Use a rs485 communication module

and yes @Gordon, it's a long text and it is exactly why i work with Espruino,

. more ram
. a better api for string manipulation (than arduino) = js,
. a small form factor!
. easy to program

:)

:) The custom font is slower because Espruino has to unpack it from RAM - in Espruino things sometimes aren't stored in one block of memory to work around fragmentation - so for every access it has to check.

When using the built-in font it's using very specific, fast code to access flash.

Did you try the new firmware I linked? That should be a lot faster.

Actually thinking about it, it seems that atob doesn't create a flat string when it could do.

You might get faster rendering by doing:

var font = E.toString(atob("AAAAAPoAwADAAFhw2HDQAGS­S/5JMAGCW+DzSDAxSolIMEsAAPEKBAIFCPABIMOA­wSAAQEHwQEAABBgAQEBAQAAIAAwwwwAB8ipKifAB­A/gBChoqSYgCEkrLSjAAYKEj+CADkoqKinAA8UpK­SDACAgI6wwABskpKSbABgkpKUeAAiAAEmABAoRAA­oKCgoKABEKBAAQIqQYAA8WqW9RDgOOMg4DgD+kpK­SbAB8goKCRAD+goJEOAD+kpKCAP6QkIAAfIKCklw­A/hAQEP4A/gAMAgIC/AD+EChEggD+AgICAP5AIED­+AP7AMAz+AHyCgoJ8AP6QkJBgAHyChoN8AP6QmJR­iAGSSkpJMAICA/oCAAPwCAgL8AOAYBhjgAPAOMA7­wAMYoECjGAMAgHiDAAI6SosIA/4EAwDAMAwCB/wB­AgEAAAQEBAQEBEn6SggQABCoqHgD+IiIcABwiIhQ­AHCIi/gAcKioYACB+oIAAGCUlPgD+ICAeAL4AAQG­+AP4IFCIA/AIAPiAeIB4APiAgHgAcIiIcAD8kJBg­AGCQkPwA+ECAgABIqKiQAIPwiADwCAjwAIBgGGCA­AOAYIBjgAIhQIFCIAIRkGGCAAJioyIgAQboEA5wC­BbhAAQIDAQIAAPFqlpUI8cPh8+HAAcDhwACBg/mA­gAAgM/gwIABA4fBAQABAQfDgQAHxERER8AHxE9CR­cAHxUbFR8AP58OBAAEDh8/gACAAIAAgB8fHx8fAD­+/gD+/gACilIiAgACIlKKAgA+Yu5iPgACAgICAgA­GBgYGBgAODg4ODgAeHh4eHgA+Pj4+PgB+fn5+fgD­+/v7+/gD+/v7+/gAAAAAA/gD+/gD+/v4A/v7+/gD­+/v7+/gA4OHz+/gAMDPBAIACeADhE/kQIABJ8koI­EAEQ4KDhEAKhoPmioACh8qqqCAARSqpRAAJCkqKS­QAP6CupL+ABKqqqp6ABAoVChEADh8fHw4ADhUbFQ­4AP6Cpor+ABAYHBgQAGCQkGAAIiL6IiIASJioSAC­IqKhQACBAgAB/BAQIfABgkP6A/gAwMAAAAAAASPg­IADlFRUU5AEQoVCgQAOgWKl+CAOgQKVONAKj4Bgo­fAAYJUQIADpRkFA4ADhRklA4ADlSUVA4ATpSUVI4­AjjjIOI4ADlS0VA4APkj+kpIAeISFh0gAPqpqKiI­APmqqKiIAPmqqaiIAPqoqqiIAon4iACJ+ogBivmI­AYj5iABB+UkI8AH6QiES+AByiYiIcABwiYqIcAAx­SklIMAEySklKMALxCQkK8ACIUCBQiAD5DXWE+ADy­CQgI8ADwCQoI8ABxCgkIcALwCAgK8ACAQTpAgAIH­/JSQYAH+SkmwABKpqHgAEKmqeAARqql4ARKqqXoC­EKiqeAARqql4ATFI8UjQAGCUnJAgAHKpqKhgAHCp­qmAAcaqpYAByqKpgAon4CACJ+ggBivkIAYj5CAKR­KqhoMAF6QkE6AAAySUgwADBJSjAAMUpJMAEySUow­AnCIinAAQEFQQEAA6TFRkuAAcgkIcABxCghwAHEK­CXABcAgJcADAKSoo8AIH/FQgAMIoKijwA"));
var widths = E.toString(atob("BAIEBgYGBgIEBAYGAwUCBQY­DBgYGBgYGBgYCAwQGBAUGBgYGBgUFBgYCBgYFBgY­GBgYGBgYGBgYGBgUDBQMEBgYFBQUFBQUFBQIEBQM­GBQUFBQUFBAUGBgYGBQQCBAYGBgQGBgYGBgYGBQU­GBgYGBgYGBgYGBgYGBgQCAwQFBgYGAgYGBgYGBgY­GBgYGBgYGBQYFBQQGBgMEBAYGBgYGBQYGBgYGBgY­GBgYGBgQEBAQGBgYGBgYGBgYGBgYGBgYFBQUFBQU­FBgYGBQUFBAQEBAYGBQUFBQUGBgUFBQUGBQY="))­;

  Graphics.prototype.setFontDennis8 = function() {
    this.setFontCustom(font, 32, widths, 8);
  };

So basically Dennis8, but with E.toString around atob. I'd be interested to see what difference that makes?

I'll make a note to improve atob - there's no reason it shouldn't use flat strings, which would be a lot faster and more efficient

@Gordon

timing test

  t = getTime();
  g.setFontDennis8();
  g.drawString(texte,compteur,0);
  console.log("Draw took ",getTime()-t);

1v92 FIRMWARE
with custom font like setFontDennis8 : 0,244
with custom font simplified : 0,239
with custom font like setFontDennis8 + E.toString() : 0,154
with custom font simplifed + E.toString() : 0,155

1v92 CUSTOM FIRMWARE
with custom font like setFontDennis8 : 0,106
with custom font simplified : 0,106
with custom font like setFontDennis8+ E.toString(atob) + : 0,094
with custom font simplified + E.toString(): 0,094

therefor best result with:
. custom firmware
. E.toString()
. nothing more with simplified font (only usefull char design)

An other issue with the standart 1v92 firmware.
with the quick setInterval() or serial1.write()
i'm unable to upload code... upload stall at a point (variable). Have to unplug and plug pico board (1.4b) in bootloader mode and reinstall firmware.

with your custom firmware it always upload to board
huge update for me : plug/unplug usb board crash my old macbook Pro (17 mid 2009) -> 1 time/4 unplug :/

thanks

é.

Great! That's a definite improvement - and I'll see about trying to build the E.toString into atob.

Very strange about your crash during upload though - I don't know what would have changed. If you're not doing 'save on send' then absolutely everything you do when you upload should get erased just by unplugging and replugging.

The crash is not an espruino issue, it's an usb issue, it produce too sometime with arduino...
Last week i have to update firmware and install my code on 8 Picos.... I've got crashs (with automatic reboot and message) 4 time 😗. For simple and repetitive task, reboot had made it long and stressfull.

For the upload problem, i don't know, i've discovered the reset() instruction and it seems to resolve the problem (when code use short setInterval()). You're probably right, i just change my process for upload with in first step, a reset(). Have to check

The Web IDE should do a reset() automatically before the upload (unless it was turned off in the options?), so I doubt that's you problem.

However if you have a very short setInterval outside of a function then that would take effect immediately and could keep the Pico too busy to properly process new data?

Wow - this looks great!

found some cheaper flip dots https://hannio.org/en/?s=FlipDot&post_ty­pe=product

5x7 FlipDot controller + 5x 1x7 FlipDots for 40€ plus shipping

to bad no controller on stock :(

I've bought it...😎
I'm in vacation til mid august...
I'll try when back home

Controller back in stock !!!