 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : PicoGAME LCD: Handheld videogame
  Page 4 of 4 |
|||||
| Author | Message | ||||
Mixtel90 Guru  Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
At 100mm square and with the corners already pretty clear it might be pretty easy to use the Hammond case for it. :) The display pretty much fixes the overall size to about 100mm as the viewable area isn't central to the display PCB and it's nice to have it centered. An alternative approach might be to use the display in portrait, making a taller, narrower device. Whether that would still be as usable I don't know. You could, perhaps, reduce PCB area by using something like the RP2040-Zero and, if there are insufficient IO pins (unlikely - it has 15 that are veroboard friendly plus another 5 if you are making a PCB or using blob board), use a resistor string and analogue input for the buttons. Stan would approve. :). You gain a USB-C socket too. :) I've just measured the supply current to a "static" RP2040-Zero and it was 64mA. It has a linear regulator, but at 100mA the dropout voltage is only 50mV at 25 degrees C and only about 70mV at 125C. That means that a 3V7 battery, considered flat at about 3V2, shouldn't do too badly. Terminal voltage on lithium cells falls slowly then quickly at the endpoint, so battery life should be quite reasonable, I think. I'd anticipate the backlight being powered directly from the 3V7, of course. Just a few thoughts... :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Hey Mick, And then be machining holes and carving off other bits  , thanks, but I'm good. I'll be flattered if someone thinks it worthwhile to have a go themselves but once I have a workable PCB I'm going to concentrate on providing some software.The module is central, which offsets the LCD by about 5mm, it doesn't seem to bother me. Not a good idea, then it would be a different resolution to the PicoMite VGA thus making converting games much harder. I did buy a couple, but I decided against using them, I think using a standard Pico (or pin compatible close with USB-C) increase the chance that someone other than myself will build one. And I appreciate them even if I dismissed them. I'm not sure this is an ESD safe environment, especially since he was sat on it a moment ago:  Best wishes, Tom Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
I'm not letting you get away with out-catting the Demon Cat From Hell.  He was my little friend. Lost him a few years ago. :( I still have that laptop though. :) Edited 2023-06-09 22:23 by Mixtel90 Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
Martin H. Guru Joined: 04/06/2022 Location: GermanyPosts: 1114 |
Hi Tom, Unfortunately, this cannot be read exactly on the photo. What "options" did you use? Edited 2023-07-25 18:40 by Martin H. 'no comment |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Hi Martin,  Note that despite my recent silence I haven't "gone away" or given up on this, though the day job is more of a time sink at the moment. We're just waiting for samples of v1.3.0 of the PCB to arrive from JLPCB, and are hopeful this will be the "final" version. It has a more conventional sound circuit that no longer requires the use of the MONO flag to PLAY SOUND, this means that a programs sound routines don't need to be specially written. In addition it now has a choice of the 2.8" or 3.2" ILI9341 display. I'm still working on the software, your works play a starring role:  Best wishes, Tom Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 4247 |
Tom, Want a port of SNAKE ? or CIRCLE ? Where are your buttons connected to ? I could only find MK1 schematics (NES controller) Volhout Edited 2023-07-25 20:39 by Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
||||
| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3150 |
Can you post your "more conventional sound circuit", Tom? I got lost in all the variations. PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Hi Volhout, Yes, but you are "jumping the gun" because as you say I haven't posted the necessary schematics yet, I'm waiting on having a "final" PCB. Button allocation: GP8 - Down GP9 - Left GP10 - Up GP11 - Right GP12 - Select GP13 - Start GP14 - B GP15 - A Which you could read into a bitmap x% like so: x% = (Port(GP12,2,GP11,2,GP8,1,GP8,1,GP11,1,GP10,1,GP9,1,GP13,3,GP13,3) Xor &h7FFF) And &h29EA And looking at that you are going to think "WTF has Tom been smoking?" But there is method in my madness, the bits in x% then correspond to: Const ctrl.START = &h02 Const ctrl.SELECT = &h08 Const ctrl.DOWN = &h20 Const ctrl.RIGHT = &h40 Const ctrl.UP = &h80 Const ctrl.LEFT = &h100 Const ctrl.A = &h800 Const ctrl.B = &h2000 Which matches the codes returned by the CMM2 when reading the digital buttons from a Wii Classic controller - the closest thing we have to a documented MMBasic controller standard. Best wishes, Tom Edited 2023-07-25 21:27 by thwill Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
I got lost too, I'm still not sure I've been found  . Basically it mixes the PWM stereo signal and then amplifies it using "half" of the PAM8302A (and half of the stereo pot. which can be replaced by a mono pot.) Please don't start another endless debate about the audio, at least not in this thread. This works reasonably well, at least for the speaker I'm using, and it is what is going on the PCB. If someone wants to do differently then there will be opportunity to play after I have "released" it. Best wishes, Tom Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Hmm, now I look at that stereo pot. I think something went "screwball" on the internal diagram at some point, it seems unlikely that pin 1 on the package is attached to both pot's as illustrated. Best wishes, Tom Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 4247 |
Pin 1 should be used as common ground pin. Since this is most likely a audio potemeter, it will have logaritmic curve. When you use the wrong pin for ground the curve is wrong, and it will be very hard to adjust the audio level conveniently. I think you may want to put some wires on the board swapping pin 1 and 4. Volhout Edited 2023-07-25 22:02 by Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Yes, I agree, that appears to be what has happened. It works because we are only using half the pot. but I'll have to experiment to see if it works better with 1 & 4 swapped. Best wishes, Tom Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2914 |
Hi Tom, Volhout, All, I can confirm that the Dual pot (at least the ones I have) are indeed 'Internally' wired as per the diagram above, Further to that the taper is Linear as at the half way point I get 10k from Pin 1-2 (and 2-5) and Pin 1-3 (and 3-4). If you remember Tom I mentioned that the Pot seemed to work in reverse, Fully anti clockwise was full volume and vice-versa. However as it is a wheel sticking partially overhanging the PCB it `also' makes sense as UP is louder and DOWN is lower. IMHO, the pot does quite a good job and is easy to adjust to your desired level. My speakers like the ones you bought Tom arrived today and they are marginally softer than the old transistor radio one I used, however they are still reasonably loud and when put in the sandwich of 2 PCB it will probably make a bit of an echo chamber. Kind Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
It would be interesting to try adding a resistor directly across the amplifier input (slider to ground on the pot. About 3K3 or 3K9 should be about right. This will make the control more logarithmic and make the volume a little easier to adjust. You generally use 12% to 20% of the pot value depending on the impedances so it's something to experiment with. You may lose a little output with the lower values. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Hi folks, I've had another play with the device this morning and as illustrated by the above schematic and built from the parts I've got, the volume control is "just fine". I will admit that now I've noticed the fact that the signal (rather than ground) is on the common pin 1 does cause my OCD discomfort however unless @bigmik and I have other cause to respin the PCB I'm going to let it lie. Yes, I recall, thanks Mick. Best wishes, Tom Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
If it's working nicely then don't change it. :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 4247 |
Hi Tom, Find attached ZIP that has the SNAKE game for LCD. See if you like it, and comment. The game is not "bintendo" adapted. - it requires you to give your name (USB terminal keyboard). It is up to you if you want default name "player" or "date and time" as player name. A game controller based keyboard is an alternative..? - the sound is based on my speakers, and may be too dim in the beginning (low frequencies) for the bintendo. - maximum score is 255 at the moment (array size). - the snake is controlled with the USB terminal keyboard. This is on my list to adapt to your keys when you like the game. Try it, and see if it is something for bintendo... Volhout snake_lcd.zip PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
||||
| Page 4 of 4 |
|||||
 Print this page |
