Shortage of decent monochrome display panels

[PaulNi]

Hello everybody,

Wanted to talk about the situation we have in the industry.

With each year we have less and less cheap panels that can be directly driven by MCUs or being driven by a simple driver ICs that have connectivity options for MCUs.

The shortage is especially acute in mid-size panels, and panels in above of VGA resolution may well cost you more than true-color LCD panels with MIPI interface.

Pretty much the only option available in above xga resolution are e-paper panels, or very old stock speciality panels. Both cost a lot.

The few remaining options to connect a MCU with a higher end panel are things like custom FPGA bridges, or using a way more performant SoCs to do conversion. This makes little sense to use an IC more expensive and more powerful than the main MCU to just drive the panel.

I would like yo hear your opinions. How do you deal with that?

Espressif reps, what do you think about that?

[username]

I would disagree with that. There are a bazillion color LCD's out there that can be driven via I2C or SPI very easily and cost very little.
https://www.buydisplay.com/default/

[PaulNi]

I would disagree with that. There are a bazillion color LCD's out there that can be driven via I2C or SPI very easily and cost very little.
https://www.buydisplay.com/default/

Far from it. Ones you listed are entire display modules with own 8080 type controller. A very different thing from standalone panels. And yes, they are colour ones with polarizer, near useless without backlight.

I was talking more about proper monochrome LCDs.

[username]

With each year we have less and less cheap panels that can be directly driven by MCUs or being driven by a simple driver ICs that have connectivity options for MCUs.

You made this statement, so I just helped by sending you a link that helps.

The few remaining options to connect a MCU with a higher end panel are things like custom FPGA bridges, or using a way more performant SoCs to do conversion. This makes little sense to use an IC more expensive and more powerful than the main MCU to just drive the panel.

I would like yo hear your opinions. How do you deal with that?

Being honest here. It sounds like you dont understand the timing requirements that are needed to drive a LCD panel. I say that because if you did you would never even think to ask if the ESP32 could do that. It does not even have enough ram to do such a thing let alone handle the timing that would be involved.

[PaulNi]

You can drive single lane MIPI panels through a bridge if the panel has own framebuffer, but that was not the point I had.

The point I had that there are very few monochrome panels left on the market in sizes above 5-6 inches, and that trying to drive a colour graphic panel with bridges and a lot of extra hardware, or buying a whole module with 8080 controller is often the only remaining option.