unknown LCD - usable? if so, how?

[dont even trip dawg]

So, i took apart a broken printer (brother DCP 375CW) and among other nice stuff found an LCD. It has 16 characters in one line and 6 pins. Although there are no markings or numbers on the unit itself i found the model number using some spare parts website but no datasheet. 

[macboy]

Don't bother. You can buy a comparable new LCD with known interface for a couple dollars.

[sentry7]

I'd have to agree with macboy.

Adafruit has a nice high-contrast display, and it's even got a backlight with brightness control.

[dont even trip dawg]

whoops post wasn't even complete and sent by accident
but thank you, was expecting it to not be feasible either way

[amyk]

There is a service manual (ignore the filename, this is apparently a family of models) for that printer, containing schematics, which labels the pins as:

1 DATA (serial data)
2 SCK (serial clock)
3 STB (strobe)
4 VREF (contrast reference voltage)
5 VSS (power)
6 VDD (power)

If you have the board that drives it, a logic analyser will be sufficient to determine the protocol/controller it uses. But a preliminary Googling of the signal names leads me to some NEC LCD controllers, so you could continue down that route.

I think it's always better to reuse existing parts even if you have to figure out how, plus the analysis will give you a good learning experience.

[james_s]

Not to mention it's fun. If you still have the board for the printer and can power it up, you could use a logic analyzer or DSO to capture the communications to the display and work out how to drive it.