Matchbox sized 6502 / Z80 / 6809 Co Pro

[hoglet]

I've now got the internal ReCo650Mini installed in the Master and the Matchbox copro connected to the Master's external Tube socket, and I can seemingly switch between them at will and run the Ozmoo benchmark on either of them, without error! Which was the goal I was originally trying to achieve, and which I have now achieved, without quite understanding how I've achieved it!

So there's nothing different to before, yet now it's working?

I wonder if this was a dodgy connector issue all along. The external tube connector is prone to tarnishing over time. Maybe the Matchbox wasn't making quite as good a connection as the Acorn cheese wedge. And all the pluging/unpluging will have cleaned up the tube connector.

I'd be interested to hear if this stays working.

Dave

[lurkio]

So there's nothing different to before, yet now it's working?

Apparently so, yes! [EDIT: Well, technically the ReCo "ROM" (or whatever it is that gets updated when you follow the "software upgrade" procedure) has been updated because, as I said previously, I just panicked and decided to update it (and then endured multiple inexplicably failed attempts to do just that!). So the ReCo "ROM" might be different from what it was before, when the ReCo seemed to be interfering with the Matchbox previously.]

I'd be interested to hear if this stays working.

Thanks, Dave! I shall keep testing (if my nerves can take it!) and report back if it fails again...

[tricky]

Could someone with a zeropage LX9Co rev A please post a picture of which way up it should go when fitted under a "B"?
- I guess it is the same for the master.
If anyone does anything that plugs under a beeb, a little white triangle can be very reassuring

It looks like the components side has to tough the serial number but it would be nice to be sure.

[BigEd]

(I think you can figure it out by looking at all the grounded pins on the connector.)

[IanS]

Does this help viewtopic.php?p=65501#p65501

[tricky]

Not really, because that is a NuCo6502 although I did find it and it is similar.
It might help someone else though

[BigEd]

You do want the IDE connector to be on the ceiling-side, with the PCB parallel to the floor (or desk). So I think Michael's prototype matches Jason's production part in that respect - as to whether other bits and bobs have moved from one side to the other, I don't know. (I could go upstairs and check, if you're still a bit worried.)

[hoglet]

Could someone with a zeropage LX9Co rev A please post a picture of which way up it should go when fitted under a "B"?

If you look carefully on the connector silk screen, pins 1 and 2 are numbered (on the left side of the connector in the above photo). These align to the side of the tube connector marked with the arrow.

Also, make sure the connector is plugged in centrally, as it's possible to mis-align it which will result in damage.

Dave

[BigEd]

Oops, too late, but let me try to be a bit more helpful than I was: here's a photo album.

[tricky]

Thanks both of you, I think Hoglets has the dips as jumpers, but apart from the cap being surface mount and not my bedge job (unleaded solder ) I have the same as Ed.

My other card is a green one also rev A, but it has the pairs of holes like Hoglets green one, so it appears that there are two slightly different rev As.

PS both boards failed to program the first time and South succeeded the second.

For those who are curious, is there anything that the matchbox can do that the pi can't?

[bakoulis]

Could someone with a zeropage LX9Co rev A please post a picture of which way up it should go when fitted under a "B"?

IMG_2657.JPG

If you look carefully on the connector silk screen, pins 1 and 2 are numbered (on the left side of the connector in the above photo). These align to the side of the tube connector marked with the arrow.

Also, make sure the connector is plugged in centrally, as it's possible to mis-align it which will result in damage.

Dave

Hi David
The latest firmware is from 2017?
It is suitable for my model B, batch 4 green board?
Shipped out with 2015 firmware. I have it forgotten in a box for years. I want to use it with model B and Master too.
Which is best for my board and my computers?

[hoglet]

The latest firmware is from 2017?
It is suitable for my model B, batch 4 green board?

Edit: Updated my response.

As far as I'm aware, the latest firmware (20171007_0719) works on all revisions of the Matchbox hardware, and with any host (Model B, Master, Electron, Atom).

That said, there were some reports of issues with the batch 3 and batch 4 boards, which I believe used different RAM. Reading through the thread from this post it doesn't seems that this was ever resolved.

Could you possibly post a close up/macro photo of each side of your board, so I can see exactly what parts are fitted.

If you do update and have issues, you can always just reflash the original firmware.

Dave

[bakoulis]

The latest firmware is from 2017?
It is suitable for my model B, batch 4 green board?

Edit: Updated my response.

As far as I'm aware, the latest firmware (20171007_0719) works on all revisions of the Matchbox hardware, and with any host (Model B, Master, Electron, Atom).

That said, there were some reports of issues with the batch 3 and batch 4 boards, which I believe used different RAM. Reading through the thread from this post it doesn't seems that this was ever resolved.

Could you possibly post a close up/macro photo of each side of your board, so I can see exactly what parts are fitted.

If you do update and have issues, you can always just reflash the original firmware.

Dave

I can't flashing xilinx my own. I need to send it for flash to someone else. So flash and reflash is not an easy procedure for me. Afternoon will post close photos of my board. If you can help, I will send my board to you for tests and update, because anyway must find someone to do the flashing for me.

[hoglet]

I can't flashing xilinx my own.

Posting to/from the UK is now quite tiresome and is likely to incur customs fees. So I would recommend you find someone in the EU.

It is possible to re-flash using either:
- a Raspberry Pi, or
- a Pico running pico-dirtyJtag and OpenFPGALoader

But Is there a reason you NEED the latest firmware?

This is a listing of cores supported by the firmware you have (LX9CoProCombined_20151215_1004_dmb)

Dave

[daveejhitchins]

Posting to/from the UK is now quite tiresome and is likely to incur customs fees. So I would recommend you find someone in the EU.

I've not found it too bad! Most, if not all, of the things I post can be classed as accessories. Some time ago, IIRC, Roland investigated and found the Customs HS Tariff code needed for accessories which is: 84733080 - I also have: 84713010 listed for Vintage computers!

Of course, there will still be the possibility that fees will be needed at the destination, dependent on the price of the contents! But actually posting items isn't that much of a deal. If you go via Royal Mail you don't need the code - a description will be sufficient. Not with other carries, though!

Dave H.

[bakoulis]

The most attractive reasons are 16MHz 80286 and ARM2 support. Also, maybe corrected compatibility problems of older cores especially at Masters.

[hoglet]

The most attractive reasons are 16MHz 80286 and ARM2 support.

The firmware you have runs the 80x86 Co Pro at 16MHz, the latest firmware actually slows it down to 12MHz.

Can you confirm what RAM part is fitted to your board?

Dave

[bakoulis]

The most attractive reasons are 16MHz 80286 and ARM2 support.

The firmware you have runs the 80x86 Co Pro at 16MHz, the latest firmware actually slows it down to 12MHz.

Can you confirm what RAM part is fitted to your board?

Dave

I will send close photos of my board when I am home.
Compatibility issues for BBC Master? I have not tested yet because of lack extension cable which must find somewhere local first

[hoglet]

Compatibility issues for BBC Master? I have not tested yet because of lack extension cable which must find somewhere local

I'm not aware of any compatibility issues with the Master.

[bakoulis]

The funniest thing is that I have the boad from December of 2016 and tested only once when received and then was forgotten in a box!!! Now remember again the possibility to run Elite tube and CP/M - GEM OS...

****Edit: I mean MS-DOS and GEM OS

[bakoulis]

This is my board.

[bakoulis]

The most attractive reasons are 16MHz 80286 and ARM2 support.

The firmware you have runs the 80x86 Co Pro at 16MHz, the latest firmware actually slows it down to 12MHz.

Can you confirm what RAM part is fitted to your board?

Dave

Can you see the RAM from this pictures?

[hoglet]

Can you see the RAM from this pictures?

Sorry, yes I can.

It is the later "EBLL" type that is a bit slower in practice than the earlier "DBLL" type (both have the same 70ns specification on the datasheet).

They were only fitted to the batch 4 boards, and do cause stability issues with some versions of the firmware.

If what you have is working for you, I would suggest sticking with it.

If you have stablility problems, then it might be worth updated to the latest firmware, which slows down some of the cores to improve compatibility with this RAM.

Dave