How to drive a picture LCD?

Hi,
I am a beginner at microcontroller. Now I have a GARMIN GPS 25LVS oem board. I want to show exactly location on a map by an large LCD. Map on the LCD, and it can move. Only a few experience at 89X51 and assambly language.
I know the 89X51 is not stong enough to drive the picture LCD. So what do I need to learn? How to start?
Thanks

It Depend On Your LCD - Most LCD Today Have There Own COntroller - So You Can Drive Them With plain Slow 8 Bit Asynchronous Bus.

All You Need Is To Build The Interface Software In c, c++ This Software Might Be Big And You Will Need Large Storage pLCAE To Store It.

If the LCD doesn't have a controler (which it probably doesn't), you'll have to generate the pixel data by some mean.

Micro-controler is really not suited for that. The only viable solution is an FPGA. An FPGA (which stand for Field Programmable Gate Array) is a class of IC that you can program (like a memory or a micro-controler), but instead of defining a program, you actually define hardware functions. I don't know of you heared about simpler programmable hardware devices, like the PAL, GAL, ... Well, FPGA is a super-boosted version of those chip.

Though, to design for FPGA, there's a lot to learn. First, you need to learn about the basic of FPGA. Then, you need to learn how to program them, i.e., the language used to define the hardware functions (such as VHDL or Verilog).

Thow, depending on the FPGA (which size you use), there are some that contain enough hardware gates that you could even create a processor in the FPGA.

An alternative to a FPGA is to use a CPLD. It stand in the middle way between simple PLD and FPGA. It can do less stuff than FPGA, but could be enough for simpler projects. If all you want to do is read from a memory and shoot the data to the LCD, then, you could use a dual-ported ram, like this:

89X51 <==> DPRAM <==> CPLD <==> LCD

CPLD also is better programmed using hardware language like VHDL or Verilog, so you don't get out of learning it

Hi,
Thanks for reply. After reading your post. I search key word FPGA and then PAL and then CPLD and then GAL. I am very confused of them. They seem the same things, which are so many gates in them. The only differnet is just the amount of the gates, right? what is their relationship?
As you said FPGA actually define hardware funtion. So why not
DRPRAM<==>FPGA/CPLD/PAL/GAL<==>LCD?

After so many questions, what I really wanna know is: can you recommand a book for a rookie? Thank you very much!

the architecture of an FPGA is a bit different from CPLDs. a good book to look at is Clive Maxfield's Design Warrior's Guide to FPGAs



u would need the djvu plugin to view this book

have fun 8)