Reply by Mike Noone July 15, 20062006-07-15
Henrik @ work wrote:
> Hello group, > > For a new project, we have almost decided on AT91SAM7X256 for a variety of > reasons. Primarily due to its rich peripheral set and previuos knowledge of > Atmel Chips. > > But we need to implement a LCD display, preferably 320x240 pixels into our > system and we would like some advice on the best way to do this. With > respect to both hardware and software development. I.e how to get a grip on > this. would we use LCD controller or do direct IO from the processor? > > Any help, comments, links are gladly appreciated. > > Thanking you in advance. > > > Henrik
Hi Henrik - Olimex is coming out with a SAM7X256 dev board within a couple weeks that has an LCD display on it. You may want to check that out: http://olimex.com/dev/sam7-ex256.html -Mike
Reply by Henr...@ work July 14, 20062006-07-14
"Ulf Samuelsson" <ulf@a-t-m-e-l.com> wrote in message
news:e986b6$bsr$1@emma.aioe.org...

> You do not need to use Linux for the device. > A lot of the code from the U.Boot boot monitor can be used. > This supports the DM9000E Ethernet controller present on the SAM9261EK. > Later this year, you can get the SAM9263 with built in Ethernet and LCD > control.
I will look into this more closely. Any suggestions for software ressources available are galdly appreciated. Best regards Henrik
Reply by Ulf Samuelsson July 14, 20062006-07-14
>> Depending on your need for peripherals you could also consider the >> AT91SAM9261 >> which has an internal LCD controller optimized for 320 x 240. >> The standard peripherals are more or less the same but it >> lacks Ethernet, ADC and CAN of course. > > Actually I have been thinking alot about this controller as well. But I > need the ethernet controller. And I have a feeling that the online > community > for this chip is smaller than for the ARM7 parts. Also I have done no > investgation into SW tools and RT-kernel and such. > > I have no experience in using Linux for such a device and I think that > buying a module from someone else will not be an option for us. >
You do not need to use Linux for the device. A lot of the code from the U.Boot boot monitor can be used. This supports the DM9000E Ethernet controller present on the SAM9261EK. Later this year, you can get the SAM9263 with built in Ethernet and LCD control.
> So for now, I think we'll stick with the AT91SAm7X256 (When will the 512K > version be out??) >
Somewhere later this year.
> Best regards > Henrik >
-- Best Regards, Ulf Samuelsson This is intended to be my personal opinion which may, or may not be shared by my employer Atmel Nordic AB
Reply by Henr...@ work July 14, 20062006-07-14
"Ulf Samuelsson" <ulf@a-t-m-e-l.com> wrote in message
news:e980he$3vp$1@emma.aioe.org...
> "Henrik @ work" <henrik6650@ofir.dk> skrev i meddelandet > news:44b4e370$0$148$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk...
> > Depending on your need for peripherals you could also consider the > AT91SAM9261 > which has an internal LCD controller optimized for 320 x 240. > The standard peripherals are more or less the same but it > lacks Ethernet, ADC and CAN of course.
Actually I have been thinking alot about this controller as well. But I need the ethernet controller. And I have a feeling that the online community for this chip is smaller than for the ARM7 parts. Also I have done no investgation into SW tools and RT-kernel and such. I have no experience in using Linux for such a device and I think that buying a module from someone else will not be an option for us. So for now, I think we'll stick with the AT91SAm7X256 (When will the 512K version be out??) Best regards Henrik
Reply by Chris Quayle July 14, 20062006-07-14
Peter wrote:

> > I'm interested to know what people suggest for the HW side of things - > we're looking at adding a LCD to a Atmel SAM7 chip without an external > address bus and, so far, haven't come up with any good ideas. There > don't seem to be any 320x240 SPI based controllers around - one > suggestion was to put it in a FPGA and write some logic to convert > between SPI & an "address bus" based FGPGA video controller. > > Peter
Have you looked at the Epson 1374 series ?. Has onboard framebuffer ram and a bus interface that can be coerced onto most micros... Chris -- Greenfield Designs Ltd ----------------------------------------------------------- Embedded Systems & Electronics: Research Design Development Oxford. England. (44) 1865 750 681
Reply by Darcy Roberts July 13, 20062006-07-13
Peter wrote:

> Henrik @ work wrote: > >>For a new project, we have almost decided on AT91SAM7X256 for a variety of >>reasons. Primarily due to its rich peripheral set and previuos knowledge of >>Atmel Chips. >> >>But we need to implement a LCD display, preferably 320x240 pixels into our >>system and we would like some advice on the best way to do this. With >>respect to both hardware and software development. I.e how to get a grip on >>this. would we use LCD controller or do direct IO from the processor? > > > We're using the LCD library from Simplify Technologies > http://www.simplify-technologies.de/gui_library/index.html > which has been great - it's not (or wasn't!) licensed on a 'per > product' basis which makes it cheaper if you want to use it in multiple > projects. > > I'm interested to know what people suggest for the HW side of things - > we're looking at adding a LCD to a Atmel SAM7 chip without an external > address bus and, so far, haven't come up with any good ideas. There > don't seem to be any 320x240 SPI based controllers around - one > suggestion was to put it in a FPGA and write some logic to convert > between SPI & an "address bus" based FGPGA video controller. > > Peter >
For HW, why not look at the SAM9 series or the new AVR-32 series from Atmel? LCD controller is built in. regards DR
Reply by Peter July 13, 20062006-07-13
Henrik @ work wrote:
> For a new project, we have almost decided on AT91SAM7X256 for a variety of > reasons. Primarily due to its rich peripheral set and previuos knowledge of > Atmel Chips. > > But we need to implement a LCD display, preferably 320x240 pixels into our > system and we would like some advice on the best way to do this. With > respect to both hardware and software development. I.e how to get a grip on > this. would we use LCD controller or do direct IO from the processor?
We're using the LCD library from Simplify Technologies http://www.simplify-technologies.de/gui_library/index.html which has been great - it's not (or wasn't!) licensed on a 'per product' basis which makes it cheaper if you want to use it in multiple projects. I'm interested to know what people suggest for the HW side of things - we're looking at adding a LCD to a Atmel SAM7 chip without an external address bus and, so far, haven't come up with any good ideas. There don't seem to be any 320x240 SPI based controllers around - one suggestion was to put it in a FPGA and write some logic to convert between SPI & an "address bus" based FGPGA video controller. Peter
Reply by Ulf Samuelsson July 13, 20062006-07-13
"Henrik @ work" <henrik6650@ofir.dk> skrev i meddelandet 
news:44b4e370$0$148$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk...
> Hello group, > > For a new project, we have almost decided on AT91SAM7X256 for a variety of > reasons. Primarily due to its rich peripheral set and previuos knowledge > of > Atmel Chips. > > But we need to implement a LCD display, preferably 320x240 pixels into our > system and we would like some advice on the best way to do this. With > respect to both hardware and software development. I.e how to get a grip > on > this. would we use LCD controller or do direct IO from the processor? > > Any help, comments, links are gladly appreciated. > > Thanking you in advance. > > > Henrik >
Depending on your need for peripherals you could also consider the AT91SAM9261 which has an internal LCD controller optimized for 320 x 240. The standard peripherals are more or less the same but it lacks Ethernet, ADC and CAN of course. -- Best Regards, Ulf Samuelsson This is intended to be my personal opinion which may, or may not be shared by my employer Atmel Nordic AB
Reply by Tom Lucas July 13, 20062006-07-13
"Chris Hills" <chris@phaedsys.org> wrote in message 
news:Qgc279AGkVtEFAiY@phaedsys.demon.co.uk...
> In article <1152712265.72165.0@despina.uk.clara.net>, Tom Lucas > <news@REMOVEautoTOflameREPLY.clara.co.uk> writes
<snip>
>> >>I can recommend emWin very highly and their support is good too. The >>licensing needs to be looked at carefully because they have made it >>very >>complex and restrictive - > > No it's not. It's quite simple.
I wouldn't say it is all that straightforward and it is quite restrictive. Someone else commented on this a while back when I was choosing between Segger and PEG. They are a bit more flexible during development but once you go into production then you are tied to using the library on one product even if you are using the same display hardware in several. I guess that is how they make their money but it is definitely more restrictive than other licenses I have and I think is is a bit more complex than most. However, just to qualify that, it is not enough of a problem to prevent anyone from buying the library if that is the one they choose.
>>> Thanks for the pointer, I will check that thread. >> >>It looks pretty good from what I've seen of it and covers all the >>basic >>things I'd want a GUI to do. I've written a lot of extensions to emWin >>to tweak it to what I want so I might as well have started with a >>simpler library. > > But the problem is a simpler library probably won't be able to do what > you need on the next release. BTW the bits you would probably leave > out > others would want in...
I think it is just useful for some people to have a leg up and just get a bit of simple graphics going which they can add their own functions to. It's not right for everyone but if you are only doing something really basic then it might be enough. It is certainly much easier to get going with a package like Segger's but the cost might be prohibitive for some.
Reply by Don McKenzie July 12, 20062006-07-12
Henrik @ work wrote:

> Hello group, > > For a new project, we have almost decided on AT91SAM7X256 for a variety of > reasons. Primarily due to its rich peripheral set and previuos knowledge of > Atmel Chips. > > But we need to implement a LCD display, preferably 320x240 pixels into our > system and we would like some advice on the best way to do this. With > respect to both hardware and software development. I.e how to get a grip on > this. would we use LCD controller or do direct IO from the processor? > > Any help, comments, links are gladly appreciated. > > Thanking you in advance. > > > Henrik
may be some ideas for you at: http://www.dontronics.com/micro-lcd.html Don... -- Don McKenzie E-Mail Contact Page: http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html Micro,TTL,USB to 1.5" color LCD http://www.dontronics.com/micro-lcd.html USB,RS232 or TTL to VGA Monitor http://www.dontronics.com/micro-vga.html World's smallest USB 2 TTL Conv http://www.dontronics.com/micro-usb.html