Display screen driving method and system based on single SPI interface

Abstract

The invention discloses a display screen driving system based on a single SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), which comprises a control chip and a plurality of storage chips, and is characterized in that a main controller is used for sending a storage address of to-be-displayed data to an SPI module and starting the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the to-be-displayed data when data display is needed, the starting module is also used for starting the display screen and the DMA module; the SPI interface module is used for sending the storage address and the display length of the to-be-displayed data to the selected storage chip; the storage chip is used for generating to-be-displayed data with a specified length according to a storage address and a display length of the to-be-displayed data, and returning the to-be-displayed data to the SPI interface module; and the DMA module is used for sending the to-be-displayed data returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for displaying. According to the invention, communication among the control chip, the storage chip and the display screen can be completed by using one SPI interface, the complexity of hardware design is reduced, the cost is low, and the display effect is smooth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of display driving technologies, and particularly to a display screen driving method, system, device, and computer-readable storage medium based on a single SPI interface. Background Art

[0002] The SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) protocol, as a serial communication protocol, has characteristics such as simplicity, light weight, and flexibility, and is thus used for display screen driving. All display data of the display screen (including animations and static pictures, etc.) are stored in an external storage chip. As the core component, the control chip first reads the stored data in the storage chip and then sends it to the display screen, thereby completing the display of a frame of picture or an animation. Between the control chip and the storage chip, as well as between the control chip and the display screen, an SPI interface module is used for communication.

[0003] In the prior art, a display screen driving method is disclosed, which uses a control chip with relatively low performance (low operating main frequency, simple kernel architecture) and only one SPI interface module. When in use, the control chip first selects the external storage chip, reads some display data from it using the SPI interface module, and caches it into the internal storage space of the control chip; then the control chip switches to select the display screen and uses the SPI interface module to send the cached partial display data to the display screen to complete the display of partial content; repeat the above steps until all content is displayed. Although this driving method has a simple process, since the control chip has been busy moving data back and forth, the efficiency is very low, and the operating main frequency is relatively low, so the refresh effect of its display screen is very poor, resulting in the inability to display animations or the animation display effect is not smooth, affecting the user experience and the product quality.

[0004] In the prior art, another display screen driving method is also disclosed, which uses a control chip with relatively high performance (high operating main frequency, complex kernel architecture) and contains two SPI interface modules. When in use, the two SPI interface modules of the control chip respectively select the display screen and the external storage chip. One of the SPI interface modules reads some display data from the external storage chip and gives the display data to the other SPI interface module for display on the display screen; repeat the above steps until all content is displayed. Since this driving method uses two SPI interface modules, the efficiency of data transfer is improved, so the display screen can display a relatively smooth animation effect, but such control chips have a high cost. Therefore, although this method improves the user experience, the product competitiveness has not been correspondingly improved.

[0005] Based on this, a new solution is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a display screen driving method and system based on a single SPI interface, achieving a balance between display effects and cost price.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface, connected to a display screen, including a control chip and multiple storage chips. The control chip is connected between the display screen and the multiple storage chips. The control chip includes a main controller, an SPI interface module, and a DMA module. The main controller is connected to the SPI interface module and the DMA module. The main controller is used to send the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module and start the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the data to be displayed when data display is required. It is also used to start the display screen and the DMA module. The SPI interface module is used to send the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip. The storage chip is used to generate the data to be displayed with a specified length according to the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed, and return the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module. The DMA module is used to send the data to be displayed returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display.

[0008] In the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the main controller is respectively connected to the multiple storage chips and the display screen through chip select pins.

[0009] In the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the storage chip is connected to the master device output / slave device input, clock pin, and master device input / slave device output pin of the SPI interface module.

[0010] In the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the display screen is connected to the master device output / slave device input and clock pin of the SPI interface module.

[0011] In the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the main controller is also used to set the source and target addresses of the DMA module to the receive FIFO and transmit FIFO of the SPI interface module respectively.

[0012] In the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the data to be displayed returns to the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module, and the DMA module is used to send the data to be displayed in the receiving FIFO to the sending FIFO, and then send the data to be displayed to the display screen via the SPI interface module for display.

[0013] In the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the SPI interface module is further configured to generate a clock signal for the SPI interface module to enable the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module to continue receiving the data to be displayed returned by the storage chip when sending the data to be displayed in the sending FIFO to the display screen.

[0014] In addition, to achieve the above object, the present invention further provides a display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface, including the following steps: When data display is required, the main controller sends the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module and starts the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the data to be displayed; Start the display screen and the DMA module; The SPI interface module sends the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip; The storage chip generates the data to be displayed with a specified length according to the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed, and returns the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module; and The DMA module sends the data to be displayed returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display.

[0015] In the display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, the step of the DMA module sending the data to be displayed returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display includes: The main controller sets the source and target addresses of the DMA module to the receiving FIFO and the sending FIFO of the SPI interface module respectively; The data to be displayed returns to the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module; The DMA module sends the data to be displayed in the receiving FIFO to the sending FIFO; The data to be displayed is sent to the display screen via the SPI interface module for display.

[0016] In the display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention, after the step of sending the data to be displayed in the receiving FIFO to the sending FIFO, the method further includes: generating a clock signal for the SPI interface module to enable the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module to continue receiving the data to be displayed returned by the storage chip.

[0017] The display screen driving system and method based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects: The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention can complete the communication between the control chip, the storage chip, and the display screen by using one SPI interface; at the same time, DMA is used for data transfer, realizing an efficient data transfer method and reducing the participation of the main controller. Therefore, an efficient and simplified display solution is provided; not only the overall performance of the system is improved, but also the complexity of the hardware design is reduced, the cost is low, and the display effect is smooth. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained according to the provided drawings: Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 The flowchart of the display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Embodiments

[0019] To facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant drawings. The typical embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The terms used in the description of the present invention in this specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As Figure 1As shown in the figure, the display driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention includes a control chip 10 and a plurality of storage chips 20. The control chip 10 is connected between the display screen 30 and the plurality of storage chips 20. The control chip 10 includes a main controller 110, an SPI interface module 120, and a DMA module 130. The main controller 110 is connected to the SPI interface module 120 and the DMA module 130.

[0022] Specifically, in this embodiment, the main controller 110 is respectively connected to the plurality of storage chips 20 and the display screen 30 through chip select pins. For example, the main controller 110 uses CS1 (Chip Select) and CS2 pins to connect to the storage chip and the display screen respectively. The main controller 110 is used to start the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the data to be displayed when data display is required, and send the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module 120, and at the same time start the display screen 30 and the DMA module 130. That is, when data display is required, the main controller 110 selects the corresponding storage chip by pulling down the chip select pin CS1 according to the storage address of the data to be displayed, and sends the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module 120, and at the same time selects the display screen 30 by pulling down the chip select pin CS2 and starts the DMA module.

[0023] Specifically, in this embodiment, the control chip 10 only includes one SPI interface module 120. The MOSI pin (Master Output Slave Input) and the CLK pin of the SPI interface module 120 are simultaneously connected to the storage chip and the display screen. The MISO pin (Master Input Slave Output) of the SPI interface module 120 is connected to the storage chip. That is, the master output / slave input and the clock pin of the SPI interface module 120 are connected to the display screen 30, and the master output / slave input, the clock pin, and the master input / slave output pin of the SPI interface module 120 are connected to the storage chip 20. The SPI interface module 120 is used to send the storage address and the display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip. That is, after the SPI interface module 120 receives the storage address of the data to be displayed from the main controller 110, it sends a string of data including the storage address and the display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip 20 through the master output / slave input pin.

[0024] Specifically, in this embodiment, the storage chip 20 is configured to generate display data of a specified length according to the storage address and display length of the display data, and return the display data to the SPI interface module 120. That is, after the storage chip 20 generates display data of a specified length based on the received data including the storage address and display length of the display data to be displayed, the SPI interface module 120 receives the display data to be displayed through the master input / slave output pin.

[0025] Specifically, in this embodiment, the DMA module 130 is configured to send the display data to be displayed returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display. Further, the main controller is further configured to set the source and destination addresses of the DMA module 130 to the receive FIFO and transmit FIFO of the SPI interface module 120 respectively, that is, the controller sets the source and destination addresses of the DMA (Direct Memory Access) to the receive FIFO and transmit FIFO of the SPI interface module. The receive FIFO is used to receive the data returned by the storage chip, and the transmit FIFO is used to transmit the display data of the display screen. That is, the display data to be displayed is returned to the receive FIFO of the SPI interface module, and the DMA module 130 is configured to send the display data to be displayed in the receive FIFO to the transmit FIFO, and then send the display data to be displayed to the display screen through the SPI interface module for display. That is, the storage chip returns display data of a specified length to the receive FIFO of the SIP interface module of the control chip, and these data are moved by the DMA module to the transmit FIFO of the SIP interface module for display on the display screen. Thus, the display data is directly moved from the storage chip to the display screen without passing through the cache and transfer of the control chip. Therefore, this data transfer speed is the fastest. Coupled with the use of the DMA channel, the entire data transfer process does not require the participation of the control chip. Therefore, the control chip can turn to do other things, improving the usage efficiency. When displaying some more delicate and advanced animation effects, the display effect is also very smooth.

[0026] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the SPI interface module is further configured to generate a clock signal for the SPI interface module when sending the data to be displayed in the transmit FIFO to the display screen, so that the receive FIFO of the SPI interface module continues to receive the data to be displayed returned by the storage chip. In SPI communication, the transmission of data depends on the synchronization of the clock signal. When the SPI interface module sends the data to be displayed in the transmit FIFO to the display screen, it generates a clock signal, enabling the SPI interface module to continue operating. By generating this clock signal, the SPI interface module can successfully activate the receive FIFO and continue to receive the data to be displayed from the storage chip. This avoids data stream interruption caused by the absence or suspension of the clock signal. In practical applications, display systems often need to process a large amount of dynamic data, especially high-refresh-rate display devices. By generating the clock signal, it is ensured that the receive FIFO can continuously receive data, maintaining the continuity of the data stream and preventing display delay or stuttering caused by data reception interruption. This embodiment ensures that the receive FIFO of the SPI interface module can continuously receive the data to be displayed from the storage chip by introducing the SPI interface module to generate a clock signal, achieving the continuity and real-time performance of the data stream.

[0027] The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention offers an efficient and simplified display solution through an efficient data transmission method, reducing the participation of the main controller, and utilizing DMA to accelerate data transfer. It not only improves the overall performance of the system but also reduces the complexity of the hardware design, with low cost, smooth display effect. When driving a 0.96-inch TFT screen, the maximum refresh rate can reach 86 frames / s, greatly enhancing the user experience and product competitiveness of the entire product, and can fully rival the animation effects of high-end control chips currently on the market.

[0028] Figure 2 The figure shows a flowchart of a display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 2 shown, the display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface includes the following steps: Step S1: When data display is required, the main controller sends the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module and activates the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the data to be displayed; Specifically, in this embodiment, when data display is required, the main controller sends the storage address of the display data through the SPI interface module. The main controller determines the storage location of the data according to specific display requirements (such as images or text), sends a request to the SPI interface module through an instruction, specifying the storage address of the data and the starting position of the data. At the same time, the storage chip related to the display is started to prepare to read data from its internal storage.

[0029] Step S2: Start the display screen and the DMA module; Specifically, in this step, before the display data is transmitted, the system starts the display screen and the DMA module. This process ensures that the display screen is ready to receive data, and at the same time, the DMA module starts to prepare to receive the data transmitted from the SPI interface module. Starting the display screen ensures that the display device can receive the transmitted data and present the output. Starting the DMA module ensures the fast and efficient transmission of data, avoiding additional intervention by the CPU and improving the data processing speed.

[0030] Step S3: The SPI interface module sends the storage address and the display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip; Specifically, in this step, the SPI interface module sends the storage address and the display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip. This is a configuration of the storage chip to inform the chip where to read the data and the length of the data to be read. Thereby, it is ensured that the storage chip can accurately and effectively read the data, and the read data meets the requirements of the display screen (including size and format).

[0031] Step S4: The storage chip generates the data to be displayed with a specified length according to the storage address and the display length of the display data, and returns the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module; Specifically, in this step, the storage chip generates the data to be displayed with a specified length according to the provided storage address and display length, and returns the data to the SPI interface module. The storage chip reads the data from the specified address and generates a data stream that meets the display requirements. These data are packaged into a format suitable for transmission and sent back to the system through the SPI interface for subsequent display processes.

[0032] Step S5: The DMA module sends the data to be displayed returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display.

[0033] Specifically, in this step, the DMA module is responsible for transferring the data to be displayed from the SPI interface module to the display screen. Specifically, the main controller configures the DMA module so that its source address points to the receive FIFO queue of the SPI interface module, and the destination address points to the transmit FIFO queue of the SPI interface module; then, the storage chip returns the data to be displayed to the receive FIFO through the SPI interface module, and these data wait for further processing in the receive FIFO; subsequently, the DMA module reads the data to be displayed from the receive FIFO and writes these data into the transmit FIFO. In this way, the DMA module avoids the intervention of the CPU, thus realizing the automatic and continuous transmission of data. This process reduces the burden on the system and improves the efficiency of data transmission; finally, the data is transmitted from the transmit FIFO to the display screen through the SPI interface module for display, that is, the SPI interface module sends the data to the display screen for display according to the requirements of data transmission. Therefore, step S5 includes: The main controller sets the source and destination addresses of the DMA module to the receive FIFO and transmit FIFO of the SPI interface module respectively; The data to be displayed is returned to the receive FIFO of the SPI interface module; The DMA module sends the data to be displayed in the receive FIFO to the transmit FIFO; The data to be displayed is sent to the display screen for display via the SPI interface module; Generate a clock signal for the SPI interface module so that the receive FIFO of the SPI interface module continues to receive the data to be displayed returned by the storage chip.

[0034] In this embodiment, the DMA module is used to implement the data transmission from the SPI interface module to the display screen. The whole process is automated, and the data stream is managed through the FIFO queue to ensure the stability and efficiency of the data stream. The DMA module acts as a mediator, playing the role of a bridge connecting the receive FIFO and the transmit FIFO, and at the same time avoiding the intervention of the CPU, so that the system can efficiently complete the transmission of display data. This method has significant advantages in reducing latency, increasing the data transmission rate, and optimizing system performance.

[0035] The display screen driving system and method based on a single SPI interface provided by the present invention have the following advantages: Reduce the involvement of the control chip: In traditional display systems based on a single SPI interface, the control chip usually has to undertake a large amount of data processing and forwarding tasks. In this system, however, the DMA module can directly transfer data from the storage chip to the display screen via the SPI interface, and the main controller hardly needs to intervene in the data transfer process. This greatly reduces the burden on the control chip and improves the overall performance.

[0036] Utilize DMA to improve data transfer efficiency: DMA can directly transfer data in memory without the intervention of the CPU, which is particularly important in systems with high real-time requirements. In a display system, fast image updates are crucial. Using DMA technology can avoid the delay caused by the control chip processing data and ensure the rapid update of display data.

[0037] Reduce hardware complexity: By adopting a single SPI interface for communication, the hardware design becomes relatively simple. In the past, a control chip with two SPI interfaces was used to separately complete the communication between the control chip and the storage chip and the display screen. However, a control chip with two SPI interfaces has a high cost, and due to the differences in software algorithms among manufacturers, the display effects of the display screens are also different. In this invention, only one SPI interface is used to complete the communication between the control chip and the storage chip and the display screen.

[0038] Improve the display effect: Since the control chip hardly participates in data transfer, the main controller can focus on other tasks (such as graphics generation, animation processing, etc.), resulting in a smoother and more refined display effect. Especially when processing complex graphics or animations, it can maintain a high frame rate and avoid stuttering.

[0039] In the specification provided here, a large number of specific details are described. However, it can be understood that the embodiments of the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and technologies are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0040] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline this disclosure and assist in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the above description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various features of the present invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the disclosed method should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the following claims, the inventive aspects lie in less than all of the features of the single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present invention and forms different embodiments. For example, in the following claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0042] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and not restrictive, and those skilled in the art can design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present invention can be implemented by means of hardware including several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim listing several devices, several of these devices can be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not denote any order. These words can be interpreted as names.

Claims

1. A display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface, connected to a display screen, characterized in that: It includes a control chip and a plurality of memory chips, wherein the control chip is connected between the display screen and the plurality of memory chips, the control chip includes a main controller, an SPI interface module and a DMA module, and the main controller is connected to the SPI interface module and the DMA module. The main controller is used to send the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module when data display is required and start the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the data to be displayed, and is also used to start the display screen and the DMA module; The SPI interface module is used to send the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed to the selected storage chip; The storage chip is used to generate data to be displayed of a specified length according to the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed, and return the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module; The DMA module is used to send the to-be-displayed data returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display.

2. The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The main controller is connected to the plurality of storage chips and the display screen respectively through chip selection pins.

3. The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The storage chip is connected to the master device output / slave device input, the clock pin and the master device input / slave device output pin of the SPI interface module.

4. The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The display screen is connected to the master device output / slave device input and clock pin of the SPI interface module.

5. The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The main controller is also used to set the source and target addresses of the DMA module to the receiving FIFO and sending FIFO of the SPI interface module respectively.

6. The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The data to be displayed is returned to the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module, and the DMA module is used to send the data to be displayed in the receiving FIFO to the transmitting FIFO, and then send the data to be displayed to the display screen via the SPI interface module for display.

7. The display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The SPI interface module is also used to generate a clock signal for the SPI interface module when sending the to-be-displayed data in the sending FIFO to the display screen so that the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module continues to receive the to-be-displayed data returned by the storage chip.

8. A display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface, used in a display screen driving system based on a single SPI interface as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: When data display is required, the main controller sends the storage address of the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module and starts the corresponding storage chip according to the storage address of the data to be displayed; Start the display screen and DMA module; The SPI interface module sends the storage address and display length of the display data to the selected storage chip; The storage chip generates data to be displayed of a specified length according to the storage address and display length of the data to be displayed, and returns the data to be displayed to the SPI interface module; as well as The DMA module sends the data to be displayed that is returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display.

9. The display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The step of sending the data to be displayed returned to the SPI interface module to the display screen for display by the DMA module includes: The main controller sets the source and target addresses of the DMA module to the receiving FIFO and transmitting FIFO of the SPI interface module respectively; The data to be displayed is returned to the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module; The DMA module sends the to-be-displayed data in the receiving FIFO to the transmitting FIFO; The data to be displayed is sent to the display screen via the SPI interface module for display.

10. The display screen driving method based on a single SPI interface as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: After the step of sending the to-be-displayed data of the receiving FIFO to the transmitting FIFO, the method further includes: generating a clock signal for the SPI interface module so that the receiving FIFO of the SPI interface module continues to receive the to-be-displayed data returned by the storage chip.

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