communication between PIC and VGA monitor

[pk178]

Hi everybody !

I want program PIC MCU to communicate with VGA monitor to display data on VGA monitor, because a VGA monitor is cheaper than GLCD or industry monitor.

But I don't know how to program it, type of VGA monitor interface.

If you know something about this, please me !!!

[Rohit de Sa]

VGA is timing intensive and the routines are timing critical. So unless you're running at reasonably high clock speeds, your PIC really won't have time to do much else.

[pk178]

Thanks for reply !!!

Of course, I asked Google, and got all of your links, but I didn't receive much information. I need a good material such datasheet to program for VGA monitor.

Cost of VGA monitor maybe higher than GLCD, but its monitor is bigger than GLCD very much, so we can display more data than GLCD.

Can you send me some materials ?

Thank you very much.

[Ttelmah]

I think you need to understand the key difference.
A LCD 'panel', is nowadays very cheap. What makes them 'expensive' (in small quantities at least), is adding the controller to actually generate the display - making it into a 'GLCD'. The VGA is similar. The basic monitor is cheap. However it requires accurately timed analog signals typically well in excess of 10Mhz, to actually 'show' anything. On a PC, this is what is done by the graphics card. On a PIC, it is posible (just) with limited extra hardware, to generate some crude text type patterns, but even done crudely like this, 'one off' the development cost is likely to be more than the cost of a GLCD panel. To generate really good pictures, will require a control chip, and a lot of extra hardware, taking the price even higher.
The VGA monitor, is so cheap, because it is _only_ the actual 'display' part. To actually show anything requires a lot more parts and work.
The first example given by Rohit, shows the 'crude text' type display, and code for this is in the link. To give anything much better, is going to be _hard_....

Best Wishes

[pk178]

Thanks very much for useful infomation !!!

[andrewg]

If you decide VGA is too hard to do, but still want it, someone has done the work:

http://www.4dsystems.com.au/products.php?cat=3
_________________
Andrew

[treitmey]

Might want to consider cyclone II FPGA with PIC core.
(or any other core you choose)

cyclone II does VGA easily.
http://www.altera.com/support/refdesigns/sys-sol/computing/ref-niosii-vga.html

[Guest]

Rohit said: " And most certainly not if you damage your VGA display"

It's not fun if you don't blow something up sometime - heck you'll never have any stories to tell your grand kids!

;-)

Steve H.

[jbmiller]

I was going to suggest googling 'EZvga', but the company that makes them is now kaput.
Sad, as they had a nice serial to VGA module.
I'm sure they're others that make a similar product though.
Jay