uOLED-96-PROP Object Design Contest
![H3_uOLEDContest.jpg](http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Images/Home/H3_uOLEDContest.jpg)
The µOLED-96-PROP currently includes an object for drawing primitives (dots, lines, circles, etc.) however it does not currently support images read from the micro-SD Card interface. The object of this contest is to develop an object that allows images stored on a micro-SD Card from a PC to be displayed on the µOLED-96-PROP display via serial command. The serial commands should be formatted similar to those used by the µOLED-128-GMD1 to essentially make the µOLED-96-PROP function similar to the µOLED-128-GMD1 and include the primitive functions from the current object code available on our website product page.
http://www.parallax.com/tabid/620/Default.aspx
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Comments
The winner will come closest to duplicating the functions of the other display. The prizes are a different display (actually LCD), but you must have the uOLED-96-PROP to develop objects for it. I guess I could have probably made that more apparent. In any event we’re looking to see if someone can add useable image display functionality to the display. It’ll be interesting to see what different people can come up with. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Rich
It just looks like a way to get a job done that will further your own products on the cheap rather than a true competition.
Am I being over sensitive?
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
If it had been a contest for a novel use of the uOLED-96-PROP including use of the SD card then I would have been silent, it would have been like a typical competition and the upshot may have been even more useful objects than in this case.
Now I WILL be silent, I know you guys are not up to anything I was just surprised and turned off immediately.
Graham
I noticed the command structure is very similar to the Nokia LCD I was toying with.· I had to convert to assembly to get good speed there...· Anybody know if this interface will run at assembly speeds?
I just remembered this is a parallel interface.· I guess that makes it much faster than the serial Nokia.· So maybe SPIN speed is good enough...
Post Edited (Rayman) : 2/8/2008 1:25:05 AM GMT
This contest is great, it helps the community get what it has been asking for an offers a little encouragement. I don't think this contest is suppose to offer fame and fourtune like the Propeller Contest or like Circuit Cellar contests. It simply offers a little incentive to speed up the development of an object in a certain direction that is beneficial to everyone.
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Timothy D. Swieter
tdswieter.com
One little spark of imagination is all it takes for an idea to explode
This fragment is from a file from 4d.au.· It is called "uOLED-96-Prop-image05.spin"
edit: this·file·is from our forum in this thread: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=688831
Post Edited (Fred Hawkins) : 2/12/2008 9:52:45 AM GMT
No need to feel that you have said too much or were out of school on this one. Your comments are interesting and invite responses. That's what the forum is for[noparse]:)[/noparse]
I promise I'm not kissing butt here... this is actually how I look at it[noparse]:)[/noparse]
I also had a very strong reaction, but in exactly the opposite reaction. In my mind, one of the strengths of Parallax is that they strictly avoid vertical integration. This means that there are all kinds of opportunities for true developers, who might otherwise be frozen out. The disadvantages are that some of the development is left open to the community and can be patchy from time to time. This structure presents major opportunities for those that can get themselves organized around it!!! If you believe that the Prop is THE way of the future and you are right... then there are obvious ways to leverage Parallax's orientation to the market.
With regard to this specific contest, in my opinion it represents an opportunity for someone to display his/her talent without giving away work for free... AND his/her name will be advertised every time the object is downloaded. Lots of people create "freeware" as a way of getting their name noticed. And lots of the objects in the exchange were created by their authors for the dual purpose of promoting development and promoting themselves.
In my mind, this contest is a way for Parallax to say to the community... "hey guys... look here for a second." Those that notice will be noticed... by 4D and Parallax... what more can a budding developer hope for?
If we want terrific products like this for our Props, we have to embrace them when they come along.
Rich
Thanks for your insight. In the end we hope the Propeller community will have a nice object they can use to realize certain projects without having to have the programming experience that many of us have. Some prefer to use mostly existing objects to get their projects up and running and that is fine. That’s what they’re there for. I don’t think we need to make this a sticky thread necessarily. I will let Paul Baker make that determination. I just wanted to get the word out and hopefully see some nice attempts at getting some good use out of this nice display. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
But the contest details suggest that·you have other ideas, like using the·propeller to·parse .jpg's, .gif's and·so on. Obviously, that entails·knowing the ins and outs of various image types and is not a trivial problem...
To merely duplicate the -128·command, ie·loading a·preprocessed bit of image memory, is a no-brainer and is already solved. (see my first reply)
But to use the propeller to parse, say, a digital camera photograph of almost any useful size, while not impossible is a much more difficult task.
Can you clarify which of these alternatives is the aim of this contest?
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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Here's my problem:· If I enter and win, then I might feel bad.· If I lose, then I'll feel humiliated...· And, why isn't a Prop-Oled one of the prizes?· I guess I don't understand that...
On the other had, I probably would have posted code for this thing anyway at some point.· And, I think everybody has had a pretty good head start on me...
I think I'll go for video playback.· Wouldn't that be neat?· Watch a movie with the Prop?· Resolution would be bad, but still might be interesting...
Still, I think this is a very·interesting device...· I've started collecting info on a page here:· http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/3rdPartyHardware/uOLED-96-Prop/uOLED-96-Prop.htm
It does seem that this device·was intended·to be controlled via serial commands, like the rest of the product line, not as the main controller.· So, the reasoning·behind contest makes sense...· But, this is a bit counter to my usual thinking, where the Prop is the main device in control...· It really pains me to see that some of the Prop's I/O pins are NC...· But, there are basically 6 pins available and 2 could be used for stereo sound, which I think would be a nice addition...
I think somebody should advise people that they should drop to PLLX8 (64 MHz) when·utilizing multiple·cogs...
Knew there had to be some control logic on the display somewhere...· Didn't realize that rectangular bump where the flex-ribbon connects is the silicon controller...
Did anybody actually post code for a circle function?· I see people talk as though it was available, but I couldn't find it anywhere.· I'm sure it's trivial, but don't need to re-invent every wheel...
One thing I don't understand is why 4dsystems doesn't aim toward porting their "GraphicsComposer" output files toward this platform.· They already have a nice tool for importing images and video.· But, I don't see any easy way to access these output files because it wants to save directly to the device·or it's SD card, which is not formatted for FAT...
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Left me with mixed feelings on its reliability out in the field.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
I have (at least in my opinion) a great product idea for the device and am eager to see the objects that come out of the contest. It was just a little frustrating and difficult to get excited about the contest with the part failing. I sent an email to support.
Thanks
Joel
I spent *days* in specification meetings once which was arguing over what's logical and consistent ...
1) 11:59 AM, 12:00 AM, 12:01 PM ... 11:59 PM, 12:00 PM, 12:01 AM
2) 11:59 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:01 PM ... 11:59 PM, 12:00 AM, 12:01 AM
The second is what I supported as the period 12:00:01 to 12:00:59 PM is all post meridian, but the opposite view prevailed, even though it's almost certainly already PM when one looks at a clock showing 12:00 AM.
The compromise of showing neither AM nor PM until one second after was rejected, because that meant 12:00:01 after midday would show as PM ( logical and correct by definition IMO ) when they wanted 12:00:xx post midday to show as AM ( bizarre IMO ).
I've seen clocks which use ...
11:59 AM, 12:00 AM ... 12:59 AM, 01:00 PM !
Countries still using archaic, illogical and inconsistent time and date formats should drop them as soon as possible.
Post Edited (hippy) : 4/30/2008 2:25:19 PM GMT
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Maybe that's something we'll see in the entries; the wearable Propeller.
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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Is there a TOP3 you are looking at that you would like to share? Maybe the public can have a voice???
-Parsko
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support