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matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 10:57pm 08 Dec 2016

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Quote Any plans to increase the colours to 16 or so, or is that simply not possible?

To increase colour with VGA you need to change the RGB outputs to analogue signals where the analogue level modulates the intensity of the three primaries

Completely impossible without three external high speed DACs and even then the PIC wouldn't be fast enough to drive them.

Quote Had some simple animation running all night without any issues.

Excellent

Attached is a minor update that should fix most of your issues

2016-12-09_085722_MicromiteEXTREMEb5v8.zip Edited by matherp 2016-12-10

WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
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Posted: 12:16am 09 Dec 2016

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Thanks Peter for b5v8.

Just finishing some customer orders then I will begin testing it . . .

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

MicroBlocks

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Joined: 12/05/2012
Location: Thailand
Posts: 2209

Posted: 02:06am 09 Dec 2016

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Checkout this topic about increasing the colors to 16 on the Maximite.
http://www.thebackshed.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3774&PN=638&TPN=5

Microblocks. Build with logic.

Frank N. Furter
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Joined: 28/05/2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 815

Posted: 02:16am 09 Dec 2016

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Hi to all,

can anybody tell me which 64 and 100 pin variants are ok for the Maximite Extreme?

The Snadpic-board is with different chips available:

PIC32MZ2048ECM100
PIC32MZ2048ECH100
PIC32MZ2048ECG100
PIC32MZ2048EFG100
PIC32MZ2048EFH100
PIC32MZ2048EFM100

Which chip is the correct one???

Thanks!

Frank

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 02:32am 09 Dec 2016

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Hi Frank,

From an earlier post by Peter:

Quote The code has been developed on a PIC32MZ2048EFG064 (huge thanks to Kiiid for the development board) but should work on a PIC32MZ2048EFG100, PIC32MZ2048EFH064 and PIC32MZ2048EFH100

I seem to remember it will not work on the 'EC' range. The 'EF' is the floating point range (I do believe) and hence you need to look out for an EF part. Not sure about the EFM so personally I would go for either the EFG or EFH.

For what it is worth; I am running EFH064 devices here, but strongly recommend the 100pin version based on Peters comments above regarding I2C, SPI, SD card.

WW

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

matherp
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Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8605

Posted: 02:49am 09 Dec 2016

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Quote Which chip is the correct one?

Any of the EFs are fine

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 03:07am 09 Dec 2016

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Peter,

v5b8 been running fine for a while now with nothing obviously of concern.

I can also confirm that the cropped pixel line, and the startup background colour both work as expected.

One thing I have noticed (which I believe is unavoidable; unless you say otherwise), is that the screen goes blank whenever the SD card is accessed. I assume the SPI lines are 'halted' whilst the MM does its stuff with the SD card.

Will shout if I find anything else . . . .

WW

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

matherp
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Posts: 8605

Posted: 03:32am 09 Dec 2016

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Quote One thing I have noticed (which I believe is unavoidable; unless you say otherwise), is that the screen goes blank whenever the SD card is accessed. I assume the SPI lines are 'halted' whilst the MM does its stuff with the SD card.

It shouldn't go blank when you load a picture, but will if you load/save a program or update and OPTION. It isn't the SPI that interferes but the writing to flashEdited by matherp 2016-12-10

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 04:48am 09 Dec 2016

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Quote It isn't the SPI that interferes but the writing to flash

Yep - that makes sense.

I have just had a loss of red signal again. Immediately done a reset and all ok.

Tried to re-create the issue but no joy yet. I was drawing a box with green edge, and blue fill (within a program) then changed the code to alter the edge colour from green to magenta. Upon pressing F2 the border went blue (i.e. red signal loss).

Do you think this is a 'random' issue, or could it be a sequence of events that triggers it? I will keep trying to get a recognised sequence that causes the issue but don't want to spend many hours chasing it if you think it is 'random'

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matherp
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Posted: 05:11am 09 Dec 2016

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Quote Do you think this is a 'random' issue,

Don't know but if it happens again please do the following

print hex$(peek(word &HBF821410))

note down what it prints and let me know

then try

poke word &HBF821410,0

and see it it recovers

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 05:44am 09 Dec 2016

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Peter,

Will do some intensive testing tonight to see if I can get it to repeat the issue. As soon as I see it, I will post back . . .

WW

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 09:09am 09 Dec 2016

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Peter,

Bug found (I think!):

With v5b8, in the Editor with ColourCode ON, I believe the numbers should be shown in red. However, on the VGA console they are being shown in white. All other colours seem to be correct and follow the 'TeraTerm' editor.

WW

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

Frank N. Furter
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Joined: 28/05/2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 815

Posted: 09:13am 09 Dec 2016

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Many thanks to WW and Peter!

Unfortunately is no EF-chip at the moment from SnadPIC over Ebay available...
Did anybody know when Kon's new boards are available? (I love his very nice boards...)

Frank

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 09:54am 09 Dec 2016

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Peter,

Another Editor Bug:

I am using Font 1 so editor is 80 columns wide.
If you type a line that is too long, then you get the 'Line Too Long message in the left side of the footer, BUT the previous text is still visible beneath it (i.. ECS:Exit . . . .)

I have not tried other font sizes but assume you can sort this issue from this description

WW

EDIT: This issue is present regardless of COLOURCODE setting; and on v5b8 Edited by WhiteWizzard 2016-12-10

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matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
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Posted: 10:04am 09 Dec 2016

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Quote With v5b8, in the Editor with ColourCode ON, I believe the numbers should be shown in red

These are the colours set up in the editor by Geoff. I haven't touched these yet.

#define GUI_C_NORMAL WHITE
#define GUI_C_BCOLOUR BLACK

#define GUI_C_COMMENT RGB(192, 192, 0)
#define GUI_C_KEYWORD CYAN
#define GUI_C_QUOTE RGB(0, 200, 0)
#define GUI_C_NUMBER RGB(255, 128, 128)
#define GUI_C_LINE GRAY
#define GUI_C_STATUS (Option.ColourCode ? BROWN : gui_fcolour)

Remember we have only 8 colours including black to play with and the way the colour map works is that if R or G or B intensity is > 0 then that colour is switched on.

Numbers are set to 255,128,128 so they will be white. I can make these pure red easily if that is required.

Gray will also be white
Brown will be yellow

Comments will also be yellow

We don't appear to be using magenta or green. Blue is probably too dark as a single colourEdited by matherp 2016-12-10

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 10:30am 09 Dec 2016

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Yep - got that.

Green is being used for string (quotes) and works!

From the time I recently asked Geoff, he replied with (excuse formatting):

I don't think that they are documented but here they are:
//======================================================================================
// Attribute VT100 Code VT 100 Colour LCD Screen Colour
//======================================================================================
#define VT100_C_NORMAL "\033[30m" // Black Foreground Colour
#define VT100_C_COMMENT "\033[33m" // Yellow Yellow
#define VT100_C_KEYWORD "\033[36m" // Cyan Cyan
#define VT100_C_QUOTE "\033[32m" // Green Green
#define VT100_C_NUMBER "\033[31m" // Red Red

Taking the last column of defined colours, then if you could make the 'numbers' in red, then what you have will follow accurately.
Status bar in yellow is fine as it is, and also the status 'line' (but you could arguably make this yellow too so it matches the status bar). Possibly make Status bar & line magenta? Then this will be different from comments!

Something to think about!

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Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
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Posted: 10:34am 09 Dec 2016

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Above table not clear so try this:

Normal = White
Comment = Yellow
Keyword = Cyan
Quote = Green
Number = Red (but currently white)
Status = Currently Yellow (bar) and White (Line) - make both Magenta?

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

robert.rozee
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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
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Posted: 03:29pm 09 Dec 2016

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could one use an extra SPI channel to get half-intensity colours by switching in three schottky diodes (0.3v) for the video clipping? this would take the 8 colours up to 15 available colours (there would be 2 black colours, so not 16).

just an idea, and it may not work well - something more complex than 3 schottky diodes may be needed. this would also increase the required video buffer size by 33%.

cheers,
rob :-)

WhiteWizzard
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Posted: 11:26pm 09 Dec 2016

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Peter,

Not able yet to get red signal failure (typical!).

Have run some 'older' programs on this MMX VGA to see what 'performance' is like.
Your 3D cube rotation program looks great!

Still trying to break it . . . .

One thing to raise is that I think the internal TIME$ drifts a few seconds per hour. Can't quantify yet as I keep resetting the thing! Will keep an eye out on this one.

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

matherp
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Posts: 8605

Posted: 12:35am 10 Dec 2016

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This version has additional protection for the red channel issue and the editor colours modified. Also I've corrected a potential RTC timing error

Quote #define GUI_C_NORMAL WHITE
#define GUI_C_BCOLOUR BLACK

#define GUI_C_COMMENT MAGENTA
#define GUI_C_KEYWORD CYAN
#define GUI_C_QUOTE GREEN
#define GUI_C_NUMBER RED
#define GUI_C_LINE YELLOW
#define GUI_C_STATUS (Option.ColourCode ? YELLOW : gui_fcolour)

In addition PIXEL can now be used as a function on the VGA display

SO

PIXEL 100,100,rgb(red)

sets the pixel red

? hex$PIXEL(100,100))

will return &HFF0000

which is the code for red.

Finally, the code now supports overlay text on VGA. Just use 1 as the background colour and only the foreground pixels in the font will update the display leaving the existing pixels that would have been overwritten by the background untouched

I've done a fair bit of tidying up of the code so it is not impossible I've introduced something.

2016-12-10_103432_MicromiteEXTREMEb5v12.zip

Edited by matherp 2016-12-11

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