MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Reviews - VLSystem L.I.S POP LCD Indicator Review

Click image for larger view

The design of the L.I.S POP LCD Indicator follows in the same tradition of previous VLSystem LCD units such as the L.I.S 2 Blue Eye that MTB reviewed last year. The unit has been designed to fit into one 5.25" drive bay and is very compact measuring approximately 149.30mm (W) x 42.50mm (H) x 8.00mm (D). The LCD circuit is mounted directly to a silver painted drive bracket which has a transparent acrylic faceplate attached by thumbscrews. The centre portion of the drive bracket contains the 20x2 LCD character display. On the left and right hand sides of drive bracket are two sets of 6-32 mounting holes for installing this unit inside a computer case.

Click image for larger view

A closer look at the back of the VLSystem L.I.S POP LCD Indicator reveals that this product is not your typical serial LCD display. The product is a HD44780 compatible parallel display, which is connected directly to a PCB controller board. The controller board is a separate circuit with an onboard PIC processor which converts the character display signals from parallel to serial. The controller board is attached to the main LCD display via 16-pins and is supported by a series of metal standoffs. Next the PIC processor is a variable resistor, which allows you to manually adjust the contract of the LCD circuit. It would have been nice if this feature was included as an adjustable software option in the bundled application software.

Click image for larger view

The VLSystem L.I.S POP LCD Indicator comes complete with a pre-made serial and 4-pin power cable. The unit utilizes a 5V connection from a 4-pin Molex connector while data transmission is handled by a modified DB-9 cable that attached to any free COM port.