I am working on an 8051-based project that needs a display. Normally I would just use a small character- based LCD display, but in this case I am thinking of going with something a bit more impressive; a standard flat-panel PC monitor.
This is a small-volume project with no particular cost, space, environmental or power constraints. The display is mostly static with a few small areas that change infrequently. 640x480 would be acceptable, but 1024x768 would be a lot easier to find monitors for. I am also willing to spring for a fast 100 Mips 8051 if that will help.
My first thought was having a counter clock data out of fast RAM into DACS and thus make a VGA signal, with the
8051 updating another bank of RAM and making a fast bank switch during vertical retrace, but then I started thinking about DVI interfaces. Normally a PC throws a lot of fast data at a DVI interface, but would it hold a static picture with a much slower refresh rate? Or could I run RAM fast enough to hit a 60Hz refresh?Another possibility would be some sort of display chip; does anyone know of one suitable for a slow 8-bit micro?
Any suggestions about another approach would be welcome.