 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Just ordered one of these :
  Page 2 of 2 |
|||||
| Author | Message | ||||
hitsware2 Guru  Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
Re: Introduction to BBC BASIC Report this postQuote Sat Mar 11, 2023 9:00 am hitsware wrote: ↑ Fri Mar 10, 2023 9:46 pm Can I run the editor on my PC ..... ( RPi using SCREEN in terminal ) and direct graphics commands to an attached VGA monitor ? That is not currently an option. The versions with VGA output assume input from an attached USB keyboard. There is an option to compile with support for one serial port (if using the VGA demo board it requires the SD DAT1 and DAT2 tracks cut). This is not supported by the default build. With this option you could write a program that then takes user input over serial and displays it on the VGA screen. But the idea is interesting. I will have to think about what would be needed to support it. If possible it will result in yet more versions of the program. my site |
||||
Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
Interesting. Looks like you lose the SD card to gain a keyboard. I suppose the pins have to come from somewhere. Whether there will be a useful amount of RAM for a BASIC program is questionable. You could do to find someone who has a lot more info on this mod. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3816 |
I _think_ that's wrong. I think it can already support a USB keyboard and what they're talking about is to get a serial port (as an alternative to the USB kb so that then putty/screen/etc could be used). I'm not sure whether some device exists that pretends to be a USB kb (to a USB port) and something else (serial port?) and translates (hands characters) between those two. (Like a CH340 except instead of USB serial & serial port it would be USB serial & USB kb I suppose.) I'm not convinced I've understood... John |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
Having read it again, I think you're right. Somehow they must be using the Pico USB port in host mode - at least as far as a keyboard goes. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4047 |
I can't comment on the "how", but I've just dug mine up and can confirm that DOOM runs using a standard USB keyboard plugged into the Pico via a standard USB micro adapter. ... and now I've just buried it back in its hole again. Best wishes, Tom Edited 2023-03-12 02:46 by thwill Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
Re: Introduction to BBC BASIC Report this postQuote Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:39 pm Memotech Bill wrote: ↑ Sat Mar 11, 2023 9:00 am That is not currently an option. The versions with VGA output assume input from an attached USB keyboard. You can, in principle, redirect the console input to an alternative source using *INPUT n where the source conventionally represents a file channel if n >= 5 and a device of some kind (which might for example be a serial port) if 1 <= n <= 4. However one potential limitation is that redirection is automatically cancelled if an error occurs (in most situations this is helpful, but not the one envisaged by hitsware). The alternative approach might be to add the VGA driver code to the USB-console version and then use *OUTPUT (which works in a similar way) to redirect the output to the local display. Edited 2023-03-12 03:57 by hitsware2 my site |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
The alternative approach might be to add the VGA driver code to the USB-console version and then use *OUTPUT (which works in a similar way) to redirect the output to the local display. Exactly that. An experimental implementation can be found here. *output 0 sends output to the USB console. *output 14 sends output to the VGA display. *output 15 sends output to both the console and VGA display. Remember that BBC BASIC implements plotting via VDU commands, so output must be directed to the VGA display in order to run any of the plotting commands. The console driver ignores the plotting commands. The build has been configured to leave all the pins not used for VGA output free. In particular the three ADC pins are left free. my site |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
Just for you: https://github.com/Memotech-Bill/PicoBB Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
Yea BUT : my site |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
More from Memotech : " For the purpose of increasing computer literacy, it would be nice if there were an 8 US$ RP2040 board that included the VGA socket and circuitry needed for a stand alone programming environment. The idea is a ready to use hardware solution at a particular price point. " my site |
||||
| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3816 |
Why $8? Unrealistic? Let's hope they don't go for the wretched "reference design"... John |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
Nothing to see here. No USB keyboard and people turn their noses up at PS2 even though the Chinese are still churning them out. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
> Why $8? To match ( value wise ) the RP2040 ? ( it is a helluva deal ) > Let's hope they don't go for the wretched "reference design"... What is so " wretched " about it ? my site |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
If it had to be tied to a PC , but could display via VGA with the alacrity of say ..... ssd1306 ...... it would row my boat . my site |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
Any of my designs can display standard PicoMite VGA and use either a PS2 keyboard or, if connected to a computer running decent terminal software, use a USB keyboard. Most can stand alone. The PicoStick is about as small as you can get and just plugs into the VGA connector on the monitor. Many people don't want either VGA or PS2, they want "the 80's computing experience" but using HDMI and USB. :) For a minimum cost system I'd go for surface mounting a Pico on a board with a VGA connector and resistors for 16 colours. Maybe a simple audio output for headphones. Power it from USB (it has to be tethered to a computer with terminal software anyway to get a keyboard). It doesn't really need anything else. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3816 |
That's roughly a VersaTerm with "some tweaks" (*). (*) take off the VGA & PS/2 kb, add software as desired. Which software, I wonder e.g. if a BASIC, which one? Not $8 I suspect, as the PCB + various components are too costly (are they?). John |
||||
| hitsware2 Guru Joined: 03/08/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 713 |
> (are they?) Not in quantity .... my site |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
If you surface mount everything apart from the VGA connector (assuming you can't get one that's surface mount) you could probably get it down to about $15 including the Pico and assembly. You may need to be doing a hundred or two. Remember, most of the cost of anything is the labour, not the parts. The easier and quicker you can get the assembly cost the cheaper it's going to be. EDIT: Have a look at my PCBs link. The PicoMite 2X2 is a virtually all SMD design and you can panelize them to get four out of a 100x100mm board. The main downside is that the uSD card is on the underside of the board so it may make it difficult to fit on some SMD systems. Edited 2023-03-14 18:37 by Mixtel90 Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6814 |
I've been playing with the 2X2 design and come up with the 2X2P, which uses a normal plug-in PicoMite rather than surface mounting it. It's slightly different in a few ways, it might be of interest if someone is looking for a pretty minimal VGA board. The main thing missing is a RTC, but not everyone wants one and there is enough IO there.  2X2P circuit.pdf Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| Page 2 of 2 |
|||||
 Print this page |
