[Coco] Re: LCD for CoCo

[Robert Emery]

--- Andrew <keeper63 at cox.net> wrote:

> > Message: 1
> > Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 14:28:19 -0000
> > From: "tomustoys" <tomustoys at sisna.com>
> > Subject: [Coco] [Color Computer] LCD for CoCo
> > 
> > Hello Group,
> > 
> > I'm looking for any info on adding an LCD to my
> > CoCo to create a dashboard gauge for the EV I'm building.
> 
> 
> Finally, I must ask why you chose a CoCo over something like a PIC Basic 
> Stamp? Getting a Stamp to drive a composite video input is fairly easy 
> (by having the Stamp output NTSC waveforms) - there have been people to 
> create PONG this way. Or, output the data to a serial graphics LCD. The 
> reason why I bring this up is two-fold: 
> First, the CoCo wasn't ever meant to be installed as part of an
> automotive (even EV) system ...
> Secondly, if it died, what then? ...
>
> Just something to think about - it might be cheaper and easier to go 
> this route, rather than hacking apart a CoCo (which aren't being made 
> anymore) to do the same job, while taking up considerably more space and 
> electricity (and when you are building an EV, efficiency is the name of 
> the game).

I don't know about cheaper or easier, but I can attest to the fact that a CoCo
by itself draws almost an amp when running directly off 12V. (I wonder how much
that could be improved with a more efficient regulator and as much CMOS as
possible)

Bob Emery

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