Final Expansion :: 512KB SRAM + 512KB EEPROM + SD Card (2GB)

[Diddl]

Now where do I get 2 GB of games?

Maybe all VIC games available don't fill 2GB. But so we can use our old SD cards with 512MB or smaller, which nobody want to use now ...

[Mike]

After roughly 7.5 hrs of soldering work, spanning 4 evenings, and "debugging" the assembly, I got my FE3 to work.

That's actually the first time I can run all the programs I've written in the last years on real hardware, on my VIC-20.

So ... a more detailed report will come after this weekend.

Cheers,

Michael

[carlsson]

I received the package a week ago, picked it up last Tuesday but so far hasn't even opened it. I trust Nils all the items inside are according to order, but will probably open it a bit later when I find the time. I suppose I won't assemble it until a few weeks or months into 2010. Perhaps I'll be done by spring.

[Diddl]

I have tried to add a Denial WIKI entry for the Final Expansion: click


Please excuse my bad english and improve it yourself!

[orion70]

After roughly 7.5 hrs of soldering work, spanning 4 evenings, and "debugging" the assembly, I got my FE3 to work.
Michael

Congrats! I'm still waiting to have some more spare time for it...
Can't wait to read your detailed report.

[Mike]

Can't wait to read your detailed report.

Hehe ...

In general, the assembly instructions are fine. Nevertheless, I happened to stumble into a few difficult situations there, but there are no problems, only solutions:

As I wrote before, the assembly was done in 4 stints up to a near working FE3. "Near" working, because I have some issues with the RTC remaining, most probably due to low voltage of the replacement battery, see below. I took it easy, time wise.

Stint 1: SD Slot, voltage regulator, resistors, diodes:

That was actually the easiest part of the assembly. I'm quite used to SMD soldering. After the resistors were done, I did the SD Slot check, with success. When the diodes also were soldered, that were roughly 1 1/2 hrs.

Stint 2: Quartzes, capacitors, RTC chip, sockets, tantal, jumpers:

The 8 MHz quartz was no problem. But the RTC quarz made some trouble: you need to bend the legs nearly directly where they come out, otherwise it won't fit under the socket. The RTC chip was another quick go. When I tried to fit the socket, I had another bad luck: the RTC quark still wouldn't quite fit. I had to desolder it again, and position it slightly more into the socket. The small cap went on the solder side, contrary to the instructions - I found it had enough place there. After the sockets, the Tantal. This is a tight fit. I bent its legs before soldering it, into a 90° angle, so the Tantal "touches" the jumper rows to the left, when the edge connector points to you. Finally I did the jumper connectors. In a feat to get them all straight, I also soldered JP8 as helper. Big mistake. Even though I got quite far that evening, I needed to recognise, that the battery holder wouldn't fit anymore in the case. That meant, buying a smaller replacement battery, which did incur a 1 week wait. The second stint was another 2 hours.

Stint 3: Shortening of jumper rows, 1st try of the pushbutton switches, battery:

Well nearly 2 hours with no big advancement. At least I came to the conclusion, that braided wires would be better to connect the switches, and the battery - no problem to obtain them at my workplace.

Stint 4: Assembly of cables (switches, and IEC), test against short circuit, insertion of the ICs.

Assembling the IEC cable is a bit a PITA. Then I connected the switches, tested that no short circuits were on the supply rails, with success. I put the IC's into their sockets, but that was already late in the evening, and so I didn't look what went wrong then. 2 hours again. Effectively, assembly complete (sans putting it into a case):

...

The next morning, nothing working. At least, the VIC still greeted me with its normal startup message. One day passed.

The following morning, I looked a bit sharper. I had inserted the SD2IEC ATMEL controller exactly the wrong way round! Must have been a matter of habit: the other two chips face up, and I inserted the biggest one at last, in the same direction - but wrong!

Don't try this at home! Normally such an action nearly immediately fries that chip! Better look twice.

Well, no way back, nothing for the faint-hearted: I reseated the chip, inserted the the SD card, waited 10 seconds, and did 'LOAD"$",8' - with success! I must have been very lucky. Then I did the FE3DIAG. Which mostly returned o.k., only the FLASH EEPROM indicated it hadn't been flashed thus far. After FE3FLASH, all self tests ran fine. A reset promptly got me to the menu.

The next hours were filled with testing a lot of programs, mostly my self-written ones - but I also took the time for a Omega Fury session.

I found a small inconvenience with the SJ routines, and contacted Diddl about that - it will be fixed.

TODO:

- the RTC clock stops, when I switch of the VIC-20. Presumably the replacement battery either has to low a voltage, or it can't deliver the necessary current. I measured 2,8 V over the supply pins of the RTC chip, so ...
- when that is resolved, I'll put the FE3 into its case.
- I'll have to delve into the details how to handle the FLASH EEPROM. And the Super RAM configuration, with 512 K RAM is *very* interesting.

OVERALL:

- very recommended - but you'll need to know how to solder, or know someone, who you can ask for it.

@the FE3 team: Good job!

Greetings,

Michael

[rhurst]

Great review, Mike, thanks for taking the time to write-up with all the pertinent details.

[Diddl]

Yes thank you Mike!


Will solve this problems with SJLOAD in non direct mode soon.

There are other news about SJLOAD: Now it exists a C-128 version of SJLOAD with improved speed for SJLOAD. Will try to do same technique for VIC also.

Maybe it is after X-mas cause maybe I'll find less time next days ...

[orion70]

Thanks a lot Mike, I'll make good use of your tips .

[orion70]

All done. After a few tries, we finally managed to successfully fire the thing up, and flash the firmware, and the hardware works! Now, my friend and I are totally in the dark about how the hell the software works

The main menu includes a "disk loader" and a "cart loader", but both won't work even if I put all my D64 images in the root directory of my tiny 128MB SD card.
With the Wedge command "$", I can see all of them from the BASIC prompt; the FE3 utility "Flash program" is also unaccesible.

Questions: is there a way to "attach" a single image with a disk command either from the BASIC prompt, or from the main menu? How a cart image can be loaded? How can I flash programs to the cart?

Sorry for those trivial questions, but I can't wait to test this wonderful baby! Thanks guys if you will be able to let me try VICtoria Gold Edition on the stuff.

[Diddl]

The main menu includes a "disk loader" and a "cart loader", but both won't work even if I put all my D64 images in the root directory of my tiny 128MB SD card.

On Fri Nov 27, 2009 I sent you a PM. Extract SD image and you will see how it works and you can extend SD with own image files.

After extracting this SD image you should see some image files within FE3 DiskLoader. You can simple enter and leave D64 Imagefiles, change between D64 imagefiles, start games and utilities by keyboard (UP, DOWN, ENTER) and joystick.

Diskloader uses a file named "loader" which contain informations how to load and execute programs.

You can simply create your own "loader" files. It is only a normal BASIC text which can be edited like a BASIC program. You can use LOAD, LIST and SAVE normally. A description is found here. Will translate it if nessecary ...

After this is done you can use DiskLoader and start programs easily.

With the Wedge command "$", I can see all of them from the BASIC prompt; the FE3 utility "Flash program" is also unaccesible. How can I flash programs to the cart?

Yes, flash program shows exactly the same as DiskLoader. But instead of executing a program it flash it into flashmemory.

Questions: is there a way to "attach" a single image with a disk command either from the BASIC prompt, or from the main menu? How a cart image can be loaded?

You can attach a image file manually by a SD2IEC command:

@CD:IMAGEFILE.D64

see SD2IEC / µIEC documentation.

Sorry for those trivial questions, but I can't wait to test this wonderful baby! Thanks guys if you will be able to let me try VICtoria Gold Edition on the stuff.

you are welcome.

Please ask questions or use ready to use SD image, how you want.

I will help to configure any program or D64 image for use with the FE3.

[orion70]

Thank you very much Diddl, I received a message of explanation also from VIC20Ian and feel quite stupid for not having been able to use your SD image to understand how things work. Now it's all clear.

BTW, I think you should ask Zorro to translate also the useful page about the LOADER file...

The only drawback of the Wedge DOS is that the bootlooader of VICtoria Gold gets confused by the Wedge additional lines (starting and end load address) and therefore it doesn't work .

[Diddl]

Thank you very much Diddl, I received a message of explanation also from VIC20Ian and feel quite stupid for not having been able to use your SD image to understand how things work. Now it's all clear.

No problem.

BTW, I think you should ask Zorro to translate also the useful page about the LOADER file...

Yes it would be useful if Zorro or Ian could translate the text into english. So I could upload it to my HP.

The only drawback of the Wedge DOS is that the bootlooader of VICtoria Gold gets confused by the Wedge additional lines (starting and end load address) and therefore it doesn't work .

Didn't know "VICtoria Gold", never heard about?

If this is a application (a program) a solution is near:

Currently I'm working on v019 firmware which improves some things. Display of start/end address will be supressed if VIC isn't in direct mode. Mike also want this for his own programs.

v019 is nearly finished and will released in a few days.

[orion70]

Didn't know "VICtoria Gold", never heard about?

You're joking, aren't you? It's a strategic game set in ancient Rome, with stunning graphics created by Mike. The bootloader was also created by him, and that's why he doesn't like the display of addresses.
Anyway, this prob was solved too: it's as simple as resetting with normal BASIC (no wedge), after having mounted the correct D64.

[Diddl]

Ah ok, will try your game!


Problem will be solved in few days by v019, will inform you here.

v019 works fine already:

+ Loading speed is improved by 40%.

+ Loading of data now also work with jiffy speed, also BASIC code (GET#, INPUT#, PRINT#).

+ LOAD/SAVE messages supressed in program mode.

+ Some small bugfix