GraphicalDisplay (2008-07-01 16:08:34)

This page brainstorms about possibilities for graphical display functionality

First Release using a PDA: PdaCockpit

No HW designed so far. Damian reviving it again, see bottom. But we might just try new low-cost PDAs and notebooks make building own HW unfeasible.

0.92kg Asus EEEPC 701-4G-BK057 LINUX (appr 250 EUR + VAT at 2008-05) is optimal for running [VEMS-Tune]


We now have a professional partner that might be suitable for the mechanical manufacturing and assembly. Needs more investigation

We still investigating costefficient PDA / PAL / or other display options that could be used

The market is flooded by 100 USD color display (maybe 400x300 or 640x480 or around that resolution, with reasonable display size) with PAL/NTSC input (note that these don't have touchscreen which is bad for interaction)

It seems very hard to find a suitable dumb display (TFT and / or touchscreen) for the cost of the PAL-input display

Note that there are 3 possible solutions:

Race-guys are very concerned about visibility and size. Often color or grayscale is secondary to them (1 bit BW is enough). Visibility counts.

The software (guts) should be almost the same, regardless of the HW.

http://www.elatecworld.com distributor showed up, they would like to sell us displays. But their site is hard to search, in fact they don't have own products, just import. The referred manufacturers are no easy ride either.

A farnell candidate (display with controller):

42266166.jpg

If anyone has good candidates, please take a note. If you know prices (we'd buy 100+) that's even better.


what displays we've got now is:


what we'll have for sure:


other ideas that came up

http://www.amulettechnologies.com/products/products.html Easy GUI, uses HTML

Note that developers are strongly against these.

Reasons:


PAL output, for using off-the-shelf PAL-input display

Circuit Cellar has several articles, one uses a micro to generate TV sync while also doing real processing, free compiler for this, another article by Fred Eady, duplicates an LCD, uses a pic, 5370xxxOSD IC, maybe the little Atmel micro could replace the PIC. This is probably not feasible for a nice solution

how to make a device with PAL output? - usually called "video card"

We need to make OtherTuningSoftware work on PDA first. Programming on nvidia proc sounds a bit steep. But not impossible.

Please evaluate the video solution (cost/complexity/possible chips) to emit true-color PAL signal


Marcel,

Sorry I write or explain what trying to say so poorly. Qne of the articles simply details how to make the TV display a picture like an LCD, LCD EMULATION.

(I think I understand, and it seems it is effectively useless until we have a PDA display app).

It effectively replaces an LCD module, Just plug into what would normally drive an LCD subsystem.

(just plug it in wouldn't be useful, even if it worked that way. It needs to be defined what should be displayed and how!)

You can then record it on VCR, camcorder etc.

Small TV's can be bought here for less than $20.00.

(OK, that unit price is compelling, but the development costs are not).

Nothing to do with PDA, just another adaptive display, several area flea markets sell a 5x7 color video display for less than $70.

(yes, it has a lot to do with PDAs! We cannot use that for anything before we have a working app, which will surely work on a PDA next. After we have the display code - might be just 3 days if someone really sits down - we could think if we put the 8000 Euro worth of development effort into driving a CRT or if we can find something more useful.)


A list of graphical modules

I think this can be somewhat cheaper if we buy many.

It cannot compete with Nintendo prices, but even a 320x240 can fit our budget.

Could someone look up in datasheet how hard to drive these ? Most are handled by: Procyon AVRlib with MMC, FAT, IP, graphic lcd support and lots more http://hubbard.engr.scu.edu/embedded/avr/avrlib/

240 Ft = 1 EURO = 1.3 USD\n

 EW12A03FLY SED1520 122x32 graphic LCD 3 300 Ft     
 EW13B10FEW ? 128*64 grafikus fehér hát 4 700 Ft     
 EW13B10FLY HD61202 128*64 LED háttér 4 000 Ft     
 EW13B30BMW ? 128x64 Graphic Blue/White 4 440 Ft     
 EW24B00BCW T6963C 240*64 CCFL kék háttér 13 400 Ft     
 EW24B00GLY T6963C 240x64 graphic LCD w/ LED 12 700 Ft     
 EW24B00YLY T6963C 240x64, Green,STN,LED BL 9 100 Ft     
 EW24D00FLY LC7981 240x128 LCD vezérlõ + LED 14 500 Ft     
 EW24D30FLY T6963C 240x128 graphic LCD 9 800 Ft  108X58mm active display.   
 EW24D40FDW LC7981 240x128 grafikus LCD 13 400 Ft     
 EW24D70NCW T6963C 240x128 graphic LCD CCFL 12 600 Ft   120X64mm active display http://www.mitsutech.com.tw/spec/ew24d70ccfl.pdf 
 EW32F10BCW SED1335 not onboard QVGA blue/white ccfl 11 000 Ft     
 EW32F10NCW SED1335 not onboard LCD 320*240, CCFL 12 600 Ft     
 EW32F40FLW  no info on controller LCD 320*240, LED, SED1335 17 300 Ft     
 EW32F40NCW  SED1335 onboard 320x240 graphic LCD CCFL 18 300 Ft  115X86mm active display   
 EW32F90FLW  SED1335 not onboard LCD 320*240, LED, no IC 8 900 Ft     
 EW32F92FLW  320x240 graphic LCD w/TP 15 000 Ft     
 EW32FA1FLW   12 900 Ft     
 EW32FA3FLW  320x240 FSTN White BL 12 800 Ft     
 EW50080FLW  128x64 graphic LCD white 6 900 Ft 


Some very nice LCD panels can be found here:

http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/index-grph.html


I know more TFT LCD monitor developer, so from 1,8" TFTs to 15" in-car TFT's we can offer a lot of types. Some modells with VGA input and with touchscreen.

Prices from 50USD, all modells over 100k pixels and has video signal input, full colours etc.

The avarage price is 80-100 USD for a 7-8", there is standalones, in-dashes, etc

Tschangow

Emil received an x-mas deal for 8" 640x480, 675 sek + VAT

I looked at LCD to make a motorbike dashboard some time ago but temperature range was a little problem on TFT.....so i decides to use a small 160x80 monochrome lcd (with extended range).

I used only 320x240 with a SED1375 controller ... is't very fast compared with other lcd with onboard-controller.

Enrico


Seems unsuitable


ARM display board - pressing ahead

For something we can make now with parts that are good for other things and cheap, I have put into schematics:

Basically an SBC, will run linux and start GUI from MegaTunix Code. Or some wx-widget code.

Any more ideas?

Our partners make high quality 4 layer PCBs, batch starting costs are appr 200 EUR and 3 weeks so it's best to get right within a few iterations ;-)

High speed buses ... that is a design problem I guess. 8 mil clearance (and 8 mil traces, with 12 mil drill) is cheapest, but 6 mil is certainly possible without too high extra cost, I can ask how costs increase under 6 mil. But with rounded corner pads it should not be needed.

I have an idea: LCDash

Instead of reinventing the wheel, there already is a solution to your problem here... There just needs to be some development here. I have already emailed the owner about if his LCD project can support VEMS, he said it would be no problem just some firmware needs to be written for it. He also said he has tried contacting someone here to try to get a test unit to program for it with?

I suggest looking into this: [LCDash]