Posts by ljmarent

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Don't Panic. Please wash hands.

  • Indivision ECS with ZZ9000

    Taking with the MNT Research people on their forum...

    Their first question:

    Quote

    "do you really need the Indivision ECS if you have a ZZ9000? And if yes, what for"


    It feels like the Indivision ECS 'V2' is badly marketed, everyone just assumes it's a scan doubler flicker fixer,

    and not 'the thing' that replaces old and dying Super Denise chips.


    I've got ... associates ... that have gone silly buying Raspberry PI RGB<>HDMI things and they are so proud of the fact that it's open source and cheap, despite it costing them $50 CDN or more. And they say silly things like "why would I buy an Indivision, when it costs twice as much ?". I ask them how much they got back when they sold their Denise or Super Denise chip .... and then I get a strange look ... as they realize they bought a thing that runs hot, was never designed to last, has no guarantee of compatible replacement parts, as future PI models may have completely different GPIO abilities, and they are still dependant on a 35 year chip that is rapidly getting to the point that it's as expensive as the Indivision ECS 'V2'.


    Anyway... I see MNT Research have fallen into that same thinking trap...
    Off I go to educate ... :)

  • Indivision ECS with ZZ9000

    Quote from Jens

    Not sure if this makes sense,

    Curious, where was your thought process was going ? :)


    I've had a few questions about why I'd use an Indivision ECS with a ZZ9000.

    The truth is that the Indivision ECS is about the same price as a Super Denise chip and I expect, will last decades longer than I need :)

    So, if I use the VGA out or not, matters not to me...

    The Indivision ECS is just my "re-SuperDenise".


    Perhaps you were going in a completely different direction though. :D

  • Indivision ECS with ZZ9000

    Thank you,


    I'll pose the same question to MNT Research as well and see what they say...
    It looks like they are only picking up a few signals (~10) from the Denise Chip..

    They or I could very easily move the IEC connector to the Vidot side and everything would work without messing around with the stack.


    If they have any ideas, I'll share them back here.

  • Indivision ECS with ZZ9000

    I'm using the Indivision ECS modules in my A500's, and one of my A500's is getting a ZZ9000.
    I've ordered the Denise interposer board for the ZZ9000, however 'it seems' like MNT has not really anticipated or planned for co-operation with an Indivision ECS.

    I'm considering a couple options:
    - I remove the vertical IDC connector from the MNT interposer board, replace it with a right angle connector, then add a 48pin IC socket to increase clearance, before seating the Indivision ECS.

    - I remove the vertical pins from the Indivision board and replace them with pass-through socket pins, so the MNT interposer can be placed on top of the Indivision ECS.

    Any other options I should consider ?
    Anyone else already done this, maybe I'm completely wrong, just going my photos ?
    Any factory mods I can simply pay an up-charge for in a new Indivision ECS purchase ?

    Thank you,

  • Question about ACA1233n-40 availability

    On the other side of the clock questions.


    How slow, or in what speed steps can I reduce the clock of an ACA1234 50MHz board ?


    It's nice to have the speed for those times when you can benefit,

    but I don't like to run my retro gear anywhere close to it's rated limit on a daily basis...

  • A sneak peek at the ACA1240/1260 cooling system

    Yeah, the crazy 68060 prices are why I will stop at the 68040. :)
    I've been warned that 68040 is the 'red headed step child' in terms of compatibility issues, I would not know personally.

    I'm hopeful that most of the 040 issues are WHDLoad related, because I have a different machine for that work load.


    Thanks for the details, sorry it was a repeat.

  • A sneak peek at the ACA1240/1260 cooling system

    When I buy an ACA1240 card from you (later this year, fingers crossed) will it come with the CPU ?


    I just want to know if I have to start running around searching for a specific variant and speed of 68040 chip or,
    if I can just relax and play some more A500 games, because you're gonna ship my CPU already installed on my card.


    Thank you,

  • Question about ACA1233n-40 availability

    YAY!...


    TAKE MY MONEY.....


    Damn...that buttons not working yet...
    But it looks like I might be able to buy the 50MHz one...

    It's in the 'savings' zone.


    Humm... No indication of Monkey based PSU compatibility in the description...

    Well I'll give it a go all the same...

    At 50MHz it likely goes through a lot of bananas :D

  • Question about ACA1233n-40 availability

    Quote from Jens

    Just make sure that the Checkmate case does not lure you into buying an unsuitable power supply (


    Well...there is this shady looking fellow who's been trying to sell me his monkey that rides a little stationary bicycle with a traction dynamo.
    Apparently the monkey is trained to peddle at a very precise cadence, keeping the dynamo at the correct voltage for the Amiga 500..

    I just assumed the monkey compensates for cable loss, tire wear, accelerator load, banana shortages, etc automatically...

    But I can see from your email, that I should look more deeply into these matters, maybe ask the traveller some pointed questions about what sort of guarantees come with the monkey...


    I'm not sure this would be much worse than other methods current deployed to power Amigas.... :D


    Fooling aside:

    I was just going to use a few MeanWell IRM-xx-xx modules, a separate supply module for each voltage rail, and an extra IRM-05-5 always-on supply letting the ATX PWRON signal drive an Omron solid-state relay, which switches the main supplies on and off, like ATX supplies do..

    The IRM-60-5 supply would do the +5V@10A heavy lifting, without additional filtering it provides 80mv ripple, 1% load regulation, so getting close to the 50mV spec...I can give it some serious caps on output to stiffen it up. About $70 CDN for the works.


    Have a great day :)

  • Question about ACA1233n-40 availability

    WOOOF!


    Accelerator money escaped pockets again...this time a Checkmate Case.
    About $400 CDN for a bit of plastic and tin...
    I'm still rolling around on the ground trying to smother the flames coming out of my pockets.


    ZZ9000 should be here in a week or two as well.

    Apparently it pretty useless until I upgrade beyond a 68010.


    I suppose that means I need start saving up for an accelerator again..

  • PixelWizard C64C case question.

    WHAT ???
    No ReLoaded label....

    ugh...

    Just screw a translucent case together, pop it in a thick paper bag and ship it to me in Canada. :D

    I mean, no ReLoaded label, so I guess I don't need to wait for a label...

    I'm gonna use the case as soon as it arrives, so I don't need archival grade tape, elastic bands, plastic wrap or rarified air in a special cardboard box made from recycled opossums or whatever you're planning.

    Speaking of...the box is going straight into the trash burning barrel, once I've fished the case out, so please don't put much effort into it the box on my account :)


    Signed,

    Average customer looking for a replacement case...


    (obviously you are going to do whatever you want...I'm just giving you another perspective)

  • Question about ACA1233n-40 availability

    I'm approaching a dangerous level of money in my pockets again for this ACA1234 accelerator...
    In another week...I might have enough put aside for even an 040 accelerator card....
    I certainly hope that another 'shinny thing' does not appear before these go to market :)

  • Looking to add USB\PS2 Keyboard to an A500 Tower

    Okay, I'm ordering the Lyra 3 big box version. :D


    I appreciate the info and push in the right direction on how to add the reset interpreter on my own.
    A little extra reading and I just need to monitor the KB_CLK signal for a 450ms+ active low state, and then pull the A500 RESET line low for 100ms.


    I'm not going to dig out my year one university analog circuit theory book to play with an OP-AMP, as time and voltage are perfect for an MCU.

    I can even monitor the KB_DAT line, to capture the power-up key stream, for option switches.


    I don't even need to spin a PCB, just use an Arduino micro in a 3D printed shell with 10K resistors on the KB_DAT and KB_CLK signals and an NUD3105 to pull the RESET signal low.


    I can always make it a 'pretty' PCB later.


    And I can use the remaining MCU pins for fan speed control, temperature monitoring, RGB, whatever else the tower case might demand down the road.


    Cheap and cheerful sub $2 solution for adding reset circuit to an A500.


    Thank you,

  • Looking to add USB\PS2 Keyboard to an A500 Tower

    Hello,


    I'm stuffing an A500 rev 5 with ACE2b, Indivision ECS, ACA500plus, ACA1221lc, Checkmate A1500 ATX & Zorro 2 slot adapter and rear plate into a generic ATX tower case.

    Will likely add ZZ9000 and faster accelerator card ... down the road.


    The piece I'm missing is a quality adapter for a USB or PS\2 keyboard.


    I know about a cheap one on eBay, but I've bought from that vendor once before.

    I bought their USB adapter for a C64 mouse.

    Not only did the product fail to work correctly, I sent a video showing the issues (jumping in one axis), but the vendor choose not to respond at all.

    eBay refunded, and I wasn't out any money, but what a tremendous waste of time.

    Which is why I'm skipping an otherwise 'perfect' sounding product and continuing to search.


    Looks like another option for me might be a Lyra 3

    When I examine the big box Amiga keyboard connectors, I don't see a reset signal pin defined on the connector.

    I'd like to know if the Lyra 3 generates a physical reset signal on CTRL-Amiga-Amiga that I can route to the A500 keyboard connector ?


    When I look at the online documentation...it's honestly 'ambiguous' as to how it's going to perform a physical reset.

    http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/Lyra_3#F9:_configure_TICK_pin


    I can re-direct the A500's keyboard connector to a DIN connector on the rear of the case and re-pin the signals as required,

    I just don't know what that pinout should be to make the Lyra 3 happy, and if it will supply the physical reset signal ?

  • My C64 Reloaded MK2 Diode D8 has a tail...is that 'normal' ?

    Thank You,


    I didn't want to believe the board shipped like that from iComp ;)

    I had read about diode D8's function in the forum, and had guessed it based on the proximity to the inlet and switch.


    Would be nice to know what the correct replacement diode part number is ?


    Assuming the PCB was not damaged by whatever the 'power event' was, I can easy re-and-re that diode.

    I've got some lovely Koki 'extra lead' solder paste I keep in the butter cubby in the fridge ;(.


    I've seen people solder 'legs' or 'pig tails' onto SMD devices before, simply because they've never done SMD work before.
    I'm (fingers crossed) hoping that's all this is :)

    Even if the copper was damaged, I can mend that too, just more work, and a trip to the local PCB manufacturer for a thimble of matte black solder mask when I'm done, to make the repair disappear.


    Anyway...now I gotta go tell someone they accidentally, purposefully, misremembered the facts of how this diode got like this...

    If only there was a word for that :D