FrameBuffer

This is a framebuffer driver and usage, tested on the DE2 board.

1. download the DE2 demo disc,DE2 System CD v. 1.5—ZIP 
2. download the Avalon_VGA_Controller.zip (you must join Nios Forum to access the "Post Your Own IP")
and PS/2 component

3. unzip the DE2 demo disc, in project dir, DE2_System_v1.5/DE2_demonstrations/DE2_NIOS_HOST_MOUSE_VGA
unzip the VGA controller and PS/2.

4. in the same project dir, unzip the attached de2_vga.zip . I have included ptf and sof in it. I delete the binary VGA, add the new VGA at 640x480 16bits 565, add PS/2, and change the SDRAM clock from 50MHz to 100MHz. Now the SDRAM have 200MByte/s bandwidth, and the VGA will use 50MByte/s. ( If you ever want to use 24bits color, you will need to swap RED and BLUE outputs at the top level, as to make it compatible with Microwin. )

5. in uClinux-dist kernel config, 

Processor type and features -->
Platform (Altera DE2 Development board support) -->

Device Drivers -->  Character devices --->
[*] Virtual terminal
[ ]   Support for console on virtual terminal    # YOU SHOULD NOT SELECT THIS

select the frame buffer driver,
Device Drivers -->  Graphics support  ---> 
 [*] Support for frame buffer devices  ---> [*]   Altera framebuffer support  
Console display driver support  ---> 
[ ] VGA text console    # YOU MUST UNSELECT THIS
< > Framebuffer Console support 


select input device drivers,
Device Drivers -->  Input device support
[*] Generic input layer (needed for keyboard, mouse, ...)
---   Userland interfaces
[*]   Mouse interface
[ ]     Provide legacy /dev/psaux device
(1024)  Horizontal screen resolution
(768)   Vertical screen resolution

if you will use PS/2 mouse or keyboard,
Device Drivers  --->   Input Device Drivers
[*] Keyboard --->
<*>   AT keyboard
[*] Mouse --->
<*>   PS/2 mouse
   Hardware I/O ports  ---> 
--- Serial I/O support
[ ]   i8042 PC Keyboard controller  # YOU MUST UNSELECT THIS
[ ]   Serial port line discipline # YOU MUST UNSELECT THIS
[*]   Altera UP PS2 controller

if you will use USB mouse or keyboard, select ISP1362 USB host driver (see UsbHost )

Device Drivers  ---> HID Devices
[*] Generic HID support


6. in uClinux-dist user config,

MicroWindows  ---> 
[*] MicroWindows
--- Compiling Options
[*] Optimize
[*] Thread safe   # if you use pthread
--- Libraries
[*] NanoX
--- Demos
[*] NanoXDemo 
--- Applications
[*] NanoWM
--- Settings
(Packed-16bit-5/6/5) Screeen PixType 
[ ] Link App into server
[*] Have File IO
[*] Have JPEG Support        # if you want JPEG, and then libjpeg will be selected
--- Display Config
[*] Frame Buffer Display
--- Mouse/Touch Screen
[*] Serial Mouse
--- Keyboard
[*] Scan Keyboard
--- Install These Applications
[*] Nano-X
[*] NanoWM
[*] NXclock
[*] NXterm
[*] NXView


7. Build and boot uClinux,
It will show,
io scheduler noop registered
io scheduler deadline registered (default)
fb0: Altera frame buffer device, using 600K of video memory
Serial: JTAG UART driver $Revision: 1.1 $
ttyJ0 at MMIO 0x806810f0 (irq = 1) is a jtag_uart
Then it will detect the USB mouse,
/> input: CHESEN USB MOUSE as /class/input/input0
input: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [CHESEN USB MOUSE] on usb-isp1362-hcd-2
Last, run the nano-X server,
/> nano-X &
/> nanowm &
/> nxclock &
/> nxterm &
It should display a arrow cursor, round clock and shell terminal. 

OR, try the attached zImage_de2_vga, 
nano-X &
nxview /home/ftp/rhino.jpg &

The 8M memory on DE2 is very tight. So you should not add too many features/drivers in kernel , or user apps. Otherwise it will run out of memory and crash.

/> TSLIB_FBDEVICE=/dev/fb0
/> TSLIB_CONSOLEDEVICE=none
/> TSLIB_CALIBFILE=/etc/pointercl
/> TSLIB_TSDEVICE=/dev/input/event0 // your touchscreen device
/> ts_calibrate

You could save the file of TSLIB_CALIBFILE to a flash filesystem, so that you 
don't have to run ts_calibrate each time.