1,086 bytes added,
20:11, 4 September 2011 [[Category:Ongoing_Projects]]
A FPGA-based interface controller for
[http://www.limpkin.fr/index.php?post/2011/05/12/Oops...-I-dit-it-again%21 Limpkin's RGB LED matrices].
=== Matrix reference ===
[[LedMatrix]]
== Overview ==
* FPGA drives 1 or more (up to 4?) matrices
* use block ram or external SRAM for frame buffer storage
* interface with PC
=== Feature ideas ===
* double buffering
* larger off-screen buffer + compositing ops?
* character generation
* update only sections
* small CPU core to execute short programs?
== Components ==
=== Memory ===
External SRAM needs to be fast enough to handle all reads during one
cycle. Per connected matrix we need to read 6 bytes per cycle.
Clearly this would require use to run at 150MHz, which is infeasible.
If we use a separate chip per matrix block (6 chips or 3 chips with
16bit width), we can still operate with 25MHz.
Concurrent writes need to be possible, but at a lower speed. Either
buffer reads and slip in writes when there is slack (complicated), or
alternate between reads and writes at higher speed (DDR?).