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Phil23
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Posted: 08:37pm 25 Sep 2016

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Why so little interest in utilising this chip in designs?

I get that the 64 pin is way superior, but it's a much more complex layout.

Although the 28 pin is great, you loose out big on pins once any type of display & the com port is put to use.

Would a 44 pin layout work where ILI9341's were connected by a length of flat ribbon?

Phil.

Grogster

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Posted: 10:12pm 25 Sep 2016

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I think it is PROBABLY simply a case of "If I am going to move to the 44-pin one, I might as well use the 64-pin one, as they are pretty much the same price but I get all these extra I/O pins, more memory, more speed etc."

I could do an "Explore-44" type of module if you thought it would be useful.
I would need to run that name past Geoff for his approval though, but that would keep the names all similar. WhiteWizzard did produce a similar module based on the 44 chip a while back, and I seem to recall that matherp and others also did boards featuring that chip. I don't think I ever did any experimenters version of a board using the 44, although I did use the 44 in designs specific to my requirements.

A 44 pin module could be setup to specifically include an SPI output header, to allow simple connecting of a 14-pin connector for the SPI LCD's with touch, then you could just use a 14-way DuPont linking cable which would make it less of a rat's nest when it came to wiring up the LCD, if that is what you are getting at. I think though, that if you are using one of those "Explore" series of modules, they are really designed for you to tinker around with, and once you perfect your design, you can make a special PCB to do your design, or just a host board that the Explore series module can plug into to form the heart of the project.

Is an Explore-44 kind of module something people would like?

EDIT: Perhaps an E100-style arrangement with the 44 board being the same size as a suitably common SPI LCD module, and you bolt them together in a sandwich as you do the E100? That would give you a smaller version of the E100, without quite the same feature set, but still with an LCD and touch, and plenty of I/O pins. Much smaller too, so cheaper in terms of LCD and board etc. I quite like that idea......Edited by Grogster 2016-09-27

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Phil23
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Posted: 11:03pm 25 Sep 2016

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Grogster said I think it is PROBABLY simply a case of "If I am going to move to the 44-pin one, I might as well use the 64-pin one, as they are pretty much the same price but I get all these extra I/O pins, more memory, more speed etc."[/quote]

I figured that was the prime reason it got bypassed.

[Quote]I could do an "Explore-44" type of module if you thought it would be useful....

A 44 pin module could be setup to specifically include an SPI output header, to allow simple connecting of a 14-pin connector for the SPI LCD's with touch, then you could just use a 14-way DuPont linking cable which would make it less of a rat's nest when it came to wiring up the LCD, if that is what you are getting at.[/quote]

The "Rat's Nest" is probably the biggest issue, considering the percentage of Micromites that incorporate a display.

Probably see that as the biggest downfall of the E64; the bird's nest is huge to even get started with a display.

[Quote]I think though, that if you are using one of those "Explore" series of modules, they are really designed for you to tinker around with, and once you perfect your design, you can make a special PCB to do your design, or just a host board that the Explore series module can plug into to form the heart of the project.[/quote]

Making PCB's is not for many smaller hobbyist's in the marked, they can more that adequately create their projects on strip or protoboard.

Geoff and Mick's Backpacks & the E100 are superb in this respect.

Build the birds nest first on solderless, then the final finished item can be on something as basic as strip.

Think the theme here is many potential users will only ever build one-offs; maybe several different ones for different projects if they get enthused, but think there's a huge number out there that would never consider a custom board.

[Quote]Perhaps an E100-style arrangement with the 44 board being the same size as a suitably common SPI LCD module, and you bolt them together in a sandwich as you do the E100? That would give you a smaller version of the E100, without quite the same feature set, but still with an LCD and touch, and plenty of I/O pins.[/quote]

Exactly my thoughts, just a big brother that's between the 28 & E100 backpacks.

I'd also presume that if a 2.8" touch screen wasn't used, 6 of the pins on it's header could be flat ribbon connected to something like a 4x20 display.

2 projects here are using 4x20 LCD's,

They don't need touch or a fancy interface.
Just basic data displayed for the occasional check.
One doesn't even require user input, it just monitors & displays as a slave.

Cheers

Phil.

PS. I've also got a couple of CGmicroboard2's;
Nice little board & interfaces directly to the display.

But the Arduino form factor doesn't really lend it's self to plugging into anything but shields.

The 11th hour design error in the pin offset see's to that.

One of mine is on a solderless board, but that evolved bending up offset pins to get it to fit standard 0.1" grid.

So I suppost the summary of the view of users like myself is that there are two attractive designs available at present;

The 28 pin Backpacks & the E100,
but nothing quite as easy to play with in between.

TassyJim

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Posted: 11:50pm 25 Sep 2016

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You can get carrier boards that convert the 44pin chip into a DIL which goes happily with veroboard.
That's way I go when I want a few more IO pins to play with.
I usually solder the Vcap directly onto thee carrier and tie the ground pins together.

Jim

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Grogster

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Posted: 12:36am 26 Sep 2016

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I will have a play with this idea. I think that the 2.4" LCD with touch is the sweet-spot price-wise, at only about US$10 a unit. 2.8" ones can be had, but they are a few dollars more for the tiny extra LCD space gained, so I don't think they are worth it.

2.4" SPI LCD's on eBay

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Phil23
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Posted: 12:52am 26 Sep 2016

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Hmmm,

I've been paying $7 to $8AUD for the 2.8" ones I've bought over the past 6 months.

Our dollars only getting in the 70c range lately.

This is what I see on ebay's AU search.

Edit:-

Probably not hard to fit a 2.4 screen to a 2.8" board, but a bit more difficult the other way round.

Might see if I can fins dimensions for both.Edited by Phil23 2016-09-27

Grogster

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Posted: 01:01am 26 Sep 2016

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These are some 2.8" ones I have found:

2.8" SPI LCD

The $8 or $9 ones you linked to seem to be ones without any touch. I think if it was to be done at all, it should be made to support the LCD with the touch ability. You don't have to use it if you don't want.

It costs about US$3 or so more for the 2.8" vs 2.4" and seeing as this extra three bucks only gains you 10mm of screen size - what are your thoughts on that?

2.4" and 2.8" are both easy enough to come by from what I can see, although the 2.4" one does seem to be quicker to find. I might grab a couple of the 2.8" ones to play with.

EDIT: I have ordered a couple of the 2.8" ones to play with. I don't have a footprint for these, so will have to wait till they get here then attack them with my callipers. I have footprints for the 2.2" and 2.4" LCD's. You are probably right about being able to fit a 2.4" LCD to a 2.8" carrier board, although I have never tried that. Edited by Grogster 2016-09-27

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Phil23
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Posted: 09:45am 27 Sep 2016

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Grogster said These are some 2.8" ones I have found:

2.8" SPI LCD

It costs about US$3 or so more for the 2.8" vs 2.4" and seeing as this extra three bucks only gains you 10mm of screen size - what are your thoughts on that?

2.4" and 2.8" are both easy enough to come by from what I can see, although the 2.4" one does seem to be quicker to find. I might grab a couple of the 2.8" ones to play with.
[/quote]

All the ones I've received do have touch; I think I've got 7 over 4 different orders.
On the size I think bigger is better for only the few bucks.

Slightly easier on the old eyes & fingers for touch & offers a bit more real estate on the host board for pins.

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