All-day 'Virtual' Acorn session #6, Saturday 1st August 2020, 9am - 11pm [NOW FULL!]

[sydney]

It'll soon be time for the next all-day "Virtual" ABug meeting so please respond in this thread if you are interested in attending [all 50 places have now been taken, but we are maintaining a reserve list in case of cancellations]

The running time is 9am - 11pm.

The all-day events are more structured than the weeknight meetings, but there are still opportunities for general discussion amongst the attendees so if there is something you'd like to talk about let me know and I'll make sure everyone knows about it.

If you've yet to attend a virtual ABug event on Zoom, Judgebeeb has produced a handy guide to take you through the process.


Schedule




Programme summary

Session 1 - Morning

9:45 - 10:45
Surgery (The A Team)

• External voltage supply and pin remapper for Eprom programmer (anightin)
• Broken Beeb (Doctorj1)
• RISC PC - failing VIDC (kazzie)

Please post in this thread if you'd like some assistance from "The A-Team" regarding a hardware/programming project or repair/restoration.


11:00 - 12:00
JAFA Systems - upgrades for the Acorn Electron, presented by iwasjafa (John Wike)

For my talk, I was thinking along the lines of a potted life history:

• Life before JAFA (including writing microprocessor construction articles for electronic magazines)
• The JAFA years (products, such as the Electron Mode 7 adaptor, as well as technical details ... if I can remember them! )
• Post JAFA (including current interests and developments)

Session 2 - Afternoon

13:30 - 14:30
jsatom: Acorn Atom emulator in a browser, by CommanderCoder (Andrew Hague)

I intend to cover:

• My motivation for the emulator
• Learning JSBEEB
• Learning about the Acorn Atom
• Easy things (6502, pasting text and PPIA)
• Difficult things (tape, 6847 and 1-bit sound)
• Extra things (MMC for lots of software)
• What's next (combine with JSBEEB, SID chip)
• What's not next (Floppy Disc emulation)

15:00 - 16:00
How I make games for the BBC Micro by Tricky (Richard Broadhurst)

I'll likely cover:

• What makes me decide to write a game
• How I get the graphics and redormat them
• How I get the sound and convert to SN76489
• What build environment do I use
• What happens when I get sidetracked
• Why my games look a little different
• If there is time, what other tricks do I have up my sleeves

16:30 - 17:30
Micro-soldering demonstration by JudgeBeeb (Robert)

I am not holding myself out as any particular expert. The idea is to run through the kit and techniques I use, with a view to prompting discussion and encouraging others to give micro-soldering a try.

I will be screen-sharing my microscope camera, so people can see exactly what I am doing (assuming the technology behaves itself)

I will be soldering one of my BeebOPL Nano boards and I hope to demo the soldering of:

• 0402 passives
• 0.5mm pitch leaded ICs
• 0.5mm pitch leadless ICs

Session 3 - Evening

19:15 - 20:00
High Score Challenge, coordinated by KarateEd (Ed)

When it's time for the HSC, visit this thread which by then will have been updated with all the links and details for today's challenge!

20:00 - 21:30
Domesday 86 - Part 2: ld-decode (Chad Page & Simon Inns)

As I mentioned during the last talk, this one will be all about the magic of ld-decode with an in-depth dive into the world of LaserDiscs, how they work and what it takes to build a software defined player. The original inventor of ld-decode, Chad Page, will also join me (from sunny California) to give a live demo processing a Domesday AIV disc image.

Here's the outline:

• Introduction to PAL LaserVision
  - The physical construction of a LaserDisc
  - How LaserDisc contents are encoded
  - From disc to laser… How a LaserDisc is played
• Sampling the Laser RF with the Domesday Duplicator
  - Component parts
  - Filtration
  - Some notes about the dreaded “Laser Rot”
• How a LaserDisc player functions after the laser bit
• Video
  - The Anatomy of LaserDisc video
  - PAL signals
  - Time Base Correction
  - VBI and VITS
  - Drop-out detection and correction
• Analogue Audio
• Digital Audio and Data
• Summary
  - Better than RGB capture?
  - The tool-chain
• Live demonstration of Domesday LaserDisc decoding

22:00 - 23:00
POST box display adapter and A3000/A5000 restoration by myelin (Phil Pearson)

I'll be talking about my somewhat obsessive repair (~100 wires soldered, ~12 chips replaced) of an extremely damaged A5000, the incidental repair of three A3000 motherboards, and all the things along the way that made it possible:

• philpem's rediscovery and investigation of the RISC OS POST routines, and the CPLD based display hardware he made to access them
• My extension of this work to create a USB interface to allow scripted access to target machine registers and memory
• Experiences fixing RAM using the POST results: disabling the onboard ram on an A3000, and replacing/upgrading the A5000's memory using an old 4MB SIMM
• Experiences fixing IOC and VIDC failed errors (none of which were caused by failed IOCs or VIDCs, but rather broken tracks and bad latches).

Attending

1. Sydney (Simon). 9am - 11pm Moderating
2. Arcadian (Dave). 10am - 11pm+ Moderating (Recording Video)
3. judgebeeb (Robert). 9am - 11pm Moderating A-Team Surgeon Presenting
4. markjw (Mark). 9am - 6pm Moderating
5. dp11 (Dominic). 9am - 11pm Moderating A-Team Lead Surgeon
6. danielj (Daniel). 9am - 11pm Moderating A-Team Surgeon
7. simoni (Simon). 9am - 11pm Moderating A-Team Surgeon Presenting
8. happycube (Chad). 1:15pm - 11pm Presenting
9. tricky (Richard). 9am - 11pm A-Team Surgeon Presenting
10. Kazzie (Geraint). 9am - 12.30pm, 8pm - 11pm A-Team Surgeon
11. karateed (Ed). 6.45pm - 11pm Coordinator, High Score Challenge
12. iwasjafa (John). 9am - 11pm Presenting
13. CommanderCoder (Andrew). 9am - 11pm Presenting
14. myelin (Phil). 21:30pm - 11pm Presenting
15. 0xC0DE (Kelvin). 9am - 11pm
16. IanS (Ian). 9am - 11pm
17. SarahWalker (Sarah). 9am - 11pm
18. daveejhitchins (Dave). 9am - 11pm
19. BigEd (Ed). 9am - 11pm
20. spanners (David). 9am - 11pm
21. helpful (Brian). 1pm - 11pm
22. oss003 (Kees). 9am - 11pm
23. sbadger (Stewart). 9am - 11pm
24. kieranhj (Kieran). 1.15pm - 11pm
25. chrisn (Chris). 9am - 11pm
26. soruk (Michael). 9am - 11pm
27. philpem (Phil). 9am - 11pm
28. sPhilMainwaring (Phil). 9am - 11pm
29. Pernod (Nigel). 9am - 11pm
30. Coeus. 11am - 11pm
31. billcarr2005. Lurking only. 9am - 11pm
32. markdryan (Mark). 9am - 12.30pm, 8pm - 11pm
33. 8271 (Mike). 9am - 12.30pm, 8pm - 11pm
34. trixster (Andy). 9am - 11pm
35. Elminster (Duncan). 9am - 12.30pm, 8pm - 11pm
36. 1024MAK (Mark). 9am - 11pm
37. davidb (David). 9am - 12:30pm,6:45pm- 11pm
38. z0m8ied0g (Stephen). 9am - 11pm
39. wolfgang (Wolfgang). 9am - 11pm
40. anightin (Andy). 9am - 11pm
41. markoceans (Mark). 9am - 11pm
42. iansmalls (Ian). 9am - 11pm
43. gidandridge (Gav). 9am - 11pm
44. MattH (Matt). 9am - 11pm
45. flibble (Peter). 1:45pm - 11pm
46. markandrewsmith (Mark). 9am - 11pm
47. klintworth (Paul). 9am - 11pm
48. waltermixxx (Walter). 6pm - 11pm
49. doctorj1 (Javid). 9am - 11pm
50. steve3000 (Steve). 10pm - 11pm

FULL

Reserve list

1. (). 9am - 11pm

[0xC0DE]

Yes please!

Edit:
Question: is this still only supposed to be announced internally? I bet I could attract some new faces by posting something on Twitter for instance. Maybe not right now but in the last few days when there are still some 'seats' left?

[Snuggsy187]

Yes please !

May not be around for the morning session - not certain at the moment !

Looking forward to it as always !

[danielj]

I shall be there.

[SarahWalker]

Me too.

[BigEd]

I'm in!

[daveejhitchins]

Me, please . . .

Dave H

[Arcadian]

Thanks Simon, I've added the current schedule to the top post.

The schedule features a few changes which were overviewed to the attendees at this week's midweek sessions e.g. presenter slots reduced from ~9 slots to 6 slots. All slots 1hr (30 min presentation/30 mins QA) with 30 minutes gap after each presentation (to help enable more conversation and interactivity from participants). Extended evening presentation is 90 mins total (1 hr presentation, 30 mins QA). Tea break pushed back to 6pm. Introduction of the "A-Team" Surgery window (dp11 should be along soon to talk about this!).

[tricky]

I'll be there

[Kazzie]

I've missed too many of the Saturday sessions recently, so I'll be making a special effort to attend this one. I'll be aiming for the morning surgery, and then the evening presentations.

[spanners]

Count me in.

D.

[myelin]

I'm in, of course I'll probably get in about 30 mins before my session, due to timezone and family!

[helpful]

I'll be there from about 1pm until chucking out time.

[oss003]

Count me in please ....

Greetings
Kees

[sbadger]

Yes please

thanks

[sydney]

Yes please!

Edit:
Question: is this still only supposed to be announced internally? I bet I could attract some new faces by posting something on Twitter for instance. Maybe not right now but in the last few days when there are still some 'seats' left?

Peronally I'd like to keep it 'internal' to stardot until about a week before the date of the session just to ensure members here who want to attend are able to. If we announce it elsewhere it's possible (however unlikely) that all the places could be taken before any stardot members have a place. I think Arcadian and JudgeBeeb have both mentioned the possibility of advertising on Facebook so perhaps they are less against the idea than I am in which case I'd go with whatever the consensus is.

[EdwardianDuck]

I'd like to attend please (all day).

Jeremy

[kieranhj]

I’d like to attend this session please! I should be around for the afternoon and evening. Thanks again for organising.

[chrisn]

Can I join too please?! The schedule again looks excellent. Thanks to all involved in organising

[Soruk]

I'd like to join. May not be able to be there all day though.

[Arcadian]

Question: is this still only supposed to be announced internally? I bet I could attract some new faces by posting something on Twitter for instance. Maybe not right now but in the last few days when there are still some 'seats' left?

Peronally I'd like to keep it 'internal' to stardot until about a week before the date of the session just to ensure members here who want to attend are able to. If we announce it elsewhere it's possible (however unlikely) that all the places could be taken before any stardot members have a place. I think Arcadian and JudgeBeeb have both mentioned the possibility of advertising on Facebook so perhaps they are less against the idea than I am in which case I'd go with whatever the consensus is.

Yes agree - I think we should start pushing the events on Facebook/Twitter etc one week before (e.g. Sat 25th July) if there are still places free, as Stardot users will have had plenty of time to sign up by then.

I also think we should also encourage all participants to sign up by midnight on the preceding Thursday (in this case, Thurs 30th July) as sydney generally sends out the PMs containing the Zoom invites on the Friday afternoon ... but then there's usually a late flurry of requests meaning he has to send out more on the Friday night (and sometimes even Saturday morning) which probably isn't very convenient.

[philpem]

Please pop me down as attending.

(Also I really need to keep a closer eye on the ABUG events... big thanks to Arcadian for letting me know about this one!)

Cheers
Phil.

[Arcadian]

Please pop me down as attending.

Great! Have added everyone to the list up to this point.

(Also I really need to keep a closer eye on the ABUG events... )

Well, we've just introduced a single thread that will be used to post announcements about future all-day vABugs ... so if you subscribe to that thread you should receive an email every time one of the monthly events has been announced and is open for registrations

[simoni]

All day for me please

/Simon

[sPhilMainwaring]

Yep, please add me to the list.

Will be around all day ... no kit

Cheers

[Pernod]

Me too, will be there whenever I can.

[dominicbeesley]

Yes please!

Ps thanks for the reminder thread Dave. I nearly missed this one too!

D

[Coeus]

Yes, please. I make not be able to make all of the morning session but would definitely be around for the afternoon and evening.

[billcarr2005]

I'd very much like to lurk again

[Arcadian]

All attendees added up until here.

18 places left.