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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : New PIC32MZ Released
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Geoffg Guru  Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3196 |
Microchip has just officially released the new PIC32MZ chip. You can download the data sheet from here. Compared to the PIC32MX used in the Maximite the new MZ is three times faster, has four times the flash memory and four times the amount of RAM. But it only costs about $3 more and uses far less power. Obviously a Maximite built around this chip would be a potent beast. For example, the amount of RAM would mean that you would never run out of program space and running programs three times faster will allow it to execute the average BASIC instruction in just 10uS. Unfortunately the MZ is not pin compatible with the old series so you cannot simply replace the chip in your Maximite. For this reason I plan to design a new Maximite around the PIC32MX. It will be similar to the current Colour Maximite, just much faster and with more memory. I have some early engineering samples from Microchip but it will take some time for them to produce production quantities of the chip and develop the software libraries (eg, the USB drivers). For these reasons the new Maximite MKIII should be ready some time in the first half of next year. Geoff Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net |
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Juri74 Senior Member  Joined: 06/02/2012 Location: ItalyPosts: 162 |
That's a great new!!! Could this new Maximite MKIII support at least 16 colours? |
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| JTR0701 Regular Member  Joined: 10/07/2013 Location: AustraliaPosts: 71 |
Before getting too excited, check out the errata.  No Hi-Speed USB or SQI support and various other cripple-ware items...
Anyway, there already is comprehensive library support via an MPLAB X plugin call "harmony." Check it out here. |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6102 |
Where have I heard that before? It does sound very interesting though. Jim VK7JH MMedit MMBasic Help |
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Zonker Guru Joined: 18/08/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 761 |
NICE..!! I can't wait to see what the platform would become next.. Possibly, go-to 800x480 (aka the InnoLux 7"), maybe 16 colors, more touch objects, more space on drive A: Bigger, faster, ... yes,yes,yes..!!! This is going to be a kick-ass year for the Maximite family of products..!! 
Thanks in advance MM-teem for making it look easy for us users..!! Nice Job Gents..!! |
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| Geoffg Guru Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3196 |
16 colours might be possible and I was hoping to get true 640x480 resolution and possibly 854x480 wide screen resolution. This all depends on what I can push the chip into doing so nothing is guaranteed. Drive A: will get at least 1MB of space and it will not screw up the video when writes are made to it. Geoff Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9308 |
Bill Gates? ("640KB should be enough for anybody.") Although, there are suggestions that he did not actually say that. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.folklore.compute rs/mpjS-h4jpD8 But I digress.... The new model of MM sounds like a fantastic idea - I drool in anticipation....  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
Color is nice but it unfortunately cripples the use of a PIC32. Most serial peripherals are unusable because when used as a SPI to spit out the red/green/blue the other functionality is unavailable and you have to resort to bit banging. I think video in an extra chip would make a big positive difference. A FT800 for instance will take care of the video, touch and audio. Freeing up the processor for better performance and not have to worry about the exact timings to generate the video. Generating video with a microcontroller has been done and proved to work. It still is however not the best way to use a microcontroller as it is not its intended use. Five to six USD more for a dedicated video chip will enable the step to make it better and more versatile. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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2001cpx Regular Member Joined: 03/10/2013 Location: CanadaPosts: 59 |
Very Interesting,well documented from FTDI,i will play with this IC,Touch,Sound with sample,adjustable backlight etc. Very good Idea from TZAdvantage. "Color Maximite,(Duinomite-Mega,Mini),CGmmStick,GCmicroboard2b,Micromite + explore 64,100,LCD backpack,Lcd Backpack V2,TFT Backpack,Micromite Extreme,Armmite L,F,H,CMM2" |
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| MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
I backed a kickstarter using this chip. Here is there video that shows some of the capabilities. Gameduino 2 When used in combination with a PIC32/MMBasic it will also allow porting of solutions that are made with the arduino. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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Nick Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
I agree. While it's great that the PIC is generating the video, I think it's still a very inferior video to what using a seperate chip dedicated to the job. Reasons... 1: Unless you can supply a video signal that matches what the LCD's native resolution is, the quality of the video will always look distorted. This has always been a problem with Maximites and it's odd resolution. 2: It's a speed hog. Generating video is a speed hog, taking away some of the speed potential of the PIC for processing code. Because we're using interpreted BASIC, it's best we dedicate as much as possible to it. 3: 8 or 16 colours is fine for the sort of software that has been developed so far for the Maximite. Unfortunately, all the other kit systems out there seem to beat it with far better graphics. That GameDuino2 is fantastic. The demos in the video show great potential in capabilities. I bet those demos aren't written in interpretive BASIC though. 4: Does the existing Maximite market warrant better video? I think the Maximite is very much an electronic tinkerer's hobby computer. It will never gain the market level of things such as the Raspbery Pi or dedicated Arduino's. I think most maximite users are still using the B/W maximite. The existing colour maximite still has a very small market share. Nick |
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| Zonker Guru Joined: 18/08/2012 Location: United StatesPosts: 761 |
Good evening all..! Speaking of the FTDI Chip, did you guys know that 4-D systems is offering a 4.3" display with the FTDI fitted to the flex circuit, terminating in a simple SPI and power connector.. (nice) Plus, you can get it with a bezel mount for $68... I tried to get one ordered to start playing with, but they keep selling out..!! (I wonder why.?) Gee they must be selling like hotcakes... http://www.4dsystems.com.au/product/14/134/LCD_Displays/4DLC D_FT843/ |
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| Dylan Regular Member Joined: 17/06/2013 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 81 |
I was under the impression that the video code is based on Lucio Di Jasio's DMA-bus based I/O code. Unlike say the ZX-81 where the Z80 spent 75% of the time generating the simplest of TV-out. |
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| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Yes, Geoff's original article on the Maximite noted that the video generation used DMA outputs direct to the framed SPI interface while only having to serve an interrupt - presumably one interrupt per line? The Colour Maximite did take a small speed hit - I think Geoff mentioned 20%. If the new processor has 4X the speed that 20% will presumably go to about 5% - although a lift to 16 colours (if he does that) would I guess bring it back to 10% - still not that noticeable. The loss of an SPI interface for the video is probably a bigger issue than speed, but I can see that adding a $4 video chip (if it's that) would be a good option for many who'd like full colour. Greg |
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| plasma Guru Joined: 08/04/2012 Location: GermanyPosts: 437 |
Hi , can we have tcp/ip ? I think is usefull and moore needed as 16 colors or ? |
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| MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
tcp/ip over ethernet or wi-fi is easily added with a module on a serial port. The module will take care of the tcp/ip stack (the hardest part) and makes using it very easy. The libraries for having tcp/ip in the PIC32 itself are large and hard. you would then also loose various internal peripherals that use the same pins. My remarks about using an extra video chip is mainly to free up 3 i2c or 3 spi or 4 serial ports that are lost by generating the video in the CMM. I think the disadvantage of loosing those serial peripherals is much larger then the advantage. The savings ($) made are quickly lost by not being able to connect to lots of chips/modules directly or at a much lower speed because the protocols have to be bitbanged. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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darthmite Senior Member Joined: 20/11/2011 Location: FrancePosts: 240 |
Hmmmm ... Have you read the PIC32MZ Data sheet ?? With the graphic interface (EBI) you don't have to use any spi or something like that to push out graphics ... The internal memory from 512Kb can give you 640 x 480 resolution at 256 colors with a simple R-2R Dac ;) So ... 640x480 take close to 307Kb ram but if you prefer use what you get with the TFT Maximite then the 480 x 272 pixels just take 130Kb in 256 colours or 260kb in 65535 colours ;) The only VERY BAD point with the PIC32MZ is that the EBI/PMP share the same pins :( This exclude a real VGA output if you want add some external sram , but it's ok if you use only the internal ram. Anyway , this will push the MM to next level ... Cheers. Theory is when we know everything but nothing work ... Practice is when everything work but no one know why ;) |
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marcwolf Senior Member Joined: 08/06/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 119 |
6 UART.. Yay - More Serial ports :) Coding Coding Coding.. Keep those keyboards coding.. RAW CODE!!!!! |
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| isochronic Guru Joined: 21/01/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 689 |
Two ideas: 1) Use the USB for video out, eg use a USB screen 2) Better still, implement a PCI-e video output. This assumes the slowest PCI-e default 33 Mhz clock will work, it's just an idea at this stage - I gather PCI-e only needs a few connections . A lot of work though. |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3816 |
Looks like Olimex hope to have a board out more or less as soon as they can get chips. http://olimex.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/do-you-have-enough-pr ogram-memory-for-your-next-pic-project/ John |
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