Call for Design - SD-Card + EEPROM + SRAM + 40-pin connector TFT BoosterPack for LaunchPad

[Rei Vilo 695]

This call for design continues my initial Call for Design - SD-Card + EEPROM +SRAM BoosterPack for Stellaris LaunchPad with an important difference.

 

Instead of including female connectors to plug another BoosterPack carrying the screen on top

[cubeberg 540]

Do you have any documented pin mappings for the LCD library or is it completely flexible?  

[Rei Vilo 695]

I'm working on that:

• Map of the pins available on both the Stelaris / Tiva and MSP430F5529 LaunchPads
• Map of the 2x20 connector used by the screens

 

Screens

http://imall.iteadstudio.com/display/tft-lcm/im120419006.html

http://imall.iteadstudio.com/display/tft-lcm/im120419007.html

ftp://imall.iteadstudio.com/IM120419006_ITDB02_3.2WD/DS_IM120419006_ITDB02_3.2WD.pdf

 

Adaptors

http://imall.iteadstudio.com/im120417024.html

ftp://imall.iteadstudio.com/IM120417024_ITDB02_Arduino_MEGA_Shield/DS_IM120417024_ITDB02ArduinoMEGAShield.pdf

ftp://imall.iteadstudio.com/IM120417024_ITDB02_Arduino_MEGA_Shield/SCH_IM120417024_ITDB02ArduinoMEGAShield.pdf

http://www.elecfreaks.com/store/lcd-tft01-mega-shield-v10-p-214.html

http://elecfreaks.com/store/download/datasheet/shield/TFT_MEGA_V2.0.pdf

http://www.sainsmart.com/arduino-compatibles-1/lcd-module/sainsmart-tft-lcd-adjustable-shield-for-arduino-mega-2560-r3-1280-a082-plug.html

 

[cubeberg 540]

@@Rei Vilo - can you point me towards the libraries for the LCDs?  I'm on the download page and couldn't find any links referencing HX8352-A or either of the SSD drivers.  I was hoping to pull some implementation information from the libraries.  It'll help me figure out the connections.

 

Thanks!

[Rei Vilo 695]

Actually, I haven't added the driver for a 16-bit parallel screen yet.

 

I'm working on it!

 

Please find the comparative pins map for the F5529 and Stellaris LaunchPads.

 

[cubeberg 540]

Phew - dealing with all those different configs for the SPI pins is going to be interesting  I forsee a LOT of jumpers

[Rei Vilo 695]

Here's a more elaborate answer about the screens.

 

The Kentec 3.5" display uses SSD2119 but it is configured in 8-bit mode.

 

The only existing 16-bit screen BoosterPack is the SSD1289 3.2" 320x240 TFT 16bit parallel interface + Touch. The main drawback is all the 40 pins of the LaunchPad are used! 

[Rei Vilo 695]

Phew - dealing with all those different configs for the SPI pins is going to be interesting  I forsee a LOT of jumpers

 

Actually, the options are pretty limited

[jpnorair 340]

I'm reading this, and I'm thinking that the MSP430 and Stellaris are sufficiently different that it is not the best strategy, in my opinion, to try to make one design fits all.  Doing external memory and SD on a stellaris is rather simple, because many Stellaris parts support SD and external memory without any additional glue logic.  Just make sure your bus traces are roughly the same length and ground-backed.

 

If you still want to make something universal, what would be the most bold would be to include a small CPLD for doing bus routing based on SPI configuration.  

[jpnorair 340]

 

3- Wait for the next LaunchPads featuring 80-pin BoosterPack!

 

Final Wrap-Up: I'd consider the SPI 16 GPIO expander option.

 

 

I know it is blasphemy to bring up ST products on a TI-focused forum, but sometimes the job is easy and cheap when you look at another manufacturer.  The STM32F4 Discovery is low-cost, it is very similar to the Stellaris, and it has a ton of I/O.  I think it is a more-suitable platform than the Stellaris LP is, for doing display-enabled projects.  For doing robotics projects, generally I think Stellaris is better, so of course nothing is the best for everything.

 

http://www.st.com/web/catalog/tools/FM116/SC959/SS1532/PF252419

[Rei Vilo 695]

@@jpnorair

 

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

 

Actually, there are many other parameters to take into account: IDE available on Mac OS platform, use of Wiring framework, ...

 

The compatibility across platform answers the way I develop: I start with a comfortable Stellaris and downsize the code afterwards to fit into a MSP430G2553 or the new MSP430F5529.

[jpnorair 340]

 I start with a comfortable Stellaris and downsize the code afterwards to fit into a MSP430G2553 or the new MSP430F5529.

 

OK, so it is really a display frame buffer pack for the MSP launchpad.  That makes more sense.  One interesting option might be to use an FRAM MSP430 as your bus serializer and "EEPROM."  Maybe it's possible to use the DMA to always push SPI to-and-from the port register, without any CPU interaction.