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Simple & Useful Project - For your P-Box


Omega-TI

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The HyperAMS is the logical extension of the AMS card. It allows for a humongous amount of bank-switched memory in the 32K space of the PEB, just like the SAMS card (its little brother). SAMS gives you up to 1024K, HyperAMS gives you up to 16MB. As it uses the same addressing/switching modes as the SAMS, I suspect that the first 1024K will be instantly recognized by RXB and any of the other SAMS-aware programs. They would probably need to be modified to recognize the rest of the space. . .and no, it is not battery-backed and it doesn't change the menu. Like the SAMS, it is a drop-in replacement for the 32K card. I imagine someone could write an application to use it like a volatile RAM disk, but as it doesn't retain memory, that would only really be useful for programs that were doing massive disk copies, disk defragmentation, or other similar I/O intensive operations.

 

One other note I remembered after reading the documentation for the card--it does have an option to put Flash chips in, instead of RAM, so there is a possibility of having persistent data on the board.

 

Building the board in default mode operating as a pure SAMS board uses one layer of memory chips and is 4MB in size. In HyperAMS mode, it adds a second layer of chips for a total of 8MB on board. Significant hand wiring is required to add the other 8MB that would be in chip layers 3 and 4, so I suspect that most boards will only be assembled as 4MB or 8MB HyperAMS cards.

Edited by Ksarul
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Would love to see 16Meg HyperSAMS with battery backed RAM. Would be almost instant access to everything I run in RXB.

 

100 CALL AMSBANK(4194304,4194305) ! HEX BANKS 400000 and 400001

110 CALL EXECUTE(9738) ! Execute Assembly at this address

 

This could run a EA program or XB Program loader that could run 3328 EA or XB programs from 1 Lower 8K program in RXB by loading Upper 24 K and Lower 8K

 

Of course would not work for Cart Based only programs as these are incompatible with XB cart as the XB ROMs are needed to run XB.

 

P.S. I did reserve into RXB 32K of AMS for future Expansion and anticipated this to happen so the Extra space needed for the loader is there.

Edited by RXB
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Jumping in late here, but I have a one-chip implementation of the Speech to PEB Bus adapter that I made for my own use. Uses a single 44-pin TQFP, (aside from the requisite voltage regulators), so it could be made pretty small. Haven't designed a PCB for it yet, though.

 

I'd be willing to finish this real quick if there's interest in it.

Edited by gregallenwarner
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...I have a one-chip implementation of the Speech to PEB Bus adapter that I made for my own use. Uses a single 44-pin TQFP, (aside from the requisite voltage regulators), so it could be made pretty small. Haven't designed a PCB for it yet, though.

 

I'd be willing to finish this real quick if there's interest in it.

 

I'd love to see a photo of the one you made for yourself! :)

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I'd love to see a photo of the one you made for yourself! :)

 

Sure! I'll post photos tonight.

 

Does this one decode the AMA, AMB, and AMC signals? That might be a neat project--and I can do layouts once I know the pinout or your TQFP device. . .

 

It does not currently, but there's no reason I couldn't add those in. Let me know what those signals are supposed to be decoded as, and which pins are they on the PEB bus? I need my memory refreshed.

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Pfaw... encroaching on potential vaporware. I have been occasionally jotting ideas down for PEB over Ethernet, direct and switchable. Working out thoughts on sampling and protocol (is it easier or better to encode the line state for every sample, encode only state changes, encode in groups, etc.) Everyone is going to have a different take on similar problems.

 

EDIT: And necessity is the mother of invention... if something exists already which satisfies the need, I need not invent :)

Edited by OLD CS1
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Sure! I'll post photos tonight.

 

 

It does not currently, but there's no reason I couldn't add those in. Let me know what those signals are supposed to be decoded as, and which pins are they on the PEB bus? I need my memory refreshed.

I'll pull up the data for that off of one of the schematics I have, probably this weekend--and on building this, I think it is a good idea, no matter who ends up with a working product first. :) :) :) I know I won't be able to get to doing something along this line for a while yet, so if you're working on a similar project, I'll backburner mine but keep it in reserve on the off chance that you never get to finish yours.

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I wasn't planning on releasing mine, but considering there's some interest and the only thing lacking is whipping up a quick PCB layout, I'll go ahead and complete it and release it.

 

Keep in mind, it is only a speech synth adapter. No other components. So it's not a viable replacement for a CorComp Triple Tech, or anything else. That being said, if there's still an interest out there for people to move their speech synths into the PEB, I'll go ahead and manufacture a few.

 

I've got no idea where the best place would be to mass produce the boards. All I've ever done is have a few prototypes made with OSHPark. So if I go ahead with production, I'll likely only be able to offer 2 prototypes to the first bidders. I'm just not sure there are enough people out there wanting a synth adapter to warrant a huge run.

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Ok, I'll give Sitopway a look.

I just got home and took a few photos of my setup. Here's the speech synth hooked up to a little breakout PCB that I designed for breadboarding. Let me emphasize: this thing is TINY! That one chip alone does the entire speech synth interfacing logic. There's actually quite a lot of room left in that chip; it's hardly used at all. Most of the silicon is sitting there being wasted. Tremendous amount of logic capable there, in a little $3 chip. It's mind blowing.

Tested under XB (CALL SAY) and Parsec.

post-37498-0-04930800-1411427948_thumb.jpg

post-37498-0-47971600-1411427958_thumb.jpg

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This begs the question, after all of us buy this new gadget, what are we going to put in all those empty speech synthesizer boxes?

 

I like to see a NanoPEB type board, that would fit in speech box, but sadly its not wide enough for Compact Flash, but maybe it would work with USB ports and High-Speed SD Cards.

Edited by Gary from OPA
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Well, after some grueling trace routing, I've completed the PCB layout for the speech-synth-to-PEB-bus adapter card. Overall dimensions: 3.3 inches by 1.75 inches. Eagle CAD render attached.

 

Also, AMA, AMB, and AMC are routed, but I will need to know what the expected values of these lines will be before I can reprogram the chip.

 

As a quick head count, how many people do you reckon will want one?

post-37498-0-05203800-1411505803_thumb.png

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Well, after some grueling trace routing, I've completed the PCB layout for the speech-synth-to-PEB-bus adapter card. Overall dimensions: 3.3 inches by 1.75 inches. Eagle CAD render attached.

 

Also, AMA, AMB, and AMC are routed, but I will need to know what the expected values of these lines will be before I can reprogram the chip.

 

As a quick head count, how many people do you reckon will want one?

 

Very neat design.

 

I for sure would order one, when its ready!::)

 

From what I remember the AMA, AMB, AMC lines should be 1/1/1 if its going to be used in Geneve 9640 system.

 

But being 45 now, my memory might be failing, so don't quote me on it! :)

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Well, after some grueling trace routing, I've completed the PCB layout for the speech-synth-to-PEB-bus adapter card. Overall dimensions: 3.3 inches by 1.75 inches. Eagle CAD render attached.

 

Also, AMA, AMB, and AMC are routed, but I will need to know what the expected values of these lines will be before I can reprogram the chip.

 

As a quick head count, how many people do you reckon will want one?

 

So you're just going to rely on the socket itself for stability? Might I suggest lengthening the card with empty space in order to reach the front and back slots, like the Rave adapter card in message #3 in this thread. It would seem to be more stable that way.

 

Gazoo

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From what I remember the AMA, AMB, AMC lines should be 1/1/1 if its going to be used in Geneve 9640 system.

 

Actually, if you look at the schematics of the good old TI disk controller, the AMA / AMB / AMC lines are indeed tested to 1. The Flex Cable Interface is the card which pulls up the lines.

 

So this is an old (but forgotten) constraint long before the Geneve came up. :)

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