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By mrtool
#57739
any further progress yet?
By JamesK
#57741
mrtool wrote:any further progress yet?
Not from me - I've got bogged down trying to learn how to use Eagle. That's not really a fun learning curve.

Anyone made a start on a CPLD/FPGA solution?

James.
By Random
#57748
I've been playing with the small one and with Skylark's assistance have it controlled by an Arduino (ATmega168 8bit 16MHz):


Image

the pitch on the small one is crazy hard to solder!
By Dan_attacker
#57753
I've made quite a bit more than a start with an FPGA but I haven't had time to work on it the last couple of weeks due to midterms and constant barrage of homework. But, I may work on it again soon.
By mrtool
#57790
is driving it by arduino viable?
By Random
#57792
The Arduino can't hold a full screen in its RAM (or even its ROM) but is quite capable of writing to it, so generative patterns work fine - I would try using a text library and storing where characters should go or something, for instance. Alternatively you could store just three bits per pixel (RGB) and get pretty limited colours but probably enough for most applications, and then you could store the entire image.
By mrtool
#57797
how about using the arduino as an intermediary between lcd and computer? I'm not talking about displaying movies but displaying interfaces for example?
By Random
#57798
If the computer was streaming data the arduino could display it, but would would be the point of the arduino? You'd be better off with just the FT232RL chip over USB, as Skylark did.
On the other hand, if you wanted the Arduino to control it, it could work - but again you'd be basically limited to single colours.
By mrtool
#57816
any chance of sharing your code?
By Random
#57817
I'm in the middle of reformatting my PC (I'm on my laptop at the moment) so I don't have the code to hand but will post it when my PC's up and running again.

It's pretty simple though - check Skylark's code for the basics, but you just need to setup the Arduino to talk to the screen over SPI, wire it up, then send out the initialisation code over SPI and then start sending out screen data. Skylark's code shows all the packets that need sending, with a few notes when doing it for an Arduino:
RESET on the screen should be pulled high
EXTCLK can be pulled low (to use internal oscillator) or I guess supplied an external clock (not tried)
0x04 as a packet in Skylark's code means set the CS line high, while 0x00 means set it low

The basic data scheme is you send the device address with one bit toggled to represent either an index or data, then you send the index address (essentially the register you want to change) and then the data. Both index and data are 16 bit so two one-byte transmissions. You can see how to do the toggling bit from Skylark's code (the device addressed ORd with either index or data).

Data is sent after (iirc) 0x21 as the index, and is the normal 565 RGB form.

Note that nothing at all happens after connecting power - the screen only responds (it goes black) after a correct initialisation sequence.
By mrtool
#58777
sorry, im not that good with programming microcontrollers :P any chance ur done formatting? :P
By noptical
#60220
any progress with this? or you guys gave up? :P
By mrtool
#60229
I think progress for the big one has been given up, the small one is working, if random has no problems I'll post his information up here, or he can do it himself if he wants
By Random
#60232
Go ahead, I'm busy with other projects at the moment so haven't been playing with it, so that bouncy ball demo is as far as I got.
I might work on it some more later, since I've got a few of them sitting around and they are really easy to drive.
By Dan_attacker
#60263
I haven't given up, just probably won't work on it until my winter break, which is in 2 weeks.
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