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A display list is fun :) [0.50a beta+0.07g - PSRAM command list used] — Parallax Forums

A display list is fun :) [0.50a beta+0.07g - PSRAM command list used]

pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
edited 2022-05-15 09:39 in Propeller 2

2 branches now in development: universal, text/graphics/borders driver (now at beta stage) and graphics-only, PSRAM-only 1024x576x8bpp driver with sprites.


0.07g: PSRAM command list used

0.50a: bugs fixed, the updated file added here
0.50: first beta, attached and available on Github
0.42: PSRAM full support
0.38: the driver can use PSRAM as the display data source
0.37: a lot of bugs fixed, several new commands implemented
0.35: removed bug which after repeat command moved the current DL pointer far away
0.34: Vertical split in text mode added, horizontal scrolling in progress
0.33: DL font height and font definition pointer added; 8x8 font added
0.25: DL repeat command added,


I started to make a displaylisted HDMI driver based on "nostalgic" text driver from this topic https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/172937/a-nostalgic-hdmi-display-driver-0-90-beta-in-post-34-beta-stage-reached#latest

The display list is fun. It allows the contorl of what you display and from where. Text and graphic lines can be mixed, they can be displayed in any possible order and repeated.

Now every screen line is controlled by one displaylist entry (long) but I only started to play with a displaylist and I want to display more lines using one entry or using more entries for one line.

To be continued.

The working directory is now here: https://github.com/pik33/P2-retromachine/tree/main/Propeller/Videodriver

Moved to https://gitlab.com/pik33/P2-retromachine

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Comments

  • RaymanRayman Posts: 13,797

    Good luck! I'd like to see this working.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2021-03-30 17:32

    How to double pixels and convert 2 colors (1bpp) to 16 colors (4 bpp) A fragment of the driver code. Only P2 can do it in such an easy way... :)

                            rdbyte  t1,char                 ' get 8 pixels               
                            sub     cursorpos,#1 wz         ' if there is a cursor                      ' 
                    if_z    xor     t1, #$FF                ' reverse the colors                        ' 
    
                            getnib t3,t1,#1                  ' 4 pixels to t3
                            getnib t1,t1,#0                  '  4 pixels to t1
                            mergew t1                         ' make 01010101 from 1111
                            mul t1,#3                         ' now make 11111111 out of this
                            mergeb  t1                        ' convert to 16-color mode                 
                            xcont   m_lut1,t1                 ' and display this                         
                            mergew t3                         ' repeat with another 4 pixels
                            mul t3,#3
                            mergeb t3   
                            xcont   m_lut1,t3   
    

    The result: double sized font. It looks huge on 32" monitor :)

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    Predefined text modes for 624 lines timings and PASM code for text modes are now

    (4x4 resized font via dislaylist)

  • TonyB_TonyB_ Posts: 2,105
    edited 2021-04-01 14:12

    deleted

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2021-04-01 04:48

    I have no place for more typing, as I have now 31 instruction in skipf block which makes 1/2/4x zoom. As there is simpler way to make 4x zoom, this block will be rewritten.

    getnib t1,t1,#0 is another way to write

    and t1,#$0F

    :) and this is exactly what I needed to do

  • TonyB_TonyB_ Posts: 2,105
    edited 2021-04-01 14:12

    deleted

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2021-04-01 12:01

    It zeroes all the rest of the long.

    I had to give up skipf. The problem was: to make colors where they are to be, the LUT modifying has to be done directly after the first xcont. (of 2 or 4 when zooming) This made instructions count in the loop >32. I have still about 200 longs free with all planned text modes and 8-bit graphic mode working.

  • You could chain SKIPFs.

    If you were to setup the second and subsequent skip patterns in a register prior to starting the first SKIPF, then each sequence can be followed by a SKIPF D to keep the skipping going.

  • @AJL said:
    You could chain SKIPFs.

    If you were to setup the second and subsequent skip patterns in a register prior to starting the first SKIPF, then each sequence can be followed by a SKIPF D to keep the skipping going.

    Yes that is quite a powerful technique, I have used it before too. Nested SKIPFs get tricky to manage especially when they become conditional or are put in REP loops as the number of paths grows in complexity. Also a new SKIPF can alter an existing one too, as long as it is not skipped itself.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2021-04-03 20:27

    0.15 available in the working directory https://github.com/pik33/ultibo-propeller/tree/main/hng012

    The driver can display a text, 8bpp graphics, blank text or border scan line.

    Text modes works the same as in Nostalgic text driver: every char is a long, foreground-background-reserved-charcode
    Blank text displays a blank text line as if there were spaces in this line, using colors from the pointed buffer
    Border displays a single color line
    Graphics doesn't need any further explanation, it is a line with pixels in it.

    A lot of predefined modes available in format gn_bb_cc_vv_hh

    g - 1 graphics, 0 text
    n -1 NTSC based clock, 0 PAL based clock
    bb - 00 wide border, 01 medium border, 10 narrow border, 11 no border
    cc - 00 1 bpp, 01 2 bpp 10 4 bpp 11 8 bpp - for graphic modes, (only 8 bpp works in 0.15)
    vv - vertical zoom 1/2/4/8x
    hh - horizontal zoom, 1/2/4/8 (8 for graphics only)

    Every scanline has a display list entry in format bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bbzz_xxxx_xxxx_xxxx

    bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bb00 is the start address for this line buffer
    zz is horizontal zoom
    xxxx_xxxx_xxxx is:

    nnnn_llll_ll_01 for text:
    nnnn: font line (0 to 15 for 8x16 font definition)
    llll_ll: character line - for determining if a blinking text cursor (Y coordinate) has to be displayed there (normally 0-upper line,29..35 - lower, added 1 every 16 scanlines

    rrrr_rrrr_cc_10 - graph

    rrrr_rrrr - unused, reserved
    cc -color depth, 1/2/4/8 bpp

    The driver sets the clock itself according to the selected mode; 3 clock speed groups are used: ~280 MHz (bb=10), ~320 MHz (bb=01) or ~360 MHz (bb=00 or 11)

    The graphics buffer in predefined modes ends at $80000 (TODO: allow selecting the address, it is now a constant in the code which can be changed to $7C000 to enable debug)
    It starts where it needs to fit
    The display list is placed before the buffer.

    You don't need any frame buffer while playing with DL. Select a mode to initialize timings, prepare your own DL and point the driver to it. The modes and DLs may be changed on the fly, they are updated by a cog every frame.

    By manipulating 576-long display DL you can easily scroll the screen horizontally or vertically, make a small graphics area and bigger text area, use different sized text, etc, etd.

    To do until first beta:

    • add 1,2,4 bpp graphics lines
    • add high level functions for DL manipulating
    • optimize and clean the code
    • make a fancy demo and/or make the Tetris game to use this.
  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    0.16. Point #1 of 0.15 TODO cleared.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    I tried to do things too fast, too simple. What is good for 8 bpp is not good for any other color depth. The horizontal zooming procedures cannot be simply reused and every bpp needs its own piece of code.
    1 bpp now works as expected, from 128x72 to 1024x576 with independent horizontal and vertical zoom. Todo: zoom for 2 and 4 bpp. 4 bpp can be simple, there is getnib and rolnib, 2 bpp seems to be harder.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    2bpp completed.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    0.20 alpha added to github: all planned modes work.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    0.23 available on Github.

    https://github.com/pik33/ultibo-propeller/tree/main/hng012

    Added high level graphics functions: line, box, frame, circle and filled circle. Written in Spin, slow, but working.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    What is the display list and what can be done?

    As it is now, every single scan line has one long DL entry. Todo is (there is a reserved entry type for this) make the entry repeat to save HUB space.

    An entry can describe:

    • a border line. There is defined border color to display

      • a text line. The DL entry for the text line defines a framebuffer start address, font line #(0..15) , text line Y position for cursor and horizontal zoom.
      • a graphic line. This entry contains also a color depth.

    All of these lines can be mixed in one frame.
    To make vertical zoom you simply repeat the same DL entry n times
    This means you can for example display 100 "border lines" from top (0 bytes needed for the framebuffer). Then 32 text mode lines with 4x horizontal and 2 x vertical zoom (16 longs in fb). Then another 32 border lines. Then 100 lines of 2 bpp graphics., etc.

    As the DL is reinterpreted every frame you can (best while in vblank, which is signalled) change your DL or even prepare a new one and switch it. Scrolling and animations can do this way.

    If you want 8x8 text, simply use 0..7 for font line #, then change the start address and increment the Y for the next 8 entries.

    If you reverse fontline order, you will get your text upside down.

    There is setmode method for setting "ordinary" text and graphic modes. It gets the mode number in format %gf_tt_cc_ which get

    The driver can display a text, 8bpp graphics, blank text or border scan line.

    Text modes works the same as in Nostalgic text driver: every char is a long, foreground-background-reserved-charcode
    Blank text displays a blank text line as if there were spaces in this line, using colors from the pointed buffer
    Border displays a single color line
    Graphics doesn't need any further explanation, it is a line with pixels in it.

    A lot of predefined modes available in format gn_bb_cc_vv_hh

    g - 1 graphics, 0 text
    n -1 NTSC based clock, 0 PAL based clock
    bb - 00 wide border, 01 medium border, 10 narrow border, 11 no border
    cc - 00 1 bpp, 01 2 bpp 10 4 bpp 11 8 bpp - for graphic modes, (only 8 bpp works in 0.15)
    vv - vertical zoom 1/2/4/8x
    hh - horizontal zoom, 1/2/4/8 (8 for graphics only)

    Every scanline has a display list entry in format bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bbzz_xxxx_xxxx_xxxx

    bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bbbb_bb00 is the start address for this line buffer
    zz is horizontal zoom
    xxxx_xxxx_xxxx is:

    nnnn_llll_ll_01 for text:
    nnnn: font line (0 to 15 for 8x16 font definition)
    llll_ll: character line - for determining if a blinking text cursor (Y coordinate) has to be displayed there (normally 0-upper line,29..35 - lower, added 1 every 16 scanlines

    rrrr_rrrr_cc_10 - graph

    rrrr_rrrr - unused, reserved
    cc -color depth, 1/2/4/8 bpp

    The driver sets the clock itself according to the selected mode; 3 clock speed groups are used: ~280 MHz (bb=10), ~320 MHz (bb=01) or ~360 MHz (bb=00 or 11)

    The graphics buffer in predefined modes ends at $80000 (TODO: allow selecting the address, it is now a constant in the code which can be changed to $7C000 to enable debug)
    It starts where it needs to fit
    The display list is placed before the buffer.

    You don't need any frame buffer while playing with DL. Select a mode to initialize timings, prepare your own DL and point the driver to it. The modes and DLs may be changed on the fly, they are updated by a cog every frame.

    By manipulating 576-long display DL you can easily scroll the screen horizontally or vertically, make a small graphics area and bigger text area, use different sized text, etc, etd.

    To do until first beta:

    add 1,2,4 bpp graphics lines
    add high level functions for DL manipulating
    optimize and clean the code
    make a fancy demo and/or make the Tetris game to use this.
    
  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2021-05-03 16:43

    0.24. Repeat command added.

    The main drawback of displaylist as it was before 0.24 was its size. Regardless of the buffer length it added 576 longs occupied by DL itself.

    Now there is a DL command in format %nnnn_nnnn_nnnn_qqqq_mmmm_mmmm_mmmm_0111

    n is repeat count
    q is additional repeat count before adding an offset to the line start address
    m is the offset

    So, to make a 1024x576 screen with 800x480 active area the displaylist will look like this:

          long[dl_ptr+4*i]:=%0000_0111_0000_0000_0000_0000_0000_0111             ' repeat 112 times
          long[dl_ptr+4*i+4]:=0                                                  ' 0 - display a border color
          long[dl_ptr+4*i+8]:=%0001_1110_0000_0000_0011_0010_0000_0111           ' repeat 480 times, add #800 to the addres after each line
          long[dl_ptr+4*i+12]:=(buf_ptr<<12)+2+48>>2                             ' 256-color mode graphics from buf_ptr  (plus offset added each line) 
          long[dl_ptr+4*i+16]:=%0000_0111_0000_0000_0000_0000_0000_0111          ' repeat 112 times
          long[dl_ptr+4*i+20]:=0                                                 ' 0 - display a border color
    
    

    Now there is 6 longs instead of 576 to do the job

    Change %0001_1110_0000_0000_0011_0010_0000_0111 to %0001_1110_0000_0001_0011_0010_0000_0111 and you will get 2x vertical zoom as the offset will be added to every second line.

    As it is now, this will not work for the text modes as there is a font line # in the DL entry. To do.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2021-05-03 20:12

    0.25.

    A strange bug fixed. The symptom: while in borderless mode, the 15" TV set displayed a picture while the 32" monitor displayed "no signal"
    This "no signal" was only when horizontal zoom was >1
    The problem was too long instruction sequence between the last xconts displaying pixels and the next xcont.
    In the bordered mode the code checks if there is a border to display and use xcont "on time" In the borderless mode this checking takes time, then the program calls hblank, which then does xcont, too late. The TV was still able to display the picture, while the monitor was not.

    Fixed now.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2022-01-27 15:41

    As I am trying to make something like PropPlay 2 - Amiga mod and SID player on a P2 - the main developing on this driver is now moved to this repository https://github.com/pik33/P2-retromachine/tree/main/Propeller/Tracker player

    After several months of "no time to play" I found a lot of bugs and unimplemented features in the driver, including:

    1. One of variables needed to properly draw the line is not controlled by DL entry. The result: you cannot wsitch from text mode to anything other than 4 bpp graphics
    2. Only repeat implemented from all different things I want from the display list
    3. 8x8 font is badly needed :)

    I partially implemented the #3, adding a special command which sets the font height. I also need another command which will set the font pointer, to enable switching fonts between lines.
    The #1 bug is found and will be corrected.

    I also decided to work at one resolution: 960x540. This is FullHD/2: the goal is to display the same buffer on HDMI and VGA using 2x2 pixels and the same DL style.

    Edit: 8x8 and font switching works.

  • Wuerfel_21Wuerfel_21 Posts: 4,371
    edited 2022-01-27 16:47

    l> @pik33 said:

    As I am trying to make something like PropPlay 2 - Amiga mod and SID player on a P2 - the main developing on this driver is now moved to this repository https://github.com/pik33/P2-retromachine/tree/main/Propeller/Tracker player

    Looking forward to it! Have my own fork of P1 PropPlay (mostly just changes it to NTSC out, but also added some MIDI playback into it at some point) and that is loads of fun.

    You can find not one, but two mostly-working VGM format players included with OPN2Cog, so that should be easy to add, too (and as said, I was thinking maybe of writing YM2608 and S-SMP cogs, which I guess would come in handy, too).

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347

    0.34. The DL command can split the line horizontally. While changing the display mode is not possible (yet?), what is possible is reloading the display data address and a font line #. The switch can be done at any character in line
    I also managed to add horizontal fine scrolling in the text mode - a proper DL entry has to be added. There was a battle for nops to implement both things... No nops left in the loop after this....

    The split screen enables effect like this. The screen is in character mode, I only rotate 240 DL entries at every vblank.

  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126

    You must be getting your head around the streamer's command buffering then.

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2022-01-28 21:54

    @evanh said:
    You must be getting your head around the streamer's command buffering then.

    This is a main character line display loop now, displaying 8 pixels (one line of one character). Realtime stuff, no buffering, no nops left here - 8 pixels=80 clocks maximum for this loop:

     p400                   cmp cpl2,lc_char wz            ' check if switch needed '5
    
                            if_nz skipf #%111              ' if not, skip. Make skip instead of if_nz or jmp saves a nop
                             sub t2,fontline               ' switch the fontline
                             add t2,lc_fontline     
                             mov framebuf2,lc_address      ' update the address
    
                            rdlong  char,framebuf2          ' read a long char                          
                            getbyte backcolor,char,#2       ' byte #2 - background color                
                            getbyte charcolor,char,#3       ' byte #3 - foreground color                
                            getbyte char,char, #0           ' word #0 - char code                       
    
                            add     framebuf2,#4            ' point to the next long                    
    
                            shl     char,fontsize           ' 1 char=8 or 16 bytes in font def          
                            add     char,t2                 ' add this to font/line pointer             
                            rdbyte  t1,char                 ' and get 8 pixels prom there               
    
                            setbyte rolbuf,t1,#3
                            shr    rolbuf, #24 ' (24-scroll)   fine hscroll. Todo: regs and DL entry for this
                            mov t1,rolbuf
                            shl  rolbuf,   #16   '(16-scroll)
    
                            sub     cursorpos,#1 wz         ' if there is a cursor                       
                      if_z  xor     t1, #$FF                ' reverse the colors                       
    
                            xcont m_lut2,t1
    
                            rdlut   t5,backcolor            ' read a background color from palette        
                            wrlut   t5,lutaddr              ' and write it to LUT #0 or #32               
                            add     lutaddr,#1                                                          
                            rdlut   t5,charcolor            ' the same for the foreground               
                            wrlut   t5,lutaddr                                                           
                            sub     lutaddr,#1
    
                            bitnot  m_lut2,#16                                                        
                            xor     lutaddr,#32             ' use LUT #0-1 and 32-33                 
    
                            djnz   cpl2,#p400
    
     p401                   jmp    #p103
    
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126

    It works because XCONT is buffered and adjoins with prior XCONT. While the cog is processing/looping, the issued XCONT is actually waiting its turn to stream. Effective, but can be confusing when bashing I/O for timing diagnostics.

  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126

    Ah, I'm guessing the NOPs had been needed to time the palette changes. ie: You had to extend the cog loop time to match the tile rate so as to minimise the hardware buffering time.

  • roglohrogloh Posts: 5,122
    edited 2022-01-29 00:54

    @pik33 said:
    ... The DL command can split the line horizontally. While changing the display mode is not possible (yet?), what is possible is reloading the display data address and a font line #.

    That's nice. My video driver can't do that horizontal split. Its regions are only ever split vertically. Although I can see how you do it, and it would be a low cost impact staying in the same mode but changing the font line and source address half way along the line.

  • I'm so intrigued by this. I've not worked on a display-list based system since my Atari-800 days. Now I just have to figure out how to hook up a display to my Edge to try out this nifty stuff!

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2022-01-29 07:50

    @octetta said:
    I'm so intrigued by this. I've not worked on a display-list based system since my Atari-800 days. Now I just have to figure out how to hook up a display to my Edge to try out this nifty stuff!

    You need either a HDMI accessory board from Parallax or anything which can connect 8 P2 pins to a HDMI or DVI socket.

    I bought several Adafruit boards: https://botland.com.pl/raspberry-pi-pico-hat-ekspandery-wyprowadzen/19784-dvi-breakout-board-adapter-ze-zlaczem-hdmidvi-do-raspberry-pi-pico-adafruit-4984-5904422347543.html

    They are much cheaper and, what is more important, they were available. I soldered one to the P2 Edge breakout board and maybe I will try this today. The problem can be 220 Ohm resistors on it. BITDACs on HDMI have to be switched off - the board was made for Raspberry Pico.

  • TonyB_TonyB_ Posts: 2,105
    edited 2022-01-29 17:45

    @pik33 said:
    This is a main character line display loop now, displaying 8 pixels (one line of one character). Realtime stuff, no buffering, no nops left here - 8 pixels=80 clocks maximum for this loop:

    ```

     p400         cmp     cpl2,lc_char     wz     ' check if switch needed '5
                
          if_nz   skipf   #%111                   ' if not, skip. Make skip instead of if_nz or jmp saves a nop
                  sub     t2,fontline             ' switch the fontline
                  add     t2,lc_fontline     
                  mov     framebuf2,lc_address    ' update the address
    

    if_nz skipf #%111 takes 4 cycles if_nz because next instruction is being skipped and is executed as a hidden NOP, therefore you could use if_nz jmp ... instead as timing is identical.

    @pik33 said:

                  rdlong  char,framebuf2          ' read a long char              
                  getbyte backcolor,char,#2       ' byte #2 - background color                
                  getbyte charcolor,char,#3       ' byte #3 - foreground color                
                  getbyte char,char, #0           ' word #0 - char code                       
                  
                  add     framebuf2,#4            ' point to the next long                    
    

    zerox char,#7 is simpler than getbyte char,char, #0.
    add ... can be avoided with rdlong char,ptra++ (or ptrb).

    @pik33 said:

                  shl     char,fontsize           ' 1 char=8 or 16 bytes in font def          
                  add     char,t2                 ' add this to font/line pointer             
                  rdbyte  t1,char                 ' and get 8 pixels prom there               
                                         
                  setbyte rolbuf,t1,#3
                  shr     rolbuf, #24 ' (24-scroll)   fine hscroll. Todo: regs and DL entry for this
                  mov     t1,rolbuf
                  shl     rolbuf,   #16   '(16-scroll)
                  
                  sub     cursorpos,#1    wz      ' if there is a cursor                       
          if_z    xor     t1, #$FF                ' reverse the colors                       
    

    djnz cursorpos,#... to jump over xor ... avoids using z, which might be useful elsewhere if not here.

    @pik33 said:

                  rdlut   t5,backcolor            ' read a background color from palette        
                  wrlut   t5,lutaddr              ' and write it to LUT #0 or #32               
                  add     lutaddr,#1                                    
                  rdlut   t5,charcolor            ' the same for the foreground               
                  wrlut   t5,lutaddr                                     
                  sub     lutaddr,#1
    

    add ... and sub ... can be avoided with wrlut t5,ptrb++ and wrlut t5,ptrb-- (or ptra).

  • pik33pik33 Posts: 2,347
    edited 2022-01-29 11:49

    sub/if_z are 4 clocks while djnz is also 4 clock and maybe reloading the pipeline after the jump can also add time. The experiment will show: I have no more time left so if it adds to the loop time, the driver will stop working.

    I wrote this loop several monts ago and I didn't know about ptrb++ syntax then (I got a hint about it in the audio driver topic.. and didn't notice I can use it here). This will save 2 (or 3) nops which maybe can be used for more useful things

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