Update PIC on Minimig

[TheDaddy]

To all

Has anyone contacted ACube with these findings?

Surely you should be able to flash the PIC usng a PC (through serial) if you need to update it.

Let us know.

[TheDaddy]

Hi guys,

I haven't been around for a while and I need a summary.

The pic on our Minimigs (I have one of the very first ones from ACube) from what I understand can't be flashed with new firmwares using serial/pc, is this correct?

Also which firmwares are we talking about?

Have new firmwares been released? If so what's new and where are they?

Have compatibility issues and writing to ADF been solved?

Thanks in advance.  :-)

[TheDaddy]

Sorry if it's off topic but I couldn't find my original Minimig thread about the case so here it goes:

@All

Just a quick update on the case for the Minimig:

I have been away for a bit because of some transport problems, basically my car broke and needs repairing but I also had to make a decision; repair the car or use the money to pay for the Minimig prototype case.

I have decided not to have the car repaired, sell it, and use the money to finance the Minimig case.

So the prototype case for the Minimig has now taken 4 months of my time, borrowing some  money (loan) plus the money from the sale of my car...(mad, I know).

I am now using my bike....(push bike)  

Anyway...the prototype should be ready soon, it will also depend on deciding if people need/want an internal anti-EMI/RFI coating or not and getting an answer back on whether the case will need a CE mark on it or not.

You won't believe the amount of things (plus money and time) you have to get through to create a product...(and a product for the tiny Amiga market)!

Anyway, let me know if you are interested in the EMI/RFI coating (this will add a bit extra on the final price obviously...).

Thank you,

 :-)

[TheDaddy]

Thanks for updating me alexh...appreciated  :-)

[TheDaddy]

>>Is this your original thread about a Minimig case? Could you share some sketches of your design?  


How the heck did you manage to find the original thread? :-?

I couldn't! :-o

Anyway, yes that is the thread and no I can't share or show any sketches because I am in the final stages already. This is it.

This Wednesday I am going to the factory and they are going to make a prototype for me and for the money I got from selling my car, a loan and selling my beloved pc (Intel Quad, 4GB machine :-( )

Anyway, hopefully making a case for the Minimig would have been worth it, if people buy it obviously.

 :-)

[TheDaddy]

Argh! That is what I did this morning... :-?

Weird!

Anyway thanks :-)

[TheDaddy]

@all

What are the following pins on the Minimig for?

JTAG

Spare I/O

FPGA

and 15KHz/31KHz

Thanks :-)

[TheDaddy]

>>JTAG is a basic communication with "intelligent" chips. some mobile CPU also have a JTAG interface. more to find with google search for the term.

Spare I/O is a user programable Input/Output part of the FPGA. It possible to create a jumper settings e.g. NoFastMem or in the NTSC-patch for bilinear video filtering. Also possible to program real data in/output.
ps: Closing pin 9+10 (jumper next to the FPGA) will disable the floppy simulation in the PIC.

FPGA/MCU is to select where the RS232 data will send FROM the minimig TO the RS232. Set to FPGA allow "Amiga" to use RS232, set to MCU allow PIC to use RS232 (Firmware update as in the thread name).

15/31KHz should be self-explanatory, it will set the VGA connector H-Sync signal to the selected frequence, in fact this is the onboard scandoubler of the Amiga3000 inside the FPGA to use a VGA compatible monitor/TFT.

Do any of these pins need to be accessed from outside my case? Or do you just open the case up, do what you need to do and then close the case again?

Thanks for your explanation!
 :-)

[TheDaddy]

I am going to the factory tomorrow to talk about my design.

They should tell me if it's possible to do it and add the things I want.

I have this feeling that since I haven't told them how many I need they might charge me a fortune! :-(

[TheDaddy]

Guys,

Question:
Can the Minimig load up other systems?

If so which ones?

 :-)

[TheDaddy]

@boing4000

Thanks.

So if you wanted to run some other system you'd have to reprogram the FPGA?

Is it an easy task?

And do you have to do it every time you want to run a particular system?

Thanks. :-)

[TheDaddy]

@Darrin

>>Please don't take this the wrong way.

No at all...

>>Nobody can deny your enthusiasm for the Minimig, but I'm worried when I read about you using money for your car to produce a board when you haven't even researched the function of every pin and connection on the Minimig to ensure your design is practical.

I am quite happy to use the money from my car, pc and some borrowings because the Minimig deserves a case. Even if it's just a metal or plastic enclosure, surely it's better than having it naked on the desk with all the things that could happen to it; liquid spillages, kids, static and so on.

Also I have just designed a case. The question I asked was to know if those pins are needed to be accessed all the time and as somebody else suggested they won't be needed to be accessed all the time, on this basis I have deducted that my case should be able to be opened quite easily without having to go through screws and all that.

>>I'm also concerned about how many of these boards you will actually need to sell and at what cost in order to recover your money.

The costs are high for a single individual who is using his own and some borrowed money. It is surely a huge risk. Consider this; the prototype alone is going to be very expensive but as you said if peole like it and want their Minimig protected then they'll buy it and I SHOULD get at least the production costs back...

>>Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that you're doing this, but you don't seem to be using "spare cash" and I'm afraid that you could end up seriously out of pocket on this venture.

I appreciate your concern, it is very kind of you but I think it needs to be done. I have already spent 4 months on this, through research, sketches, travelling, phone calls and gathering the money so I can't stop now. I just hope people will appreciate the massive effort.

>>Before you sign and commit to anything, take a big deep breath, get someone else to go over the figures with you and make sure that you're convinced that your play is viable.

I will. Thank you Darrin. :-)

[TheDaddy]

>>As long as each core is happy to run with the code on the PIC, all you will need is a flash card for each system you want to emulate loaded with the "core" for that system, any ROMS required plus the software you want to use.

In theory, you could have an SD card marked "Amiga", another marked "Atari ST", etc. You just insert the card for the machine you want to run and switch the Minimig on.

In theory.

This is good news...for my case too...in theory. Let's hope it can be done.
 :-)

[TheDaddy]

@Darrin

>>You're welcome.

OK, I feel better now. I just didn't want to find you living under a bridge in a few months, drinking meths and eating raw pigeons to survive.

 :-D

Uhm...pigeons... :-)

[TheDaddy]

@All

I have come back from my 2 hours meeting with the engineer. We have discussed my case design and solution for the Minimig and there are positives and negatives.

Negatives:
The original design will have to go through some SERIOUS revisions unless people are prepared to pay around the £75 (GBP) mark for it!

So to reduce costs and bring down the final price these are the things that I have been forced to drop:

1) The switches for the reset and menu buttons..............gone :-(
2) Fancy chromed bits..............gone  :-(
3) LED acrylic window...............gone  :-(
4) Aluminium cover....................gone  :-(
5) Engraved lettering....................gone (replaced by printing) :-(
6) Power acrylic window (to display the power LED).........gone  :-(
7) Choice of different colours cut from ANY to 2  :-(

Positives:
Price should be cut dramatically and the prototype for the new revisioned case should be ready next week.

And they want me to pay for it on delivery.

So there you have it...you are up to date.

I am a bit depressed but this is what is like creating a custom case for such a small market...

Anyway I am going to pay for the prototype next week and then post some pictures. If enough people want to buy it I can order a batch otherwise I will be the only one with a very expensive custom made case for the Minimig!  :-)

Thanks.