Nokia COLOR LCD PicBasicPro 2.50a example code

[skimask]

But, as you told in your last post, I will tie thr resistors before turning my lcd on. I dont´t want to fry my board and the LCD

In my case, with power applied correctly, and only power, no code is running, no nothing, the LCD has a bluish background on it. The initialization has to command the backlight to come up. If it doesn't, you won't see anything on the screen unless you've got great eyes and tilt the thing at just the right angle, then you might barely see shadows of something on the screen...if you've written something to it... Other than that, it'll be blank.

[skimask]

Just like the title says...
The 'font' stays in eeprom (need a PIC with a minimum of 512 bytes, otherwise characters will get dropped) and minimal ram is needed (37 bytes).
If you're tacking this program onto something else, pay attention to the variable names. Maybe go back and pre-pend them all with CGLCD or something to keep them from getting overwritten or overwriting something important to you...

Next up...the font goes into program memory instead of ram or eeprom. Should open up the code to practically every PIC out there with at 2K of program memory and more than 37 bytes of ram (most PICs except for the 10Fxxx and some of the 12F series)...

After that, the shape drawing routines, and maybe some 3D functions I've been playing with...

EDIT: Found a bug...pulled the code for now...will have new stuff up later tonight...

[skimask]

This time the font goes in program memory at the high end.
Pay attention to the notes in the code. You have to change a couple of values based on the PIC you are using, then you may have to do some math if you are using a bootloader, so you don't overwrite the bootloader with the font.

The basic code and the few examples I added take up 3,223 words along with 640 words (1280 bytes) for the font itself.
So, you now need a PIC with at least 4.4K free of program memory and 37 bytes of free ram. And if you cut the font down from 256 to 128 characters, only 3.8K of free program space is needed...even less if you cut the font down even farther.

I pre-pended all of the variable names with CLCD, so you shouldn't have a problem with variables overwriting each other unless you've got a variable that starts out with CLCD.

I wrote this code to run on a PIC18F4620 'cause that's about all I use these days and I'm fairly sure it'll run on any PIC18Fxxx(x) series, as long as the person using it changes the requisite registers as required (READ THE DATASHEET for the PIC!!!).

I'm not sure if it'll run on 'lesser' PICs, i.e. 16F, 16C...it should with a few changes. It may even run on a 12Fxxx series if the code is cut down to an absolute bare minimum, the font cut down to practically nothing...but there probably won't be any useful code space leftover. PIC10Fxxx types are definitely out of the question.

Enjoy... Graphics routines are in work and will be posted when I'm done with them...

[srspinho]

Hi Skimask,

I just received my Color LCD and the breadboard from SparkFun.

I´m trying to convert your source code to run on a 16F877 (8 Kb, 368 byts of RAM, 256 bytes of EEPROM)
I´m doing that just because I can not find the 18F4620 here in Brazil.

So, I did some modifications as you suggested :

1) Changed de OSC to 10 (Mhz)

2) The line :
clcdENDFLASH con $FFFF 'IMPORTANT - change this value to the size of the PICs program space - 1
was changed to :
clcdENDFLASH con $1FFF 'IMPORTANT - change this value to the size of the PICs program space - 1

3) At the end of the code, the Org value was changed to org 0x1F60

4) Removed the 13 last lines used for the modified ASCII characters

But, when I try to compile, the PBP returns some strange error messages :

Warning[207] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 188 : Found Label after column 1. (bra)
Error[122] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 188 : Illegal opcode (clcdoverstr)
Message[303] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 190 : Program word too large. Truncated to core size (5465)
Message[303] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 190 : Program word too large. Truncated to core size (7374)
Message[303] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 190 : Program word too large. Truncated to core size (7472)
Message[303] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 190 : Program word too large. Truncated to core size (696E)
Message[303] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 190 : Program word too large. Truncated to core size (6723)

I don´t understand why the code doesn´t fit in my 877, since the same source compiled for the 18F4620 takes less than 3 Kb...

Do you have any idea or any tip to fit it on a 877 ?

Thank you !

[skimask]

I´m doing that just because I can not find the 18F4620 here in Brazil.

They're available practically everywhere else in the world... You've obviously got internet access...Get one...

Warning[207] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 188 : Found Label after column 1. (bra)
Error[122] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 188 : Illegal opcode (clcdoverstr)

Because there isn't a 'bra' opcode in the 16F877. The 2nd error is probably a result of the first.
Change the bra to goto in the macro and see what happens...

Message[303] d:\teste_~1\nokia~2.asm 190 : Program word too large. Truncated to core size (5465)

I don´t understand why the code doesn´t fit in my 877, since the same source compiled for the 18F4620 takes less than 3 Kb...

There's a number of different reasons. 18F registers don't multiple bank bit setting instructions every time you want to access a variable, 16F's do. Every time you want to access a register in an 18F, you just access it, period. With the 16F, you have to set either 1,2, or 3 bank bits first, then you can access it. So, for every variable access with an 18F, one word, for every variable access with a 16F, could be up to 3 instructions just to get to it. (see section 2.4 of the 16F877A datasheet and/or section 5 of the 18F4620 datasheet)

16F877 or 16F877A?

[mister_e]

CHK?RP do it for you

16F compile results is in WORDS while 18F is in BYTES

[srspinho]

Thank you guys !

well, I´m trying to buy the 4620 from the Brazilian Microchip official vendor. They say that the 4620 is not an usual item (?) and they have to import it and it will take a long time.

So, I decided to move my project to a 4550. I think this model will do the job.

Thank you again !

Regards

Sérgio