Nokia COLOR LCD PicBasicPro 2.50a example code

[srspinho]

Hi Skimask,

about one year ago I bought SparkFun´s Nokia COlo LCD + Adapter Board (plus aditional connectors). The board is nice, but the Connector soldered into it is really fragile. after some use, the connector broke up and I had to solder a new one on the board. An Advice for new buyers : use a double-sided tape to hold your display on the board.

After some fails trying to put it working (just got de backlight on and nothing) I gave up for a while.

I was using a 16F877 @ 10 Mhz justo to make some testes.

Last Monday I saw your post here. So, I got it and tried to compile it (setting the MCSP to work with the 18F4620), but got some errors due to some missing variables, like "font", "digcount" and "offset" for example.

Is this source to be used as an Include and I have to do some work to complement it or I am missing something else ?

I´m sorry for this stupid (?) question...

[skimask]

Last Monday I saw your post here. So, I got it and tried to compile it (setting the MCSP to work with the 18F4620), but got some errors due to some missing variables, like "font", "digcount" and "offset" for example.
Is this source to be used as an Include and I have to do some work to complement it or I am missing something else ?
I´m sorry for this stupid (?) question...

That's what I get for shaving down another program and posting it, in a hurry no less...
I'll check what I posted and get a new file up there when I get a chance...figure by the weekend for sure.

In the meanwhile,

font var byte[1024]
used to hold the whole font which is copied out of eeprom into internal ram. If your PIC doesn't have 1024 available RAM, you can't use this example. In fact, your PIC MUST have 1024 RAM and at least 512 EEPROM available. When I get a chance, I'll post a 2nd version that won't require copying the font out of EEPROM, thereby won't require 1024 free ram.

digcount var byte
used in the clcddigout routine to output a number, sorta like "lcdout DEC variable"
if the number in the variable is $ffff, and you used digcount = 5, the output will be 65535, if you used digcount = 4, the output will be 5535, digcount = 2, output will be 35, and so on.

offset var byte
used in the clcddigout routine to specify a starting digit to output,
offset=0 means the whole thing,
offset=1 means starting from the 10's digit,
offset=2 means starting from the 100's digit, and so on...

Let me know if/when you get it working for you...and like I said, I'll double-check that file I posted.

[skimask]

Re-Post of the code in Post #1...with a few fixes and more comments...
(again, untested, I'm not at my home PC, but it should be good as long as you've got your LCD hooked up correctly)

[srspinho]

Hi SkiMask,

thank you !

I´m trying to find a 18F with 1024 bytes of Ram and 512 bytes of eeprom here in Brazil (no success yet . . .)

I think I´ll need to reduce the amount of available ASCII characters and use a smaller PIC than 18F4620.

[skimask]

Hi SkiMask,
thank you !
I´m trying to find a 18F with 1024 bytes of Ram and 512 bytes of eeprom here in Brazil (no success yet . . .)
I think I´ll need to reduce the amount of available ASCII characters and use a smaller PIC than 18F4620.

Reducing the character set might work, you'll have to figure out how many characters you can support and change MAXCHAR to fit (5 bytes per character, the font follows the ASCII standard fairly closely).

I guess I'll work on rewriting the code again to put the character set into program memory.
That way all that'll be needed is a few bytes of ram for parameter support, about 1K of program space, and some space for the supporting code itself. Should be able to fit that into practically any PIC ('cept for the 10F series, not enough pins )

Which PIC are you using in particular at the moment right now as it stands at this time ?

[srspinho]

Hi Skimask,

well, the unique 18F i have at home right now is the 18F2520.

I have, also a lot of 16F877 and 876 (pretty small for this application isn´t it ?)

My first tests (long time ago) were done in a 877 when I just try to set pixels on / off

I think I did something really wrong in the LCD initialization.

Another doubt : The LCD´s datasheet says that it works with 3.3 v but, the pic and it´s ports works with 5 V is there any problem on hooking up the LCD´s data pins directly to the PIC running with 5Volts ?

[skimask]

Hi Skimask,
well, the unique 18F i have at home right now is the 18F2520.
I have, also a lot of 16F877 and 876 (pretty small for this application isn´t it ?)
My first tests (long time ago) were done in a 877 when I just try to set pixels on / off
I think I did something really wrong in the LCD initialization.
Another doubt : The LCD´s datasheet says that it works with 3.3 v but, the pic and it´s ports works with 5 V is there any problem on hooking up the LCD´s data pins directly to the PIC running with 5Volts ?

I think it'll run just fine, even inside a 12Fxxx, once I modify the code to put the basic font in program memory. Sure, it would be limited in what you can see on the screen, but it should work.

3.3v vs. 5v. - I'm using the Sparkfun adapter board shown in the link in Post#1. I put a 100ohm series resistor inline with each of the control/data lines. Seems to work ok. The 3.3v line is getting an actual 3.3v thru a LDO regulator tapped off the PIC 5v. At first I was running it from 5v thru 3 diodes for a ~1.8v drop for the LCD power, giving about 3.2v on the output. It's still alive. And it's even still alive after literally thousands of improper power downs. The LCD controller datasheet says you should power it down in a specific sequence. I've just been killing power, again, seems to work.
And I'm connected to the 6 pin header at the one end, with a 100uF elec. cap across Vdisp and ground at the other end.

[diegoulman]

HELLO, anyone is aware that nokia6101 lcd controller has it, 5200, this file is used for this lcd? I think it is compatible with the 6100, Best regards diego