Simius

These were been sold for $150 only because of global chip shortage and the need to purchase chips even several times more expensive outside the authorised distributor network. New batch will be cheaper.

There is still a chance for 2023.

Analog outputs of the Sophia 2 can be configured as 31kHz VGA mode, 15kHz RGB mode or 15kHz YPbPr mode. If you can get an image on your VGA monitor, the analog outputs are working.

Hopefully 2023. Although there are not many waiting.

Update. SOPHIA2en_1_5.pdf

Donjn, disassemble the keyboard and remove the LED then try the CONSOL keys again. There is a big chance it will work.

Sure, but it will take a while.

Sold out

I could make the access more complicated, but I didn't want because I wanted to make switching color palettes as fast as possible.

It's a BASIC ROM, specifically the POKE command: JSR LETNUM LDA FR0 STA POKADR LDA FR0+1 STA POKADR+1 JSR GETBYT LDA FR0 LDY #$00 STA (POKADR),Y RTS This means the game's code simply contains POKE GRACTL,$FF INIT: 80 POKE 54279,116:POKE 704,46:POKE 705,46:POKE 53256,0:POKE 53257,0:POKE 559,46:POKE 53277,255 CCC65: 1800 GRAPHICS U0:POKE 54279,116:POKE 559,46:POKE 53277,255:POKE 756,120:GOTO 5000 Crush Crumble and Chomp.atr

See the datasheet.

It isn't a Sophia's bug but writing #$FF to GRACTL B25A LDA D4 (FF) B25C LDY #00 B25E STA (95),Y (D01D+Y) B260 RTS

The good news is a several adapters are available immediately. Bad news is the only 2 Sophias are left and it must be a special ones, with different firmware.

Something like this.

There are 113 possibilities only: 7 colors x 16 shades + black with no shades.

You can try to.connect pin 4 of the DIN connector to the ground on the MB and use it to separate color and luminance grounds. Contact resistance of the common ground is enough to a bad picture.

I do not recommend soldering directly to Sophia's pins. Small SMD components are right next to it. It is better to solder to the corresponding fields of the motherboard

I don’t know. Maybe. Do you have only this long one?

For example: Ribbon cable: 3M 3365/16 Connector: TE Conectivity 1-215083-6

The longer unshielded ribbon cable, the greater the chance of unwanted effects. Just find the best routing. I had been sending longer (up to 12 inch) cables on request.

There is no SECAM version of Sophia2 and there won't be. There are two SECAM version of Sophia1: RGB and DVI. The DVI version exists only as a ready to produce design and has never been released. There wasn't a demand. The SECAM RGB version was produced in the number of about a dozen and sold out. The new production is possible but uneconomic because of global chip shortage and very high prices keeping by the stock owners. The only option is an adapter that matches the Sophia2 pinout to the SECAM motherboard and serializes the triggers. It would also be necessary to replace the 14.252MHz crystal with 14.187576MHz. But due to the cost, at least 5 orders are necessary.

Very sad. RIP Stephen.

If the problem was regular, it would be fixed during programming/startup/tests

It's hard to say. Probably different +5V circuits parameters.

The reason for this behavior is the instability of some 3.3V LDO regulators during start-up. This phenomenon seems rare. It did not appear in any of Sophia's previous two batches. It is probably related to another production series of the regulators and working conditions in the Sophia power supply circuit. The matter is the 4R7 1206 series resistor to step down the input voltage and the power dissipation of the regulator. Probably the 1uF input capacitor recommended by the producer sometimes turns out to be insufficient with this relative high input resistance. The regulator should operate normally when this resistor is shorted, but its junction temperature would be relative high (Tj=75°C @Tamb=25°C). Series resistor lowers the junction temperature of the regulator to 50-55°C. The universal solution is always to send it back for repair. However if someone feels competent to take the risk of repairing it themselves and has a proper tools, could do one of the following: 1. Replace the regulator (AP2210-3.3TRG1) 2. Short the 4R7 1206 resistor 3. Replace the resistor with a small (SOD323) diode with the forward voltage of 0.7...0.9V @If=150mA (e.g.. BAT54WS, BAT54J, BAT42WS) - cathode towards the near edge of the board.