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#1
The adapter PCBs will fit into the keyboard connector of the CPC. I made them when I wanted to make a keyboard extension. For this project a modified version needs to be done that has only a single row.
#2
NC100, NC200, PCW, PDA600 - the rest of the Family! / Re: On The Run for PCW
Last post by jevicac - Today at 19:47 #3
Quote from: cwpab on Today at 16:59I wanted to write "TIME FROM ANNOUNCEMENT TO RELEASE (IF ANY)".
I lost my initial message by the old method of selecting some text, pressing "DEL"... and accidentally being returned to the previous page after losing the textbox focus.
haha, maybe you can do your table as a new topic, announcement timing is an interesting topic in itself. Not as a way to pressure devs of course
Sonic GX deserves an honourable mention I think, currently at 4.5 years since announcement. 6128+ Ghosts & Goblins announced something like 8 years ago now but is defo still in development so is possibly topping the leaderboard! #4
Quote from: Bryce on Today at 12:18some work in this direction has been done in the past. I know I've seen details of a modern KC Compact design using all western 74 Series IC's, complete with a PCB layout. This could save you a lot of the initial groundwork. Maybe someone here knows where it can be found. If not, I can check my archives too.I am only aware of a modern redesign of the expansion unit that contains the floppy disk controller and the upper 64 KiB of RAM.
If there is a redesign of the system board, too, that could indeed be interesting.
#5
Yes. The adapter PCBs are just for the ribbon cable sockets. You can ask @eto for a PCB design that is already half-suitable.
However, I found out that a pair of flat cables with 2.54 mm pitch is not flexible enough and ends up being too thick.
You might be able to make it work with a single flat cable with 1.27 mm pitch, but the column lines are rotated 180° compared to the row lines.
The pinout on the keyboard side is the one that makes the most sense for the system board I eventually want to build.
Ideally, just use a bunch of wire-wrap wires, solder the adapter PCBs to one end and crimp the connector to the other.
The row and column lines are labeled next to the pin header on the keyboard assembly.
And yes, the firmware has to be (made) aware of the keyboard layout.
However, I found out that a pair of flat cables with 2.54 mm pitch is not flexible enough and ends up being too thick.
You might be able to make it work with a single flat cable with 1.27 mm pitch, but the column lines are rotated 180° compared to the row lines.
The pinout on the keyboard side is the one that makes the most sense for the system board I eventually want to build.
Ideally, just use a bunch of wire-wrap wires, solder the adapter PCBs to one end and crimp the connector to the other.
The row and column lines are labeled next to the pin header on the keyboard assembly.
And yes, the firmware has to be (made) aware of the keyboard layout.
#6
I find the idea of rearranging the layout to use standard keycaps ingenious. I take it the ROM will also need updating to reflect the layout (if I'm not mistaken the lookup table is in RAM, so should also be run-time patchable, eg. via a sideways ROM).
When you talk about adapter boards is that just the boards to go into the ribbon cable sockets? Ie. other than that the pinout it the same? If so I'm due to design up such a board shortly for my own use. The keyboard end would be able to use a standard IDC ribbon cable connector.
When you talk about adapter boards is that just the boards to go into the ribbon cable sockets? Ie. other than that the pinout it the same? If so I'm due to design up such a board shortly for my own use. The keyboard end would be able to use a standard IDC ribbon cable connector.
#7
So... let's sum up the debate:
A CPC... is bad.
Making it "not a CPC"... is bad.
How can we add to a CPC without making it "not a CPC"?
Let's think outside the box, shall we?
We take a CPC, but it can't do game logic and pretty graphics at the same time, so we take the CPC and add to it... a CPC?
Then we have a CPC that takes care of input, game logic and sound, and a CPC that does nothing but graphics.
The graphics of a CPC are not pretty enough, you say? Well, let's add... another CPC? And maybe yet another?
Our cluster of four CPCs would then have four times the processing power and four times the RAM. Also four times the polyphony, actually.
Synchronizing the CRTCs and combining three monochrome video outputs into a single RGB output would give us 4096 colors on screen.
And nothing about it is "not a CPC".
A CPC... is bad.
Making it "not a CPC"... is bad.
How can we add to a CPC without making it "not a CPC"?
Let's think outside the box, shall we?
We take a CPC, but it can't do game logic and pretty graphics at the same time, so we take the CPC and add to it... a CPC?
Then we have a CPC that takes care of input, game logic and sound, and a CPC that does nothing but graphics.
The graphics of a CPC are not pretty enough, you say? Well, let's add... another CPC? And maybe yet another?
Our cluster of four CPCs would then have four times the processing power and four times the RAM. Also four times the polyphony, actually.
Synchronizing the CRTCs and combining three monochrome video outputs into a single RGB output would give us 4096 colors on screen.
And nothing about it is "not a CPC".
#8
Doing some last minute pleasure testing with my kids!
https://mastodon.sdf.org/@reidrac/112440343822086939
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https://mastodon.sdf.org/@reidrac/112440343822086939
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#9
I wanted to write "TIME FROM ANNOUNCEMENT TO RELEASE (IF ANY)". 
I lost my initial message by the old method of selecting some text, pressing "DEL"... and accidentally being returned to the previous page after losing the textbox focus.
I lost my initial message by the old method of selecting some text, pressing "DEL"... and accidentally being returned to the previous page after losing the textbox focus.
#10
Applications (CPC and CPC-related) / Re: UniDOS, the new multi-devi...
Last post by zhulien - Today at 16:17Quote from: Prodatron on Today at 11:54What is the problem to open an own thread for this off-topic stuff?How is unidos nvram off topic to the unidos thread?