Mystery LCD. Any ideas?

**NitroNic** · 05-08-2004, 10:30 PM

First of all, this is my first post in this forum, so hello!

I attached pictures of an LCD that I'm having trouble finding ANY information about. It's from an email machine I bought at a garage sale for five bucks. It works, but I don't need it for email, I just liked the display that was in it. Upon disassembly of the email machine/display cover, I could not find any brand names or models of the display it's self. This is why I can't seem to find out much about it. I've included pictures of the display itsself. It has a 28 pin ribbonish connector that goes to the mail machine's motherboard, but I think the controller for the display is actually on the motherboard somewhere. The email machine is called "CIDCO MailStation", aka Model DET1.

I included a picture of that thing as well. cigarette ligher is there for size comparison, I couldn't find a ruler.

I would really like to use this display in my car mp3 player, it's a nice 2 color display, would be good for text as well as graphics I think. Only thing I don't like is the fact that it is not backlit. But maybe there's some hints on these forums somewhere about good ways to light a non-backlit LCD.

Anyway, any help or ideas here are appreciated.

Thanks

**parawing742** · 05-08-2004, 10:46 PM

Several years ago there was a commercial on TV that advertised a email-only computer called MailStation that looked very much like your machine. I'm guessing that is probably what you have.

Unless there is some kind of input on the mainboard (unlikely), you will need to give up the idea of making this work for your car. I doubt anyone still makes controllers for that LCD. Controllers are also usually very expensive.

**NitroNic** · 05-08-2004, 11:19 PM

Well if I could figure out which chips are the controllers, and find some documentation on them, I could wire them up and make them work.

I pulled a display out of an old industrial internet router, and tore up the connector in the process. But I followed the circuits on the board to the controller chip (HD44780) and soldered about 11 wires to it, the thing works. So I'm pretty confident with my small-scale soldering.

However, if I can't find any documentation on the controller chips and what not... I suppose I'll have to give up

Thanks for the reply though.