Crystalfontz USB Display Connection

This document describes connecting a Crystalfontz USB display.

You should download and install the drivers as detailed in part 1 of x before connecting your Crystalfontz USB display. If you have already connected the display before installing the drivers, please disconnect the display, download and install the drivers as detailed in this document, then reconnect the display.

This document is written using Internet Explorer and Windows XP. Other browers or operating systems will follow a similar pattern.

The USB will be installed as two devices from Window's point of view. There will be a "Crystalfontz CFA63x-USB" installed, and also a "USB Serial Port". The USB serial port is a "virtual" port that allows software to easily communicate with the display.

When the display is plugged into your computer's USB port, or when the computer is first powered up after connecting the display, Windows will detect the new hardware:

Since the display has not been connected before, Windows will start the "Found New Hardware Wizard":

The wizard will ask you to help it find the correct driver files for the new device. First select the "Install from a list or specific loaction (Advanced)" option, then click on the "Next >" button:

In the next step, you need to select the "Search for the bsest driver in these locations" option, and then make sure that only the "Include this location in the search" box is checked. The click on the "Browse" button:

Use the the directory navigator to select "C:\Program Files\Crystalfontz USB Drivers". Check that your screen matches the screen shown below, then click on the "Next >" button:

The drivers that Crystalfontz supplies have passed "Windows Logo" testing by the USB chipset manufacturer, however once they are customized to identify the USB device as a "Crystalfontz" product, the driver appears to Windows as "untested". Click on the "Continue Anyway" to proceed with the installation.

Windows will now copy the USB portion of the drivers:

At this point, the USB portion of the installation is complete. Click on the "Finish" button to dismiss the wizard:

Now that the "Crystalfontz CFA63x-USB" device is installed, Windows will immediately detect the "USB Serial Port" device:.

Windows will again start the "Found New Hardware Wizard" for the "USB Serial Port":

The wizard will again ask you to help it find the correct driver files for the new device. First select the "Install from a list or specific loaction (Advanced)" option, then click on the "Next >" button:

The wizard will remember the directory. Check that your screen matches the screen shown below, then click on the "Next >" button:

Click on the "Continue Anyway" to proceed with the installation:

Windows will now copy the USB Serial Port portion of the drivers:

At this point, the driver installation is complete. Click on the "Finish" button to dismiss the wizard:

Windows will notify you that the hardware is ready to use:

The following step is optional.

For software to communicate with the display, you will need to know which COM port has been assigned to the "USB Serial Port". This step describes how to view which COM port was assigned to the display.

"Right-click" on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop, select "Properties" from the drop-down menu. The "System Properties" dialog box will be displayed. Click on the "hardware" tab near the top of the properties window. Once the properties tab is selected, click on the "Device Manager" button. The device manager will open. Expand the "Ports (COM & LPT)" branch. The Crystalfontz USB display will be shown. The COM port will be displayed at the end of this line. Please make a note of the COM port--you will need to know what the COM port is when you configure software that communitcates with display.