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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Giving up on Pi?
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Mixtel90 Guru  Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
User programs don't get GPIO access by default on Linux systems. Neither do they get serial port access for that matter. All these access levels have to be granted by root (possibly by putting the user in a specific group or two) or the system has to be run in root mode. Having permission to use a device means that linux will now send and receive the data for you - you don't often get pin-by-pin hardware access like you do on a microcontroller. AFAIK the only way the pins on the Broadcom chip of the Pi can be accessed is via the GPU chip, or via routines that are loaded from it at boot. You can have some communication with the GPU, but the Broadcom won't talk directly to you. I may be wrong about this. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3150 |
System calls to sysfs from MMB4L work on a Pi-Zero-W. There's no reason the same commands wouldn't work from the console prompt--in fact, I tested them that way before trying it in a MMB4L program. I don't remember whether I had to give permissions first, or set things up with raspi-config. Edited 2023-08-27 02:06 by lizby PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3802 |
They'll work, subject to permissions. They go via layers of code, ending with the Broadcom chip I believe. sysfs is quite slow, depending on what one means by slow... John |
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ice2642 Regular Member  Joined: 27/05/2023 Location: BrazilPosts: 82 |
Talking in Olimex, No one here try this board? https://www.olimex.com/Products/Retro-Computers/Neo6502/open-source-hardware It appears be very cool! Like the agonlight 2, it have a real cpu, but instead a z80 it have a 6502 and coste much less. If anyone out there tests it, please, put a review on youtube :) Best regards, MMBasic 5.0707 on PicoMite VGA |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
Why limit a RP2040 by tying it to a 6502? It's a solution looking for a problem. It's not out of design yet, there's no software for it and no-one knows if there will ever be at this stage. Now, couple a pair of RP2040s together (possibly using a PIO) and you'd be talking! Try my PicoMite Pear PCBs to link a PicoMite to a PicoMite VGA over a I2C or COM port. It's a lot cheaper than 30 euros, but I'll charge you that if you like. :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 4247 |
The 6502 and 6522 are still manufactured. But these 2 do not make a computer. You need peripherals such as serial interface and video and SD card (since floppies are soo 1980's). And these are not manufactured anymore. Hence the 8bit guy's Commander X16 and other FPGA based solutions. It's pure nostagia. And there is nothing wrong with it. There are also lot's of guys playing with old tractors, with old motorcycles, with manual ground coffee, making their own beer or wine, and play with 6502's. Similar girls that are knitting, and baking their own bread, making marmelade. Here the FPGA glueing the 6502 and 6522 to a computer is replaced by 2 pico's.... Volhout Edited 2023-08-29 18:01 by Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4043 |
Since this thread has gone completely off piste, that doesn't look like a bad price. It's not just the cost of components, there is time involved in packing and shipping never mind trying to make a profit. You also have to add something as "insurance" against faulty components, faulty customers, the risk of unsold stock and other wastage. I've been looking at what price I'd be prepared to sell partial Game*Mite kits (no Pico, TFT or battery) for and I think about 20 UKP + postage. Even at that price if I ended up selling more than a handful of units I think I might resent the effort since it's little above cost. EDIT: the Game*Mite hardware and software will be open source. The kits would be available for convenience. Best wishes, Tom Edited 2023-08-29 20:17 by thwill Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
Once you start to put kits together it's surprising how fast the cost goes up, especially if you take shipping into consideration. You soon reach a point where it's arguable which is cheaper, kits or a batch of pre-assembled boards from China. From a typical small-pocket hobbyist perspective the cheapest option (although not necessarily the most convenient) is to purchase boards & components from whatever sources are the most convenient at that location. That makes PCB design more of a problem because you may be trying to accommodate alternative components, but I personally feel that just adds to the challenge. After all, I only design them for fun. :) This thread hasn't suffered from "thread creep" so much as total shredding. :) Mind you, we've done the "MMBasic on a Raspberry Pi" thing before so it's no great loss. lol Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| ice2642 Regular Member Joined: 27/05/2023 Location: BrazilPosts: 82 |
Yes, it is just cool. Many times someone wants to have for example a mustang 1969 v8 5.0 because it's cool, it doesn't matter if a fiesta 4cc 1.0 is more efficient. And this use of microcontrolers as perifericals over a z80 or 6502 like the FIFO used in agonlight or this Neo6502 is very cool too. MMBasic 5.0707 on PicoMite VGA |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
It might be "cool", but IMHO anyway it's entirely pointless. What you end up with isn't a Z80 or 6502 system at all. The more recent versions of those chips are so far removed from the originals that, although they may have retained software compatibility, they are different chips. It's much like using a 80286 and saying it's a "cool" 8008. It isn't. Your 1980's "cool" 6502 didn't run at 100MHz so making one that does is a bit pointless even for a nostalgia kick. :) If you are going to involve a FPGA then why on earth not write the 6502 or Z80 CPU inside that and be done with it? That's already been done (including the 6809 - Grant Searle's Multicomp or the Nascom-4). A bit bigger FPGA and you can throw in a couple of UARTs (been done) and probably a PIO as well as VGA and PS/2 keyboard interfaces. I find it amusing that anyone could kid themselves that a modern Z80 or 6502 derivative plus a couple of FPGAs or microcontrollers to give it some IO ports was anything remotely like using the original CPUs. It's not and it can't be. :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| ice2642 Regular Member Joined: 27/05/2023 Location: BrazilPosts: 82 |
FPGA is cool for lot of projects. Like mister, or the minimig or migstorn-itx, etc. I agree. Yes, the new z80, 68000, 6502, etc go to 50mhz and more, and is not the original, but this kind of project can be very cool to communicate this CPUs with new kind of controllers FPGAs custon chips, or Microcontrolers, picos, etc... Like your game project, have lots of pocket games in the market, but made your own is ever more cool. MMBasic 5.0707 on PicoMite VGA |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6798 |
The pocket game project is Tom's, not mine. :) I did the PicoGAME series that is more like a games console, with joysticks and stuff. (The latest version of PicoGAME screeched to a sudden halt due to complete lack of all hobby finances as I had to get a leaky kitchen roof repaired. Apologies to anyone who has been watching out for it, but it's now in limbo for the foreseeable future.) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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