4D SYSTEMS

uLCD-32W-PTU-AR

© 2014 4D SYSTEMS

Page 4 of 6

www.4dsystems.com.au

2. Advanced Hardware Options

The display module (uLCD-32W-PTU) is a very capable and powerful piece of hardware, which can be

reconfigured beyond the boundaries of the Arduino.

With the use of the 4D Systems Workshop4 IDE Software, the display module can be configured and

programmed independently of the Arduino environment.

If a user wishes to investigate the capabilities of the uLCD-32W-PTU and reconfigure the display module,

please refer to the Datasheet for the uLCD-32W-PTU, available from the 4D systems website,

www.4dsystems.com.au.

The user can freely change back to the configuration the module was shipped in if desired, all via the

Workshop4 IDE Software.

To take advantage of the 4D Systems Workshop4 Software, a 4D Programming Cable is required, which can be

purchased from the 4D Systems website, or from a 4D Systems distributor.

The Workshop4 IDE enables the uLCD-32W-PTU display module to be configured using 4 different

environments.



The Designer environment enables the user to write 4DGL code in its natural form to program the display

module.



A visual programming experience, suitably called ViSi, enables click-and-place type placement of objects

to assist with 4DGL code generation and allows the user to visualise how the display will look while being

developed.



An advanced environment called ViSi-Genie doesn’t require any 4DGL coding at all, it is all done

automatically for you. Simply lay the display out with the objects you want, set the events to drive them

and the code is written for you automatically. ViSi-Genie provides the latest rapid development

experience from 4D Systems.



A Serial environment is also provided to transform the display module into a slave serial module, allowing

the user to control the display from any host microcontroller or device with a serial port.

Designer and ViSi allow the user to program and write their own protocol to communicate between the

Arduino and the Display Module.

ViSi-Genie has a set protocol as outlined in the documentation associated with it (Available from the

Workshop4 Product page of the website), and 4D Systems has developed an Arduino Library specifically for the

ViSi-Genie environment, to enable a rapid development platform for users. The library is available for

download from the uLCD-32W-PTU-AR product page on the 4D Systems Website, www.4dsystems.com.au.

The Serial environment loads an application (SPE) onto the display module which enables commands from the

Arduino to communicate directly with the display module and get it to perform specific actions. 4D Systems

has developed a library specifically for this environment also, which is available for download from the uLCD-

32W-PTU-AR product page on the 4D Systems Website, www.4dsystems.com.au.