ABBUC hardware contest 2024 starts now!

[andymanone]

Hello together!

 

The ABBUC hardware contest 2024 starts now! Everyone is invited to participate with own, new hardware. For more details read the rules (see link below).

 

The deadline this year : 31. July 2024

 

You can find the rules here:

 

Rules AHC 2024

 

Cheers, 

andY

[andymanone]

@Albert

 

May I ask you, to take down the "Contest 2023" and pin the "2024 contest"?

Thanks in advance,

andY

[Albert]

1 hour ago, andymanone said:

@Albert

 

May I ask you, to take down the "Contest 2023" and pin the "2024 contest"?

Thanks in advance,

andY

Done!

[andymanone]

I am pleased to present the first submission of the project "Virtual to Reality Hardware Interface" by Pancio!

 

Some details:

 

Quote

Hi,
I would like to present my new VRHI device, which is used for programming, reading and cooperation with any Atari XL/XE devices. The main reason why I decided to build it was the need to quickly write to any cartridge, because writing to an Atari takes a very long time... The presented device can do this in a dozen or so seconds (depending on the capacity). Additionally, we can connect any device compatible with Atari to the interface and, if the method of communication is known, we can also control it. We connect VHRI to a PC using a USB cable and, if we need to use a debugger, a serial cable (or another USB). The first tests showed that transmission speeds of 2mbit are possible (reading a 512KB cartridge takes about ~3s), but work is underway to use USB as a faster interface.
My colleague @mono (Jerzy Kut) is involved to the creation of VRHI in its current form and he is the author of most of the communication software as well as the PC library. I designed, built and tested the system at a basic level. Currently, work is underway on the second prototype and speeding up the information exchange process between PC and VRHI.

 

A few technically details:
- the project was created as a development of the ATARino idea and initially used its PCB (see photo of the prototype),
- the main element of VRHI is a module with a 32-bit RISC-V microcontroller 144MHz with 64KB RAM and 256KB FLASH,
- additional elements include 16Mb of FLASH memory for cartridge data,
- EEPROM memory for configuration data,
- SD card slot (for cartridge images),
- ETHERNET 10Mb connector
- 2xUSB HOST/DEVICE

 

Not all features are currently supported, but a few are planned...
There is one more cool thing if I use AtarINO... we can use VRHI as a sniffer, PC-controlled freezer or accelerator directly on Atari 🙂

 

I will provide more details soon!

 

Best Regards,
pancio
 

 

Cheers,

andY

 

[pancio]

 

 

Hi,

I would like to inform you that VRHI was pretty finished and ready to use. At this moment can read/write MaxFlash compatible cartridges e.g. (GalCART, JCART, DCART) but other which can be writable directly from Atari will be added to the list. The goal is to have The Cart! on the list 🙂

 

I made a short movie about VRHI:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y30KcJ_vIys

Many thanks to Mono - which wrote very fast software and excellent firmware!

Best Regards,
pancio

[andymanone]

What's up guys?

 

The deadline is coming up soon!

 

Only one submission for the hardware competition this time😕?

Come on, there's more to come 😎! 

 

 

Cheers,

andY

 

 

The hardware competition 2024 / Final date for sending in submissions is the 31. of July 2024!

[Irgendwer]

I wish I could participate. Lots of cool projects in the pipeline - but nothing finished... 😕
"Real life™"-issues.

[andymanone]

Yes guys, 
after my friendly reminder yesterday, there was actually this morning at 3 o'clock another submission for the AHC 2024 😎 !

 

I am pleased to announce the second submission for the 2024 hardware competition here  !

 

Bertrand (aka ScreamingAtTheRadio) has submitted on 30.07.2024 his latest project: "DecentUSB Host - a USB / Bluetooth / Wifi host for Atari 8-bit computers"

as a work in progress for the ABBUC Hardware Contest 2024!

 

Here is an excerpt from his description (slightly shortened):

Quote

DecentUSB Host - a USB / Bluetooth / Wifi host for Atari 8-bit computers

Disclaimer
This is very much a prototype. Both the hardware and the software are work in progress but the proof of
concept is here.

Summary
The DecentUSB Host aims at being a low-cost extension for Atari 8-bit computers that brings USB, Bluetooh
and Wifi capabilities to the platform. It's open source both in hardware and software to allow the community
to easily build new features.
The device is a multi-function interface to keyboards, gamepads or memory devices in a single board that
costs less than $15 to build.
The Raspberry Pi Pico has been a fantastic booster for retro-computer extensions. Its fast PIO state machines
and its extremely low price enable applications involving precise timing of signals with a much lower barrier to
entry than FPGAs.
Specifically, the Pico-W can act as a USB host, a Bluetooth host, and a WiFi card. By connecting it internally to
the relevant Atari 8-bit buses and signals, we can interface modern devices with our favorite retro platform.

Applications
Once drivers have been built, we should be able to support the following scenarios (non exhaustive list):

- USB and Bluetooth keyboards
- USB and Bluetooth gamepads
- USB and Bluetooth mouses
- USB stick drives and SD cards

Internet access (potentially in a FujiNet-compatible way)
Atari to PC communication (potentially in a SIO2PC-compatible way)

Internal interfaces
The DecentUSB Host board exposes pins that connect to the following signals inside the Atari:
GND and 5V power the Pi and its helper chips
Pokey K0-6, KR1 and KR2: enables the device to simulate a keyboard
Start, select, option, reset: enables console key control, for example through an external keyboard
SIO clock in/out, data in/out and command: enables SIO device simulation
Joystick port 1 up, down, left, right and fire as well as A_POT: enables joystick simulation
Potentially other signals using the remaining free GPIOs on the Pi

External interfaces
USB-A: enables the connection of keyboards, gamepads, memory cards, etc.
WiFi: enables connecting the Atari to a WiFi network
Bluetooth: enables the connection of wireless keyboards, gamepads, etc.
Extra GPIOs: can be used to connect a small screen and buttons to control the device (for example to
select a disk image on a USB stick)

Physically, the board is designed to fit in an Atari 800XL between the ROMs and the SIO port. Optionally, the
case can be modified on the right side behind the joystick ports to let a USB port through. If the user doesn't
want to use USB but only Bluetooth and Wifi, the board can operate without case mods.

In a XE computer, the board can be fitted closer to the keyboard connector. The optional USB port can be
exposed to the outside through a case mod that lets the new port through the right side of the case in front
of the joystick ports

In other machines such as the 600XL or XEGS, the back of the case can let the USB port through. If necessary,
there could be optimized versions for each model or form factor

Future developments

Hardware
The prototype relies on the Pi to host a USB port on GPIOs using the USB host library. One of the
disadvantages of this approach is that we're using the Pi's computing resources to wait for USB data. The USB
host library supports only one USB port and can only work in a blocking or polling way, meaning that it's very
difficult to handle other tasks while waiting for USB data without missing any of it.
For those reasons, the next version of the hardware will include a specialized USB hosting chip such as the
Microchip PIC16(L)F145X and a 2-port USB hub chip such as the Microchip USB2422 2-port USB hub
controller to have two active USB ports without having to connect a hub.
The prototype was all through hole components, which is great for experimentation. The production version
of the board will use SMD components, which are easier to source and will allow for an even more compact
design.
I might also add enough GPIO extenders to plug into the PBI

Software
The software for the board is currently highly experimental and only establishes a proof of concept. It can
detect USB devices being added and removed. It recognizes any USB keyboard and can read its inputs. It can
map USB keystrokes to Pokey signals. It can scan the Pokey keyboard pins and simulate keystrokes (albeit
imperfectly at this time because it does so in Python).
Over the next few months, the code will be extended and rewritten to use PIO state machines, which are much
faster than Python code. The main code will be rewritten in C, again for better perf.
I'll also write new drivers for gamepads, thumbdrives and Wifi.

 

 

The corresponding Youtube video: DecentUSB Host - a USB / Bluetooth / Wifi host for Atari 8-bit computers (and some pictures of the prototype) attached.

 

Cheers,

andY

 

 

[andymanone]

Final submission status AHC 2024:

 

Submission 1 (WIP):
Pancio: "Virtual to Reality Hardware Interface"

 

Submission 2 (WIP):
ScreamingAtTheRadio: DecentUSB Host - a USB / Bluetooth / Wifi host for Atari 8-bit computers

 

Both submissions are in competition.

 

The submission period is now closed.

 

A big "thank you" in advance to the participants 👍 !!!

 

Cheers,
andY

[ScreamingAtTheRadio]

Short update on my project given today's announcement of the Pi Pico2...

 

The Pi Pico 2 is exactly what was needed at exactly the right time. While the W version won't be available until the end of the year, the base version will be integrated to my prototype as soon as I can get my hands on a unit. The main improvements that are relevant to the project are:

* GPIOs are 5V tolerant, meaning I can get rid of level shifting. That removes one whole chip and two MOSFETs, leaving more room for new stuff like more GPIO extenders and a USB hub chip.

* 4 more state machines. The prototype got starved of state machines by some of the libraries used. It will be a great help to have 12 state machines instead of 8.

* FASTER, and more memory.

 

I'm continuing to improve the design so the version available at the end of the context is as polished and useful as possible. Very excited about Pico 2 and what it'll bring to the retro hardware scene.

[foft]

Sorry I didn't enter anything again this year, got rather busy with a lot of things ... again! I do want to enter again though, probably I should start to think about the 2025 one already...

[ScreamingAtTheRadio]

I wanted to give an update on my project...

 

I've entirely redesigned the board for rev.2:

• RS2350 chip instead of Pi Pico
• ESP32 for WiFi + Bluetooth
• 4-ports USB hub chip on-board
• One dual-USB port can be mounted directly on the board, is positioned to stick out flush in a 800XL case.
• Two additional ports use the standard PC connector for panel-mounted USB ports
• Support for the 2 joystick ports (including paddles), keyboard, console keys, and SIO port
• Level shifting on all lines
• 1 Neopixel built-in + port to add an arbitrary number of additional pixels
• RGB activity LED for the ESP32
• Atari connectors optimized for the ASIC chips pin layouts: ribbon cables will be much easier to route
• Protection added to Atari pins as necessary (reproducing the Atari schematics) so direct connection to chips is possible instead of soldering to vias or connectors
• Expansion port for the leftover GPIOs and an optional OLED display
• Programming through mini-USB port to upload new firmware
• Debug port
• Buttons on the board for flashing new firmware, option and run
• Power supply decoupled and protected so power can be supplied by the programming USB port or from the Atari motherboard and everything can be kept connected simultaneously
• Components selected for availability and low-price from JLCPCB
• All pins labeled clearly on the board

I can't get this fabricated just yet because RP2350 chips are not yet widely available, but I will as soon as I can.

 

I'm in the process of rewriting and expanding the firmware in C and PIO assembly, taking maximum advantage of the two cores and state machines in the RP2350.

Edited September 20 by ScreamingAtTheRadio

[pancio]

Very big progress!

 

I want to buy two pieces for my Ataris if it will be available!

 

BR,

pancio

 

[andymanone]

The ABBUC Software and Hardware Contest 2024 was again a great success 💪😎!

There were 11 great submissions in software and 2 exciting hardware projects!
As far as I can see, we had a record participation in the voting this year - with a total of 81 members 😎!

 

Many thanks to all ABBUC'ers who participated!

 

Yesterday, at the 39th user meeting in the FBW in Herten, the long-awaited results and prizes were announced!

 

Here are the winners:

 

 

CATEGORY 2 (300€)
Biernat Błażej (Pancio) with his project: Virtual to Reality Hardware Interface
(With 130 points and a mean of 2.1311)

 

CATEGORY 2 (300€)
Bertrand Le Roy (ScreamingAtTheRadio) with his project: DecentUSB Host - a USB / Bluetooth / Wifi host for Atari 8-bit computers
(With 140 points and a mean of 2.2951) 

 

 

Congratulations from me and the whole ABBUC team to all winners!!!

 

 

Cheers,

André

Edited October 27 by andymanone

[ScreamingAtTheRadio]

Big thanks to everyone who voted, and congrats to @pancio on the great project! On my side, I'm hoping to be able to produce the revised version of the project soon, when RP2350 is widely available, and I'll make the boards available as soon as possible.

Big thanks also of course to ABBUC for organizing this competition and awarding me a prize!

[pancio]

I am very surprised! Especially since colleague @ScreamingAtTheRadio presented a project at least one level higher than mine! Congratulations on the project and I hope to make myself a similar device for my Atari. I would especially like to thank everyone who voted (for both projects!) and I hope that next year the competition will be full of new attenders! 🙂

 

I'll try to  publish all required data this week. If any question - don't be hesitate to ask!

 

Many thanks for the organizers of the competition!

 

Best Regards,