FPGA Replay Board

[mikej]

I created the post because the schematic is made up of pictures such that a search is not possible. And scrolling 9 huge images takes time. Re-searching for those datasheets also tend to take its time. I think some of the chips are already EOL so perhaps those datasheets will only be of use to existing FPGA Arcades. Even the critical XC3S1600 FPGA has a "not for new designs" note which just emphasize the importance of chip implementation agnostic HDL-code. Unfortunately this may mean that future version may have to use hard to attach chip packages.. .

None of the chips are EOL, and are now available cheaply in volume, which is not true for newer devices. I'll put a package of datasheets on my website as reference.

The development libraries abstract many of the board details from the core developers. I've started to roll this out to people. The idea is you don't need to know how the clock generator works, you say in the .ini file for your core give me this frequency etc.
/MikeJ

[mikej]

I'm not - and it's my problem
/MikeJ

[mikej]

I put a few photos up on the website
http://www.fpgaarcade.com

I've started to ship, but it's taking a while to replace all the power supplies.
We are still working to finalize the system controller software and new OSD.

I have the details of everybody who mailed me and I will be in touch as soon as I can.
I will be taking a few days holiday next week for Glastonbury festival, but I expect 150+ boards shipping by 2nd week July.
Best,
MikeJ

[mikej]

Am I right that P21 - PS/2 keyboard+mouse has been replaced with a USB type A connector?

Btw, below "custom test jig" there's a picture that just hooks up the 2x joystick ports? and the picture below "dual host USB interface" seems to just be a board with one USB connector besides the one going to the ARM. Typo?

No, the test jig has electronics on the under side. It has 2 cables which go to the joysticks to auto-test them from the FPGA. Each IO pin is driven high / low and used as an input. I can test for any open/short on the daughter-board expansion connector.

The PS/2 keyboard is replaced with a small board which has the VNC2 dual USB chip on it. It has a single external USB port and one internal USB port.
/MikeJ

[mikej]

How high is it with the daughterboard? Maybe this one would work?
http://viako.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/106207901-101414435/Mini_ITX_Case.html?tracelog=ggsotherproduct1

I'm on my way to the music festival so I can't check exactly.
What I remember is the 68060 with heatsink does not exceed the height of the ps2 connectors - and certainly it is all within the atx panel height.

The board is half-size itx (17cm by 8cm), mechanical drawings are on the website, but I'm going to put all the docs in a cleaner fashion on the new website. It fits in any itx/atx case with two screws.

I tried hard to get two USB connectors on the back, but it would not fit on the adapter.
You can cable off the internal header to an external connector, or use a hub. Note, in this batch nearly all the boards are PS/2 - the USB ones are really for Loriano's case. I don't have the modified ATX panel yet.

For testing, the jig connects to all the IO it can. There is a loopback on the rs232 connector so all four wires there are tested. The video outputs are tested with a couple of different ramp outputs and a scope. Same for composite / svhs. Audio is connected to a pair of speakers. For audio, it's a serial bus, so it works completely or not. PS/2 is tested by the on board pico-blaze PS/2 controller and external devices.

I am working on a probe test for volume production, but for a few 1000 devices function test is ok.
/MikeJ

[mikej]

I am back in the real world after Glastonbury festival, lot of stuff to catch up with...

MikeJ

[mikej]

Glad to hear it. I sent an email to you Mike. I very badly want to buy one;)

Thank you. I am working through emails.

I spent 7 days in the most amazing place on the planet, I am still completely spangled, covered in mud and glitter (and at the airport).
Normal service will be resumed asap
Cheers,
MikeJ

[mikej]

Update - I had to go directly to China for a few days from the UK.
I'll be back home end of this week. I have a number of boards ready to ship now and the test rig is set up. I have returned some of the bad power regulators to the vendor here and will get some replacements which will hopefully work - so we can ship more boards.

The ARM software with dynamic menu system (for different cores) is progressing thanks to the German R&D team

So, finally I feel we are just about there. I will do a full code release and then it's going to get a bit crazy. I have more than 10 people porting cores to the board

I will switch from the Amiga to the Atari core soon, with the aim of getting that out before end of July.

Note, all revB boards shipped already can be updated with the new bootloader and arm code - we don't leave anybody behind

p.s. because I am in China I will be in the bar lots so sorry for not keeping up with emails...
MikeJ

[mikej]

I have stock of boards, and I am meeting the factory to discuss building more this week.
Sorry for not responding to emails this week - I am receiving lots but as I am travelling in China I haven't been able to keep up.

I will clear the backlog next weekend.
Thanks,
MikeJ

[mikej]

I feel really bad now for keeping you waiting, sorry. I suspect you will all get them about the same time.

I will probably need to start shipping the hardware with the boot loader and supply regular minor sw updates in the field actually - the hardware is stable, tested and isn't going to change. Maybe I shouldn't wait for software perfection
/MikeJ

[mikej]

An example of the new OSD - the Austrian coding team is slaving away ...

/MikeJ

[mikej]

I haven't come across the iCP2 before. However, it says it behaves as a HID device, so there should be no problem mapping it into the Amiga keyboard/mouse controller.

The VNC2 chip contains the translation table. So yes, it would behave just like an original amiga mouse / keyboard as far as the system is required.
The design also convert inputs back into PS2 standard and sends these to the ARM, so you can control the OSD as well.

/Mike

[mikej]

Getting the ATX panels was a real nightmare.
If you want 100K, no problem, they are sub 1USD.
The tooling cost is huge to cut out the holes.
Eventually I found a supplier in Taiwan who would laser cut them from blanks.

Price list on my website shortly as well shortly, I need to charge Swedish VAT at 25% for EU shipping, so the prices are about the same. These are sold at cost.

/MikeJ

[mikej]

Well, it's not so simple for me. I can't imagine fancy itx case without backpanel, not everyone likes huge hole on the back.. I'd say I need it, but the price for the backpanel is still ridiculously high in my opinion. Of course I appreciate others opinions and I respect them. I also respect Fahrenheit right to make a business and Mike effort to get it all right.. However I still see this as a problem, maybe not for you, but for me then.. :-(

Kokos, I am happy to send you the engineering drawings of the back panel if you wish to get your own fabricated.
Best,
MikeJ

[mikej]

Still haven't received a reply.

Damn it Mike! It's time you hire a secretary

Sorry Blinx - I thought I had caught up with most mails. Mail me again and tell me you are Blinx!
/MikeJ
busy playing with my new microscope for SMD inspection ...

[mikej]

I have a 20x/40x/60x unit that plugs into the USB port.  I got it probably 10 years ago.  It was some kind of toy microscope, but the quality is superb and at 60x it's perfect for SMT inspection!

Oh you should see the toy I got in SZ The lens is over a foot long...
LED ring around the end for illumination, and flat screen monitor for viewing.

It's too silly for normal use, the six inch one is fine..

The small one looks a bit like this :

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/585367650/Electronic_digital_microscope_Microscope_video_microscope.html

Only downside is the high-res camera is USB only, if I want to use the little screen I need to swap for the one with video out. Being video there is almost no lag, which is useful if you are trying to solder the thing under it.
Anyhow, back to work...