Matrix Orbital Corp

I've been checking out lots of different lcds/vfds over the past few days with a view to adding one to my latest MCE/HTPC mini-itx project. Due to the small nature of the PC I will need to have an external display. I've settled on a VFD2041 due to the fact my mini-itx MB will only have 2 USB ports and I might as well use the RS232 that would otherwise just be sitting there.

My main question is, how can I power the VFD2041 externally without using any power from the PC itself? Is there any sort of plug in adpater I can buy to convert the 240v into that needed for the VFD2041?

Would it just be easier to buy the 3FT USB power cable from the accessories section of the MO site and have that provide power to the VFD2041?

You may use any external power supply as long as you get the right DC input and the right pin connections for power on the VFD. Maybe you can try an adaptor and modifying the adaptor's connection to fit our unit. The voltage input will depend on if you get the regular(5V), -v(7to15V), or -vpt(7to35V) option. The link to the manual http://www.matrixorbital.com/manuals/VFD2041_02.pdf section 2.1.1 will give you a description of the pinouts and overall description or the unit.

It might be easier to use a USB connection, if you do not want to modify the adaptor cable though.

Best Regards,

Great thanks for the quick response!

So just to confirm, I can order the following (SKU's):
VFD2041
BLU204
4FTSERIAL
USB Power

and everything will work just fine?

If you get a 20x4 VFD usb display, then you will for sure need to use external power along with the USB power to turn on the display. Usually people use the unmodified floppy power from their pc's power supply. Also, the VFD2041 is not a USB device. If you want a 20x4 USB display, it would be the MX5 or the VK204-24-USB.

The LCD display doesn't require the extra power cable unless you want to use the high power GPOs. Just plug in the usb cable, and install the drivers.

So I can't buy this: http://www.matrixorbital.com/pages/prod ... roductID=6
use RS232 for data communication
then use one of these:

to provide the power?

*EDIT, sorry if my continous questions are getting on your nerves, I just want to be sure I order the corrects things!

You can use that cable to power up the display at the link provide. You will need to use one of the RS-232 ports to communicate with the VFD2041 display.

Sold!

Thanks for your guidance Tom.