EEVblog #8 Part 1 of 2 - Graphical LCD Displays & PIC Micro Demo Boards

Graphical LCD display and PIC micro demo board stories.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• graphic
• lcd
• display
• pic
• microcontroller
• troubeshooting
• debug
• newhaven
• graphical
• graphics
• 128x64
• interface
• prototype
• crystalfonz

[DarkerMark]

I just watched the video, and the one thing I didn't get was that you mentioned that the parallel mode gave you more transfer speed as opposed to SPI mode. Could you care to explain why? I somehow thought that serial was the way to go for higher data rates, is it the displays fault oder has it to do with how fast SPI vs parallel works on a (that) µC?

[EEVblog]

@DarkerMark For a given clock rate, parallel will always be faster because you transfer all the bits at once (or much fewer processor instructions) than serial that must shift the same data one by one.

[illusionLord]

Where do you print you circuit boards?!

[EEVblog]

@illusionLord pcbcart DOT com

[frank26080115]

I've always just breadboard my MCU when I start a new project. Those developement boards are very expensive. At what point do their benifits outweigh their cost? It doesn't take me long to connect a programmer-to-breadboard adapter and power supply, everything else just seems so non-essential on those developement boards.

[EEVblog]

Their benefits are in speed of prototyping, as they typically have everything you need to in hardware to get up and running right out of the box. e.g. header connectors, screw terminals, LEDs, switches, power supply, programming interface etc. So no need to breadboard all this. It takes time and patience to wire all this stuff up on a breadboard without any mistakes.

And you can't easy breadboard anything but a DIP chip. Try to breadboard a PIC32 or an ARM chip in a QFP or BGA package!

[disgustingcreepymale]

I don't understand people spending so much money on training boards. Nothing more direct than wiring on breadboard.

[bcsupport]

Dave, RTFM !!

[DarkerMark]

@EEVblog hey thanks for the answer, somehow I thought that SPI mode would have shorter timing requirements, which would make up for the the parallel transmit of the data with longer cycle times, but I just had a look at a datasheet on the newheaven website and its the other way round, i.e. it takes longer to transmit one serial bit than 8 parallel bits... Really like your style and I'm really enjoying your interesting and informative videos, keep up the good work!

[bejius]

Damm dev boards...

Youre lucky this board has .1 headers that's something, the explorer 16 has this horrible connector that is just CRAP you can't plug anything in it and youre pretty much stuck buying their adapter boards....

Every development board should implement jumpers or dip switched to disable onboard features so that you have full control over MCU pins I/O.

Also please dont wiring the linear regulator output directly to the MCU I want to try other power options !!!

[shodanxx]

what is that pcb that you lcd is connected too ?

it looks like it got pads ready to solder for many different packages already ? how does that work ?

and is that layout somekind of standard or open source so I can etch my own ?

[davidbball13]

You can always build QFT or SOIC to dip package with a simple board with some .1inch male headers. But hey what do I know. I'm only 14