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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : New version of PicoMite/PicoMiteVGA V5.07.03

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matherp
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Posted: 10:51am 19 Jan 2022
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The 5.07.03 firmware is now released and available on Geoff's site together with the updated manual covering both versions

Warning: Loading these binaries will automatically wipe all flash the first time loaded so back up anything important first (clear_flash not necessary). This takes a few seconds before you will get the USB connection.

https://geoffg.net/Downloads/picomite/PicoMite_Firmware.zip

Changes from V5.07.01 - see the manual for full details

General changes
PicoMiteVGA introduced - see manual for details
Program now runs from flash memory freeing up much more memory
Maximum program size now 124Kbytes (108 for VGA version)
Flash slots reduced from 10 to 7 (8 for VGA version).
FLASH RUN and FLASH CHAIN now execute direct from the specified flash slot without changing the main program
Support for a PS2 Keyboard added
Significant performance tuning
Improved USB console receive
Increased the maximum display width in OPTION DISPLAY to 240 characters
Enables F1 as a user programmable function key
Implements support for SSD1963 parallel displays
Support for 240x240 round GC9A01 display
Reduces maximum file name length to 63 characters but increases maximum files that can be listed with FILES command to 1000
Increases drive level for SDcard output pins (CS, MOSI and CLOCK)
New font added FONT 8 is a very small 6x4 font useful for 320x240 screens
OPTION MEMORY removed as no longer relevant
OPTION BAUDRATE n now sets the baudrate for when a serial console is used
AUTOSAVE can now be terminated by entering Control-Z  or F1 which will then cause the received data to be transferred into program memory
overwriting the previous program. Use F2 to exit and immediately run the program.
Reading from the framebuffer now available and bug fixed on SSD1963, ILI9341, ST7789_320 and ILI9488
This enables the following on these displays:
PIXEL(x,y) function
SAVE IMAGE command
Transparent text
BLIT


Bug Fixes and functional corrections
Various bug fixes to CSUB code, new header files for CSubs
Fixes bug in ON KEY keyno,int
Fixed memory leak caused by ctrl-C out of FILES command
Fixes bug in loading F6-F9 user function definitions
Fixed bug in PWM timings
Fixes a bug where LINE INPUT would not read the last line in a file if it was not terminated with a CR
Fixes bug in cursor positioning in editor
Fixed bug in error message when an invalid flash page is selected
Fixes bug in day$(now) function
Fixes bug where writing text to an SPI LCD that overlapped the bottom of the screen would fail to de-assert LCD_CS
Fixes bug that added an extra space after a REM command each time the program was edited.
Fixes bug in BACKLIGHT 0
Fixes bug in using SYSTEM I2C or I2C2 for general I2C use if I2C READ does not use a string as the variable.
Fixes bug in COM1 where buffer overrun is losing characters.
Tidied up system response when OPTION LCDPANEL has an error
Change to DIR$() function to allow use with a single parameter as specified in the manual
Changes to FILE command to properly deal with relative paths from a sub-directory


New or enhanced commands and functions
LOAD JPG fname$ [,xleft%] [,ytop%]
FORMAT$()
FLUSH [#]filenumber
INTERRUPT [myint]
OPTION KEYBOARD nn [,capslock] [,numlock] [repeatstart] [repeatrate]
PRINT @(x, y [,mode])
OPTION LCDPANEL CONSOLE [font] [,foregroundcolour] [backgroundcolour] [backlight]
OPTION LCDPANEL NOCONSOLE
POKE DISPLAY command [,data1] [,data2] [,datan]
SETPIN pinno,CIN [,change]
SETTICK PAUSE, myint [,tickno]
SETTICK RESUME, myint [,tickno]
FLASH LIST no [,all]
FILES [fspec$] [, sort]
POKE DISPLAY HRES n
POKE DISPLAY VRES m
Edited 2022-01-19 21:08 by matherp
 
Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
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Posted: 11:46am 19 Jan 2022
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Another tremendous job by Peter.  

Especially the PicoMiteVGA version which gives you a modern day Maximite for just a few dollars.  Just amazing.

Geoff
Edited 2022-01-19 21:56 by Geoffg
Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 02:23pm 19 Jan 2022
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Very impressive!

John
 
thwill

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Joined: 16/09/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3807
Posted: 02:48pm 19 Jan 2022
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Very impressive. I look forward to getting my PicoMiteVGA built. Creaky old text adventures anyone?

Best wishes,

Tom
Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5640
Posted: 03:29pm 19 Jan 2022
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Definitely, Tom!
In green. :)
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
hitsware2

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Joined: 03/08/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 705
Posted: 03:45pm 19 Jan 2022
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  Geoffg said  Another tremendous job by Peter.  

Especially the PicoMiteVGA version which gives you a modern day Maximite for just a few dollars.  Just amazing.

Geoff

+ 1  kazillion
my site
 
gadgetjack
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Joined: 15/07/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 122
Posted: 04:44pm 19 Jan 2022
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I have built both of these and am quite impressed with what they can do. Still fighting to get some of the games to run on them , but that is my own lack of skill in converting them. Keep up the great work !!!
 
ztoti
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Joined: 27/10/2011
Location: Canada
Posts: 65
Posted: 06:38pm 19 Jan 2022
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I've built all versions, start with the first Maximite but this PicoMite version is so amazing. Thank you guys for your tremendous efforts.
Edited 2022-01-20 04:39 by ztoti
 
cosmic frog
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Joined: 09/02/2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 277
Posted: 09:21am 20 Jan 2022
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Brilliant!

The PicoMite is like the Swiss Army Knife of Mites.  

Dave.
 
Turbo46

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Joined: 24/12/2017
Location: Australia
Posts: 1584
Posted: 09:22am 20 Jan 2022
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  thwill said  Creaky old text adventures anyone?


Does that mean that you are going to modify SAAINT to run on this?

Bill
Keep safe. Live long and prosper.
 
thwill

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Joined: 16/09/2019
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Posted: 09:43am 20 Jan 2022
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  Turbo46 said  
  thwill said  Creaky old text adventures anyone?


Does that mean that you are going to modify SAAINT to run on this?

Bill


Yes, eventually.

I tried early on but there were some file-handling differences between the CMM2/MMB4L vs. the PicoMite and because I couldn't run my unit-test framework on the PicoMite to pin those down I instead parked the idea on the back-burner.

I'll revisit soon, hopefully the file-handling differences have *magically* vanished. If not then I'll have to make a decision between a one off, by-hand hack or of the more sustainable longterm process of getting my unit-test framework running (by transpiling tests on MMB4L and then running them remotely on the PicoMite).

Of course if I provided him with a transpiled but non-working version of SAAINT then Peter if so inclined would probably fix it in half an hour and tell me I was making a mountain out of a mole-hill, and he is probably correct.

Best wishes,

Tom
Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures
 
Turbo46

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Joined: 24/12/2017
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Posts: 1584
Posted: 10:15am 20 Jan 2022
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  Quote  half an hour

As long as that? Well I suppose ZMIM was written with running on the CMM1 in mind after being transpiled, but SAAINT was written purely for the CMM2 as far as I know.

Bill
Keep safe. Live long and prosper.
 
thwill

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Posted: 10:20am 20 Jan 2022
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  Turbo46 said  As long as that?

He might want to make a cup of tea.

  Turbo46 said  Well I suppose ZMIM was written with running on the CMM1 in mind after being transpiled, but SAAINT was written purely for the CMM2 as far as I know.

Correct, Z-MIM targeted the CMM1 which is a common ancestor of both the CMM2 and PicoMite and thus there was probably very little for Peter to do to make Z-MIM "work" on the PicoMite. "work" being quoted because it is too slow to be playable, that will hopefully not be the case for SAAINT which has a much simpler runtime.

Best wishes,

Tom
Edited 2022-01-20 20:21 by thwill
Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 12:40pm 20 Jan 2022
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Pity about Z-MIM, but I suppose there's no substitute for real Grue-power.  :(  Still, I have the necessary hardware. :)


Going to fix the keyboard connector on my PicoMite VGA mini V1.0 very soon. Then I can have a proper play on it. I've not had a go with the VGA software yet, just seen it power up and change to colour mode and back.
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
thwill

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Joined: 16/09/2019
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Posted: 12:52pm 20 Jan 2022
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  Mixtel90 said  Pity about Z-MIM, but I suppose there's no substitute for real Grue-power.  :(  Still, I have the necessary hardware. :)


Currently Z-MIM instruction dispatch uses large CMM1 compatible If ... ElseIf ... ElseIf ... ElseIf ... EndIf blocks. I am hopeful that, user function slots permitting, changing that to use CALL may make the VM fast enough to be playable. Failing that some judicious use of CSUBs will do the job.

Best wishes,

Tom
Edited 2022-01-20 22:56 by thwill
Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 05:52pm 20 Jan 2022
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Yay! Keyboard now working on the mini too.
Now for the SDcard and RTC.

The PicoMite VGA is really cool... Thanks again for all your hard work, Peter! :)


EDIT:
Even better - it works with one of the uSD cards that I was having problems with a while ago. The RTC is working too. With the exception of the PS/2 connector screw up (which I knew about before the boards arrived - some links fixed that) everything on this little PCB has worked first time. I must remember to put bigger holes for 1N4004 leads though. lol


EDIT EDIT:
Is OPTION DEFAULT FONT 8 supposed to work when editing in colour mode? Also, it's not accepted in colour command mode. These might be correct - I've not been keeping up with the VGA version very well.
Edited 2022-01-21 05:56 by Mixtel90
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
mobluse

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Joined: 10/02/2013
Location: Sweden
Posts: 24
Posted: 07:22pm 21 Jan 2022
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I first installed PicoMiteVGAV5.07.03.uf2 and that worked well, and after setting options for SDCARD and Audio e.g. aritm.bas worked. Then I installed PicoMiteV5.07.03.uf2, but then the terminal wouldn't connect. I had to use Clear_flash.uf2 from PicoMite_Beta.zip with PicoMiteV5.07.03RC10.uf2, then install PicoMiteV5.07.03.uf2 again, and then it worked to connect, and also aritm.bas worked. I have noticed that PicoMite_Beta.zip is empty now, but I guess you could use Clear_Flash.uf2 from PicoMite_Firmware V5.07.02.zip which is still possible to download from https://geoffg.net/Downloads/picomite/Archive/.

I have a program "options.bas" on the SD card that sets the options for my board:
' Options for board Maker Pi Pico Rev1.2 by Cytron.
On error skip 2
Option SDCARD GP15, GP10, GP11, GP12
Option Audio GP18,GP19
Option COLOURCODE ON
Option F1 "FILES"+Chr$(13)


I have to set the Option SDCARD manually. The line is there just in case I forget, because then I can read the FAT32 SD card in some other device and see the line.

In Linux I use minicom version 2.7.1 to connect:
minicom --device /dev/ttyACM0 --color=on


Thank you Peter for making this!
Edited 2022-01-22 05:24 by mobluse
Maker Pi Pico Rev1.2, DuinoMite-Mini, Raspberry Pi 0-4, iCE40HX8K, Arduino Uno, VM111, STK500, ZX81
 
mobluse

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Joined: 10/02/2013
Location: Sweden
Posts: 24
Posted: 07:45pm 21 Jan 2022
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In the PicoMite User Manual it says on p. 149:
GPIO pins GP21, GP22, and GP26 are reserved to drive the VGA display in monochrome mode. In addition pins GP18, GP19 and GP21 are also not available in MMbasic when in colour mode.

GP21 is mentioned twice. According to the diagram on p. 150, GP16 and GP17 are also used, but GP19 is not connected, but I guess GP19 should perhaps be connected to the cross by VR1.
Maker Pi Pico Rev1.2, DuinoMite-Mini, Raspberry Pi 0-4, iCE40HX8K, Arduino Uno, VM111, STK500, ZX81
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 08:08pm 21 Jan 2022
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There's been a mix up between pin numbers and GP numbers in the manual.
I *think* I've got these right...

These are needed for mono:
Pin 21 (GP16) is Hsync
Pin 22 (GP17) is Vsync
Pin 26 (GP20) is green(H)

These are the additional pins for colour:
GP18 (Pin 24) is blue
GP19 (Pin 25) is green(L)
GP21 (Pin 27) is red
Edited 2022-01-22 06:10 by Mixtel90
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
Geoffg

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Posted: 12:48pm 22 Jan 2022
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  Mixtel90 said  There's been a mix up between pin numbers and GP numbers in the manual.

Yes, your pinouts are correct.  I have updated the manual which should be re-downloaded from https://geoffg.net/picomite.html.  Clear your browser cache first.

Geoff
Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net
 
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