https://hackaday.com/2023/09/11/cheap-lcd-uses-usb-serial/
Browsing the Asian marketplaces online is always an experience. Sometimes, you see things at ridiculously low prices. Other times, you see things and wonder who is buying them and why — a shrimp pillow? But sometimes, you see something that probably could have a more useful purpose than the proposed use case.
That's the case with the glut of "smart displays" you can find at very low prices.
[...]
Like a lot of this cheap stuff, these screens are sold under a variety of names, and apparently, there are some subtle differences. Two of the main makers of these screens are Turing and XuanFang, although you rarely see those names in the online listings. As you might expect, though, someone has reverse-engineered the protocol, and there is Python software that will replace the stock Windows software the devices use.
[...]
We are still tempted to reflash the CH552 to convert it to use a normal serial port. If you decide to give it a go, you'll need to figure out programming.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Monday September 18 2023, @02:15PM
I'm always interested in cheap displays. Though, ones like this seem to have a lot more in common with how you get eink displays to work. No plug and play with standard video input/output. I've found some pretty cheap small LCD TVs at the likes of Goodwill. They don't use a lot of power either. A second 19" display isn't bad, when you're already using a small laptop display anyway. 2x screen real estate is nice. Also, 19" is plenty, if you have an old console you want to hookup.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Mojibake Tengu on Monday September 18 2023, @03:32PM
This is kind of hardware I can trust. That means, I can convince myself it can be individually trusted by complete analysis of both hardware and software.
Good even for critical applications such as avionics or space. Python breaks determinism though, by its intrinsic dynamic memory mechanic, so not adequate for professional instrumentation, but excellent for children tinkering or lab equipment.
Rust programming language offends both my Intelligence and my Spirit.