PicoQVGA

PicoQVGA - Minimalistic QVGA Display on Raspberry Pico

Miroslav Nemecek, panda38.sweb.cz, Panda38@seznam.cz

Resolution: 320x240 pixels, 8 bits

Description and tutorial to PIO and DMA: view "_www" subdirectory or http://www.breatharian.eu/hw/picoqvga/index_en.html

How to install:

• Install compiler gcc-arm-none-eabi-10-2020 into folder C:\ARM10
• Unpack this package into some folder

If you have gcc compiler installed in another folder, edit PATH in files _c1.bat and _boot2\c.bat

I recommend FAR Manager as program editor - it contains very useful console output.

To compile demo project, run c.bat (or c_all.bat to compile all). To clear demo project, run d.bat (or d_all.bat to clear all). To write demo project to the Pico board:

• press and hold BOOTSEL button on the Pico board
• connect USB cable
• release BOOTSEL button
• edit destination drive (now there is r:) in file _e1.bat, command: copy /b program.uf2 r: and then run e.bat ... or drag and drop file 'program.uf2' to Pico drive.

How to connect VGA display

GP2 ... QVGA B0 ... resistor 1K0 to Blue output GP3 ... QVGA B1 ... resistor 390 to Blue output GP4 ... QVGA G0 ... resistor 2K2 to Green output GP5 ... QVGA G1 ... resistor 1K0 to Green output GP6 ... QVGA G2 ... resistor 470 to Green output GP7 ... QVGA R0 ... resistor 2K2 to Red output GP8 ... QVGA R1 ... resistor 1K0 to Red output GP9 ... QVGA R2 ... resistor 470 to Red output GP10 ... QVGA HSYNC synchronization ... resistor 100 to HSYNC GP11 ... QVGA VSYNC synchronization ... resistor 100 to VSYNC

GP0 ... PWM sound output (RC LOW filter 1K5 resistor + 10n capacitor)

How to connect Pico to PC with serial port

Most demo projects are prepared to control via USB serial port adapter. USB interface is selected in Makefile with this parameter: DEFINE += -DPICO_STDIO_USB=1

Instead of it, you can use serial port. Change Makefile parameter to: DEFINE += -DPICO_STDIO_UART=1

To connect Pico to PC via serial port, you need either convertor from RS232 COM port from 3.3V levels of Pico board, or you need convertor to USB port. Good choise is USB-serial adaptor PL2303TA.

How to connect UART to Pico: +---USB---+ <-- UART0_TX GP0 |.1 40.|VBUS --- +5V power output to USB device --> UART0_RX GP1 |.2 39.|VSYS ---|<|--- +5V power input --- GND |.3 38.| GND K diode A GP2 |.4 37.| 3V3_EN GP3 |.5 36.| 3V3_OUT ...... Note: in simple case, you need not diode, you can connect +5V directly on board.

connect USB/UART adaptor PL2303TA: red ......... +5V VSYS (39) black ....... GND (3) white RxD ... UART0_TX GP0 (1) green TxD ... UART0_RX GP1 (2)

You need console program (as PuTTY) to see demo text. Setup port to 115200 Baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, flow control None.

In Device Manager, USB adaptor can be found under name: "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM10)".

PicoQVGA examples

Balloons - back buffer demo, floating balloons

Draw - draw graphics demo

Earth - rotating Earth globe

Eggs - game of Eggs+Chickens+Hens, variant of the Reversi game keyboard control: 'L' right, 'I' up, 'J' left, 'K' down, 'H' help, 'Q' quit, 'P' 2 players, 'D' demo, space stone, Enter ok

Fifteen - game keyboard control: 'L' right, 'I' up, 'J' left, 'K' down, 'Q' new game

Flag - animation of flag fluttering in the wind

Hello - simple demonstration, print text "Hello world!" on the screen

Hypno - hypnotizing rotating pattern

Life - game, reproducing cells keyboard control: 'L' right, 'I' up, 'J' left, 'K' down, 'C' copy, 'V' paste, 'D' clear, space flip state, Enter run life, 0..9 select slot

Lines - moving line patterns

Mandelbrot - fractal pattern generator keyboard control: 'E' up, 'S' left, 'D' right, 'X' down, 'Q' zoom in, 'A' zoom out, 'I' integer arithmetics, 'F' float arithmetics, 'B' double arithmetics, 'O' decrease number of steps, 'P' increase number of steps, space redraw

Matrix Rain - simulation of Matrix code rain

Maze - game, simple maze with maze generator keyboard control: 'J' left, 'I' up, 'L' right, 'K' down, 'H' help (show door)

Monoscope - test of graphic mode

Pi - calculate Pi at 4800 digits

Pixels - random pixels

Raytrace - ray tracing 3D demonstration of mirror spheres

Spheres - draw random spheres

Spots - draw random dot spots

Twister - deformable block covered with 4 textures

Water surface - simulation of a rippling water surface