Alternatives to Nextion displays?

Just a thought really, after having a ranty person with a god complex moan at me for asking about having the IDE being made open source on the nextion forums…

Taking a close look at the board, theres nothing special about it. Its a simple board with a stmf103c8 32Mb flash (4MB) a touch screen controller chip and the display. Thats it…

So its just got me thinking. While it might be a little beyond my own skills at the moment I might be willing to learn to do this… How would one go about learning to code a user interface on a display… Or better yet is there already a RTOS that has a decent form/gui design toolset? Ideally working within c++ ?

I like the nextion displays, but the IDEs development is far too slow and still pretty shoddy. Things just dont work on it and its coding system is very annoying. There are just some things on it that I don’t like. So I want to make it better :p

Let me know what you think or if you have any ideas

I think the better question is…
How does one go about building a GUI for an embedded system

Nutsy wrote:I think the better question is…
How does one go about building a GUI for an embedded system

I think for any complex system like that, you would start with a piece of paper writing down what you’d like it to do and how you’d like the programmer/user to use it.

A simple way of doing it would be to write a library that builds upon stuff like the Adafruit GFX library, add a nice menu system that’s easy to use and integrate that with the graphics part so it just draws the menu on screen in different ways etc. Then make some nice simple functions to define some icons, some UI elements like progress bars, gauges, text displays etc.

Nextion has a nice idea with having the whole UI thing be a totally separate thing handled by its own micro, so you could just take that part as is, but you could just have it run off the same micro as the main program, or even both.

Is it the GUI or the API for those displays that is good?

Perhaps neither really?

I guess if the GUI was no good, you would need to look around for another GUI generator that was open source, and piggback of that existing work.

I’ll sell you my display. lol I bought it but too many other things came up. They have a nice idea but they seemed to have stopped short. Last I saw it doesn’t come with any buttons, dials, etc, you have to design all of them yourself. It’s also great if you just want to add a button and turn things off/on. It’s when you want to do any decision logic it gets ugly. Looks like it’s own programming language. By the time you do all that you probably could have learned how to do it with no gui at all. At least that’s my initial impression. Maybe I’ll dig it back out and see.

The one great thing is once it is setup then your project isn’t having to do the processing to generate and manage the display. It just send/receives serial data and acts on that. So your project is free to do more intense tasks.

Have you looked at MIT App Inventor 2? I’ve seen several gui systems made like that and work great. The other one is GNU Radio. Both use drag and drop puzzle like pieces. Sound childish but you can build stuff really fast with them.

Michael

I use Nextion screens quite frequently. I hava a test program that reads the HMI file (as this contains all the information) and generates all the C code for the Arduino. It should probably do the same for the STM32 I guess. I’ll give it a try this week. What i boils down to now is that I creates a call to user functions like ‘on_event_buttonName_push()’ or pop() etc.
All I have to do now is just make those user functions. With a change to the HMI I can than regenerate the code.

nicoverduin wrote:I use Nextion screens quite frequently. I hava a test program that reads the HMI file (as this contains all the information) and generates all the C code for the Arduino. It should probably do the same for the STM32 I guess. I’ll give it a try this week. What i boils down to now is that I creates a call to user functions like ‘on_event_buttonName_push()’ or pop() etc.
All I have to do now is just make those user functions. With a change to the HMI I can than regenerate the code.

I myself need this kind of screen, but the Nextion is a LCD and my application is meant for use outdoors. I guess the Nextion display is not legible in bright sun, can you confirm?
Since I do not absolutely need a color display, nor a fast response, I am looking for a e-ink type 7-inch display. So far I did not find any, at least at an affordable price. If anyone had a clue, I would appreciate.

nicoverduin wrote:I use Nextion screens quite frequently. I hava a test program that reads the HMI file (as this contains all the information) and generates all the C code for the Arduino. It should probably do the same for the STM32 I guess. I’ll give it a try this week. What i boils down to now is that I creates a call to user functions like ‘on_event_buttonName_push()’ or pop() etc.
All I have to do now is just make those user functions. With a change to the HMI I can than regenerate the code.

I found an alternative im going to try some point in the next few months…
FTDI Eve, I mentioned it in another thread if anyone has used it or not…

Several companies have there own HID product using Eve, all rather more expensive than Nextion, however the actual hardware is really cheap, and relatively easy to build your self.

Its also open hardware, IE no hidden OS code to piss about with like in Nextion. The Eve GUI builder IDE spits out C code you load into your MCU to interface with the Eve accelerator chip… Currently the only thing Im not really sure of is how you upload gui elements to the Eve, a seporate memorychip is required. But are the elements uploaded direct to the eve which dumps them on the memory chip or some how through the main MCU… I dont know.

In any case, the FTDI chip is only a few dollars. And provides a whole host of features. Even video playback… The GUI is also buffered so no clipping or tearing and its accelerated enough you can have a whole ton of animated elements running about…

Tons of vids on Youtube… in my case I could really push the lcd screens effects up on my speedo…. Make it even more swish…

Damn i sound like a PR guy from FTDI :p
Im not honest. It just looks good… And if you build the board and connect a lcd screen yourself, a really high quality cheap option… Far better than the Nextion.

If i remember correctly the FTDI Eve chips range from around 2-8 dollors each depending on what performance your after. A touch screen dumb LCD is what? 5-15 dollars? Memory chip again a few dollors…

Anyone I really hope some one else here has used it so they can give some input on how you develop and upload to it.

Here are some premade displays using the FTDI EVE controller that I just bought for some projects, the links below are a lot cheaper then the Nextions.

5″ touch screen
http://www.hotmcu.com/5-graphical-lcd-t … cPath=6_16

5″ capacitive touch screen
http://www.hotmcu.com/5-graphical-lcd-c … p-301.html

accordingly qt qml is pretty much reaching there, 1’d just need to google sufficiently
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyJGwic0aY
https://plus.google.com/102145814129321 … WEqEBtyzCR
http://blog.qt.io/blog/2016/08/18/intro … -any-size/
https://forum.qt.io/topic/50031/set-up- … 32-windows
https://m.habrahabr.ru/post/222877/
http://we.easyelectronics.ru/STM32/razr … eator.html

note that this is different ‘level’ it literally generates the whole stm32 program including the gui app altogether
remember all those windows c++ ‘program generators’?

strictly speaking Nextion displays are not expensive in the sense that the ‘IDE’ is provided ‘free’.
for a couple of pieces, or prototype it probably makes for a good prototyping tool, or for applications in which you would only need a couple of pieces that might be a effective solution compared to developing everything from scratch. alternatively, Nextion could sell the ‘IDE’ say for thousands and price each display for a lower cost. hence, imho, it is basically a pricing strategy, the development costs of the ‘IDE’ and the ‘firmware’ which does all that display is ‘distributed’ into each display, hence it cost more per display.

there are also alternatives like emwin, which are full development solutions which runs natively on the soc itself
https://www.segger.com/emwin.html

I have started to build schematic of small Nextion display
To make it more dramatic I removed original chip (to have backup) and replaced it with new one

http://www.lemilica.com/stm32f030-hardw … sh-backup/

I just need to get screen pins and I will put it on git..
Then I will try to write some simple samples to drive peripherals…

Looking at QT it looks like commercial only program… I thought it was open source? Or has it been taken over?

the idea about QT is the idea itself, QT has QML which pretty much *describes* a user interface
http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qmlreference.html
hence, you would possibly say use a QT IDE to ‘design’ the look and feel of your app/sketch.
then use a ‘code generator’ to translate the generated QML into C/C++ that can be compiled with gcc/g++ say.
the effort to build this ‘code generator’ is perhaps ‘hard work’, but possibly there are ready commercial solutions with all that already done

Maybe someone know what display could this be?

Itea_display.JPG (31.29 KiB) Viewed 1702 times

Hi.

Yesterday I do work EVE FTDI screen, FT800 with STM32F103C8T6 board, long time I expect this new. There is a lot to write in a few days.

Wow it is looking great

I just ordered one of these- let’s see how it goes!

http://www.hotmcu.com/5-graphical-lcd-c … p-301.html

You chose beautiful screen. The finish of the screen in black methacrylate and its elegant design makes it very attractive.

The FT811 you have 18 bits color and 800×480 resolution pixels.
Good choice!

I just noticed these in aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-2-Nex … 06029.html

Anyone used them yet?

I chose it mainly because of capacitive touch. The 800/810 are resistive, 801/811 are capacitive. The resistive overlay is said to affect the screen quality but that’s just an added bonus for me. Going from the cheapest 4.3″ resistive TF800 ($25) to this deluxe one is only $13 more so it’s hard not to lol. Unless there’s a space constraint.

It’s just hard to believe you can get a 5″ LCD with capacitive touch AND a fancy graphics AND a nice bezel for $38. Most displays are impossible to mount unless you machine or 3D print something for it. Oh, AND free screen layout software. Oh, oh, AND audio. lol

[lightcalamar – Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:44 pm] –
You chose beautiful screen. The finish of the screen in black methacrylate and its elegant design makes it very attractive.

The FT811 you have 18 bits color and 800×480 resolution pixels.
Good choice!

That’s the Nextion. I have one and they’re pretty common. Similar in principle to the FT8xx series. Some key differences:

-is regular serial vs SPI
-you can program it by simple serial commands or use their or other libraries.
-it’s programmable by an internal language so can function as a standalone controller.
-the Extended series even has some GPIO (adapter required)
-stores bitmaps in its own flash.
-I think it’s more HMI oriented and not as fine a control or as much emphasis on directly drawing/manipulating graphics.
-there’s a LOT more support for it- many youtubes and other how-to types of things. The downside to that is that there are a LOT of different ways to program it so it was very confusing getting started.

That’s all that comes to mind lol. Here’d the official website:

https://www.itead.cc/wiki/Nextion_HMI_Solution

[victor_pv – Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:05 pm] –
I just noticed these in aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-2-Nex … 06029.html

Anyone used them yet?

Does anyone know what MCU is used on the Nexion or Eve displays.

If we could find one that used a STM32, it’s possible that the screen could be used as both the display and the main processor on a project.
Albeit, they may have fancy code for decompressing jpegs etc in them, which would be lost

The Nextion does have some rudimentary proprietary programming capabilities built-in. The ‘Enhanced’ option has 10(?) lines of GPIO accessible via a flat cable & interface board. There was mention of someone trying to hack the Nextion as it uses a STM32. I’ll try to find where I saw that.

The eve boards uses the proprietary FTDI FT8xx series graphics processor chip.

“EVE” ( Embedded Video Engine) is the….architecture…platform…system… (?) that FT8xx the chips use. Or sometimes it refers to the EVE Screen Designer & Editor software.

To keep things interesting, they also make a VM8xx series dev board- an FT8xx and an embedded ATMEGA328P Arduino compatible processor programmable via the arduino IDE. Even has some proprietary ‘shields’ tht plug into it. $$ though- $100ish.

I haven’t found the post i saw earlier but I found these. I’ll look some more when I get home tonite & also get the chip#.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ … oversight/
http://support.iteadstudio.com/support/ … 579/page/2
http://support.iteadstudio.com/support/ … 174/page/1

[RogerClark – Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:46 pm] –
Does anyone know what MCU is used on the Nexion or Eve displays.

They are not MCU, but GPU. It is impossible and in addition that they use processors based on STM32, I say it for where I work.
The GPU you design them or buy one from the market another thing to be violating your rights but that is another question.

As an alternative in china, it is possible to design prototypes GPU Today, I see it very badly

Looks like the same display + STM32 is available on AliExpress

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5-inch- … 68249.html

But it looks like those are basically just a 5 inch display with a STM32 board plugged into the side

is it just me filling in the gaps or does that look a lot like a mobile phone ?
srp

Looks like the chinese are already cloning the Nextions!?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-5-HMI … 69970.html

Seems to have a STM32F030 on the back

This came up a couple days ago in one of the hacking threads as a cheap STM32 display. if translation is correct it’s about $21 here but wholesale only. Tried but couldn’t find it at a decent price elsewhere

https://world.taobao.com/item/524686134 … 0.0.viE1ol

It took a bit but I finally found the dev board ‘retail.’ looks cute!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/STM32-c … 170.eVgh4V

[RogerClark – Thu Jun 29, 2017 12:04 am] –
Looks like the same display + STM32 is available on AliExpress

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5-inch- … 68249.html

But it looks like those are basically just a 5 inch display with a STM32 board plugged into the side

There are other STM32F103V boards which are smaller and possibly cheaper.

That one is a VCT but the others are VET (I’m pretty sure the VET has more RAM and flash)

STM32F103V boards that plug into displays and have microSD cards?

[RogerClark – Fri Jun 30, 2017 3:28 am] –
There are other STM32F103V boards which are smaller and possibly cheaper.

[davey – Fri Jun 30, 2017 6:11 am] –
STM32F103V boards that plug into displays and have microSD cards?

[RogerClark – Fri Jun 30, 2017 3:28 am] –
There are other STM32F103V boards which are smaller and possibly cheaper.

I think I have one with a SD (possibly micro SD)

But no. It doesnt have a display connector

Roger I did all hardware we need to start developing new firmware for NX3224T024 nextion
https://github.com/goran-mahovlic/NX3224T024
Few days ago I manage to get LCD pinout…
https://yadi.sk/d/aRsEcznq3KNXko
And yes it is STM32L030
But even new STM32 arduino claims to run on L30 I have only manage to get blink led compiled…

And best way to do update would be to have SD card bootloader similar to existing one…
When I get time I will start some simple project to get I2C, SPI, and LCD working …

I have updated repo a bit.

https://github.com/goran-mahovlic/NX3224T024

It is STM32F030

Does anyone know is it possible to use some lib from arduino for some ILI TFT?

[RogerClark – Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:46 pm] –
Does anyone know what MCU is used on the Nexion or Eve displays.

As far as I know it is the Forth-Core J1 from Excamera:
http://www.excamera.com/sphinx/fpga-j1.html

It is an extremly minimalistic stack based CPU.

I am trying to get LCD working, but as I do not know what LCD type is I am trying with sequence from HX8352-A manual
I am getting ID 0x65
But still not picture or nothing else
Maybe someone knows some display with ID?

GetID.jpg (38.12 KiB) Viewed 407 times

Really glad to see these new posts because lately I’ve been tinkering with the idea of some how reverse engineering the display for a prop project I’m doing.

A few months ago I got a tjc version sent to me, the politics between the two companies is stupid as they are virtually identical… Though tjc does seem to use a different model of Ltd panel. But I think the interface is the same. Trouble is however, I bricked the chop somehow. I was trying to jtag interface with the board to see if I could feet a firmware dump onto it. 1 to put next ion firmware on so I can use it with the English ide, but also so I could design a board that includes all my other prop parts…

I could you read it, seems protected. And also by jogging to it the Chinese firmware no longer loads.

I could do with a hex file of the original firmware to try and upload to see if i can revive it.

Damn, reread my last post. I should stop posting on my phone… Full of auto correct errors.