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