dml attempts a Raven

[dml]

The crystals arrived today and while I have built most of a SMD ROM card and some of the programmer board, It's not quite finished. Missing a few minor bits for that.

I do however have a 4-socket PLCC version of the card and a programmer so I might still be unblocked for testing...

Are there any pre-built ROM images known to work on Raven? I see the source for a version of EmuTOS on the main github but don't see any binary images there. I'm hoping to minimise the number of things I can screw up by using an image that's already known to work, until I can confirm I'm able to build images myself (still some way from having dev tools set up for that - still doing some IT/recovery surgery on that machine!).

I will also need to split the image across the ROMs - I'll need to figure out the partition size per ROM, for the IC type I have (which is SST39LF040) and whether I need to populate all 4, regardless of ROM IC type....

Any assistance welcome :p especially if you've been down this route already.

[PhilC]

Have a look on the GitHub page. On the right hand side of that page will be the latest revision. In that file will be rom images, one for testing, a full version and one I can remember (sorry on my phone ATM)

You'll need to finish the pi pico programmer and use that to program your rom boards.

I think there is a how to early in Agranlunds build thread.

[agranlund]

Are there any pre-built ROM images known to work on Raven?

Yep, they're included in the release zip:
https://github.com/agranlund/raven/rele ... .A1.latest

Code: Select all

rom_tos.bin
  The complete ROM including EmuTOS.
rom_mon.bin
  Boot and serial debug monitor only.
  Connect to COM1 at 115200 baud
rom_dbg.bin
  EmuTOS debug rom, messages are outputted on COM1 at 115200 baud.
  Very slow and intended for debugging and verification during
  computer bring-up.

[dml]

Great, thanks! I wasn't looking hard enough. Or, looking too hard in the wrong direction :p

So am I understanding correctly that the best course is to finish the programmer and use that to program either type of ROM board? I'm really just missing the PI Pico and the logic ICs but those should be here soon. Everything else is built.

Next steps I think will be programming the ROM card and flashing the ATF1508. Then putting the final ICs & CPU.

Before that I might do a power-up test just to make sure no flames but it *should* be ok.....

[PhilC]

@dml yes you'll need to finish the programmer to really progress any further than simple power testing.

You'll also need a good serial connection to a PC or Mac, IIRC programming the rom needs a baud speed of 250000bps

[dml]

You'll also need a good serial connection to a PC or Mac, IIRC programming the rom needs a baud speed of 250000bps

Ok thanks for pointing that out - I'll make sure I'm set up for than while waiting for other parts.

So it's pretty close now.... close to *what* I'm not sure, but close! :p

Note the paranoid sharpie marker mapping out all the GND & VCC pins on the socket :)

raven-almost.jpg

[PhilC]

@dml looking good to me. You'll need to do your PS2 sockets soon too :P :lol:

[dml]

@dml looking good to me. You'll need to do your PS2 sockets soon too :P :lol:

Yeah I could just go ahead and do some more connectors while I wait :p

[dml]

...a work deadline landed on me so I ran out of time for doing fun things. Meanwhile some missing parts arrived and I found a PS2 keyboard and mouse in storage with some misc junk.

Unfortunately, still missing are the 3x very jellybean logic chips for the ROM programmer :/ In my giant pile of logic ICs, it's the only one I don't have. I ordered some locally over a week ago and the tracking info shows zero updates. yay

I'm already looking at scrap boards to see if I can find any!


....oh yeah - and I dug out some ISA cards. Will post a pic at some point, maybe one of them can even work!

[dml]

I am hoping at least one of these can work....

isa-gfx.jpg