Author Topic: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement  (Read 10247 times)

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Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #50 on: December 18, 2024, 08:24:05 am »
Thanks, a VFD like look instead of the Rigol color scheme would have been nice, but I also like the look of the Valhalla 2720 display.

-branadic-

I used the built in font on the LT7680A-R so very much restricted to that. However, unless I am wrong I think there is an option to load complete fonts to the flash IC on the pcb but I never looked at doing that at all.

Ian
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Offline chekhov

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #51 on: December 18, 2024, 04:36:49 pm »
I thought that you did created a new font for this IC.
However if I remember correctly (because I was looking at this board when ordered this display) the biggest limitation is the font size that it can hold, so you won't be able to draw big digits.
 

Offline branadic

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #52 on: December 18, 2024, 06:21:30 pm »
When I wrote "VFD like look" I meant color-wise, so more green/blue'ish instead of the Rigol color scheme with yellow, cyan and green.

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Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #53 on: December 18, 2024, 07:54:38 pm »
I thought that you did created a new font for this IC.
However if I remember correctly (because I was looking at this board when ordered this display) the biggest limitation is the font size that it can hold, so you won't be able to draw big digits.

The biggest font is 32x32 pixels, but it supports multipliers on top of that to scale it up. I am using a 16x32 font and scaling that up which works out just right for the MAIN display

I only created a new character for the OHM symbol.

Ian
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Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #54 on: December 18, 2024, 09:17:13 pm »
When I wrote "VFD like look" I meant color-wise, so more green/blue'ish instead of the Rigol color scheme with yellow, cyan and green.

-branadic-

Ahh, ok.
Due to the smoked window some colours don’t project enough even with the backlighting at full brightness, hence yellow/white seem best at least for the main row……in my eyes anyway.
I’ll try and come up with a way to select further colours…….i guess ultimately the user could pick their own and save.

Ian.
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Offline chekhov

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #55 on: December 18, 2024, 09:35:02 pm »
The biggest font is 32x32 pixels, but it supports multipliers on top of that to scale it up. I am using a 16x32 font and scaling that up which works out just right for the MAIN display
I must have missed that piece, thanks.

I only created a new character for the OHM symbol.
Oh ... omega. Once I tried to create vector font for K2000/K2001, but something went wrong ...
2465093-0
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #56 on: December 24, 2024, 06:14:29 pm »
Hi all,

During my TFT upgrade I missed the conversion of a character on the R6581T display.......but no VFD or OLED to find out what it is supposed to be!
I am thinking it's a right arrow?

Per attached, can anyone with an VFD/OLED confirm?.........a photo would be great so I can analyze the pixel data.

It's on the RECALL, MANUAL display.

I was testing a PCMCIA memory card with the R6581T where I came upon it.

Ian.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2024, 06:16:08 pm by IanJ »
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Offline chekhov

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #57 on: December 24, 2024, 06:46:51 pm »
If I found it right, manual shows ~
(Searched 'recall', around 6 - 16, page 144)

I see you have a few lines in character map filled with zeros, for [ ] { }  and ~.
Line for | (vertical line) also look strange - must be almost like !, but looks like >.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2024, 07:11:33 pm by chekhov »
 
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Offline Mickle T.Topic starter

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #58 on: December 24, 2024, 07:14:17 pm »
RECALL:
 
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Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #59 on: December 24, 2024, 07:51:33 pm »
Thanks guys…….I kinda thought it was a character I hadn’t come across anywhere else in the menu system.

UPDATE:
Fixed and GIT is updated.

UPDATE2:
Upper case J symbol fixed.
Also add code to send unmatched chars to Live Watch so they can be easily read and converted.

UPDATE3:
% symbol fixed.

UPDATE4:
Re-write AUX display including provision of OHM symbols up to 4off 5off per line.

Ian.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2024, 09:52:57 am by IanJ »
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Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #60 on: December 25, 2024, 08:22:09 am »
Anyone got a source of R6581 compatible PCMCIA cards?
I have a working 1mb SRAM card, but it only shows up at around 60k free after initialize (integer overflow maybe?)…….plus it doesn’t have an integral battery.
What’s the R6581 max size?
All the Flash type cards I have don’t work or show up as a lot less than 60k.
Presume the interface is PCMCIA II and not III.

Ian
« Last Edit: December 25, 2024, 10:44:46 am by IanJ »
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Offline chekhov

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #61 on: December 26, 2024, 10:50:18 am »
LCD & LT7680A-R (c/w flat flex & FPC conn) = https://www.buydisplay.com/bar-type-4-58-inch-320x960-ips-tft-lcd-display-spi-rgb-interface
Ian.

Be aware that they only sell those LT7680A-R-based boards together with TFT displays, one for each, refused to sell separately.
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #62 on: December 27, 2024, 11:54:23 am »
LCD & LT7680A-R (c/w flat flex & FPC conn) = https://www.buydisplay.com/bar-type-4-58-inch-320x960-ips-tft-lcd-display-spi-rgb-interface
Ian.

Be aware that they only sell those LT7680A-R-based boards together with TFT displays, one for each, refused to sell separately.

Yes, I did email them also and ask if they could release the boards separately, but they declined...........I was wanting some spare.
Luckily, it's quite an inexpensive kit considering.....

PS. I have updated my source/.HEX on GIT, now handles more OHM symbols on the AUX line......I found one line where there are 5off them (CONFIGURE, 2W or 4W, RANGE-LIMIT, LOWER-LIMIT).
Also found a couple of other symbol characters I missed.

Ian.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2024, 03:55:55 pm by IanJ »
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Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #63 on: January 09, 2025, 12:43:30 pm »
Hi all,

I have made some mods to my TFT implementation of the display.

MOD. 1 - 9th Jan '25
I have always wanted a 1 VDC range for the R6581. Now, we do get a 1000 mV range however I guess I am too used to my 3458A where it will display X.XXXXXXX VDC.
So, I added a new mode whereby if you are on the 1000mV Range and you hit the DCV button it will switch the display out to a new 1 V Range.
It gets its data from the 1000 mV Range and so you get an extra digit, one more than the 10 V Range for instance at max 8.5 digits.
See photo below.

The Blue Pill uses two additional inputs to interface to the DCV button, see photo below.
Two are required because the button is multiplexed and I need two inputs to somewhat read a button press.

GIT source = https://github.com/Ian-Johnston/R6581_VS_Display
GIT .HEX file = https://github.com/Ian-Johnston/R6581_VS_Display/tree/master/VisualGDB/Debug

Only upgrade to this version is you hook up the new inputs to the DCV switch.

New Pcb gerbers attached which include the new A11/A12 connections.

Any issues then let me know (there are a couple of very small things).

PS. For the coders, The Blue Pill doesn't have a hardware FP and the software FP was being a pain, i.e. I wanted to use atof but it just continued to return empty, so I wrote around it (ugghh!). There doesn't seem to be any downsides though. I’ll return to this soon as atof is a lot less code.

UPDATE - 9th Jan '25
Digital input A11/A12 logic tweaked.

UPDATE - 10th Jan '25
1 VDC mode is now quite a bit more seemless, once it is set then it will remain in 1 VDC mode even if overrange or the DMM is in AUTO mode.
GIT hex file updated.
Still to do: try to reverse engineer the keypad better to fully isolate that button.

UPDATE - 15th Jan '25
Vertical Back Porch for TFT set to 11 rather than 10 (10 is per spec!) due to TFT flickering issue when running the R6581T for 20hrs.
Possibly the a heat/stability issue with the LT7680A-R or the TFT itself. They do run pretty warm in there (I might look at a fan upgrade)!

UPDATE - 16th Jan '25
Horizontal Back Porch for TFT set to 30 rather than 20 (20 is per spec!) due to TFT still flickering issue when running the R6581T for 12hrs.
I have attached the original HEX file and this new one.

UPDATE - 19th Jan '25
Fix issue where random pixels might appear at right hand vertical edge.
See new HEX file.

UPDATE - 20th Jan '25
Display still flickering at times, found that TFT timings was incorrect, the TFT is 400x960 but with partial glass, i.e. -80. So, must be treated as 400x960 in software.
See new HEX file.

UPDATE - 23rd/24th Jan '25
Still chasing the flickering problem which seems to return randomly, or temperature related.
Porch and start timings - LCD_VBPD, LCD_VFPD, LCD_VSPW, LCD_HBPD, LCD_HFPD, LCD_HSPW
1 -  17, 15, 1, 50, 30, 10         Haven't tested fully
2 -  17, 15, 2, 50, 30, 10         Stable with freezer spray & heat gun, single vertical line at right
3 -  17, 15, 3, 50, 30, 10         Flickers when cold, no vertical line
4 -  17, 15, 4, 50, 30, 10         Flickers badly
5 -  17, 14, 1, 50, 30, 10         Flickers badly
6 -  17, 14, 2, 50, 30, 10         Stable with freezer and heat gun, has a single vertical line
7 -  17, 14, 3, 50, 30, 10         Stable with freezer and heat gun, has a single vertical line
8 -  17, 14, 4, 50, 30, 10         Stable (except once on startup) with freezer and heat gun, no vertical line - ORIGINAL
Option 6 seems to be the closest to the AdaFruit example but has a vertical line down the right hand side which I can't get rid of. It's the most stable.
Well, I can by adjusting other parameters but it makes the TFT unstable (flickers).
Wierdly, my other R6581T, and ADCMT unit, has no flicker or pixel issues at all.
5 HEX files below to choose from:
R6581_VS_Display_17_14_2_50_30_10.hex
R6581_VS_Display_17_14_3_50_30_10.hex
R6581_VS_Display_17_14_4_50_30_10.hex
R6581_VS_Display_17_14_2_50_30_10_45Hzrefresh
R6581_VS_Display_17_15_2_50_30_10_45Hzrefresh
Gerbers updated to V1.3 due to short across 3 tracks on the Pcb.

Still to do - Allow adjusting of the timing via the front panel.


MOD. 2 - 10th Jan '25
When the LCD shows "DISPLAY OFF" i.e. when the user actions this via the menu, it now turns off the LCD completely (blank). Pressing the MENU button revives.
It reduces the backlight to minimum, and turns off the LCD via register 0x12 of the LT7680.
A user asked for this and I guess it's good for TFT long term saving especially for those running the DMM 24/7.

UPDATE - 12th Jan '25
Bug fix on the backlighting brightness control when implementing DISPLAY OFF.

UPDATE - I HAVE MOVED MY TFT COVERSION PER BELOW LINK. This post will no longer be updated.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/advantestadcmt-r6581-vfd-to-tft-conversion/msg5794969/

Ian.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2025, 04:24:43 pm by IanJ »
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Offline kt6ln

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #64 on: January 17, 2025, 02:45:00 am »
I made the conversion of my R6581T to Ian's TFT screen type.

First many thanks to Mickle T. who started this journey with OLED display and then to Ian updating it to TFT. I am lucky to have benefited from both of their efforts to have a beautiful R6581T screen. I could not have made it alone.

I kept in contact with Ian across the pond since his first PDVS (first gen) reference. He has been very helpful over the email frequencies!  ;) And we are still in email exchange to perfect the behaviour of the TFT screen for this application. He made the conversion process easy. If I can do it, everyone can, also.

If you were wondering who the heck I am, I am a silent voltnut with a few 8½ digit multimeters in his arsenal. I call "silent" because I never posted anything on EEVblog before. But now, I feel compelled to write and encourage all voltnuts out there who also own R6581T. Try Ian's update if you have not done it already. If you follow his written instructions and video, you should have no problems.

ismail
 
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Offline dietert1

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #65 on: January 17, 2025, 04:44:44 pm »
With all respect, the one who posted the first complete conversion to TFT was me.

Regards, Dieter
 

Offline jj131415

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #66 on: January 24, 2025, 05:25:40 am »
Hi Ian,
I find the problem and fix it, your V1.2 PCB is wrong, 3 nets are shorted.
Two suggestion:
1.About the new FW Jan 23th, could you remove the right side vertical line? It's too odd. So I have to use the FW Jan 19th, no flickering is found now. But FW Jan 15th is more easliy to duplicate flickering by power on/off sometimes.
2.Please stop the flashing green LED on bule pill board if possible.

Thank you.

« Last Edit: January 24, 2025, 11:54:25 am by jj131415 »
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #67 on: January 24, 2025, 01:39:47 pm »
Hi Ian,
I find the problem and fix it, your V1.2 PCB is wrong, 3 nets are shorted.
Two suggestion:
1.About the new FW Jan 23th, could you remove the right side vertical line? It's too odd. So I have to use the FW Jan 19th, no flickering is found now. But FW Jan 15th is more easliy to duplicate flickering by power on/off sometimes.
2.Please stop the flashing green LED on bule pill board if possible.

Thank you.

Thanks for pointing out the gerbers issue on V1.2.....no idea how that happened!
I have updated my post above with Gerbers V1.3.

All firmware prior to Jan 23rd will flicker at some point on one of my R6581T DMMs, it seems temperature dependent. It was only by using AdaFruit instead of BuyDisplay recommended settings that I was able to get the display stable, however this introduces a vertical line at the far right. This appears not to be addressable pixel data but some kind of timing leakage as it's beyond the 320x960. If you view from the left this line disappears!
I cannot find a combination that has no vertical line and is completely stable.
On one of my units I have to use R6581_VS_Display_17_14_2_50_30_10.hex and live with the vertical line, albeit I have a 0.5mm strip of black tape over it!
I have updated my post above with 3 different HEX files to choose from.

Ian.
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Offline jj131415

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #68 on: January 24, 2025, 02:16:04 pm »
hi Ian,
Your test results shows that related to temperature, as my experience, maybe it caused by SI (signal integrity) issue. Could you have a try to reduce the TFT CLK frequency or frame rate? Give it engouh settling and hold time. I don't know if it can fix flickering problem.

Some quick test results for your reference on my R6581D A02 FW:
FW Jan 15th --- flicker @ 17C, no flicker @ 22C
FW Jan 19th --- no flicker @ 17C, flicker @ 22C
FW Jan 20th --- lite vertical line on the right, see random vertical line during power on/off, no flicker @ 17C
FW Jan 23rd 17 14 2 50 30 10 --- vertical line on the right, see random vertical line during power on/off, no flicker @ 17C
FW Jan 23rd 17 14 3 50 30 10 --- vertical line on the right, see random vertical line during power on/off, no flicker @ 17C
FW Jan 23rd 17 14 4 50 30 10 --- very lite vertical line on the right, see random vertical line during power on/off, no flicker @ 17C
FW Jan 24th 17 14 2 50 30 10 45Hz--- vertical line on the right, no flicker @ 17C/22C
FW Jan 24th 17 15 2 50 30 10 45Hz--- no vertical line on the right, no flicker @ 17C/22C

Report one bug on FW Jan 24th 17 15 2 50 30 10 45Hz:
It display wrong text "BRA?" with 5~20 level frames during internal calibration. Correct text is "calibrating".
See pic attached.

Thanks.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2025, 05:42:03 am by jj131415 »
 

Offline TheDefpom

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Re: Advantest R6581 VFD replacement
« Reply #69 on: January 24, 2025, 06:21:15 pm »
Makes me wonder a bit if it is a clock or data polarity issue (or rising/falling edge SPI type), where maybe it is clocking at slightly the wrong time causing all the bits to shift to the left a bit?
Cheers Scott

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