Propeller Touchscreen Platform (PTP): Now available! Drives the $10 3.5" touc

[Rayman]

Here's the product page with some info:
http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/Products/PTP/PTP.htm

Here's the page for the new, $10 touchscreens:
http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P.../3p5_Touch.htm

The PTP was designed for both beginners and experts in mind, with the additional goal of offering the lowest cost option possible.

There are two basic versions:· "Full" and "Shield"
They are the same PCB but one is fully stuffed and one only partially stuffed.
The board is 3.8"x2.5" (exactly matching the original Propeller Platform)

If you already have a Propeller Platform, you can save money by just buying the "Shield" version.·· Just attach above or below the Propeller Platform, connect the screen and you're ready to go.· The LCD power supply, backlight and touchscreen controllers are on this board.

The "Full" version has the additional parts to make a stand-alone driver board.· All you need to do is connect the LCD.
The full PTP also has full-size SD card and headphone driver.

I think Chuck George at MountainKingTech.com is going to help make an enclosure for the board.

The product page will be updated soon with more information including a manual and schematics.

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

Post Edited (Rayman) : 6/29/2010 5:46:35 PM GMT

[Rayman]

PS: You can convert a "Shield" board to a "Full" board yourself by soldering on the additional components.

I gave a SMT soldering presentation at UPEW that I'll post somewhere soon that shows how easy it is to solder the SMT parts.

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Timothy D. Swieter]

Ray - I think I missed some way cool posting during my intermission from the forum due to overworking. Tell me more about the 3.5" display? Tell me more about the software driving the display and the capabilities for what can be displayed? In the past, when the forum considered such a display the Prop always came up short on memory for color depth. What tricks are you using to get this display running? What limitations are there?

BTW - nice work bringing products alive like this for the community!

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Timothy D. Swieter, P.E.
www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" 16:9 LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT, PropNET, PolkaDOT-51
www.tdswieter.com

[Rayman]

Timothy: These are RGB interface LCDs. Most larger screens have RGB interface. It is very similar a VGA monitor, but with digital Red, Green, and Blue signals instead of analog. So, I just made a few changes to the regular VGA driver to make it work. In addition to the HSync and VSync, it also needs pixel clock and DE signals.

The display is cabable of a very large color depth, but I'm just using 6-bit color, just like the standard VGA driver, due to memory and pin count limitations.

The screen resolution is 320x240.

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Timothy D. Swieter]

Exciting. Performance is good then?

I am familiar with interfaces on screens like these and at one point considered an interface but was quickly distracted. I'm excited to see that you have put together such a good deal!

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Timothy D. Swieter, P.E.
www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" 16:9 LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT, PropNET, PolkaDOT-51
www.tdswieter.com

[Rayman]

Performance is excellent. It also uses a lot less power than the 4.3" touchscreens. I ran it at UPEW for >6 hours from its four AAA batteries...

I have some big ideas on the software side for this thing too...· Thinking about about a touch OS right now...· Maybe with Kye's SD driver...

Also want to try showing 6-bit photos using the SD card as frame buffer, like I did with the 4.3" screens.· This should be less flicker, since the pixel count is lower...

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[wjsteele]

Very nice design, Ray!!!

Bill

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

Ray,

Do you have a dependable, ongoing supply of the touch screens? At one place on your product page you use the word "new", but elsewhere you indicate that they are used.

-Phil

[Rayman]

My source is very dependable (and I couldn't say otherwise because he reads the forums :).

These 3.5" touchscreens are completely new. Maybe you're thinking of the 4.3" screens?

But, there are only about 1000 of these screens at this price.
You can get the exact same screen (for a lot more) other places online.

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Nick McClick]

Ray - looks really awesome, I put it up on my twitter and Facebook feeds yesterday.

Can you take a photo of just the shield version? I'm not sure exactly what comes on it.

What about the EEPROM? if it's 64k, it might be helpful to pre-load it with an SD bootloader (The one I use for the Prop Platform SD is here). I'm sure most folks who pick this up already have a prop plug, but some folks might find it useful.

How does the 3.5" screen compare to the 4.3"?

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[Harley]

I can't imagine AAA batteries powering the 3.5" touchscreen LCD for >6 hours. I'm sold. Did you have the backlight full on?

I looked at the data sheet and noted it has serial I/F; that is great. Is there a 'breakout' board for it? Or only the PTP board which is more than I presently need. My plan is to use a Prop Protoboard; I'd got a 6-pack waay back. I recall a thread about McTrivia or someone working on a breakout board. Might that have been made?

Rayman said...
Performance is excellent. It also uses a lot less power than the 4.3" touchscreens. I ran it at UPEW for >6 hours from its four AAA batteries...
I have some big ideas on the software side for this thing too... Thinking about about a touch OS right now... Maybe with Kye's SD driver...

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Harley Shanko

[Rayman]

Nick, it is 64k. I'll take a look at your bootloader, that might make a lot of sense. The 3.5" and 4.3" screens are just about the same technology. But, the 4.3" has voltage generating chips actually on the fpc connector, whereas I had to provide these for the 3.5" screen because the fpc connector is just wires. The 4.3" has a bit higher resolution. But the 320x240xRGB of the 3.5" allows full screen graphics.

Harley, I think it was on full, but am not completely sure. I am offering a low cost "shield" build that can be used as a breakout board or mounted on top of a regular Propeller Platform.· I think mctrivia is working on a more conventional breakout board...

I'll try to take some pictures of the "shield" build today and post them.

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Harley]

@ Rayman:

1. Can the 'amplified audio out' drive a speaker, or just headphones?
2. Is the SD card supplied? If so does there exist an 'OS' for using it, or is that for the user to further develop?
3. Is the 4-pin header for a PropPlug for programming?
4. Does 'optional 4-cell battery pack' solder mount, or how does it get connected? And is there a power switch between battery or DC input and regulator(s)?
5. What size is the on-board EEPROM (64K)? And is it programmed as supplied?
6. Is a 3AD module available from you or only Gadget Gangster?

I may just begin with a full PTP. Answers above will dictate which way to go. Probably some of the above questions are answered scattered through the forum, but hadn't been looking for such info over the past year. Your comment of the >6 battery use really got me to thinking of a future project.

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Harley Shanko

[Rayman]

Harley, I've used it with some 1" speakers with a headphone jack. The output is only 80mW into 16 Ohms though, so you won't be bothering the neighbors....

No SD card is supplied. I want to make an OS for it, but it may take some time...

The 4-pin header is for PropPlug, just like the original Prop Platform board.

Battery pack is solder mount with two holes for screws to secure it. The power switch switches between jack and battery.

The eeprom is 64k.

I have about 3 3ADs on hand (without pins). I sent all the rest to GadgetGangster.
(I need to talk to Nick about selling this board at GadgetGangster.)

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Rayman]

Ok, here's a photo of the PTP "shield" build.

Also, photos of how I soldered on some header pins and then connected underneath a Propeller Platform to run the demo code....

You can actually mount the shield either on top or under the Propeller Platform, but I thought under would be better in case I add the battery pack...

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Harley]

Rayman, Thank you for the answers.

The PTP is more than needed right now. Though, with the SD card and the audio amp/jack this could be used for several other projects in mind down the road. Too many projects, too little time....

Good that it can be used with the PropPlug, and that the EEPROM is 64K size. This would make for a ready to use prototype; except for the 'firmware' effort coded into EEPROM.

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Harley Shanko

[Harley]

@ Rayman,

Looking for a schematic or block diagram for the PTP, has one been posted yet?

Looking at the PTP board photos, couldn't see many connectors like for mouse or keyboard. Are there any?

Have you used PTP with SD card yet? If so, which driver is best for this design?

I'm just trying to get documentation in place to better grasp on what all I need to utilize this board.

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Harley Shanko

[cm5299]

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) said...
Ray,

...·At one place on your product page you use the word "new", but elsewhere you indicate that they are used.

-Phil

I'm assuming he just copied the "how to order" info from the 4.3" screens.·

[Rayman]

Phil, cm5299,
Ok, I see what you're talking about now... That was a cut-n-paste issue...
I think it's fixed now...

Harley,
I'll try to post some schematics today.
The PTP doesn't have mouse or keyboard connectors, but GadgetGangster sells Propeller Platform "shields" that might work.
I do have a .wav file player running off of the SD card (I use it for testing). But, I want to add display on the screen to it before posting. I know FRSW works, but I may try Kye's driver soon too.

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My Prop Apps:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/P...rogramming.htm

My Prop Info: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
My Prop Products:· http://www.rayslogic.com/Propeller/P...s/Products.htm

[Harley]

Thank you rayman. Sorry if I seem impatient; having done engineering for decades, documentation is a big portion of a design, for sure. Just wasn't sure if it was posted somewhere I'd not noticed before, maybe.

I noticed 'mouse' commented out on the PTP graphic demo, so wasn't sure it maybe one connector might be part of the board, just not yet soldered in. But the touch screen should replace any need for a mouse/keyboard/keypad input.

rayman said...
Harley,
I'll try to post some schematics today.
The PTP doesn't have mouse or keyboard connectors, but GadgetGangster sells Propeller Platform "shields" that might work.
I do have a .wav file player running off of the SD card (I use it for testing). But, I want to add display on the screen to it before posting. I know FRSW works, but I may try Kye's driver soon too.

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Harley Shanko