hand build TFT LCD bitmap display

[wilson]

Hi all,
I am sharing this TFT project for anyone who wish to hand build by his own. This project challenge is on hardware soldering. TFT LCD pins is tiny and ptich very small.

BOM list:

1) PICKIT3 - i buy a cheap one from http://www.lelong.com.my/pickit-3-compatible-pickit3-microchip-debugger-pic18-pic32-mcu-gigasitron-144874913-2015-02-Sale-P.htm

2) Donut Board - can buy form anywhere

3) PIC18F4550 Chip - can buy from cytron

4) 40 pins zip socket - can be optional

5) 8Mhz crytal and ceramic capacitors 22pF, i use 0805 SMD

6) TFT LCD - I buy from http://www.lelong.com.my/tft-lcd-1-44-pic32-pic18-atmel-stm32-gigasitron-147948684-2015-04-Sale-P.htm , very good support

7) one 3.3V LDO regulator - i use SMD



You can see from the photo, TFT LCD is connected using tiny wires, this is tough job, took me one day to solder. I use PICKIT3, but it is not from microchip, but exactly same.Why use this? because i am not rich, no choice. And it is a good debugger! very fast.



You can see that the image is shown out. It is another tough job. To display an image, you need to driver the LCD, need a driver to write a pixel with the color you want. How the bitmap is put into source code is to use a tool to convert, microchip provide it also. This LCD also showing numbers that actually is counting, but it is photo so cannot show. I am using MPLAB-X IDE to program and debug, this IDE very powerful! i hate previous version MPLAB, very unstable.


This is the look of the bottom of the board, very messy and the black color small component is SMD regulator!


I share this is more on hardware soldering, source code is modified from Microchip graphic library, because many people facing problem to solder small pitch components to donut board. If you are rich, fabricate a nice PCB using CAD is a nice! But i am not afford.


Hopefully it help

[happyrush]

Hi,

Very nice project! The PICKIT3 you use is able to debug in MPLAB X? what is the cost for whole project? thanks

[wilson]

Hi，

PICKIT3 is one time buy only， exclude it, around RM150. This PICKIT3 support all the microchip ide, very stable.

[happyrush]

Hi，

PICKIT3 is one time buy only， exclude it, around RM150. This PICKIT3 support all the microchip ide, very stable.

Hi,

I see. So how to convert bitmap into C code? what application are you using to do that? or is your own application?

[wilson]

Hi，

PICKIT3 is one time buy only， exclude it, around RM150. This PICKIT3 support all the microchip ide, very stable.

Hi,

I see. So how to convert bitmap into C code? what application are you using to do that? or is your own application?

Hi Happyrush,

I wrote my own bitmap convertor using C#, you need to stream the bitmap and read each pixel and convert them into LCD color format before can write into LCD.

[happyrush]

Hi wilson,

sound like very hard work to get this thing work you really have passion on what you are doing

[wilson]

Hi wilson,

sound like very hard work to get this thing work you really have passion on what you are doing

Thanks:)

[happyrush]

Hi Wilson,

I found a new item for replacing your hand solder lcd.

http://www.lelong.com.my/pic32-pic18f-arduino-tft-lcd-1-44-gigasitron-161706788-2016-03-Sale-P.htm


This one compatible with yours?

[howardbaker]

Your project is really interesting

[Mars]

Are other TFT LCDs available for your project?
I would like to make full use of the maximum resources I have to try your project.