there for diff and merge, here is a useful list of them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_comparison_tools

More...

My First Post

rimon@rtadros.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:08:36 GMT

Welcome to my website and blog, I am very excited about it. Expect to see many changes and new features in the next few days, I will list all the technologies that I used to build this website for anyone interested:

This website use the DotNetNuke framework www.dotnetnuke.com
The domain name and hosing is in WebHost4Life http://www.webhost4life.com
The Blog is a module provided by DotNetNuke http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Development/Forge/ModuleBlog/tabid/842/Default.aspx and it got a MetaWeblog API http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetaWeblog which allows me to use desktop blog editor, and I am using Windows Live Writer http://writer.live.com

You can build one in just a few hours, and no coding required (so far :-) )

for now on, I will be adding many geeky stuff and “how to”, including but not limited to hardware, microprocessors, programming, and fun.

for now let me show you my desk @ 6:00am morning and I did not sleep ;) horrible

for all friends and visitors, I would like to hear early suggestions and feedback, so please comment.