3.5" inch TFT LCD Display Module 480X320 driven with FSMC.

TFT LCD Display Module 480X320 driven with FSMC

I have recently bought a 3.5" inch TFT LCD Touch Screen Display Module 480X320 with a www.mcufriend.com label on the back side. The display was equipped with an 8bit parallel interface. First I decided to test it with the UniGraphic library using the BUS_8 protocol. The display was very slow but improved when I switched to the PAR_8 protocol. Because I heard about the possibility to use a Flexible Static Memory Controller (FSMC), built into some STM MCU's, to drive LCD's (read/write to LCD's memory rather than to an external SRAM) I thought it would be a fun to try it out.

https://os.mbed.com/media/uploads/hudakz/lcd_3.5_tft_480x320_mcufriend_front.png

Below is the brief story of what I did:

  • Selected FSMC in the Connectivity category and configured it as below: https://os.mbed.com/media/uploads/hudakz/arch_max_fsmc_conf.png
  • Let the STM32CubeIDE generate the code (files).
  • Created a new program for the Seeed Arch Max target in the Mbed Online Compiler by selecting a mbed os blinky template.
  • Replaced the main.cpp with the main.c content of the STM32CubeIDE project.
  • Copy & Pasted the other files with codes from the STM32CubeIDE project to the online compiler project.
  • Renamed and modified:
    "stm32f4xx_it.h" to "stm32f4xx_it_msp.h"
    "stm32f4xx_it.c" to "stm32f4xx_it_msp.c"
  • Added the UniGraphic library to the online compiler project.
  • Extended the UniGraphic library with a FSMC_8 protocol and replaced the TFT::set_orientation(int orient) function with the one used by mcufriend for arduino.
  • Modified the main.cpp as needed.
https://os.mbed.com/media/uploads/hudakz/stm32f407vet6_st-link03.pnghttps://os.mbed.com/media/uploads/hudakz/lcd_3.5_tft_480x320_mcufriend_back.png


Wiring

STM32F407VETFT LCD module
+3.3V3V3
GNDGND
PB_12LCD_RST
GNDLCD_CS
PD_13 (RS)LCD_RS
PD_5 (WR)LCD_WR
PD_4 (RD)LCD_RD
PD_14 (DB00)LCD_D0
PD_15 (DB01)LCD_D1
PD_0 (DB02)LCD_D2
PD_1 (DB03)LCD_D3
PE_7 (DB04)LCD_D4
PE_8 (DB05)LCD_D5
PE_9 (DB06)LCD_D6
PE_10 (DB07)LCD_D7



Results
Execution times
Used protocolBUS_8FSMC_8
Operation \ Timemsms
Clear2283.98038.454
Plot192.06611.365
8bit BMP63.80541.338
Large Font163.8727.895
Sparce pixels2072.265/1458.05174.107/52.168
16bit BMP2288.58959.904
Revision:
0:fa952828e34c
Child:
1:47c996032a9e
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/UniGraphic/Graphics/TextDisplay.h	Sun May 10 10:44:31 2020 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/* mbed TextDisplay Library Base Class
+ * Copyright (c) 2007-2009 sford
+ * Released under the MIT License: http://mbed.org/license/mit
+ *
+ * A common base class for Text displays
+ * To port a new display, derive from this class and implement
+ * the constructor (setup the display), character (put a character
+ * at a location), rows and columns (number of rows/cols) functions.
+ * Everything else (locate, printf, putc, cls) will come for free
+ *
+ * The model is the display will wrap at the right and bottom, so you can
+ * keep writing and will always get valid characters. The location is 
+ * maintained internally to the class to make this easy
+ */
+
+#ifndef MBED_TEXTDISPLAY_H
+#define MBED_TEXTDISPLAY_H
+
+#include "mbed.h"
+
+/** A common base class for Text displays
+*/
+class TextDisplay : public Stream {
+public:
+
+    // functions needing implementation in derived implementation class
+    // ----------------------------------------------------------------
+    /** Create a TextDisplay interface
+    * @param name The name used in the path to access the strean through the filesystem
+    */
+    TextDisplay(const char *name = NULL);
+
+    /** output a character at the given position
+    *
+    * @param column column where charater must be written
+    * @param  row where character must be written
+    * @param c the character to be written to the TextDisplay
+    * @note this method may be overridden in a derived class.
+    */
+    virtual void character(int column, int row, int c) = 0;
+
+    /** return number of rows on TextDisplay
+    * @result number of rows
+    * @note this method must be supported in the derived class.
+    */
+    virtual int rows() = 0;
+
+    /** return number of columns on TextDisplay
+    * @result number of columns
+    * @note this method must be supported in the derived class.
+    */
+    virtual int columns() = 0;
+    
+    // functions that come for free, but can be overwritten
+    // ----------------------------------------------------
+    /** redirect output from a stream (stoud, sterr) to  display
+    * @param stream stream that shall be redirected to the TextDisplay
+    * @note this method may be overridden in a derived class.
+    * @returns true if the claim succeeded.
+    */
+    virtual bool claim (FILE *stream);
+
+    /** clear the entire screen
+    * @note this method may be overridden in a derived class.
+    */
+    virtual void cls();
+
+    /** locate the cursor at a character position.
+    * Based on the currently active font, locate the cursor on screen.
+    * @note this method may be overridden in a derived class.
+    * @param column is the horizontal offset from the left side.
+    * @param row is the vertical offset from the top.
+    */
+    virtual void locate(int column, int row);
+
+    /** set the foreground color
+    * @note this method may be overridden in a derived class.
+    * @param color is color to use for foreground drawing.
+    */
+    virtual void foreground(uint16_t colour);
+
+    /** set the background color
+    * @note this method may be overridden in a derived class.
+    * @param color is color to use for background drawing.
+    */
+    virtual void background(uint16_t colour);
+
+    // putc (from Stream)
+    // printf (from Stream)
+    
+protected:
+
+    virtual int _putc(int value);
+    virtual int _getc();
+
+    // character location
+    int _column;
+    int _row;
+
+    // colours
+    volatile uint16_t _foreground;
+    volatile uint16_t _background;
+    char *_path;
+};
+
+#endif