Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer

[DrZiplok]

Has anyone found something similar to SST39LF401C-55-4C-EKE-T for the Rom ? Can you confirm that SST39LF802C-55-4C-EKE can still work ?

If you're looking for the easy option, the SST39LF040s are easy to get, easy to solder, and Just Work. The parts cost is a little higher, but it does mean less risk...

[luciodra]

Has anyone found something similar to SST39LF401C-55-4C-EKE-T for the Rom ? Can you confirm that SST39LF802C-55-4C-EKE can still work ?

If you're looking for the easy option, the SST39LF040s are easy to get, easy to solder, and Just Work. The parts cost is a little higher, but it does mean less risk...

Thanks, can you advise me where to get them?

[luciodra]

Now that the board is almost ready, the RAM and ROM are still missing, I have to program the firmware:
for the ROM I will use the programmer. For the rest I would have to buy the various programmers which I will then hardly use anymore...
Can you give me some advice? Can someone do it for me or sell me the components already programmed?

IMG_1563.jpg (772.68 KiB) Viewed 965 times

[DrZiplok]

If you're looking for the easy option, the SST39LF040s are easy to get, easy to solder, and Just Work. The parts cost is a little higher, but it does mean less risk...

Thanks, can you advise me where to get them?

It looks like you're in Italy; I would be looking at Mouser: https://www.mouser.it/ProductDetail/Mic ... aapA%3D%3D

[DrZiplok]

Now that the board is almost ready, the RAM and ROM are still missing, I have to program the firmware:
for the ROM I will use the programmer. For the rest I would have to buy the various programmers which I will then hardly use anymore...
Can you give me some advice? Can someone do it for me or sell me the components already programmed?

IMG_1563.jpg

A cheap T48 programmer from Amazon / eBay will handle the GALs, either using their software or minipro. Probably the simplest solution for macOS / Linux programming the ATF1508 is Rosco's Little ATF programmer: https://store.rosco-m68k.com/products/l ... programmer, otherwise you can roll the dice on a clone ATFBlaster and use Microchip's software on Windows.

The GALs are relatively stable, but it's probably reasonable to assume there will be updates to Nessi in the future, so having a story for reflashing the ATF1508 would be a good idea...

[luciodra]

It looks like you're in Italy; I would be looking at Mouser: https://www.mouser.it/ProductDetail/Mic ... aapA%3D%3D

I'm confused: I have this type of ROM card

mod.jpeg (18.14 KiB) Viewed 906 times

Credo tu fai riferimento all'altra scheda rom che io non ho...

[luciodra]

This project drives me crazy and I started with my head down without thinking... I involved a friend of mine who is doing a great job and whoever wants to do the same must think that it takes 500 Euros for PCB and components...
What I haven't thought about enough is the programming of the ROMs: I would like to understand if in addition to the Eiffel pic and the motherboard firmware (on the ROM card) there are other things to program. It seems obvious for many here, but for me it isn't...

Thank you.

[agranlund]

This project drives me crazy and I started with my head down without thinking... I involved a friend of mine who is doing a great job and whoever wants to do the same must think that it takes 500 Euros for PCB and components...

What I haven't thought about enough is the programming of the ROMs: I would like to understand if in addition to the Eiffel pic and the motherboard firmware (on the ROM card) there are other things to program. It seems obvious for many here, but for me it isn't...

Yes, it's absolutely not a cheap thing to put together and especially if you need to acquire tools as well.
I think the strong point for it is in the DIY aspect of things. The fun of building it, open source and the possibility to modify anything from software, firmware to even the hardware. And those ISA slots for making DIY drivers for existing cards or even DIY your own cards.
Ignoring that and looking at just the machine then an Atarified Vampire V4SA is probably much better value for money. It's a very fast machine and it has quite active development on the Atari side of things.

What I haven't thought about enough is the programming of the ROMs: I would like to understand if in addition to the Eiffel pic and the motherboard firmware (on the ROM card) there are other things to program. It seems obvious for many here, but for me it isn't...

Code: Select all

Eiffel : PIC16F876A-I/SP
Iksi   : ATF22V10C
Narnia : ATF22V10C

These three chips be programmed with many of those cheap Chinese programmers.
I use an older "XGecu TL866-II Plus" programmer and the XGecu Windows based software.
The successors to that programmer are called T46 and T56 I think.

Code: Select all

Nessi  : ATF1508AS-7JX84

For this one I'm using the official ATDH1150USB programmer and ATMISP software on Windows.
Since I've had that programmer for many years I haven't looked that much at what 3rd party solutions there are.
It's not a cheap device so it might be worth looking around what options there are.


Then you have the ROM-Simms which you need to program with the custom Raven ROM programmer.
(The other version of the ROM-Simm which has sockets for 4x SST39LF040 is also best programmed with the Raven programmer, but if you really really wanted to you could in theory split the file and program each chip individually with the above mentioned Chinese programmer)

[agranlund]

Probably the simplest solution for macOS / Linux programming the ATF1508 is Rosco's Little ATF programmer: https://store.rosco-m68k.com/products/l ... programmer

I'm really tempted getting one of those and try to migrate away from relying on the Windows virtual machine. I'm sure I saw some blog post on compiling cupl from cmdline on Mac/Linux too (possibly wincupl tools through wine? - I can't remember)

[DrZiplok]

I'm really tempted getting one of those and try to migrate away from relying on the Windows virtual machine. I'm sure I saw some blog post on compiling cupl from cmdline on Mac/Linux too (possibly wincupl tools through wine? - I can't remember)

There are a couple of pre-cooked toolchains for doing exactly this. It works fairly well, though I'd really like to get a better simulation waveform viewing solution...