Pokeymax v4 bring up thread

[olix]

Thank you, that has helped me. The list of options in build.sh is very helpful.

18 minutes ago, foft said:

Look at this to see the settings:

http://www.64kib.com/atarixlfpga_svn/trunk/atari_800xl/atari_chips/pokeyv2/build.sh

 

 

 

Thank you, that has helped me. The list of options in build.sh is very helpful.

[ScreamingAtTheRadio]

Today I tried to program both a 4 with a 10M16SA and a 4s with a 10M02SC. I was surprised that I had to power the boards externally before the USB Blaster would see them. I expected the blaster to power the board itself. Oh well. Both devices are detected by the programming software, which is encouraging. Now I need to get into that build script so I can get a build that targets the specific models of chips I have. Unfortunately that will have to wait a little as other projects require my attention. Still, progress...

 

Photo of the first 4s:

Edited September 15 by ScreamingAtTheRadio

[woj]

1 hour ago, ScreamingAtTheRadio said:

I was surprised that I had to power the boards externally before the USB Blaster would see them.

That was kind of hard to believe indeed. However, since I had to go through Intel forums a lot due to a crap cable I got at first and repeatedly seeing multiple answers "Have you powered up the board?" to most "I can't program the device" questions it was a nobrainer, I did not even try without the power. @foft's pictures were also a giveaway 😉

[foft]

Yeah it needs powering.

 

Happy to build a specific core if you let me know which fpga, what you want in it + any specific pins.

 

BTW another pokey replacement to try from @candle

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/SimpleStereo_v4_8ec8e9eb.html

I think the core for that is not currently open but there will be a Jed file published soon.

[sideburn]

I almost ordered the simplestereo v4 prior to learning about the PokeyMax v4 but wasn’t sure if I would need to flash it with firmware and could not find any technical information on it. 

[Piotr D. Kaczorowski]

19 minutes ago, sideburn said:

I almost ordered the simplestereo v4 prior to learning about the PokeyMax v4 but wasn’t sure if I would need to flash it with firmware and could not find any technical information on it. 

For sure both FPGAs should be flashed with the bitstream provided by authors.  

PokeyMax uses Intel Altera MAX 10 FPGAs and you should also have USB Blaster programmer.  I use this one and it's bulletproof: https://kamami.pl/programatory/561847-zl32prg-kamami-usb-blaster-pro-programator-usb-dla-ukladow-pld-firmy-altera-zgodny-z-usb-blaster-5906623433261.html

PokeyMax firmwares for FPGAs are provided on the @foft's web page: http://www.64kib.com/

 

Simple Stereo v4 uses AMD Xilinx CPLD/FPGAs and should also use proper programmer to upload the bitstream.

I'm not sure where are all FPGA/CPLD firmwares available for projects shared by @candle.

 

 

 

[sideburn]

Right, I was referring to Candle’s. Could not find the firmware so I didn’t place an order. I have pre ordered the PokeyMax instead…

[+Stephen]

5 hours ago, sideburn said:

I almost ordered the simplestereo v4

From where?  I've heard these were being worked on for 5 or 6 years now, but never saw one available anywhere.

[sideburn]

The PCBWay link (mentioned above)

Edited September 15 by sideburn

[ScreamingAtTheRadio]

9 hours ago, foft said:

Happy to build a specific core if you let me know which fpga, what you want in it + any specific pins.

 

BTW another pokey replacement to try from @candle

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/SimpleStereo_v4_8ec8e9eb.html

I think the core for that is not currently open but there will be a Jed file published soon.

That would be lovely, thanks (even though I want to go through the process eventually so I can build as close as a turnkey process on my repo for folks wanting to build their own). The FPGAs in my BOMs and their targeted feature sets are:

1. 10M16SAU169I7G -> the kitchen sink
2. 10M02SCU169I7G -> Stereo + SPDIF if that can fit

So yeah, I just checked out Candle's PCBWay page, lots of very interesting projects there, and it's great to see more and more design making it to quasi-openness, and more new designs to come. There are a few that I'm quite eager to try for myself. The Pokey thing though looks like it's adding features on top of an existing Pokey, am I mistaken? There's definitely a Pokey in the BOM and the rendering seems to show it mounted on the board. Also, the AMD chip in the design is a MCU, the FPGA is this guy, with maxed-out specs: https://mm.digikey.com/Volume0/opasdata/d220001/medias/docus/925/MachXO3_Family_DataSheet.pdf ($24 at Digikey). It looks like a really cool design, with support for USB keyboards, game pads and memory sticks (which I find very interesting if you've seen my project for the ABBUC hardware contest for this year), but not particularly inexpensive to produce and also with a much larger footprint than PokeyMax4 and if I'm not mistaken still the need to scavenge a working Pokey (but I'm suspecting this is optional)...

Edited September 15 by ScreamingAtTheRadio