Hi. I been on the picaxe forum and found a new range finder I'm working on.
The thread got complicated with the original poster changing the subject to displays.
He wanted to use a ssd1306 with an 8 pin picaxe 0M8 and said it needed a 1K buffer and
x28 with 1.5k ram but someone called allycat got a text only display running from eprom
on an 8pin pic.
I posted some glcd videos which would have been unimpressive with picaxe code and thought about picaxe is where I first found nextion so
what about a gcb glcd and cheapest pic/avr to run it and a serial interface to tell it to cls.line,box,circle...
all glcd commands like nextion.
This would be a cheaper...and imho a simpler to use solution for picaxe users..
or even gcb users wanting a display that uses lots of pins as a slave display.
Your thoughts please.
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You dont need a 1k buffer for SSD1306, The minimum buffer is 16 byte buffer but you they will need to implement transactions and that would be very very hard in PICAXE.
It will be very very simple in GCB to create a serial interface for a GLCD.
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@anobium
"You dont need a 1k buffer for SSD1306, The minimum buffer is 16 byte buffer but you they will need to implement transactions and that would be very very hard in PICAXE."
Someone sorted it for char set but what about graphics? buffer needed?!?
"It will be very very simple in GCB to create a serial interface for a GLCD."
Thought of the cheapest ili and pic with gcb solution
and thought how picaxe is programmed from just a rs232 lead gnd,tx,clk and thought
same setup, a display and a pic/avr and wait for serial on pins with no hardware
like usb cos thinking a picaxe but whatever
and a code for each command and bytes that follow as instruction parameters.
ok,well simplified but an idea... not just for picaxe users but say a ILI9486L
which needs lots of pins and so a dedicated board and interface....
but was thinking of picaxe coders with no chance of anything better than 2 line display
best they got is a nextion and think a cheaper.you got to make it though.an interesting option.
Picaxe users are a a bit dyed in the wool with dedication but have used nextion but not popular due to cost.
a vero board pic to display and power and tx rx ?
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Would the speed difference with using LGT and a fast glcd that used a port for data
be slowed down by it being serial?
The nextion with LGT is cool but not as fast as a spi display with a uno,
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as always you over simplify stuff.
I started by looking at the nextion include file.
still am. also dug out nextion to lgt to try again.
get back later
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But, the High Level Design for the Display Unit is.
The microcontroller accepts Nextion commands via the serial port. The serial port uses a buffer ring to ensure no data is lost. The microcontroller converts the serial buffer data to native GLCD commands, then, set these native GLCD commands to the GLCD via an 8bit bus. The display unit operates as a slave.
The controlling microcontroller sends, via serial, to the slave Display Unit. The protocol is based upon the Nextion graphics control set.
So, Stan. The library may give you a clue. But, the place to start is the design.
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Hi, I'm a new member of gcb.
I was that TopicStarter of the PICAXE thread called "TOF10120 Laser Range Sensor Module" and changing/adding the subject to displays was to create a Stand-Alone I2Cscanner for checking correct address of the TOF10120 and yet to arrive VL53L0X range finder and any other I2C part.
Also for adding a display to make a Stand-Alone laser range finder with this TOF10120 and small SSD1306 display.
The idea for a interpreter chip (PICAXE 8pins 08M2) was to quickly adapt an existing working solution.
But Stan correctly pointed out other options where a 28pins picaxe with 1K OR standard pic/avr parts could be used with gcb.
Display gcb interpreters would be desirable to achieve cheaper and simpler to implement character-displays and/or glcd-displays with the cheapest pic/avr to run it and a serial/I2C interface to tell it to do text or graphics. In short: Interpreter chips will be helpful for everyone wanting to add any displays to their projects.
Displays types could be...
1) Display with chip SSD1306(128x32, 128x64)
2) LCD/OLED up to 40 chars x 4 lines
3) Nextion displays (with touch screen)
As a new member of gcb I also wondered if there are already working interpreters for displays?
Last edit: Haroen 2020-12-13
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I like the £5 colour spi but each to is own.
I could / have show V53L0x to spi if I find it or ssd1306 i2c maybe
but it's in demos somewhere,,most stuff is.
..well vars to display..
my first effort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqeT5oR1ERI
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Anobium ..er,, Horoen, I chatted to on picaxe. He seems like me on craic .
ie gcb will be simple to do his wishes- but not a mind reader.
I may have implied gcb could be an alternative 8bit compiler to picaxe.
@Haroen if your ears on then welcome to gcb forum.
make your wishes more specific
code examples welcome to inspect.
The examples I posted are there in the demos..which are on github and more upto date info
gcb is not picaxe but give it a chance and you'll love it.
the display examples should work.
I get wires wrong,,know what I mean?
get back with any problems welcome
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@ Horoen when the v53l0x arrives what you going to program it on? pic or avr?
should make no difference is gcb philosophy but pins are different for devices.
As new user we want to help.
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@Anobium
Sorry, I edited my post to be more clear.
In short, Interpreter chips will be helpful for everyone wanting to add any displays to their projects.
I mentioned some frequently used displays types (small and simple up to large and complex) that could use such Interpreter chips.
Are there already working gcb interpreters for displays?
Stan, you said: "The examples I posted are there in the demos..which are on github".
Do you have a link?
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All the code in Github is within your installation apart from the very latest. I recommend PIC16F887 as the LGT is very new to ANY compiler. We are ahead of the game.
interpreters for GLCD? Do you mean a standard library? then yes. If you mean the Serial to GLCD display discussed then no - was were discussing this.
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@Haroen -https://github.com/Anobium/Great-Cow-BASIC-Demonstration-Sources
these may be more than the demos in a gcb install.
I jumped the gun on LGT328 as it's not finishes yet.
I sent a lgt328 to @anobium and he thought it interesting and has tried to integrate it into gcb.
which is cool and let me be a tester which I get latest code so very interesting to play with.
I8f25k22 ex picaxe 28x2 erased would be better. make 2k ram normal.
PIC16F887
Program Memory Type
Flash
Program Memory Size (KB)
14
CPU Speed (MIPS/DMIPS)
5
SRAM (B)
368
Data EEPROM/HEF (bytes)
256
Digital Communication Peripherals
1-UART, 1-SPI, 1-I2C1-MSSP(SPI/I2C)
Capture/Compare/PWM Peripherals
2 Input Capture, 1 CCP, 1 ECCP,
Timers
2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit
ADC Input
14 ch, 10-bit
Number of Comparators
2
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Thanks for the demo link, Stan.
Instead of the LGT328 for AVR, the Nano 328P is better supported by gcb?
On the PICkit2 demoboard there's a free pads area to populate parts permanently.
I will add another PIC(I8f25k22 or dsPIC33FJ16GS) so I can switch between the PIC16F887 or the second PIC. Maybe I'll add an extra EEPROM chip to be sure.
@Anobium
"interpreters for GLCD? Do you mean a standard library? then yes. If you mean the Serial to GLCD display discussed then no - was were discussing this."
I mean both standard library for characters to start with and later to upgrade for implementing graphics.
Last edit: Haroen 2020-12-14
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Great Cow BASIC supports 30+ different GLCDs. They have the same public calls like set a pixel (PSET()), primitives ( Line, circle, triangle, box, filled versions), load BMPs, etc etc. The GLCD libraries are listed in the Help. There LEDs, OLEDs, ePaper etc.
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The nano and uno are pretty much the same 328 but the uno like in the image has more connections to the pins than a "real" uno.
Unos cost a few £ more than a nano.
Both are a system dev boards in that they have voltage regs,xtal and ttl to usb on board
and are well speced for projects .
Buying a bare 328 or a pic and the postage would be more expensive from RS or cpc/farnell.
I never used to use bread board but soldering projects to stripboard was too permanent,
I watch out for dodgy connections.
I put all this in a box and then can't find anything later :)
I erased a picaxe 28X2 so it's now a bare 18f25k22 for gcb use.
It's an old pic but runs at 64mhz, which is same speed as a 328p at 16mhz.
Normally speed is not an issue unless you want fast graphics...which you don't get on lcds anyway.
Sorry if I jumped the gun with suggesting LGT328...it is got to be tested before being released as stable..
As a tester there are still problems with hardware spi like using ili touch works only with software spi but the display works with hardware spi but not the touch and using software spi is slowing the display, so dunno there but the amount of work that's involved is appreciated.
Like I said. gcb is still beta but doesn't rest on it's laurels and is in constant development.
I hope you get to like using gcb. It can be a cheap way of using pics and avr if basic is your preferred language. I am not in anyway associated with gcb...just a keen user.
I think the more gcb users the better. It's more work for the forum to answer new users questions
and this falls down to the developers answering but it's like users ask how to and it gets sorted which can lead to a new library and more users because the gcb support has increased.
The L53L0X range finder is a good example of gcb sorting working code.
Other hardware has been sorted by Anobium as I sent him the hardware.
You can't expect him to have everyone's hardware on his bench!
I expect to find more cheap devices on fleabay but only c+ drivers.
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I ordered the Uno, Mega2560, Nano 328P and in time when gcb supports the LGT328 buy it too.
I'll start to try all my character and graphical displays with gcb for now with the PICkit2/3 + demoboard combination.
The dsPIC33FJ16GS that I mentioned earlier to expand my demoboard is not in the list of supported gcb chips! Maybe because it's 16 bits?
I can erase a picaxe 28X2 so it's a bare 18f25k22 for gcb use.
But the demoboard can accomodate a 34pins smd chip so which microchip is the best specification options (RAM, MHz, pins, ...) to gcb test displays and other stuff with the least hardware & gcb limitations.
Does it needs external parts like crystal, capacitors, pull-up or pull-down resistors etc. to work?
Thanks for all the help so far, much appriciated Stan Cartwright & Anobium :)
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Hi. I been on the picaxe forum and found a new range finder I'm working on.
The thread got complicated with the original poster changing the subject to displays.
He wanted to use a ssd1306 with an 8 pin picaxe 0M8 and said it needed a 1K buffer and
x28 with 1.5k ram but someone called allycat got a text only display running from eprom
on an 8pin pic.
I posted some glcd videos which would have been unimpressive with picaxe code and thought about picaxe is where I first found nextion so
what about a gcb glcd and cheapest pic/avr to run it and a serial interface to tell it to cls.line,box,circle...
all glcd commands like nextion.
This would be a cheaper...and imho a simpler to use solution for picaxe users..
or even gcb users wanting a display that uses lots of pins as a slave display.
Your thoughts please.
You dont need a 1k buffer for SSD1306, The minimum buffer is 16 byte buffer but you they will need to implement transactions and that would be very very hard in PICAXE.
It will be very very simple in GCB to create a serial interface for a GLCD.
@anobium
"You dont need a 1k buffer for SSD1306, The minimum buffer is 16 byte buffer but you they will need to implement transactions and that would be very very hard in PICAXE."
Someone sorted it for char set but what about graphics? buffer needed?!?
"It will be very very simple in GCB to create a serial interface for a GLCD."
Thought of the cheapest ili and pic with gcb solution
and thought how picaxe is programmed from just a rs232 lead gnd,tx,clk and thought
same setup, a display and a pic/avr and wait for serial on pins with no hardware
like usb cos thinking a picaxe but whatever
and a code for each command and bytes that follow as instruction parameters.
ok,well simplified but an idea... not just for picaxe users but say a ILI9486L
which needs lots of pins and so a dedicated board and interface....
but was thinking of picaxe coders with no chance of anything better than 2 line display
best they got is a nextion and think a cheaper.you got to make it though.an interesting option.
Picaxe users are a a bit dyed in the wool with dedication but have used nextion but not popular due to cost.
a vero board pic to display and power and tx rx ?
Not a PIC but a LGT328p. Fast and lots memory. And, cheap. So, a LGT328p UNO shield with an ILI9341.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LGT8F328P-Arduino-Uno-Compatible-Board-32Mhz-READ-DESCRIPTION/184384807098?hash=item2aee30e0ba:g:yowAAOSwOBpfJV3l
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000322450131.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.74205b04nfq4Ev&algo_pvid=f3991749-4a34-479a-ad5a-6b9175bf10c6&algo_expid=f3991749-4a34-479a-ad5a-6b9175bf10c6-40&btsid=2100bdd516074989504528217e3c54&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_
So, you get serial IO via USB or Serial via the standard USART ports.
I would simply replicate the Nextion command set. No point in reinventing the wheel. Then, you can use the Nextion library to drive the unit.
Last edit: Anobium 2020-12-09
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LGT8F328P-LQFP32-32MHz-miniEVB-replaces-Arduino-nano-V3-0-HT42B534-chip-/402349266470
When does this get announced on gcb? I am not much good at trello :(
I'll look at gcb nextion. cheers
Soon. I have done all the videos. But, I need time. :-)
Soon. I have done all the videos. But, I need time. :-)
Would the speed difference with using LGT and a fast glcd that used a port for data
be slowed down by it being serial?
The nextion with LGT is cool but not as fast as a spi display with a uno,
I think I have missed the point. You CAN use the LGT and 8bit ILI display to create your own nextion type of display unit. It would be very fast!
as always you over simplify stuff.
I started by looking at the nextion include file.
still am. also dug out nextion to lgt to try again.
get back later
Maybe I do.
But, the High Level Design for the Display Unit is.
The microcontroller accepts Nextion commands via the serial port. The serial port uses a buffer ring to ensure no data is lost. The microcontroller converts the serial buffer data to native GLCD commands, then, set these native GLCD commands to the GLCD via an 8bit bus. The display unit operates as a slave.
The controlling microcontroller sends, via serial, to the slave Display Unit. The protocol is based upon the Nextion graphics control set.
So, Stan. The library may give you a clue. But, the place to start is the design.
Hi, I'm a new member of gcb.
I was that TopicStarter of the PICAXE thread called "TOF10120 Laser Range Sensor Module" and changing/adding the subject to displays was to create a Stand-Alone I2Cscanner for checking correct address of the TOF10120 and yet to arrive VL53L0X range finder and any other I2C part.
Also for adding a display to make a Stand-Alone laser range finder with this TOF10120 and small SSD1306 display.
The idea for a interpreter chip (PICAXE 8pins 08M2) was to quickly adapt an existing working solution.
But Stan correctly pointed out other options where a 28pins picaxe with 1K OR standard pic/avr parts could be used with gcb.
Display gcb interpreters would be desirable to achieve cheaper and simpler to implement character-displays and/or glcd-displays with the cheapest pic/avr to run it and a serial/I2C interface to tell it to do text or graphics.
In short: Interpreter chips will be helpful for everyone wanting to add any displays to their projects.
Displays types could be...
1) Display with chip SSD1306(128x32, 128x64)
2) LCD/OLED up to 40 chars x 4 lines
3) Nextion displays (with touch screen)
As a new member of gcb I also wondered if there are already working interpreters for displays?
Last edit: Haroen 2020-12-13
I like the £5 colour spi but each to is own.
I could / have show V53L0x to spi if I find it or ssd1306 i2c maybe
but it's in demos somewhere,,most stuff is.
..well vars to display..
my first effort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqeT5oR1ERI
Hello Haroen. I am not sure I fully understand your post.
Can you help me understand?
Anobium ..er,, Horoen, I chatted to on picaxe. He seems like me on craic .
ie gcb will be simple to do his wishes- but not a mind reader.
I may have implied gcb could be an alternative 8bit compiler to picaxe.
@Haroen if your ears on then welcome to gcb forum.
make your wishes more specific
code examples welcome to inspect.
The examples I posted are there in the demos..which are on github and more upto date info
gcb is not picaxe but give it a chance and you'll love it.
the display examples should work.
I get wires wrong,,know what I mean?
get back with any problems welcome
@ Horoen when the v53l0x arrives what you going to program it on? pic or avr?
should make no difference is gcb philosophy but pins are different for devices.
As new user we want to help.
@Anobium
Sorry, I edited my post to be more clear.
In short, Interpreter chips will be helpful for everyone wanting to add any displays to their projects.
I mentioned some frequently used displays types (small and simple up to large and complex) that could use such Interpreter chips.
@Stan Cartwright
For now I'll be programming on a PIC16F887 of the PICkit2 demoboard.
But ASAP on the LGT8F328P as I mentioned in this thread.
Are there already working gcb interpreters for displays?
Stan, you said: "The examples I posted are there in the demos..which are on github".
Do you have a link?
Please get a new chip. The PIC16F887 is very old a chip. There are many better chips.
If you can remove the PIC16F887 and replace with the 16F18887 or a 18FxxK42 then you have lots of PROGMEM and lots of RAM.
@Haroen - welcome.
All the code in Github is within your installation apart from the very latest. I recommend PIC16F887 as the LGT is very new to ANY compiler. We are ahead of the game.
interpreters for GLCD? Do you mean a standard library? then yes. If you mean the Serial to GLCD display discussed then no - was were discussing this.
@Haroen -https://github.com/Anobium/Great-Cow-BASIC-Demonstration-Sources
these may be more than the demos in a gcb install.
I jumped the gun on LGT328 as it's not finishes yet.
I sent a lgt328 to @anobium and he thought it interesting and has tried to integrate it into gcb.
which is cool and let me be a tester which I get latest code so very interesting to play with.
I8f25k22 ex picaxe 28x2 erased would be better. make 2k ram normal.
PIC16F887
Program Memory Type
Flash
Program Memory Size (KB)
14
CPU Speed (MIPS/DMIPS)
5
SRAM (B)
368
Data EEPROM/HEF (bytes)
256
Digital Communication Peripherals
1-UART, 1-SPI, 1-I2C1-MSSP(SPI/I2C)
Capture/Compare/PWM Peripherals
2 Input Capture, 1 CCP, 1 ECCP,
Timers
2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit
ADC Input
14 ch, 10-bit
Number of Comparators
2
Thanks for the demo link, Stan.
Instead of the LGT328 for AVR, the Nano 328P is better supported by gcb?
On the PICkit2 demoboard there's a free pads area to populate parts permanently.
I will add another PIC(I8f25k22 or dsPIC33FJ16GS) so I can switch between the PIC16F887 or the second PIC. Maybe I'll add an extra EEPROM chip to be sure.
@Anobium
I mean both standard library for characters to start with and later to upgrade for implementing graphics.
Last edit: Haroen 2020-12-14
Great Cow BASIC supports 30+ different GLCDs. They have the same public calls like set a pixel (PSET()), primitives ( Line, circle, triangle, box, filled versions), load BMPs, etc etc. The GLCD libraries are listed in the Help. There LEDs, OLEDs, ePaper etc.
The nano and uno are pretty much the same 328 but the uno like in the image has more connections to the pins than a "real" uno.
Unos cost a few £ more than a nano.
Both are a system dev boards in that they have voltage regs,xtal and ttl to usb on board
and are well speced for projects .
Buying a bare 328 or a pic and the postage would be more expensive from RS or cpc/farnell.
I never used to use bread board but soldering projects to stripboard was too permanent,
I watch out for dodgy connections.
I put all this in a box and then can't find anything later :)
Last edit: stan cartwright 2020-12-14
I erased a picaxe 28X2 so it's now a bare 18f25k22 for gcb use.
It's an old pic but runs at 64mhz, which is same speed as a 328p at 16mhz.
Normally speed is not an issue unless you want fast graphics...which you don't get on lcds anyway.
Sorry if I jumped the gun with suggesting LGT328...it is got to be tested before being released as stable..
As a tester there are still problems with hardware spi like using ili touch works only with software spi but the display works with hardware spi but not the touch and using software spi is slowing the display, so dunno there but the amount of work that's involved is appreciated.
Like I said. gcb is still beta but doesn't rest on it's laurels and is in constant development.
I hope you get to like using gcb. It can be a cheap way of using pics and avr if basic is your preferred language. I am not in anyway associated with gcb...just a keen user.
I think the more gcb users the better. It's more work for the forum to answer new users questions
and this falls down to the developers answering but it's like users ask how to and it gets sorted which can lead to a new library and more users because the gcb support has increased.
The L53L0X range finder is a good example of gcb sorting working code.
Other hardware has been sorted by Anobium as I sent him the hardware.
You can't expect him to have everyone's hardware on his bench!
I expect to find more cheap devices on fleabay but only c+ drivers.
I ordered the Uno, Mega2560, Nano 328P and in time when gcb supports the LGT328 buy it too.
I'll start to try all my character and graphical displays with gcb for now with the PICkit2/3 + demoboard combination.
The dsPIC33FJ16GS that I mentioned earlier to expand my demoboard is not in the list of supported gcb chips! Maybe because it's 16 bits?
I can erase a picaxe 28X2 so it's a bare 18f25k22 for gcb use.
But the demoboard can accomodate a 34pins smd chip so which microchip is the best specification options (RAM, MHz, pins, ...) to gcb test displays and other stuff with the least hardware & gcb limitations.
Does it needs external parts like crystal, capacitors, pull-up or pull-down resistors etc. to work?
Thanks for all the help so far, much appriciated Stan Cartwright & Anobium :)