In this episode, Clem takes us through the intricacies of the Raspberry Pi Pico and graphics cards. Forget the technical jargon; imagine a graphics card as a translator between your CPU and the screen, a bit like those old-school graphics adapters but with a modern twist. Clem, our guide, dives into the world of microcontrollers, specifically the RP2040, cooking up digital concoctions for today's monitors and touchscreens.
But every journey has its bumps, and Clem hits a roadblock with high-speed video signals. Ever tried hand wiring on a breadboard? It can be a hit or a miss. Spoiler: It's a miss. Clem troubleshoots with DVI-Socks, dealing with impedance-matching intricacies using resistors. It's a bit like walking a tightrope – precision is key, but it's easy to slip.
The video navigates through connection experiments – soldering DVI sockets, trying headers – with Clem emphasizing the importance of stable connections over detachable boards. A nudge in the wrong direction, and the signal's out of sync. Clem wraps it up neatly with a PCB design, a more reliable solution for video signals with the Raspberry Pi Pico.
The plot thickens as Clem tackles the connection conundrum. In the PCIe connector, Clem spots a hidden SMBus, an I2C bus in disguise. This lets Clem attach the Pseudo-GPU to the SMBus via the PCI connector.
The grand finale showcases Clem's Arduino code, a practical display of text, colour, and rotation using the Adafruit GFX library. Clem demonstrates using two Raspberry Pi Pico boards, connected via I2C, showing them playing nicely with a small monitor. The graphics are very basic, but the concept opens doors for more creative projects.
Downloads & Links:
- Download Code and Schematics!
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Pico dvi https://github.com/Wren6991/PicoDVI
Bill of Material:
| Product Name | Manufacturer | Quantity | Buy Kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry pi pico | Raspberry pi | 2 | Buy Now |
Additional Parts:
| DVI Socket |
