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New Speech in PEB adapter card


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Soon, you will be able to relocate your speech synthesizers into your PEB's! I just wanted to start a new official thread for this project, since so many people have expressed interest so far. I can't thank you enough for your interest! It's inspired me to keep working hard on this. Had some difficulty working out some bugs in the design, but I believe I have a solid prototype now. I've got the PCB laid out for this latest design, so I'm going to be moving onto manufacturing very soon. Will keep you all updated. To see the thing in action, check out my video below:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZQHhh1AJA

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Heh. Neat --- Yeah a new topic was the best idea. -- You should add a link to old topic for people wishing a overview of long-hard-road to this now working stage you are at.

 

I like the fact you left the original box around the pcboard, makes the video more cool I think, gives it a more clearer visible fact the speech is in the PEB.

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Nice work! How different is this one from the original prototype you sent me to test way back at the beginning of this process?

 

The one I sent to you didn't have the 74HCT245 buffer on the data lines. My (very first) prototype worked with this component omitted, but none of the first-run PCB's would. I figured it was worth the extra 50 cents to have that reliability of the buffer chip. Also, I went on ahead and reconfigured ALL of the CPLD's outputs as open-collector (with pullups to 5v) in order to translate the voltage levels from 3.3v logic that the CPLD runs on into 5v logic. Only some of the outputs on the first prototype were open-collector, and although 3.3v logic is supposed to be compatible with 5v TTL levels, I wasn't entirely convinced, since it wasn't working reliably. This is just a lot more thorough of a job, to ensure the logic levels swing all the way between 0 and 5 volts.

 

Thanks for the positive feedback! I'll get you guys some new prototypes out in the mail soon to test for me. This also needs to be tested on a Geneve. I followed the guidelines for the Geneve's memory map, but it'll be of huge help to have it tested on a real Geneve.

 

By the way, here's the link to the original thread, for reference:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/224521-simple-useful-project-for-your-p-box/

 

I should also mention that I've incorporated the Genmod decoding of AMD and AME into this design as well. There's a solder jumper in the new PCB design to enable decoding of those two additional lines. If you've done the Genmod on your Geneve, simply short this jumper with a solder blob, and it will now be compatible with the Genmod.

Edited by gregallenwarner
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The purple CPLD dev board is my own creation. I hate buying dev boards, and would rather design my own, because it forces you to learn the actual implementation of the chip. When I began learning programmable logic a few years ago, I created that design, and I've been using it ever since. If one asks nicely, they might be able to get one from me! :-D There's no USB, so you have to have your own USB Blaster to program it, but you can find cheap clones of it on eBay pretty easily.

 

As for the male card edge connectors, I purchased them here:

 

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/EBC30MMBD/S7289-ND/1922778

and

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/EBC22MMBD/S7287-ND/1922776

 

I should mention, with those male edge connectors, while the horizontal pin pitch is 0.1 inch, the distance between the two rows of thru-hole pins is actually 0.15 inches, so it's a PAIN to use with perfboard. You have to individually bend each of the outer row of pins outward in order to space them 0.2 inches from the inner row, and even then, it's real difficult to space them so they perfectly line up with your perfboard holes, so there's usually a lot of wiggling and finagling before you finally get all the pins to go through the holes all at the same time. Took me about 10 minutes with each one.

Edited by gregallenwarner
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Thanks for the info.

 

The purple CPLD dev board is my own creation. I hate buying dev boards, and would rather design my own, because it forces you to learn the actual implementation of the chip.

 

Ah, I see, you don't need switches, LED's and displays etc, just the I/O pins and the power supply.

 

 

you have to have your own USB Blaster to program it

So it's an Altera CPLD. I'm working with Xilinx, just a choice though. I take it the I/O are 5V tollerant but can't drive 5V. Same with the XC9500XL series. Darn 3.3V :(

I'v got kind of the same solution for those fine pitch packages. An adapter PCB, where I have to solder the CPLD onto myself. ebay item 161135639974

 

 

 

 

 

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I'v got kind of the same solution for those fine pitch packages. An adapter PCB, where I have to solder the CPLD onto myself. ebay item 161135639974

 

 

Damn, my eyes hurt just looking at the thing... and that's multiple times it's actual size on screen. I really cannot imagine working with things this small. I envy you guys with great eyesight.

post-35324-0-03881900-1428342532_thumb.jpg

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Damn, my eyes hurt just looking at the thing... and that's multiple times it's actual size on screen. I really cannot imagine working with things this small. I envy you guys with great eyesight.

The pitch is 0.5mm, and my eyesight is quite bad. :( really.

But when it comes to creativity... LOL

post-41771-0-58538900-1428346119_thumb.jpg 8)

If you have soldered before, then it's just purchasing everything you need, and dive into the deep water. It looks harder than it actually is.

Obviously, I'm still searching for a better solutoin. :)

But BTT /o\

Edited by Dexter
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So it's an Altera CPLD. I'm working with Xilinx, just a choice though. I take it the I/O are 5V tollerant but can't drive 5V. Same with the XC9500XL series. Darn 3.3V :(

I'v got kind of the same solution for those fine pitch packages. An adapter PCB, where I have to solder the CPLD onto myself. ebay item 161135639974

Yeah, I'm using the MAX3000 line of CPLD's, and they're 5V tolerant, despite running on 3.3V. Like I mentioned earlier, 3.3V logic is supposed to be directly compatible with 5V TTL logic, but it has to be TTL, not CMOS. TTL detects a high logic level for anything above 2.5V, so 3.3V is fine, but CMOS expects something like 4V or thereabouts, in order to read as high, so 3.3V simply won't cut it. Now, I have in the past successfully driven the TI Speech Synth directly from the 3.3V outputs, but it wasn't reliable. It would work some days, and wouldn't work others. No amount of voodoo dances and incantations would resolve it, so I decided to switch the CPLD to open-collector outputs with 10K pullup resistors to 5 volts. This way, it translates the voltage levels into 5V. Takes more components, but it works reliably, and that's what's important. But sadly, it only works on this old chip, as all the new programmable logic devices aren't 5V tolerant.

 

Damn, my eyes hurt just looking at the thing... and that's multiple times it's actual size on screen. I really cannot imagine working with things this small. I envy you guys with great eyesight.

I don't really have the best eyesight, but the way I solder surface mount packages like this is with solder paste and a stencil, and then I lay the populated board on a hot plate that I have specifically for soldering, and I cook it on there to reflow the solder. A reflow oven would definitely be better, but I use an infrared thermometer and a stopwatch, manually adjusting the temperature knob in order to follow the proper heat curve. It works remarkably well, and I haven't had any botched PCB's yet! This method really beats using the iron!

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but CMOS expects something like 4V or thereabouts, in order to read as high, so 3.3V simply won't cut it.

I exactly encountered the same issue with the 65816, it also accepts about 4V and above as a logical high, when driven on 5V, that is. I decided to run the ‘816 on 3.3V instead to solve the problem. But it’s nice to see that it can be solved in the way you did. It’s really sad that 5V is dying. :(

 

the way I solder surface mount packages like this is with solder paste and a stencil, and then I lay the populated board on a hot plate that I have specifically for soldering, and I cook it on there to reflow the solder.

I use the drag method, with a lot of flux. It works satisfactory, but I think the reflow method is more clean and reliable. If I ever like to try it, I’d definitely need some advice. :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Ha ha! Well, between work and having to be out of town for family, it's been tough to find time on the weekends to finish testing these new prototypes. I'm gonna force myself to do it one night this week, so I can get these out for field testing. I'll keep you guys up to date, and hopefully post another video soon.

 

-Greg W.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Hey, just to give you guys an update on this project:

 

Back in June I got laid off from my job, so I've had to pack up my house and move, and I've been on the job hunt ever since. Got some good prospects though...

 

However, that means I'm currently without a workshop, so this project unfortunately will need to be placed on hold till I have a suitable place to set everything back up. The development portion is pretty much finished, so all that's left is ordering parts and manufacturing.

 

I thank you guys for your patience on this. It hasn't been easy with all of life's complications being thrown my way. I don't want to make excuses though. I'll be sure to focus on getting this project completed for you guys soon as I find out where I'll be setting up my new lab.

 

Thanks again!

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