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

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:57 am

Look very nice. This makes me motivated to add it on my FE3 also.

amramsey · Post by **amramsey** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:43 am

Well, got back from my trip this weekend so finally had a chance to build my FE3. Took a little over 2 hours to solder it together, drill holes in the case, flash the bugger and boot it up!

The instructions http://www.for8bits.com/vc20fe3r9_assembly.htm are nice and easy to follow. My biggest problem was dealing with all those dang thru-hole components.

I'm so used to surface mount stuff now that thru-hole is a pain to have to insert, flip, hold and solder.

I mounted the leds in the case also because I love blinky things. Thanks to Diddl for giving me a kickstart package with some goodies in it. Made it easy to make sure everything was up and running correctly.

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:15 pm

good work amramsey!

looks strange for me with a white case, never seen bevore.

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:31 am

No one sent problems with release candidate so I release r020 today:

As usual please download r020 from FE3 download page.

Many thanks to Vic20-Ian for translating FE3 Loader file docu: click

Changes:

Bugfix: BLKD command fixed
Diskloader is improved. It works now with programs starting at cassette buffer address. But this file must be loaded at last (if more than one file)!
SAVE has a shorty in FE3 wedge. With "arrow left" you will do a SAVE.

If file already exists on the disk you can choose between "update" und "replace".

Replace simply send a @S: command to delete the file first.

Update will hold 2 versions of the file. It always does a "delete old file", "rename file" and "save file" sequence.

Caution: "update" will work only within D64 image files, not in normal file system of the SD card. This is cause SD2IEC (µIEC) doesn't process the @R: command outside of image files.

Replace:

Update:

vk4akp · Post by **vk4akp** » Wed May 26, 2010 8:31 am

Any chance of seeing the next version come out with a RJ45 network interface?

.-.-.

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Thu May 27, 2010 1:03 am

vk4akp wrote:Any chance of seeing the next version come out with a RJ45 network interface?

.-.-.

Currently there are no plans for a new version of FE3-20.

Maybe we make a FE3 for Plus/4, C16 ...

I'm a software developer. I always need a fellow who make the hardware for a new project.

Ethernet support would be simple to do, only a clock port would be nessecary. For the clock port we have ready to go solutions: RR-NET

vk4akp · Post by **vk4akp** » Thu May 27, 2010 4:42 am

That's a shame. I would love to see a kit or ready to buy product for the Vic-20 with lots of ram and a RJ45 network connector.

In my mind the network connector is more important then the SD card slot as SD card storage is available as products like uIEC etc.

The same design for the Commodore 16 I would certainly like to buy also.

.-.-.

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Thu May 27, 2010 5:30 am

vk4akp wrote: The same design for the Commodore 16 I would certainly like to buy also.

The FE3-16 (for C16, C116 and Plus/4) will have:

+ 512KB Flash
+ 512KB SRAM
+ µIEC
+ optional SID
+ clock port for RR-Net or whatever

---

Currently it seems a problem to increase C16 main memory by the external FE3-16. This is why Commodore has mirrored the 16K four times and so we cannot use external memory in this area.

orion70 · Post by **orion70** » Thu May 27, 2010 5:54 am

Diddl wrote:Currently it seems a problem to increase C16 main memory by the external FE3-16. This is why Commodore has mirrored the 16K four times and so we cannot use external memory in this area.

This means, no way to use the FE3-16 to turn the C16 into a Plus-4?

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Thu May 27, 2010 6:32 am

orion70 wrote: This means, no way to use the FE3-16 to turn the C16 into a Plus-4?

No way doesn't exist ...

But it seems to be a problem currently. It can be solved simply by

+ an internally RAM expansion
+ by removing internal RAM (cut the CS line)

"Wiesel" the famous maker of the chamaeleon hardware says, maybe it is possible to extend C16 to 64 KB only by external cartridge. But nobody has tested this so it is only a concept.

TBCVIC · Post by **TBCVIC** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 12:15 pm

What's the difference between 24+3 KB and All RAM option?
I made a program that doesn't work unless I use All RAM and I don't know why

Kananga · Post by **Kananga** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:22 pm

TBCVIC wrote:What's the difference between 24+3 KB and All RAM option?
I made a program that doesn't work unless I use All RAM and I don't know why

The difference between 27K and All RAM that is adressable by the Vic is 8K.

Does your program perhaps use the 8K block from $A000-$BFFF?

TBCVIC · Post by **TBCVIC** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:42 pm

Ah, right, the only memory I don't use is the 3K block.

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:45 pm

Yes, difference between 24+3 and ALL is, - ALL does set RAM also into block 5 ($A,$B).

In case of ALL the FE3 wedge is moved down into Block 0 (3K expansion)

VIC always shows 24K (3 x 8KB) expansion: 28159 Bytes free

This is cause 3K expansion is invisible if any other expansion is active. Why? The screen RAM is at $1000 in this case, so RAM below $1000 is unusable for BASIC.

The Block 5 RAM is always unusable for BASIC. So normaly FE3 Wedge is in it. And some autostart games. And of course some Utilities ...

tokra · Post by **tokra** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:05 pm

Just wondering: Why don't you always use $9800-$9fff ? This are is called I/O block 2 and 3 in the memory map, but I think it could also be RAM, can't it? Since it's very seldom used I think it would be the ideal place for the wedge.