ComputerVoltageSources

--- In ComputerVoltageSources@yahoogroups.com, "data2action" <rdrake@
...> wrote:

> in terms of core functionality, a full featured LCD display seems
> like icing on the cake rather than critical feature, at least to me.

I believe it will be fully optional.

> frankly, i'd be completly satisfied with a few LEDs to display a
> program number in binary, a la the miniwave... perhaps that's a
> spartan extreme, but there ya are.

That's how I started. Where a display really helps is setting input
controls. For example, one program uses a control to offset a
waveform and another control to set duty cycle. I ran this program
without a display but it is much nicer to now know what these controls
are actually set to. Also, I could never remember what program was
loaded. Every time I turned on my synth, I'd have to load the program
I wanted into the module since I couldn't remember what was there.
Sounds simple but it is a nice feature to display the program name.

> a second consideration is programming complexity & compatibilty.

Couldn't be simpler. The hserial system allows strings. The
following command sends a message to the display:

hserout [$f0,$7d,"Your message goes here",$f7]

Using MIDI sysex to communicate with the display, programs written for
a display will function without modification on systems without
displays.

Dave