Features 4.5" x 2.875" board mounting holes for directly attaching Adapt11, Adapt11DX, and Adapt12 form factor boards uses 74HC595 serial-to-parallel shift register on SPI for display interface supports 2x16*- or 4x20- character display formats supports both LCD and VFD modules connector for user-supplied PS/2-style keyboard (AT-style supported) connector for user-supplied 4x4 matrix keypad provision for optional audio transducer driver circuit generous prototyping area beneath display (plated-through holes on 0.1" grid) all control pins are user-assignable via soldered links, and are brought out to a redundant 50-pin connector pattern plug-in compatibility with most Adapt812, Adapt912, and Adapt11 family boards available in standard ("forward-looking") and "mirror-image" versions, for greater flexibility usable with MicroCore-11 and MicroStamp11 families via "bridgeplane" or direct mounting  11 connector options for the ultimate in modular design capabilities

Description:
  This display/keypad/keyboard interface module supports the use of character-based LCD or VFD modules of 2x16* or 4x20 (rows x characters).  A contrast control pot is provided for the LCD, two standard 14-pin (single-row) interface connectors, and a dual-row 14-pin connector pattern are provided, along with mounting holes to accomodate standard displays.  A single-line display can also be accomodated by wiring the connections manually (mounting holes provided).
    The display is interfaced via a 74HC595 serial-to-parallel shift register to the SPI port of the MCU, with a couple of extra I/O pins being used for display reset and enable functions.  Example code is available for several of our microcontroller boards (see below).
    Both PS/2 and AT-style keyboards are supported via appropriate connectors (PS/2 connector included).  Interfacing these keyboards can be achieved via a couple of I/O pins and some firmware (example available--  see below).
    Support for a matrix keypad scanned via 4 outputs and read via 4 inputs is provided, by way of pullup resistors on the rows.  Diodes are provided so that an "any-key-pressed" signal is generated, which can be connected to an MCU interrupt pin.  Some sample software to implement keypad scanning is available (see below).
    Provision is also made for a small audio transducer, by way of an optional general-purpose NPN transistor which can be toggled on and off via software to create various tones.
    A generous prototyping area is included for your application circuitry, or for mounting MicroCore-11 or MicroStamp11 modules directly onto the board.
    The standard "forward-looking" version is suitable for panel mounting, where the board will be connected to the rest of the system via a ribbon cable.  A mirror-image version is offered for applications where the MCU module is to be mounted directly to the back of the display module, or plugged into a backplane.  The only difference is the orientation of the 50-pin I/O connector.
Modules:
- includes full schematic, pinout and dimensional drawings ("forward-looking" or "mirror-image")
- sample assembler code available for 20x4 LCD and keyboard interface functions for the following boards:
- Adapt912, Adapt812 expanded mode systems, Adapt11C24DX, Adapt11C75/DX/E, MicroCore-11, & MicroStamp11
- sample C libraries for Adapt11-family boards
- C code available for 20x4 LCD functions for Adapt912 by request
- supplied with choice of connector options