Microchip launches PIC32 board for GUI development without an external Graphics Controller

Low-cost, controller-less graphics board enables developers to directly drive 65k (16-bit-per-pixel) colour graphical user interfaces
Brings touch-screen interfaces within reach of cost-driven markets such as home appliances, consumer, automotive and industrial products

The cost of integrating an external graphics controller to support touch-screen user interfaces can be prohibitive for highly competitive markets, such as home appliances, consumer, automotive and industrial products. Based on a 32-bit PIC32 microcontroller (MCU), the LCC Graphics PICtail Plus daughter board enables developers to directly drive 256 (8-bit-per-pixel)-colour graphical user interfaces using the PIC32 MCU’s on-chip memory, direct memory access controller and parallel master port. This reduces the bill of materials cost by eliminating the need for an external graphics controller. The board also enables developers to ‘jumper’ in the on-board 256 KB of SRAM to support 65K (16-bit-per-pixel)-colour WQVGA interfaces.

The new daughter board can be used with an Explorer 16 Development Board or PIC32 Starter Kit, such as the PIC32 USB Starter Kit 2, and can be connected to any of the LCD panels available from Microchip, including the Truly 3.2” QVGA and Powertip 4.3” WQVGA display panels. It is supported by Microchip’s free Graphics Library, making it easy to incorporate graphical user interfaces into industrial products such as control panels; home appliances such as coffee machines, washing machines and dryers; consumer thermostats, security-alarm panels and educational toys; and into driver information displays in the automotive market.