v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

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rubber_jonnie
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by rubber_jonnie »

PhilC wrote: 20 Apr 2023 16:32 Nicely done @rubber_jonnie. The card you sent me arrived today, thank you. Just got to order some parts now to assemble it.
Good stuff :)

Enjoy soldering the very tiny things.

My advice with the level shifters is to first give each leg a gentle shove to make sure its soldered and resolder if not, and once all are solid, use a multimeter to check for shorts, remembering that there are some legs joined together.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by rubber_jonnie »

I'd forgotten my Dell display has picture in picture and side by side picture, and it is great for a comparison with the composite vs VGA.

VGA is on the left, composite on the right.

Lo res colours:

PXL_20230424_133059975.jpg

Hi res colours

PXL_20230424_133046111.jpg

80 column mode:

PXL_20230424_133122077.jpg

Last but by no means least a grid:


PXL_20230424_133137956.jpg

As I think I said previously, what you can't se here is the shimmer on composite.

Looking forward to seeing @PhilC s results.
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Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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PhilC
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by PhilC »

@rubber_jonnie me too, waiting on the level shifters to arrive
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by rubber_jonnie »

PhilC wrote: 24 Apr 2023 17:53 @rubber_jonnie me too, waiting on the level shifters to arrive
Really looking forward to seeing how you get on.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by rubber_jonnie »

This is specific to the v2 Analog configured as an Applicard Z80 CPM add on for the Apple IIe.

This is the following FRACT.BAS program for BASIC80 on the Applicard:

PXL_20230425_151919313.jpg

And this is the result, piped out over VGA for the other v2 Analog in the system:

PXL_20230425_150752971.jpg

I think it's very cool that the v2 Analog can do both VGA and the Z80 Applicard.

I love all this stuff :)

SIDE NOTE: Since I can't currently use 80 columns on my Apple IIe consistently due to the MMU issue, I'll run this again when it's fixed.
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Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Tomswork
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by Tomswork »

@rubber_jonnie

Do you have the files for the v2 analog board as gerbers its all i can up load to the cheaper pcb manufacturer I use

Tom
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Tomswork wrote: 25 Apr 2023 21:16 @rubber_jonnie

Do you have the files for the v2 analog board as gerbers its all i can up load to the cheaper pcb manufacturer I use

Tom
I've attached the gerbers I used with JLPCB, just remove the TXT from the end, I had to add it so the forum would let me upload it.

If you're planning on building any be aware the components are really very small (0402 so .5mm by 1mm) and requires either hot air or micro-soldering under a microscope. My first one took about 8 hours (Possibly more) over 2 days, but the second took me about 3 hours because of everything I learned building the first. I micro-soldered as my hot air gear isn't really good enough.

The files are also over at the github page I linked to earlier in the thread.
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Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Tomswork
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by Tomswork »

@rubber_jonnie

Ouch I uploaded the files to jlcpcb 3 dollars for boards 25 engineering fee and then shipping i will try pcb way to

Tom
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Tomswork wrote: 26 Apr 2023 01:42 @rubber_jonnie

Ouch I uploaded the files to jlcpcb 3 dollars for boards 25 engineering fee and then shipping i will try pcb way to

Tom
Sounds similar to what I paid for mine, though as a new user I got a decent discount. I just ordered 5 FreHD boards for the TRS-80 and the boards were £1.63, the rest was shipping etc, so just over £20 in total. Trouble is they are 4 layer.

I had a lot of trouble uploading the gerbers to PCBWay, it asked me a lot of questions I wasn't confident answering. JLCPCB just loaded then right away.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
HomeLate
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Re: v2 Analog - Apple ][ VGA adapter build

Post by HomeLate »

rubber_jonnie wrote: 19 Apr 2023 16:30
HomeLate wrote: 19 Apr 2023 16:14
Hmmm, there must be something wrong with the Gerber files @rubber_jonnie. JLPCB also had issues opening them.
Did you drop the whole zip file in? That's what I did, and I used the latest version from github.

If you're still having issues I'd suggest contacting the repository owner he's very helpful
PCB's from JLPCB arrived and the parts from Digikey too. I'm half way through soldering one. Tomorrow I'll finish soldering and I'm only waiting for a PLCC20-20-dip adapter to program the PLD.

The 0402 are so small. I lost a few caps while sneezing :roll:
Feeling old yet?
Atari 1040STf, 1040STe, Mega ST4 (ST536), Mega STe, TT030, Falcon (DFB1x)...
...and a whole bunch of other retro computers

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