News

Fremont, CA – January 26, 2010 – Reach Technology Inc. (www.reachtech.com), today announced the release of a new version of firmware and accompanying BMPload software for SLCD5 serial LCD controller boards.

Customers should consider updating firmware if they are in the development phase and using one of the following units:

“New features were inspired by our customers’ real world embedded touch screen problems. Our technical support staff’s dedication to our customers gives us the information we need to continually improve our embedded touch screens,” said Jonathan More, President for Reach Technology.

The new release includes changes to improve macro development and control, localization, field upgrades, screen shot capture, user-loadable fonts, error detection of received commands, FAT16 file system, and overall accuracy of command functionality. A complete list of features and fixes follows.

New Features

• UTF8 support for UNICODE fonts.
• Binary Download Protocol (field upgrades).
• Incoming CRC.
• Ability to remember serial baud rates changes.
• Macro call by name.
• Macros support up to ten parameters.
• Block character in fonts.
• Add index parameter to listing commands.
• Macro Save State and Restore State commands macro depth aware.
• Macdebug error when max levels exceeded.
• Version string needs additional build information.
• WAIT REFRESH command needed.
• Add “all” parameter option to ENABLE/DISABLE TOUCH.
• Support for LCD Shift Clock Polarity config.ini option (new 5″ VGA LCD).
• Add METER DEFINE and METER VALUE commands.
• User fonts for SLCD5.
• Load Image file from SD Card Directory.
• Added tu command.
• Added macro sub in animation / text flash
• Added command “set” for strings s0 - s9.
• Add Labels to macros.
• Add ability to save BMP files on SD Card.
• Integrated FAT16 File System.

Fixes

• Macro “name:label” syntax format .
• Hotspot handling redefine button when finger on screen.
• EPROM improvement / fix in I2C I/O (stop bit not being generated reliably).
• CRC SCREEN command does check entire screen.
• Binary response for xxy (hotspot returning relative x,y) wrong.
• “CLEAR TOUCH BUTTON / HOTSPOT” command not working, and title confusing.
• Fixed binary response plus slider.
• Fixed binary response for aux port.
• METER DEFINE/METER VALUE point off 180 degrees for certain values.
• Flicker problem with WVGA Evervision 7″.
• Assigning external font to button crashes program.
• Slider command (sl) leaves slider control debris for non-equivalent x-y coordinates.
• RTS not driven properly for RS485.
• Software Flow control (receiving only) counts XOFF.
• Text Flash and Animation Delete commands do not exist.
• 8×8 font at offset 0 first pixel line missing.
• Animation disable (anid) not working correctly in a macro.
• BIN file not loading properly from SD Card).
• Corrected Flash name output during programming.
• Fixed file error output to display error number.
• Interrupts enabled before UART initialization complete.
• LCD does not consistently display.
• Improvements to labels via customer feedback:
  - Ignores text after label string; distinguishes label from repeat keyword; error if no command lines processed.
  - Removed old quoted string code (just cleanup).
• On board flash chip “Flash1″ now output as “Data Flash”.
• Labels now terminate after at least 1 processed line and the next label (or end of macro)\.

To download the latest 1.2.0 Firmware, search for the File Package by product in the Reach Download Center.  Reach recommends you use all the elements of the file package for best results.