4D Systems launches its custom 4DGL graphics controller for OLED and LCD displays

PICASO-GFX2 hosts a number of built-in features including powerful graphics, text, image, animation and complex sound generation capabilities. It can be used as a stand-alone embedded graphics processor or as a graphics co-processor interfaced to virtually any host micro-controller via its hardware serial interface. The PICASO-GFX2 also offers a simple plug-n-play interface to most 16-bit 80 series color LCD and OLED displays.

The PICASO-GFX2 belongs to a family of processors powered by a highly optimized soft-core virtual engine, E.V.E. (Extensible Virtual Engine). E.V.E. is a proprietary, high performance virtual processor with an extensive byte-code instruction set optimized to execute compiled 4DGL programs. 4DGL is specifically developed for the E.V.E. engine core. It is an easy-to-learn high level language with powerful features for embedded graphics application development. All of the display built-in driver libraries implement and share the same high-level function interface allowing finished GUI application to be easily portable to different display controller types.

The PICASO-GFX2 includes 15 kilobytes of flash memory, 14 kilobytes of SRAM, 13 digital I/O pins, I2C interface, FAT16 file services, 2 asynchronous hardware serial ports with Auto-Baud feature, SPI interface support of SDHC/DS memory cards, 4-wire resistive touch panel interface and audio support for wave files and complex sound generation with a dedicated 16-bit PWM audio output.

PICASO-GFX2 and the free software tools, such as 4DGL Workshop3 IDE and Graphics Composer, are designed to take away the entire burden of low level design. They allow designers to focus on the final User Interface and overall high-level design criteria greatly reducing development time and costs. Application uses include elevator control systems, point of sale terminals, medical devices, security and gaming equipment, test, measurement and general purpose instrumentation.

“We are extremely pleased to finally officially release the PICASO-GFX2 in the market. We have worked very hard on this chip and it is certainly the most powerful and versatile one we have released yet. There are already many excellent applications out there that have been developed on the PICASO-GFX and we are very excited to see upgrades to existing applications and new applications developed by our customers on the PICASO-GFX2” – Atilla Aknar, Managing Director, 4D Systems

The PICASO-GFX2 comes in a 10x10mm 64pin TQFP package and is available directly from 4D Systems or your local distributor. The software tools are available as a free download at www.4dsystems.com.au. 4D Systems also offers a selection of OLED and LCD display modules with and without touch in a variety of sizes for evaluation purposes or for integration into various applications as embedded components. Current sizes vary from 2.4” – 3.2” with more modules in production.