FYI: companion chip interface for MIOS planned

[TK.]

Since it turned out that KS0107/KS0108 based displays with 240x64 resolution are not available anymore, I'm thinking about an alternative way for controlling graphical LCDs without performance loss. It's clear that this requires a second microcontroller, but on the other hand the total-costs of this solution are less than I payed for my high-performance Displaytech 64240A.

So, a conceptional (!) preliminary (!!) schematic can be found here: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_lcd_companion.pdf

The "companion core" will be connected via Port J15 of the MIOS core module. The parallel bus interface works asynchronous (Request/Acknowledge line), will provide double data rate (8 bit during the request phase, 8 bit after the acknowledge phase), and will support read and write transactions. Up to 8 companions will be addressable in this way, and it depends on the implementation how much displays can be connected to a single companion. ;-)

However, MIOS will provide a generic bus protocol for this interface, and a 2nd layer protocol for graphical as well as for character displays. In this way, low-cost displays based on the polular T6963C can be connected to the MIOS core without performance loss, but also any other display - the companion core just has to process the protocol.

(Sidenote: not only displays can be connected in this way, but any device which requires fast data transfers)

(Sidenote2: see this posting http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=concepts;action=display;num=1067480170 for a solution provided by Duggle which will be perfect for slow data rate peripherals)

Important: this is a concept, which I will possibly realize next year. I cannot guarantee that it will work yet! The purpose of this posting is just to inform you about a possible solution before you purchase overpriced KS0108 based displays at EBay or wherever.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[pay_c]

Up to 8 displays!!  ;D

The MBDM (Midibox Displaymonster) is coming!

Cool. Questions: So if we already have a seperated core to control the LCD, is it also possible to just bring that TV - idea back (normal data D0-D7 to PAL/NTSC)?

And to bring back another thread: Color display possible? But thats more a point for dreaming, I think (cause the *color* data has to be sent by the MIOS Core anyhow - monochrome color displays would be a little ... ... expensive...)

[uclaros]

Maybe even a Stereo Image with 2 displays and 3d glasses! What do you think??  ::)

[Shadyman]

Um, Megabump?

Has this idea died off?  :-X

[nILS]

Shadyman: You're turning into a massive post bumper here. ;-)

[stryd_one]

Heh so I'm not the only one who saw...

Posts: 21.

and thought...

Bumps: Most of that 21.

[ilmenator]

TK,

please consider also the Vertical Display Mode for T6963C. I could do a re-design of the MIDIbox UC based on the new companion core. Also, it would allow to use SRAM memory instead of I2C banksticks. I think it would be great if there was an officially approved interface and pinout for such memory intensive extensions of the MBHP concept.

So yes, go ahead!  ;D

Best regards, ilmenator

[Shadyman]

Heh so I'm not the only one who saw...

Posts: 21.

and thought...

Bumps: Most of that 21.

So maybe I won't announce bumps, just see who pays attention? I think I've bumped what I can bump, the rest can lie in the (search) dump  ;D

[bugfight]

...

So maybe I won't announce bumps, just see who pays attention? I think I've bumped what I can bump, the rest can lie in the (search) dump  ;D

so what's wrong with "bumping"?  everyone is addicted to "new"??

i much prefer this "bumping" to the useless new threads that cover the same or similar topics...

[stryd_one]

so what's wrong with "bumping"?  everyone is addicted to "new"??

i much prefer this "bumping" to the useless new threads that cover the same or similar topics...

I agree! It wasn't the bumping that was the problem, it was the repeated bumping and not much input... Bad SNR...