4D Systems Touch LCD Screens

[@teocerda5367]

Wao is the first tutorial that clearly shows how to design, deploy and use it on Arduino. Thanks.

[@4DSystems]

This Video is using the 'old' ViSi-Genie Arduino library which has since been improved and has been available for a number of months now. Video also shows a 50mS delay in the main loop which adds to the latency. 4D Systems will have a version of this demo available on the website as an Application Note in the next few days.

[@johanvandeventer1021]

Your products are great, but the documentation is just seriously lacking. Your videos are too fast and don't make it easy to understand the display ussage furter than the very limited widgets. It would be great if you could add more intuitive GUI design. Use PyQT designer as an example.

[@RamjetX]

@@johanvandeventer1021 Agreed. I've had a couple of uLCD-220RD for a few years... every now and then I get them out to try and use them for a project. And I'm yet still able to figure out how to get serial data to the widgets on the screen. Documentation is woeful.

[@ovalwingnut]

Outstanding.. I've been chomping at the bit to see these devices being used. You nailed it. Thank you.

[@edwilliams9914]

Great demo -- cool product and well explained. (Don't mind the whiners).

[@gioelebezzan2351]

I wasn't thinking it's so easy! Thanks a lot Sparkfun and 4d systems!

[@curry4life10]

This thing is absolutely brilliant!!! I will be using this with my motec & arduino car data logger to display engine info. The gauges would be so useful for displaying rpm

[@RamjetX]

Okay... so today... I finally managed to get one of these working. The majority of the documentation linked by 4dsystems around the web and especially any linked to their blog is either missing, or poorly explained. This video from Sparkfun is pretty spot on, but be aware that the function call to genie.WriteObj() is now called genie.WriteObject() in the latest version of the library in 2021. On a Leonardo or Pro Micro... make sure you are setting up Serial1 to use the TX/RX pins 0,1 on the board in the sketch. And finally make sure when you've set up the Genie form in the Workshop4 designer tool... under the project tab... there is a comms speed box on the top bar. This is where you set the baud rate on the LCD side, and you have to match that in your arduino sketch.

[@eldany_uy]

I am missed at 15:00 "we can find all these names for the objects in the header file itself". Can you tell me where is the header file? cant find it :( Thanks!

[@abdulazizel-feky5169]

Thanks a lot , Amazing Tutorial

[@TamilLatest]

Is it possible to write an HTML5 program and have it run on a 4D screen? Can I use a pcDuino for that? Thanks for making these cool videos! I really want to start making hardware

[@kemagorar]

big thanks for this tutor

[@Sembazuru]

Quick programming theory question here. Why did you choose to have that first GenieWriteObject line in the loop() and use a while(1) to create an internal infinite loop instead of having that first GenieWriteObject line in the setup() and no while(1) in loop()? Any specific reason, or just an arbitrary (yet still valid) "this is the way we did it" reason?

[@hiddnheiziger]

really cool tutorial!!!!

[@pixlfactory]

Thank you very much!!!

[@bBrain]

super cool

[@Sembazuru]

I was going to ask this. There is a 50ms delay in the demo sketch. I'd like to see how fast this runs (how much lag there is) with that delay removed and possibly with the baud-rate to the LCD increased to maximum. That would give a better approximation of the maximum theoretical response.

[@SignalDitch]

The 4D Systems screens should be compatible with anything with a UART. Also, the library provided for Raspberry Pi is just a C Library, so anything that can talk serial and run C is just as compatible as RPi.

[@sumitstop1]

I dont have the USB Programing adaptor as of now. Is it possible to dump the compiled file into the SD card and then put the SD card into the touch screen module to see its functionality.

[@DokRobo]

What happened at 17:13 ? It looks as though the touch-screen didn't work so the video was cut to when the yellow LED had finally turned on! Further touch-screen presses also look very intermittent / unreliable

[@jmltech7]

AnalogRead on Arduino returns int (0 to 1023), not 1024

[@jamiekosky6580]

yay new video

[@PilotOdyssey]

Good job their freak show.

[@flawless5571]

Thanks!

[@avejst]

Thanks for sharing :-)

[@ESPPsycho]

Too much latency for my application between controller and display :/

[@TheEngineerC]

Is the 4D workshop IDE compatible with any touchscreen LCD that reads SD cards?

[@Frisky0563]

Hi Could I have a Box drawn on the display that could write text characters to and still have the user interface?

[@gustermaximus]

Where can I get that Ardunio code he's using? My project is to display a couple temperature sensors that control relays controlled by the Arduino board. Basically, I'm making a thermostat. Are there any sample codes or projects I can check out?

[@RoboticGeneration]

Who fast is the display ? It looks like if it would lag or so ?

[@kamalzaq]

is it necessary to use USB to serial converter (showed around 1:34)?? Is there any alternative of it??

[@custromix]

i don't have a lcd screens. How can i do ?

[@umairmohammad8380]

i was wonder if there is a way to adjust the brightness of the display using a potentiometer/LDR

[@TheFloatingSheep]

I can use more "screens"? I mean... for example to make a menu with a list...and with a video player...

[@RailyardProductions]

Ok, So I downloaded the Workshop-4-IDE from the downloads section and started designing an interface for my furnace, I want to be able to have a couple of pages, The first to display Heating and Air conditioning options as well as displaying current temp. The second page will have information from the heat pump such as temps from incoming and outgoing water, Plenum temp, Water Flow rate Etc. My question is in the Visi-Geni IDE am I able to create more then one Page "Form"? Maybe I am overlooking something simple.

[@SomeBoarder]

+Railyard Productions So basically each screen you work on is called a "form." You can add a new form by going to the System/Media tab and adding a new form. Hope that helps!

[@RailyardProductions]

Thanks for replying. I found the Blue icon to create new form shortly after I posted the question. Great Product.

[@OGroveMinecraft]

Does it work on the PCduino?

[@rmyc]

why is the response, refresh slow?

[@aliklc7165]

How do I fix this error "these files must be copied to a uSD card attached to your computer.They cannot be copied through the display for performance reasons"

[@Winacro]

Attach a micro sd card to an adapter and then put that adapter in your computer and select the uSD drive letter when prompted to do so.

[@untitled746]

I’m curious. I saw latency between the sliders updating via interaction and the on screen display of the slider state. Is this avoidable? I’m looking to build a midi controller with endless encoders where each encoder has its state reflected on screen. Latency would be an issue when considering the visual feedback in relation to what is happening in real time. Thanks for any insights!

[@rasakibalogun9316]

I have ordered Arduino Display Module Pack. Featuring a 7.0” Display Module uLCD-70DT-AR and created an app on android studio IDE can I use this screen to display exactly what I have developed in the app?

[@classiccafe1]

can this be used with a nano or some other small board the full size arduino adafruit beaglebone are too bulky for my application regards mike

[@santiagojosearbelaezhenao3243]

genieSetup doesn't work, instead i used : Serial.begin(9600); genie.Begin (Serial); Is this right?

[@vicildur]

Santiago José Arbeláez Henao The library was updated at some point, and most functions changed. What you did is right (right now at least).

[@leylagunes7652]

What are from Display to Arduino and from Arduino to Display Codes? Where do I find they?

[@ibrahimklc247]

bulabildiniz mi :)

[@marianaalmeida3610]

how can I contact you?

[@pirateman1966]

This is their resistive touch screen. Why don't you sell the Capacitive type?

[@adamjones9600]

If you're using windows 7 and have a microSD card larger than 2gb then you need to format it with FAT16. Follow this link to do it all in the command line step by step (which is the easiest option if you don't have special software already): superuser.com/questions/202160/how-do-i-format-my-8-gb-usb-drive-to-fat-fat16-in-windows-7 if that link gets redacted, its basically a stack overflow page with step by step instructions on using diskpart to make a FAT16 partition.

[@stephenbarnett455]

I keep getting the following message no matter what I do. Does anyone have any advice? "FileTransfer failed, run stand alone and check produced messages. If using a programming cable, or an MB5 ensure the baud rate settings have been set correctly. 4D Systems support is not help. All they said was update drivers.

[@meryammimouni4645]

Hey, please help me : after Pmmc in workshop ide the screen display "ulcd-24ptu gfx2 v4.4" and i can't see an other thing when i compile other code. Is there any example for how to make a graph plot on 4Duino? For example, I have a (x,y) point and I would like to plot that pixel on the screen PLEASE HELP ME? HOW I can display a curve of temperature? can i do that by arduino IDE only without workshop ? pleaaaase :'(

[@janik6831]

The genieArduino_Demo dont work : Arduino: 1.0.6 (Windows 7), Board: "Arduino Uno" genieArduino_Demo:26: error: 'Genie' does not name a type genieArduino_Demo.ino: In function 'void setup()': genieArduino_Demo:34: error: 'genie' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:54: error: 'GENIE_VERSION' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo.ino: In function 'void loop()': genieArduino_Demo:63: error: 'genie' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:68: error: 'GENIE_OBJ_COOL_GAUGE' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:75: error: 'GENIE_OBJ_USER_LED' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo.ino: In function 'void myGenieEventHandler()': genieArduino_Demo:115: error: 'genieFrame' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:115: error: expected `;' before 'Event' genieArduino_Demo:116: error: 'genie' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:116: error: 'Event' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:121: error: 'GENIE_REPORT_EVENT' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:123: error: 'GENIE_OBJ_SLIDER' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:128: error: 'GENIE_OBJ_LED_DIGITS' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:134: error: 'GENIE_REPORT_OBJ' was not declared in this scope genieArduino_Demo:136: error: 'GENIE_OBJ_USER_LED' was not declared in this scope

[@amose8295]

You have to comment out this part in the code: //genie.WriteStr(0, GENIE_VERSION); its under the setup loop, Doing so will make the code run

[@TheRelic1974]

super cool concept, but doesn't it take the fun and satisfaction out of prototyping? I like the challenge of having to write my OWN code, working out all of the bugs, and in the end seeing the project work .. knowing that I wrote all of the code by hand. If things get any easier than this, folks are going to forget how to program! If you don't use it, you lose it. You gotta admit, there is a huge feeling of satisfaction when you work hard on complex code and finally get it to work !! For me, that is what makes prototyping anything fun.

[@MarkBonneaux]

it's like using an API; why reinvent the wheel when you can use the support of the SDK?

[@andreww1212]

It's true. I feel that buying all of this stuff, copy and pasting code takes the joy out of everything. It's like an empty feeling.

[@MarkBonneaux]

From using this system personally, I can assure you that even if you copy-paste the code, unless you're doing EXACTLY what the demo code is, you still put in quite a bit of work. I stripped out at least 90% of their code for my project.

[@MarkBonneaux]

Using the ide for this is really no different than using the arduino ide. Yeah it saves you from having to write it in machine code, but it's not exactly doing 100% of the work for you.

[@jmltech7]

/////////////////////// genieWriteContrast ////////////////////// // // Alter the display contrast (backlight) // // Parms: uint8_t value: The required contrast setting, only // values from 0 to 15 are valid. 0 or 1 for most displays // and 0 to 15 for the uLCD-43

[@NikolajLepka]

lots of horrible programming habits going on in that code... it hurts to watch

[@Twiny41]

Can you develop? :)

[@NikolajLepka]

Twiny41 not sure I understand your question

[@MarkBonneaux]

Nikolaj Lepka "If you say there's horrible coding habits in there, can you rewrite it and make it better?" is pretty much what Twiny41 is saying

[@Twiny41]

Nikolaj Lepka Yeah sorry, actually it was bad and quick french to english translation. I was just interesting in knowing what are the "horrible programming habits" in that piece of code :)

[@NikolajLepka]

Twiny41 Very inconsistent semicolon placement, inconsistent indentation, inconsistent use of spaces, just to name a few

[@iwasnothere2]

mkay.

[@craigstadlock]

That code formatting style is the most unfriendly, error prone style Ive ever seen

[@knucklecorn]

MS Windows :(

[@disolheid]

This is just a cut, ... since it's a resistive touch screen ... the interaction are bad ... So, really bad result compare to capacitive touch screen .. That's it ..

[@rohaantje]

What a horrible crappy code..