DSI Screen Availability

[zed_thirteen]

When is the foundation's Raspberry Pi screen going to be available?

I've searched the forums and found lots of information saying it can't be done yet but not any reports of when it will be available.

I waited patiently for the release of gertboard - and then assembled gertboard as gertboard became obsolete the day I ordered mine.

I then waited patiently for the camera, which I didn't really want, and bought that anyway.

There was a strong rumour that the foundation would be starting work on the DSI screen once the camera had been finished but it seems to be very quiet at the moment.

Is there going to be a foundation add-on screen? If so please can we have a sticky post (like Foundation Camera Board information) which reports on the progress of hardware/software development, specs, estimated availability etc. Preferably in a “DSI Screen” folder under “Hardware and Peripherals” like the camera board and gertboard are.

I know some of this may be down to Broadcom but an update would still be nice.

Regards
David

[mahjongg]

the RPF worked for over a year on the CSI camera, so I don't expect that a month after launching the camera they would announce the DSI board, they probably have not even started on it. There are only a very few people that can work on it, in their spare time.

[u8nc]

I hope it will be a PixelQi transflective type. But somehow I don't think MaryLou Jepsen is serious about selling them, she seems to parade the technology everywhere but by withholding it like the carrot on the stick to try get more and more clamour going.

Maybe she thinks that increased demand translates to a higher sale price, but in reality a demonstration of sales like the raspberry pi would make the corporates take notice. Just sell it lady. She's one of the original OLPC movers and shakers, but honestly the RPi foundation have done more to achieve that end in one year than the decade of OLPC's existence.

They have almost used up a third of their patent life through power-plays that have come to naught, so we only nave a few years left to wait.

[mahjongg]

I hope it will be a PixelQi transflective type

it won't be any LCD by itself, it will be a board that translates serial DSI signals int a form which can be used to connect "naked" (controller-less) LCD panels. As each LCD panel has its own mechanical interface (connector) the board will probably only support a few, or perhaps more with mechanical adapters. Well see what the RPF will come up with.
Also the GPU driver for the DSI board will probably be made as flexible as possible, but will still limit the types of LCD's useable.

the big advantage of the DSI board will be that it will be an independent screen, probably useable next to a HDMI screen, and it will support large high resolution screens, without the need for an ARM driver supporting it, (like the small 2.8" screens with an SPI interface need). so video playback etc will be possible at full resolution and frame rates.

[u8nc]

makes sense.
however isn't the purpose of DSI not just another display, but another means of I/O via a (touch?)screen

[RaTTuS]

we don't know what the foundation has in mind...
HDMI would be good
portable would also be good

[0xFF]

+ for LVDS

[PiGraham]

we don't know what the foundation has in mind...
HDMI would be good
portable would also be good

We already have HDMI. More or less any LCD with HDMI interface will work. There are boards available that will drive many LCDs from HDMI.

[RaTTuS]

aha yes but the DSI also provides a 2nd screen - so dual HDMI would be available

[jamesh]

When is the foundation's Raspberry Pi screen going to be available?

I've searched the forums and found lots of information saying it can't be done yet but not any reports of when it will be available.

I waited patiently for the release of gertboard - and then assembled gertboard as gertboard became obsolete the day I ordered mine.

I then waited patiently for the camera, which I didn't really want, and bought that anyway.

There was a strong rumour that the foundation would be starting work on the DSI screen once the camera had been finished but it seems to be very quiet at the moment.

Is there going to be a foundation add-on screen? If so please can we have a sticky post (like Foundation Camera Board information) which reports on the progress of hardware/software development, specs, estimated availability etc. Preferably in a “DSI Screen” folder under “Hardware and Peripherals” like the camera board and gertboard are.

I know some of this may be down to Broadcom but an update would still be nice.

Regards
David

The Foundation don't really provide updates on developments for a number of reasons, one being if they did, then people would be constantly complaining about release date being missed, inadequate specs, lack of people working on it etc! There are also commercial reasons why things are kept close to the chest.

That said I'm sure (but I don't know current status) that thought is going in to it.

[zed_thirteen]

Thanks James,

Perhaps "When will it be available?" was a bit optimistic and I can perhaps understand the commercial reasons for not announcing specs, development progress etc.

But could we at least have a statement of intent? I'm happy to wait as long as I know it will happen one day as I don't like the alternatives.

Surely no competitor has the necessary influence at Broadcom to be a viable threat or is it a case that once the Broadcom drivers are announced any competitor can produce a DSI interface adapter.

[mahjongg]

Hardware and GPU drivers in this case are very much interrelated, so only very few persons will be able to create both the hardware, and the GPU software for the DSI board, its very much like the camera board + support software in that regard.

[ceteras]

The difference is that an LCD screen has far fewer parameter to set, no calibration and fine tuning required.
It doesn't need to be as ubiquitous as I2C (which most anybody can work with).
If 10 people of all the community have the skills to build adapters and config files for DSI, they would sell stuff, and many would gladly buy it, me included.
A lot more awesome projects could be built, specially portable gadgets.

As a consolation, I say that if the Foundation has nothing to announce on DSI, this means they are working on something more important and perhaps even more awesome! No news is good news.

[smartroad]

I hope they do come out with something. I found these screens: https://www.olimex.com/Products/OLinuXino/A13/

They use a parallel 8Bit input so would need a converter, however the 10" 1024x600 screen is only €75 without touch which seems really low cost.

[zed_thirteen]

Any updates on a dedicated DSI screen or interface adapter yet? Should I just take this off my wish-list?

[RaTTuS]

no - otherwise we would of seen by now...
/me is hoping for a RPI 2nd birthday prezzie

[zed_thirteen]

At last, an announcement that the foundation is working on a DSI interface

From Magpi issue 21:
[MagPi] Are there any plans for new hardware in
the next year – either new add on boards or any
upgraded or brand new hardware for the
Raspberry Pi itself? Maybe a display for the DSI
connector, or something similar?

[Eben] We are actively working on the display
board and hopefully we will have some
announcements on that fairly soon. We have a
lovely demo that we are going to show at
Electronics World in Germany, which is where
we launched the Pi two years ago. The nice thing
about the display connector is that you can use
the HDMI output and the DSI output at the same
time – so you can use two displays.

Looks like I'll be a happy boy soon

[jamesh]

At last, an announcement that the foundation is working on a DSI interface

From Magpi issue 21:
[MagPi] Are there any plans for new hardware in
the next year – either new add on boards or any
upgraded or brand new hardware for the
Raspberry Pi itself? Maybe a display for the DSI
connector, or something similar?

[Eben] We are actively working on the display
board and hopefully we will have some
announcements on that fairly soon. We have a
lovely demo that we are going to show at
Electronics World in Germany, which is where
we launched the Pi two years ago. The nice thing
about the display connector is that you can use
the HDMI output and the DSI output at the same
time – so you can use two displays.

Looks like I'll be a happy boy soon

There is another thread talking about the Foundations screen. It was 'announced'/demonstrated at the Jamboree. http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/viewto ... 1&start=25

[zed_thirteen]

Today's blog about the compute module http://www.raspberrypi.org/compute-modu ... available/ also announced that the DSI display interface will be available by the end of the year

In each kit you get a Compute Module, an IO Board, adaptors to convert the CMIO board camera and display interfaces to use the official Raspberry Pi Camera (and display when available later this year), 5V power supply and a micro USB cable for flashing the eMMC from a host PC

[jamesh]

Today's blog about the compute module http://www.raspberrypi.org/compute-modu ... available/ also announced that the DSI display interface will be available by the end of the year

In each kit you get a Compute Module, an IO Board, adaptors to convert the CMIO board camera and display interfaces to use the official Raspberry Pi Camera (and display when available later this year), 5V power supply and a micro USB cable for flashing the eMMC from a host PC

The exact wording for the display is 'later this year', not 'by the end of the year'. Very different meanings.

[zed_thirteen]

"this year" is 2014 so "later this year" = before the end of 2014.

[DougieLawson]

"this year" is 2014 so "later this year" = before the end of 2014.

If the year starts counting from today, that could be any time between now and June 22nd, 2015.
Don't hold your breath waiting. It should be considered as "vapourware" until a generally available date is announced.

[jamesh]

"this year" is 2014 so "later this year" = before the end of 2014.

There's an implicit desire for the human brain to think of "By the end of the year" to mean close to the end of the year. Whereas "later this year" is parsed to mean sooner this year rather than later.

[zed_thirteen]

Thank you James,

As a programmer my brain tends to think in logic (and requirements). The blog statement was parsed and evaluated as written without any non-computational assumptions.

Your earlier statement did make the pessimist in me think you might be trying to suggest some other annual boundary like the end of the tax year for example.

However, sooner rather than later in the year is still before the end of the year. Sooner is obviously better though

I'll shut up now

[zed_thirteen]

Guess it wasn't to be by the end of 2014 then

I think I heard Eben say "... or maybe early next year" in one of his video interviews