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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Finally gave up and ordered a Picromite VGA Kit
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| William Leue Guru  Joined: 03/07/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 405 |
With the CMM2 languishing, I finally ordered a Picomite VGA kit from Silicon Chip. It's already in the states; I hope it will be here soon. -Bill |
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Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7937 |
I suspect you'll have fun with it. It's quite some beast when you consider it's remarkably simple hardware and low cost. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5090 |
The CMM2 (STM32H743) is a far more capable chip. Especially the video performance, but also memory and CPU speed. And the audio (real DAC's). But a lot of the functionality has passed to the pico. The pico is like something in between a MM2 and the CMM2. Although originally it was advertised as an MM2 replacement. But the feature set has surpassed MM2. To bad the shortage on the STM32 chips. The only high end chip in that range that seems available is the Arduino Pro platform that houses a STM32H747. Peter has looked at it before, and found it's compatibility a blocker. Arduino Pro (similar size to a picomite, but with additional fine pitch connectors under it) has a some nice support chips on the board. But it is not suitable for a circuit in Silicon Chip magazine, since the fine pitch headers can not be soldered by hand. You really need machines to do that. End of the hobby... Or you have to buy the carrier board part assembled. Volhout Edited 2023-02-15 07:23 by Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
I've taken the CMM2 off my website - for now. After months and months of no supplier being able to give firm dates on when chips will be available, I am just going to have to wait - along with everyone else - for chips to be available again before I can offer the CMM2 again. Backorders have been stopped for a while now also, cos it is not really fair to take people's money, and not be able to give them any idea when they can get their product. It is not EOL(end of life), but I have placed it "In Limbo" for now....  @ Bill - I think you will be happy with the PM VGA. It's quite a capable machine, but as mentioned by others, it can't compare to the CMM2's graphics and sound etc. But as that is all most of us can get our hands on easily now(the RP2040 modules), so....you work with what you have. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2566 |
I like the capabilities of picomite. I now feel I am missing something from not ever using CMM2, don't know what that is. Were 32 bit pics better than rpi2040? |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7937 |
The CMM2 was/is far more powerful than the PicoMite. Much better for graphics, but no LCD display capability. It's designed for VGA from the ground up, with several modes. Why not get the manual and have a look? The RP2040 is a little miracle in many ways, but it's not up there with the big lads. You're almost seeing a sub-set of the CMM2 as its MMBasic has a lot in common. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2566 |
Very interesting sir, thanks. For some reason I only discovered mmbasic from a youtube from explaining computers.com. The vga graphic buffers are great for games when you figure them out. Can't imagine there was better before.... and the rpi2040 is not that clever :( |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7937 |
The problem now is in actually finding a CMM2! Unless someone is willing to part with one they are currently made from solid unobtainium. :( They were also, of course, much more expensive than a PicoMite. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| ChrisJournoud Newbie  Joined: 12/10/2020 Location: FrancePosts: 20 |
Hi, Speaking of VGA kit for pico, does anyone know if the pimoroni vga kit is compatible with mmbasic picovga? The pimoroni board does not have ps/2 connector. It is said that the keyboard have to be pluged into the pico USB connector. Does mmbasic recognize the USB keyboard? |
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thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
I assume you mean the "pico VGA demo" board (PIM553). It isn't compatible with PicoMiteVGA, it uses more GPIO pins to provide more colours. I recall that @JohnS may have bodged one to make it work, but I suspect it wasn't worth the effort and you would be better off ordering an explicitly PicoMiteVGA compatible PCB. Best wishes, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7937 |
With a lot of fiddling you can get the Pimorini board to display PicoMite VGA but, IIRC, it isn't worth it as you still lose all the other pins that the Pimorini system uses. There are far better PCBs for the PicoMite. (I'm decidedly biased on this topic though. :) ) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4044 |
If it's the one described as Pico VGA Demo Base, it's not suitable for PicoMiteVGA's MMBasic. I had a board anyway and you can cross-wire things with some considerable pain but I did it out of curiosity only. (I guess the MMBasic code could be tweaked for the board but who would do it? It's probably anything but trivial. That said, if you fancy a go, first get a toolchain & build PicoMiteVGA MMBasic.) If you struggle to (or don't) solder, I'm not sure what to say. If you can solder, there are much better boards to choose from - yes, including from Mick! John Edited 2023-02-21 23:56 by JohnS |
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| William Leue Guru Joined: 03/07/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 405 |
Received my Picomite VGA kit and soldered it together. It runs fine! Does anyone maintain an archive or listing of Picomite software similar to CMM2Fun? I'd like to see what others have written before I put any effort into writing code. I am particularly interested in applications like home weather stations. Has anyone done that? -Bill |
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| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
Hi Bill, I don't think so. @Jiri talked about accepting appropriately tagged PicoMite programs on http://cmm2.fun but I don't think he necessarily decided one way or the other, and whilst it does look like it is still accepting submissions/updates, @Jiri himself hasn't been seen very often recently. I have a non-comprehensive list that I maintain for my own convenience here: https://github.com/thwill1000/cmm2-sptools/wiki. And there is some stuff here too http://fruitoftheshed.com/MicroMite%20ArmMite%20and%20MMX%20Hardware.PicoMite.ashx?HL=picomite Best wishes, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4044 |
Another quick note about the Pimoroni Pico VGA Demo Base: it uses 5 GPIOs per colour, so 15 pins +HSYNC +VSYNC, i.e. 17 pins! Great if you want lots of colours and few other pins. John |
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| William Leue Guru Joined: 03/07/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 405 |
Thanks, Tom and John! -Bill |
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| ChrisJournoud Newbie Joined: 12/10/2020 Location: FrancePosts: 20 |
Thanks Tom, Best wishes Chris |
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