Xpantastic!

That looks very tempting.  I went to the Noritake site
http://www.noritake-elec.com/tversion.htm
and found a CU406 number, but not exactly the same.  The series looks like a dot matrix, not 14 char alphanumeric (Xpander M12 style).  I downloaded the datasheet which spoke of async serial and 8 bit parallel interfaces... my feeling is they're prob not drop-in compatible, but I wonder if slight mods would get you a dot-matrix version replacement.  For example, it the new CU406xxxx display were looking for ASCII parallel interface to access its built-in character set (I think they are) and you found a similar point in the Xpander's CPU->display electronics, perhaps it could be cobbled on.
 
Any thoughts from anyone else?
 
R
--- On Sun, 8/3/08, baumont987 <geebeex@...> wrote:

From: baumont987 <geebeex@...>
Subject: [xpantastic] Noritake displays on ebay
To: xpantastic@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 5:39 AM






Hi,

Not sure that these displays are 100% compatible with the FG405A2 of
the Xpander, but someone in the US is selling 25 Noritake 40 digits
VFDs, ref CU406ECPB-U2A.

I tried to find the datasheet, but with no success.

Auction ends the 4 august.
http://cgi.ebay. com/25-Noritake- itron-VFD- Display-CU406ECP B-U2A-40- Digit_W0QQitemZ1 10274834077QQcmd ZViewItem? IMSfp=TL08072912 129r16414