This perl script can be used to post messages to the display using pipes. For example, after connecting the controller to the display and the controller to the computer, the following command can be issued to display the phrase hello world onto the display:

echo "hello world" | ./bv4511ctl.pl

• Display characters on screen.
• Clear the display.
• Turn the back-light on and off.

• Turning the light on:

bv4511ctl.pl --light=on

and off:

bv4511ctl.pl --light=off

• Clearing the screen:

bv4511ctl.pl --clear

bv4511ctl.pl

#!/usr/bin/perl
###########################################################################
##  Copyright (C) Wizardry and Steamworks 2013 - License: GNU GPLv3      ##
##  Please see: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html for legal details,  ##
##  rights of fair usage, the disclaimer and warranty conditions.        ##
###########################################################################
 
 
use strict;
 
use constant true => 1;
use constant false => 0;
 
# Packages
use Device::SerialPort qw( :PARAM :STAT 0.07 );
use Term::ReadKey;
use Time::HiRes qw(usleep);
use Getopt::Long;
use Switch 'fallthrough';
use Pod::Usage;
 
# Autoflush
$| = 1;
# Map EOF
$/ = eof;
 
# Defaults
my $baud = 9600;
my $sleep = 1e9/$baud;
my $opt_port = "/dev/ttyUSB0";
my $opt_clear = false;
my $opt_reset = false;
my $opt_light="";
 
my $result;
 
GetOptions(
#  "help|?" => \$opt_help,
  "clear" => \$opt_clear,
  "reset" => \$opt_reset,
#  "fg=s" => \$opt_fg,
#  "bg=s" => \$opt_bg,
#  "port=s" => \$opt_port,
#  "line=s" => \$opt_line,
#  "box=s" => \$opt_box,
#  "circle=s" => \$opt_circle,
#  "cursor=s" => \$opt_cursor,
  "light=s" => \$opt_light
);
 
# Reopen as brand new and commit
my $serialPort = Device::SerialPort->new($opt_port)
  or die "Cannot open port: $!.\n";
$serialPort->baudrate($baud);
$serialPort->databits(8);
$serialPort->parity("none");
$serialPort->stopbits(1);
$serialPort->handshake("rts");
$serialPort->lookclear;
$serialPort->write_settings;
send_serial("\r");
usleep($sleep);
 
# Sending subroutine
sub send_serial {
  my $data = shift;
  $result = $serialPort->write($data) 
    or die "Unable to write to port: $!.\n";
}
 
# Toggle Backlight
if($opt_light) {
  switch($opt_light) {
    case "on" {
      send_serial("\033[?26h");
      last;
    }
    case "off" {
      send_serial("\033[?26I");
    }
  }
  goto END;
}
 
# Clear screen
if($opt_clear) {
  send_serial("\033[2J");
  goto END;
}
 
# Reset
if($opt_reset) {
  send_serial("\033c");
  goto END;
}
 
# Process input
# Grab STDIN
my $input;
while(<>) {
  $input.=$_;
}
chomp $input;
 
# Split each character for VAC
my $out = 0;
my @data = split(//,$input);
foreach (@data) {
  if($_ eq "\n") {
    while($out != 21) {
      send_serial(" ");
      ++$out;
    }
    send_serial("\n\r");
    $out = 0;
    next;
  }
  send_serial($_);
  ++$out;
}
 
while($out % 21 != 0) {
  send_serial(" ");
  ++$out;
}
 
send_serial("\n\r");
 
END:
# Close port.
$serialPort->close();
exit 0;