Pixmap on serial console

The portable pixmap on serial console library prints the screen as a header file on the serial console.

The header file is added to the source code and included in the project of the application at build-time. Once the application is built, it loads the image into the frame-buffer, ready to be displayed at run-time.

This method is recommended for MCUs, as the management of the SD-card is rather slow and prone to interferences.

Warning

Because the file library manages windows, it requires one of the PDLS_EXT3_Advanced_Fast_Large, PDLS_EXT3_Advanced_Fast_Medium, PDLS_EXT3_Advanced_Fast_Small and PDLS_EXT3_Advanced_Fast_Touch libraries.

The pixmap on serial console library is available on the advanced and commercial editions.

Configure

Ensure the screen is declared and initialised according to the configuration procedure.

#include "hV_Serial_P4.h"

The pre-processor statement includes the file library.

No external SD library is required, as the header file is sent to the serial console.

Serial_P4 myFile(&myScreen);

The constructor Serial_P4() sets the link to the screen.

As the header file is printed on the serial console, the SD-card doesn't need to be initialised.

Use

Generate

myFile.saveScreen("Head_P4");

saveScreen() prints the screen as a header file on the serial console.

The required parameter is

• The first line provides the name of the file without the .h extension.

The printed header file contains the structure Pixmap_Head_P4.

Capture the content of the serial console and copy it into a header file, for example Head_P4.h.

Display

#include "HEAD_P4.h"

myFile.readScreen(Pixmap_Head_P4);
myScreen.fastFlush();

The application needs to include the header file previously generated.

readScreen() loads the image into the frame-buffer, ready to be displayed.

Example

This is the core of the code from example Serial_Print_Pixmap.ino.

void displayPrintSerial()
{
    // No SD-card

    myScreen.setOrientation(myOrientation);
    myScreen.selectFont(fontLarge);

   myScreen.clear();
    myScreen.gText(8, 8, "Header P4");
    myScreen.flushFast();

    // Print to serial console
    mySerialImage.saveScreen("Head_P4");
    wait(4);
}

The generated header file contains the pixmap as an array.

// Pixmap as header file generated by hV_Serial_P4

// SDK
#include "hV_HAL_Peripherals.h"

// Release
#ifndef HEAD_P4_RELEASE
#define HEAD_P4_RELEASE

static const uint8_t Pixmap_Head_P4[] = 
{
    0x50, 0x34, 0x0a, // P4 header
    0x31, 0x37, 0x36, 0x20, 0x32, 0x36, 0x34, 0x0a, // H x V = 176 264
    // size= 5808
    0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, // v= 0
    // ...
    0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, 0x55, // v= 263
};

#endif // HEAD_P4_RELEASE    

This is the core of the code from example Header_Read_Pixmap.ino.

#include "HEAD_P4.h"

void displayReadHeader()
{
    myScreen.setOrientation(myOrientation);
    myScreen.clear();

    myScreen.selectFont(fontLarge);
    myScreen.gText(4, 4, "Reading the header back...");
    myScreen.flushFast();
    wait(4);

    myHeader.readScreen(Pixmap_Head_P4);
    myScreen.flushFast();
    wait(4);
}