RamBlade: Prop+SRAM+microSD addon to run ZiCog/CPM/PropDos/Catalina, etc. SBC s

Cluso99

Project re-specified... please see...

RamBlade: Prop+SRAM+microSD addon to run ZiCog/CPM/PropDos/Catalina, etc
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=849265

The RamBlade is almost ready. Please ignore the previous RamBlade thread as a few critical things have changed.
·
RamBlade is an SMT pcb and will be available assembled and in various versions...
(Guess I should state it is essentially the best bits of the TriBlade Prop#2 which we are using for ZiCog)
·
All versions are designed·to run ZiCog/CPM/PropDos/Catalina programs.
·
RamBlade V1

• Propeller and 5MHz crystal·(80MHz)
• 128Kx8 55nS SRAM
• microSD socket
• Designed to plug into another (host)·Propeller board (Proto, Demo, etc)
• Requires 5 prop pins for the interface
  • 3 to reset and program the RamBlade prop
  • 2 to communicate serially to the RamBlade
  • No resistor protection on these pins
  • 0.1" pin stake holes provided but no connector (can be cheap wires or resistors)
• Requires 3V3 from the host propeller board
• No EEPROM is fitted
• Minimum cost version

RamBlade V2

• Propeller designed for overclocking (104MHz/114MHz/120MHz???)
• 512Kx8 55nS SRAM
• microSD socket
• Designed to plug into another (host)·Propeller board (Proto, Demo, etc) or another micro based processor
• Requires 2 prop pins for the interface
  • 2 to communicate serially to the RamBlade
  • No resistor protection on these pins
  • 0.1" pin stake holes provided but no connector (can be cheap wires or protection resistors)
• Optional 3 prop pins for interface
  • 3 to reset and program the RamBlade prop
• Onboard 3V3 power regulation for overclocking stability
  • Requires 5V from the host propeller board
• AT24C512 (64Kx8) EEPROM is fitted which is disabled after boot

RamBlade SBC V??

• Full specifications TBA, but here·are the basics
• Designed to be a self-contained SBC (single board computer)
• Propeller designed for overclocking (104MHz/114MHz/120MHz???)
• 128Kx8 -or- 512Kx8 55nS SRAM
• microSD socket
• Onboard 3V3 power regulation for overclocking stability
• AT24C512 (64Kx8) EEPROM is fitted which is disabled after boot
• EEPROM loaded with code to boot from a microSD card binary
• 0.1" pin holes for external PropPlug (optional - not supplied)
• Onboard 5V power regulation from 6-9VDC Power Pack (not supplied)
• Up to 5 pins are available for the onboard interfaces
  • 2 pins are available for the onboard interfaces
  • Up to 3 additional pins may be taken from the SRAM addressing, reducing available SRAM
• External connectors (total of 5 pins excluding power described above available by links)
  • Power connector for external 6-9VDC Power Pack (not supplied)
  • PS2·6pin with
    • 2 pins: +5V & Gnd
    • 2 pins: (with protection resistors)
      • PS2 Keyboard or mouse
      • TTL/CMOS 3V3 serial
      • RS232 semi compatible (design to be proven)
    • 2 pins: (with protection resistors)
      • PS2 Keyboard or mouse
      • TTL/CMOS 3V3 serial
      • RS232 semi compatible (design to be proven)
  • RCA connector (TV composite video) with onboard resistors
    • 1, 2 or 3 pin video
  • VGA - 7 connection holes (no connector) with onboard resistors
    • 1 pin for combined HS & VS including decoder circuit
    • 1, 2 or 3 pin RGB (maybe limited color)
  • TV/VGA designed for 80x25 characters
  • Later provision to convert PS2 CLK & DATA pins to 1 serial input pin (unproven)
• Will fit into a case

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade, RetroBlade,·TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm

Post Edited (Cluso99) : 10/19/2009 3:39:16 AM GMT

Cluso99

Reserved for more specs and code

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade, RetroBlade,·TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: Micros eg Altair, and Terminals eg VT100 (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm

Cluso99

Reserved for photos

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade, RetroBlade,·TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: Micros eg Altair, and Terminals eg VT100 (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm

Dr_Acula

This looks very exciting.

Designed to plug into another (host) Propeller board (Proto, Demo, etc)

is a neat idea. Most people would have at least one of the the above boards, so the marginal cost of moving to a zicog/triblade/large memory model for catalina etc is a tiny extra board and a few chips.

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www.smarthome.viviti.com/build

Cluso99

Yes, that's the idea, and it does not have to be a prop board either. Then you use the "other board/micro" for the terminal and I/O via 2pin serial.

Or, you can just use the few extra bits to add a either a PC (2 pin serial and a terminal program) or add a PS2 keyboard and a monitor (TV or VGA) and you have a complete SBC (e.g. CPM2.2, CPM3, etc) system. In fact, it is designed to fit into a Hammond 1593K box (Digikey HM356-ND $2.88 for grey, or Rapid 30-1847 UK 1.75 pounds for translucent blue).

I am working on a tiny micro to convert the PS2 2pin interface to 1pin serial (saves a pin and costs about 50c). The TV can be 1 pin whereas the VGA requires 2 pins. So, with the 1 pin keyboard and 1 pin TV, you still have the full 512Kx8 available.

The total pcb size is approx 1.3"x2.2" but the RamBlade section actually fits into a subsection 1"x1.6"

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade, RetroBlade,·TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: Micros eg Altair, and Terminals eg VT100 (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm

RossH

Hi Cluso,

Just to make sure I understand the possible options - on the Ramblade SBC, can you confirm that you could have the following configuration:

- PS/2 connector for kbd (2 pins)
- RCA conector for video (1 pin - b/w only)
- 256kb addressable RAM

Presumably to do this you have to fit a 512kb RAM, but you cannot address the upper half while using the above connectors. Is this correct?

Ross.

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Catalina - a FREE C compiler for the Propeller - see Catalina

Cluso99

Ross: Yes, correct. However, I am programming a cheap 50c micro to hopefully convert the keyboard to 1 pin serial input to the prop which will give the full 512KB access. There is no latch, so each I/O pin over 2 removes a Ram address pin. Of course, 1 pin video can do reverse image using the character table and the top bit (7 bit character and an inverse bit) , which is what old computers did.

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade, RetroBlade,·TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: Micros eg Altair, and Terminals eg VT100 (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm

RossH

@Cluso,

Using a different micro to support the Prop? Surely that's cheating!

Ross.

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Catalina - a FREE C compiler for the Propeller - see Catalina

heater

Not at all cheating. If it's small and cheap why not? Remember when you add a chip to your Prop setup to do Ethernet it probably has it's own processor. Same for a USB/serial chip or an SD card or many other things. No one would question those.

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For me, the past is not over yet.

Cluso99

The RamBlade is an extremely simple and fast base circuit which is what I want.

The extra's are for the I/O options for SBC mode only, of which there is a perfectly good reason to add.
I don't want to sacrifice speed or simplicity to use a latch. The micro is as cheap (well almost) as a gate and if used, it saves a valuable RAM address pin.

When I reveal the complete circuit you will see it's simplicity.

Oh for just a couple of extra pins Isn't it always the way LOL

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade, RetroBlade,·TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: Micros eg Altair, and Terminals eg VT100 (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm