[Balloon] Sont LCD patch update

[Chris Jones]

> When you compile the code, are you cross compiling it? or are you
> compiling natively?  Can you explain your development environment.

I'm cross-compiling on a Debian box. The package I have installed is
called 'task-cross-arm', and came from:
deb http://emdebian.sourceforge.net/emdebian unstable main
(that's the line from my sources.list file).

I'm using the 2.4.25 kernel source from husaberg.toby-churchill.com.

> I tried to compile the 2.4.25 kernel, with lots of errors, so that
> option is not an easy fix.

It should be straightforward to build the kernel once you have the right
tools installed. Nick has even put a .config file that works in with the
sources, which is a real timesaver. make menuconfig - load the example
.config file (I can't remember its name offhand) - save config file -
make dep - make bzImage. Done.

> I'm looking for an easy way to test out my LCD module.  I know I
> asked if you had any test code, but I thought I would ask again.

Having done some more framebuffer experiments, I think it should be
possible to use the fbset utility to configure the LCD *if* the ARM is
already expecting to drive a TFT display - fbset doesn't seem to be able
to twiddle the right bits in the ARM registers to put it into that mode,
and I think the default 2.4.25 kernel is set up to drive a passive
display. Beyond that, I don't know if fbset has been built for the
Balloon board, but it shouldn't be hard.

I do now have some code for fiddling around with the framebuffer device,
converting images into 16-bit colour and so on, but it relies on the
kernel being correctly set up.

I'd concentrate on getting that kernel compile to work: it'll be time
well spent for the rest of your project, I'm sure.

HTH
Chris

-- 
Chris Jones - chris at martin-jones.com
Martin-Jones Technology Ltd, makers of Solidlights
http://www.solidlights.co.uk/