And, after a slight detour for emergency home renovations that took too long, the 4M respin is now at version four and 99% complete!
The video adapter is also 95% complete on version two. I am just weighing up reasonableness of adding support for a SCART connector instead of RGB/S-Video/Composite sockets. As the sockets are on an external plug-in PCB on a short cable, either could work. Catch is SCART uses some odd voltages to signal formats and ratios, and I'd have to redesign the main board to accommodate that.
QL 34th Anniversary new hardware.
Re: QL 34th Anniversary new hardware.
The 4M card just clicked over from 99% to 100%!
Goals!
Still working on the custom output board for the S-Video card. Maybe later today.
Goals!
Still working on the custom output board for the S-Video card. Maybe later today.
Re: QL 34th Anniversary new hardware.
Following my tracking and the PCBs will be here in just a couple more days. WOO!
Meanwhile, over the last few days I have been trying to reverse engineer the 8302/8049 combo to produce a replacement. I have a primitive AVR keyboard matrix system running, but don't really know how the keyboard buffer works - especially in regard to CTRL, ALT, SHIFT. However, Nasta's doing a lot of handholding and extensive explanations so it will come together. One of the main difficulties I am having is that the 8049 pins are naturally high and pull low, whereas the pins on the ATSAM3X8E are fully tri-state, which makes it easier for me. I have to keep reminding myself that I just have to implement the functionality, not use their methods.
Once you hand off serial to a 68681 or similar, sound to a dedicated sound chip, drop MDV and QLnet, the 8301/8049 all fit in a single AT328P and 74HCT138. I am leaning towards the SAM3X8E though, because it has multiple serial ports, I2C, SPI, and can do almost everything a growing system needs - and with 32-bits width too!
Meanwhile, over the last few days I have been trying to reverse engineer the 8302/8049 combo to produce a replacement. I have a primitive AVR keyboard matrix system running, but don't really know how the keyboard buffer works - especially in regard to CTRL, ALT, SHIFT. However, Nasta's doing a lot of handholding and extensive explanations so it will come together. One of the main difficulties I am having is that the 8049 pins are naturally high and pull low, whereas the pins on the ATSAM3X8E are fully tri-state, which makes it easier for me. I have to keep reminding myself that I just have to implement the functionality, not use their methods.
Once you hand off serial to a 68681 or similar, sound to a dedicated sound chip, drop MDV and QLnet, the 8301/8049 all fit in a single AT328P and 74HCT138. I am leaning towards the SAM3X8E though, because it has multiple serial ports, I2C, SPI, and can do almost everything a growing system needs - and with 32-bits width too!