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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Back to the DuinoMite ....
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| hitsware Guru  Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
... After months with the MicroMite ..... What the world needs is a ColorMaximite with the same chip as the MicroMite ! |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9066 |
As I understand it, the uM chip is not fast enough nor does it have anywhere like enough memory for video memory. The 170's are coming closer memory wise, but I think they still lack the speed. The UBW32 module could be considdered to be a colour micromite, albeit with no quite so much of the small size implied by the micro part of the micromite word.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| hitsware Guru Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
> As I understand it, the uM chip is not fast enough > nor does it have anywhere like enough memory > for video By "video" do you mean graphics ? Aah ..... The VT100 ? |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9066 |
No, by video I mean VGA or Composite, but VGA mainly. The problem is with the colour video part of your suggestion. The suggestion is great - nothing wrong with that idea(I like it!), and as you say - the VT100 can act as a very nice single-colour display for the Micromite - take the VideoMite I designed. In fact, the VT100 is fantastic in that respect, what with it's large and jumbo fonts, they are beautifully easy to read from a distance, even on a composite monitor, and a very basic cut-down version of the complete VT100 unit allows nice easy single-colour VGA or white composite video to be added to ANY platform with a spare serial port including the likes of Arduino or PICAXE. If you are referring to a colour VT100 perhaps(not a bad idea), as all the VT100 terminals were monochrome anyway when they were the in-thing(usually green or orange), I think this is why the VT100 is also single-colour by design. Once you start producing a colour micromite, you are re-inventing the wheel to some extent(as it becomes a colour Maximite!). 
EDIT: Out of interest though, I would love to hear from anyone in the know, if it is possible to generate colour VGA on the likes of the 250's that the VT100 uses. As far as I know, the VT100 and VT52 command sets do not allow for colour - it is all designed to be text and basic graphics abilities in one single display colour. I may be wrong there, so someone chime in and put me right there if I am(wrong!) If there are no MMBASIC overheads, and the PIC32 was simply a VGA display driver only written in native C, perhaps the 250 does have the speed and memory for a colour VGA output? I'd be very interested in any member's thoughts on that. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Lads, I think the reason the '795 was able to display graphics video was that there were 4 SPI channels available whereas the uMite has only 1. I think the differences are that the MaxiMite was a computer that could work as a controller, The MicroMite is more of a controller than can act as a computer. Horses for courses. Mick PS. Unless There is a cheap purpose built Video chip/board such as the gameduino then we might be pushing our luck. Mik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9066 |
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Yes, Mick, that was it exactly - thanks for the prod. 
You needed the extra SPI channels to clock out the video data for each colour etc. Something like that, anyway - I remember now..... Good point, well made. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5913 |
The standard VT100 was mono but there are 'enhanced' commands that use colour. TeraTerm and Putty both handle colour but there are so many variations in implementation that being sure that every one sees the same colour is difficult. MMEdit doesn't see colour and is unlikely to in the future. Jim VK7JH MMedit MMBasic Help |
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| hitsware Guru Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
The DuinoMite and the ColorMaximite Use the same chip ... Right ? |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Hitsware, Only the DuinoMite eMEGA uses the 100pin variant that the Comlour Maximite uses.. The other DM's (i.e. Mini, Standard and Mega) all use the 64pin that the original Mono Maximite uses. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| hitsware Guru Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
Then it's the software, not the hardware, that allows the hardware uart in the DuinoMite vs none in the MaxiMite ? |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Hitsware, Yes, the MM used the pins that the hardware Uart required for other functions so a hardware Uart wasnt possible on the MM The DM was designed to try to take advantage of the PIC32's internal Uart (amongst other things), this created a whole bunch of other issues in itself, including pins with shared functionality, which caused a lot of issues and grief to many people. Geoff has created a version of MMBasic that works on the DM that utilises the hardware UART assignment for one of the serial ports. Regards, Mick PS. The micromite 4.6b25 code has some sample C functions that allow up to 8 comm ports on 44 pin uMite and 4 on the 28pin version.. They way Geoff has implemented these looks easy enough for a basic only programmer such as me to handle. I am not sure if these are hardware or software ports.. Mik Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| hitsware Guru Joined: 23/11/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 535 |
Could you shrink down a Maximite the same way you've shrank the Micromite ( Your 8 pin version ) |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Hi Hitsware, Then it wouldn't be a Maxi would it? That is something I attempted to do with the UBW32-MCC See PCB and read the manual located (amongst other items) HERE Although since the MicroMite came out my interest has changed dramatically as I always saw the MaxiMite benefits (to Me) to be a controller that could work as a computer.. The MicroMite (uMite) suits my purposes best as I love the idea of a controller that I can programme in basic. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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