Meade 497 Autostar Display Module

[The Thing]

Hi all you clever electrically minded sorts,

Can you tell me where I might get one of these, there are no markings on either side or round the edges on it that I can see. It's from an original 497 Autostar (not the new 497EP that's been giving me all sorts of grief due to bugs in the firmware it turns out).

It would be nice to have a proper Autostar with de-bugged firmware working as a back up. The original has had 26 amateur patch versions to correct Meade's 'features'!

[Mike]

can we see photos of the back? Serial numbers are what is needed, especially of the driver chips if they are visible.

[The Thing]

Hi Mike,

There is absolutely nothing written on it. I have even shone a bright light so I can see if there is writing under the slightly translucent black gunk where the cable goes in. I have photos of the main board...



Large size so you can see the writing.
ancientlight.amateur-astronomy.org/LX90_images/Autostar%20497%20main%20board%20big.png

[Ian]

I suspect you'll be very lucky to be able to buy a replacement off the shelf for it. While there are only about three or four suppliers of the sorts of panels, the physical nature of the interface may well be Meade proprietary. I don't think I've ever seen one with that sort of ribbon connection available as an individual item being on sale. They usually have 0.1" pitch PCB pins and a physical mounting system attached.

I'd put an advert into Astrobuysell, see if anyone's got a dead handset you could rat one from...

[Mac]

there are a few for sale on e-bay.

If i remember from my one.
isnt it just a two line sixteen character display unit?

[Mike]

No I meant the back of the LCD display.

[mickw]

I reckon it's gonna be a Meade Mongrel 

[The Thing]

The trouble is the display looks identical on the back. The are no chips on it (except for the one made when I dropped it   ). It's two bits of glass with LCD stuff in between. The front glass is shorter than the back bit. The difference is covered in the black gunk which covers a tracery of circuit lines. There is no writing. Maybe it's a custom built display. That may explain why the Autostar is so blooming expensive (£126 or £169 if your daft).

[The Thing]

This thread is already on Google! We are being watched.

Print Page - Meade 497 Autostar Display Module
18 Jan 2010 ... It's from an original 497 Autostar (not the new 497EP that's been ... I suspect you'll be very lucky to be able to buy a replacement off the ...
forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?action...0 - 57 minutes ago

[mickw]

 

I was feeling quite smug when I hit that so quick   

[Mike]

It is more than likely a fairly standard display module as Meade are not a component manufacturer. However, trying to find out what it is will be pretty difficult and you won't know what protocol it is using without running it through a logic analyser. Also, once you do know, the chances of you obtaining one will be pretty slim.

Like the other guys say, your best bet is to find a replacement. maybe you can find another unit with a different problem going cheap that you could cannibalise?

[The Thing]

I think your right Mike, I have done a search around the web and can see nothing remotely like it. Knackered Autostar is going on the shopping list.

[mickw]

I hope you have success Duncan, you wouldn't want to resort to going here 

http://www.green-witch.com/acatalog/ETX_Series.html

Or if you know anyone going to the US

http://starizona.com/acb/Computers-C104.aspx

[Mac]

found this site
http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_schematic.html

it lists your display as a DMC-16207H  or DMC-16230N

If you goto
www.rswww.com

and search for optrex
goto the 16*2 displays and look at one of the data sheets it gives you some more info which might help in locating a suitable replacement.
http://docs-europe.origin.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/07b5/0900766b807b5359.pdf


You might even be able to get a suitable replacement from here.
http://www.earthshinedesign.co.uk/ SHAMELESS PLUG FOR YOU

Nice bloke, might even do a discount,

Mac

[Mike]

Useless datasheet. It doesn't tell you what the driver IC is. The industry standard for embedded devices is HD44780 so it is probably that but there are a few weird driver IC's out there.

My displays are either 16x2 or 20x4 and have the HD44780 driver IC.