Digital Multi Guage on Dash

[tantrum]

WNF,

Just checking in to see of you had a chance to replace the display and/or if it worked.

Tantrum

[Wet-N-Frugal]

I ordered the part. The Online order status was normal, yet no shipping notice. I finally called last Friday... they had some internal screw-up going on, don't know what, but they came back and said it would ship soon. I got notice Saturday it had shipped. After it get's here it won't take long to find out if it's going to work or not.

-WNF-

[tantrum]

Ahh, ordering online, so easy, yet so difficult at times.

[Wet-N-Frugal]

Tantrum,

Like all boating projects, nothing ever seems to come easy. The interaction with the new display is not 100 percent. I get legible chars displayed along with gobbledygook. I've triple-checked voltages, pinouts, specs, timing, and they are compatible. So either Keyser pushed the envelope and did something funky with the Optrex interface, or I've got compound slash multiple issues with my broken Message Center. This type of problem is my forte, yet it's going to take a more exhaustive investigation to find a resolve. So I don't have a positive outcome or answer for you at this time. Since I've a vested interest in the boat (and now my new display), in my spare time I'll continue to attack with more elaborate measures. This will take time... weeks, months??... with no guaranteed outcome.

So should you need a Message Center this season, I'd strongly consider a new replacement.

-WNF-

[masonlk]

WNF,

On a side note to this, I was looking around and stumbled across the new Medallion Instrumentation site. Seems Borg Warner split off Medallion in 2003. www.medallionis.com Maybe they could be of some help?

[tantrum]

WNF,

At least you have made a little progress and have somewhere to start.  Mine still works, just annoying to look at, so as long as I don't have to spend $300 right now, I will deal.  I will sit back and let you do your work and hopefully you get it figured out.  Keep us updated and thanks for the work!!!

Tantrum

[tantrum]

Seems like my multi-gauge wants to be replaced, since now my "home" button doesn't work    It just stays on whatever menu I pick with no going back.

[Capt Rick]

MGA0011512 MessageCenter,In-Dash,5",:LateDash,ToyotaName 15  6  304  $316.67  $15.00   :
I have a tester to verify if the message center is at fault or the MMDC.

Testing is $75.

Also can test MMDC and MDC and all gauges.

Capt Rick Toyota Marine 10200 Newington Drive Orlando Florida. Toyotav8bt@aol.com

[tantrum]

capt. rick,

would i send you the message center and mmdc?  that might be an option.  although, if wnf's project doesn't eventually work, i may just buy a new message center so i can read the screen completely.

tantrum

[Capt Rick]

Yes just send parts to be tested  to :
Capt Rick Toyota Marine 10200 Newington Drive Orlando Florida.32836
 Toyotav8bt@aol.com

[tantrum]

Thanks Capt. Rick.  I am gonna hold off for now and maybe do it towards the end of the season.

[Wet-N-Frugal]

Update on the Message Center Repair Process...

Since my replacement LCD wasn't a PLUG-N-PLAY, I had to dig deeper.

1. I quickly found that the LCD drive voltage was different. This was easily corrected with value changes to two resistors.

After implementing the changes, the messages are more legible, yet still not right. Thus began the investigation of: maybe the LCD was not at fault, but rather something else on the circuit board was erratic.

2. On a long weekend, I gathered together a generic microprocessor board and programmed it to communicate with the LCD's. See pic of new LCD, whitesh background with blue pixels. Programming the LCD is very straightforward. I wrote test routines to exercise it fully. No problemo.

3. Then I attached the Old LCD to the new test fixture. Communication between the two was as expected and normal. The LCD obeyed all commands and test routines. Ya the two are compatible. However, the LCD is broken. For some pixels are dead... just as we first thought.

Since both LCD's have identical programming behavior, then next investigation points to two areas: Medallion did something real custom (funky) with their programming. Or two the microcontroller on the Message Center is Kaput.

4. A closer examination of my Message Center's microcontroller shows stress. Replacement is a huge hurdle. Three fold: Forty-four pins are soldered to the circuit board, and major pain to remove. Program is stored in the microcontroller's flash memory, so I need the ability (equipment) to upload it; and hopefully the programmable LOCK Bits are not in play, as to deny access to it. And thirdly this particular microcontroller is now obsolete, and it predecessor is backwards compatible, yet there are disclaimers at to full compatibility.

So I haven't given-up yet. But things look bleak, and more (a lot more) investigation time is required. Should any of you have a broken Message Center that's no longer in use, and could part with, it would be useful to me... more samples to look at, and review. This includes old broken MMDC's and gauges as well.

So the best answer to resolve your Message Center woes is to contact Capt. Rick.  ... whilst he still has stock.

-WNF-

[tantrum]

WOW!!!  I am glad you understand that stuff, cuz I sure do not At least you made some progress, too bad nothing can be simple.  Would have been nice if it would have worked.  Thank you for all your time and effort, I appreciate it.  Guess I need to start saving my pennies.

Tantrum

[epicfire]

I can send you the message center that I replaced last year. It worked fine, it just had a dark spot that I was tired of looking at. I just need a shipping address.

-Steve

[Wet-N-Frugal]

Steve,

Most appreciated!!

I'll send shipping info.

-Cary