Velleman K8063 User manual

2 MODULAR DIGITS WITH SERIAL INTERFACE
K8063
ILLUSTRATED ASSEMBLY MANUAL H8063IP-1
Total solder points: 82
Difficulty level: beginner 12345 advanced
Multipleunitscanbelinkedinaneasy
waytocreatelargerreadoutsfore.g.
Score-keeping,timing,counting,...

2
Features & Specifications
The K8063 is a 7-segment display which can be controlled by a two-wire serial connection, using the RS232 protocol. The
protocol is platform-independent i.e. any computer running any programming language can control the K8063, as long as it
is equipped with a serial port. Up to 255 units can be individually addressed, allowing you to create large display systems for
e.g. scoreboards, clocks, timers, thermometers, games, …
Features
 Red bright 57mm jumbo 7-segment display
 Complete with snap-in enclosure
 Multiple units can easily be linked in order to create larger readouts for different purposes e.g. scorekeeping, timing,
counting, ...
 Easy platform-independent control via three-wire RS232 interface
 Up to 255 separate units can be addressed
 Tested with distances of up to 50m between PC and display
 Use our optional PCUSB6 for USB connection
Specifications

Power supply: 9 to 12Vdc / 120mA per display
 RS232 interface: 2400baud / 8databits / no parity / 1 stop bit
 Dimensions: 74 x 58.5 x 32mm
 The general manuals containing guidelines for assembly, safety and electromagnetic compatibility can be downloaded
from our Velleman website (support / manuals / HALG).

3
Assembly hints
1. Assembly (Skipping this can lead to troubles ! )
Ok, so we have your attention. These hints will help you to make this project successful. Read them carefully.
1.1 Make sure you have the right tools:
• A good quality soldering iron (25-40W) with a small tip.
• Wipe it oftenon a wet sponge or cloth, to keep it clean; then apply solder to the tip, to give it awet look. This is called ‘thinning’ and will
protect the tip, and enables you to make goodconnections. When solder rolls off the tip, it needs cleaning.
• Thin raisin-core solder. Do not use any flux or grease.
• A diagonal cutter to trim excess wires. To avoid injury whencutting excess leads, hold the lead so they
cannot fly towards the eyes.
• Needle nose pliers, for bending leads, or to hold components in place.
• Small blade and Phillips screwdrivers. A basic range is fine.
For some projects, a basic multi-meter is required, or might be handy
1.2 Assembly Hints :
⇒ Make sure the skill level matches your experience, to avoid disappointments.
⇒ Follow the instructions carefully. Read and understand the entire step before you perform each operation.
⇒ Perform the assembly in the correct order as stated in this manual
⇒ Position all parts on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) as shown on the drawings.
⇒ Values on the circuit diagram are subject to changes.
⇒ Values in this assembly guide are correct*
⇒ Use the check-boxes to mark your progress.
⇒ Please read the included information on safety and customer service
* Typographical inaccuracies excluded. Always look for possible last minute manual updates, indicated as ‘NOTE’ on a separate leaflet.
0.000

4
Assembly hints
1.3 Soldering Hints :
1- Mount the component against the PCB surface and carefully solder the leads
2- Make sure the solder joints are cone-shaped and shiny
3- Trim excess leads as close as possible to the solder joint
REMOVE THEM FROM THE TAPE ONE AT A TIME !
AXIAL COMPONENTS ARE TAPED IN THE
CORRECT MOUNTING SEQUENCE !
You will find the colour code for the resistances and the LEDs in the HALG
(general manual) and on our website: http://www.velleman.be/common/service.aspx

5
Construction
 C1 : 100nF (104)
 C2 : 100nF (104)
 C3 : 100nF (104)
5. Capacitors
 IC1 : 14p
4. IC socket. Watch the
position of the notch!
 ZD1 : 5V1
 ZD2 : 5V1
 ZD3 : 4V3
1. Zener diodes. Watch the
polarity !
ZD...
CATHODE
 D1 : 1N4007
2. Diode. Watch the polarity !
D...
CATHODE
 R1 : 560 (5 - 6 - 1 - B)
 R2 : 560 (5 - 6 - 1 - B)
 Mount R2 at end of chain !
For example: when linking 4
digits, mount the resistor R2 on
the last (4th) digit and leave its
space open on the other 3 digits.
 R3 : 10K (1 - 0 - 3 - B)
 R4 : 1K (1 - 0 - 2 - B)
 R5 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R6 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R7 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R8 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R9 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R10 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
3. Resistors
R...
Remark: all components are supplied in a double quantity to allow the assembly of 2 digits. Repeat the
procedure of the first digit to assemble the second one.
 R11 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R12 : 100 (1 - 0 - 1 - B)
 R13 : 100K (1 - 0 - 4 - B)

6
Construction
 RS232 (2x)
 + (2x)
 GND (2x)
Remark: on the outer digits, only the
PCB tabs close to the IC have to be
mounted.
10. PCB tabs
 IC1 : VK8063
Programmed PIC16F630
12. IC. Watch the position of
the notch!
 T1 : BC547B
7. Transistor.
 C4 : 100µF
 C5 : 100µF
8. Electrolytic Capacitors.
Watch the polarity !
 VR1 : UA7809
6. Voltage regulator
M3 NUT
VOLTAGE REGULATOR
PCB
M3 BOLT
VR...
I O
C...
+
 SK7:
2p
9. Pin header
 10x
11. Tulip pin headers
Solder side
WATCH FOR SHORTS !

7
Construction
Mount the spacers onto the PCB with the 2 in-
cluded screws and install the digit display on the
solder side of the PCB. Pay attention to the posi-
tion of the decimal point, see figure 1.0.
Then turn the PCB around and place it into the housing with the display
towards the front, see figure 2.0.
13. Assembly
Fig 1.0
Fig 2.0
2nd digit1st digit

8
Construction
If you want to mount the digit(s) on the wall, finish by mounting the brackets on the PCB, see figure 3.0
Fig 3.0
Parker screw
2,9 x 12,7mm

9
Test
When the assembly has been completed, we recommended to test each
individual unit before daisy-chaining them. Make sure SK7 (address jumper) is
put in place, see figure 4.0.
Connect a 9 to 12VDC power supply to the pins GND and +V.
At power-on, the K8063 will display .0123456789 (segment test).
Next, it will display its current address (default : 1) for a couple of seconds.
At this time, the K8063 allows you to select an address ranging from 0 to 19*.
Simply wait until the desired address is displayed and remove the SK7
address jumper. ( note : addresses 0 to 9 are displayed as 0 to 9, addresses
10 to 19 are displayed as 0. to 9. (note the dot).
The K8063 will loop the addresses until the jumper is removed, so if you have missed the desired address,
you can wait a while and it will appear again.
Once you have removed the jumper, the K8063 stops looping and after a couple of seconds the display will
turn blank. The selected address is now stored in its memory.
*If you require 20 or more different addresses, you can configure them when the K8063 units are hooked-up
to the computer (see further in this manual).
14. Test
Fig 4.0

10
Hook-up
15. Hook-up
Female 9P SUBD connector
To serial port
1
5
Fig 5.0
To pin 2 & 3 ‘+’ supply ‘-’ supply To pin 5
12n
Hook-up : All units have two sets of connectors. This allows you to hook them up in an easy way, as
shown below (fig. 5.0):

11
Hook-up
Power supply : The K8063 requires a 9 to 12VDC power supply. Power consumption is 120mA max. per unit
(12V) (e.g. if you have 5 units, you need a power supply capable of delivering at least 5x120 = 600mA). Note : If
the total # of displays exceeds 6, it is required to wire the units according to the drawing below, as the PCB tracks
are unable to handle the large currents that flow when more than 6 units are operated simultaneously.
Furthermore, if more than 15 units are operated at the same time, we recommend to use a separate power supply
for every group of 15 digits, to avoid large currents and to avoid the need for heavy wiring. (Fig 6.0).
Serial port specifications : The K8063 can be hooked up to any serial port which supports the RS232 standard
(e.g. PC COM port). Serial port settings are 2400/8/n/1 (2400 baud, 8 databits, no parity, 1 stopbit).
Fig 6.0
RS232
+V
GND

12
Serial port connection : Connect the pin marked ‘RS232’ to pins 2&3 of the 9P SUBD connector.
Connect the pin marked ‘GND’ to pin 5 of the 9P SUBD connector. We have successfully bridged up to
50m between the serial port and the last digit, using standard UTP (twisted pair) cable. Make sure to
remove resistor R2 (terminator) from all K8063 units except the last unit (unit n in the example above).
Controlling one or more K8063 via a computer:
In order to display information on the K8063, you need to send it a correct data string. The data string
consists of 5 bytes :
Byte 1 :chr$(13)
(letting the K8063 know that data will come in)
Byte 2 : address (0 to 255)
(determines the individual K8063 you want to access. Note: Address ‘0’ accesses all connected K8063)
Byte3 : command
(A # of commands are available, to control the various functions of the K8063, see list of commands)
Byte4 : parameter
(Most commands require a parameter. See list of commands)
Byte5 : checksum
Two-compliment of the sum of the previous 4 bytes
256 - (Byte1+ Byte2 + Byte3 + Byte4) MOD 256
Hook-up

13
Available commands:
Command Description Parameter
‘E’ Emergency stop Don’t care (anything goes)
‘D’ Display address on all digits Don’t care
‘B’ Byte-command 0..255 (see drawing)
‘S’ Strobe command Don’t care
‘C’ Change address 0..255 (new address)
‘R’ Reset all displays Don’t care
‘F’ Force address Don’t care
‘A’ Send ASCII 32,48..57 (blank, 0..9)
‘P’ Decimal point 0 or 255 (OFF / ON)
‘I’ Intensity control 0 or 255 (BRIGHT / DIM)
‘E’ : Emergency stop. All displays are blanked, regardless of address.
(Hint : execute the ‘Strobe’ command to restore all displays)
‘D’ : Display address all digits. All digits show their address. Addresses between 0 and 9 are displayed
as 0 to 9
Addresses between 10 and 19 are displayed as 0. to 9. (See earlier). Addresses between 20 and 255
are displayed in a binary fashion (see drawing).
Hook-up

14
8.
124
8
16
32
64 128
‘B’ : Allows you to turn on individual segments. Parameter = sum of the values of the individual segments
(see drawing 7.0) (e.g. 7 = 32+4+8= 44).
‘S’ : Strobe command. After executing a ‘B’,‘A’ or ‘P’ –command, the displays are not updated, you need to
execute the ‘S’-command. By doing this, all displays are updated at the same time.
‘C’ : Change address. Allows you to change the address of an individual K8063. Put jumper SK7 in place
on each K8063 which needs to respond to the ‘change address’-command. When the command has been
executed, the new address is displayed. Remove the jumper(s).
‘R’ : In the unlikely event of strange behavior of one or more displays, you can reset all displays at once by
executing this command.
Hook-up
Fig 7.0

15
‘F’ : Force all displays to address ‘1’ (return to factory settings).
‘A’ : Send ASCII to display. An easy way of displaying figures 0 to 9
Simply send their ASCII value. ( 32ascii blanks the display, 0 = 48ascii, 9 = 57ascii).
‘P’ : Decimal point control. Parameter 255 turns the decimal point on, parameter 0 turns it off. Decimal
point remains on until it has been forced off.
‘I’ : Brightness control. Parameter 255 set the display to ‘dim’, parameter 0 sets the display to ‘bright’.
Remark : For best results, we recommend to send the command string at least three times a row. When the
brightness is set to dim, it is recommended to send the string at least 4 times to make sure all displays are
updated.
Furthermore, we recommend a delay of at least 100ms between sending a command and sending the
‘Strobe’-command.
Hook-up

16
Command string examples :
EX1: To reset all displays : Execute the ‘R’-command
Data to be sent to serial port :
Chr$(13) (Init command)
Chr$(8) (Don’t care)
Chr$(82) “R” = Reset command
Chr$(1) (Don’t care)
Chr$(152) (Checksum : 2-compliment of the sum of the 4 previous bytes)
EX2: To display a ‘0’ on all units with address ‘1’ : Execute the ‘A’-command and supply address ‘1’.
Next, execute the ‘S’ (strobe) command.
Data to be sent to serial port :
Chr$(13) (Init command)
Chr$(1) (Address 1)
Chr$(65) “A” = ASCII command
Chr$(48) (ASCII value of zero = 48)
Chr$(129) (Checksum : 2-compliment of the sum of the 4 previous bytes)
100ms pause
Chr$(13) (Init command)
Chr$(8) (Don’t care)
Chr$(83) “S” = strobe command
Chr$(1) (Don’t care)
Chr$(151) (Checksum : 2-compliment of the sum of the 4 previous bytes)
Hook-up

17
EX3: To turn on all segments on all units with address ‘1’ : Execute the ‘B’-command and supply address
‘1’. Next, execute the ‘S’ (strobe) command.
Data to be sent to serial port :
Chr$(13) (Init command)
Chr$(1) (Address 1)
Chr$(66) “B” = Byte command
Chr$(255) (255 = sum of segments)
Chr$(177) (Checksum : 2-compliment of the sum of the 4 previous bytes)
100ms pause
Chr$(13) (Init command)
Chr$(8) (Don’t care)
Chr$(83) “S” = strobe command
Chr$(1) (Don’t care)
Chr$(151) (Checksum : 2-compliment of the sum of the 4 previous bytes)
 Note : Our website www.velleman.be features some example programs written in VB6 which
can be used as a guide for writing your own software (source code is supplied).
Hook-up

18
PCB
16. PCB

19
Diagram
17. Diagram
RB5/OSC1/CLKIN
2
RB3/MCLR/Vpp
4
RC5/T0CKI 5
RC4 6
RC3 7
RB4/OSC2/CLKOUT 3
RB0 13
RB1
12
RB2
11
RC2 8
RC1 9
RC0 10
VDD
1
VSS14
IC1
PIC16C630
GND
C3
100n
GND
ZD2
5V1
GND
R3
10K
GND GND
C1
100n C2 100n
GND GND
C4
100µ
GND
D1
1N4007
SK2
+
SK3
-
SK5
RS232
SK6
I O
GND
VR1
UA7809
a
7
b
6
c
4
d
3
e
2
f
9
g
10
DP
8
A
1
A
5
DY1
A-2301SR
R5
100
R6
100
R7
100
R8
100
R9
100
R10
100
R11
100
R12
100
R1
560
ZD1
5V1
GND
C5
100µ
GND
T1
BC547
R4
1K
GND
R2
560
GND
Place terminator
at end of chain
only
+5V
+5V
R13
100K
GND
+5V
Address set
SK4
SK1
SK7
JP2
ZD3
4V7
4V3

Modifications and typographical errors reserved
© Velleman Components nv.
H8063IP - 2004 - ED1 (rev 4)
VELLEMAN Components NV
Legen Heirweg 33
9890 Gavere
Belgium Europe
www.velleman.be
www.velleman-kit.com
5410329 318802