TI-H: Re: Extender uP Board layout for SPinTerface

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TI-H: Re: Extender uP Board layout for SPinTerface

Richard Piotter wrote:

> You are saying all these things about serial port expansion and memory
> backups, but I would be content with an expander just like the SF
> Expander. Your Extender circuit, right now has none of those features. I

Right now, that's all it does. However, the circuit itself is not likely to
change.
The only I need to add to make backup restoration work would be, perhaps,
a small switch going to +5V and one of the extra PIC I/O pins, and of course
a lot of firmware changes.

> was thinking. What if you released two, like Mel. one with all the
> special capabilities and one with just basic ESF like capabilities. It

Welp, I've had that suggested quite a bit but I think a more
customizableExtender uP would be better. There are some people that want more
than
what the EII has but not as much as the EIII - So if we used something
like your SPinTerface and some kind of small but clever EuP bus, it would
be possible to make a fully customizable Extender uP - Almost like how
you can customize PC components but only need one MB.

> could have future expandibility with the connector on it's top. Or you
> could make one with a simpler program on the PIC that would only act as
> a memory expander.

Right now, I'm worrying about school and don't have much time to workon the
EuP. The ability to carry around 200k of Fargo programs is still
enough for me, so I don't know if/when I will work on backup restoration.
I think most people just want a basic ESF style device - Though many
people have been interested in things like IR links I think these are just
cool devices with relatively little use... Unless everyone has, say, an EIII
at your school your EIII with mega IrDa port and RF link isn't all that
great. :-\

> Also, someone (was it you???) mentioned that a PIC programer can be
> built with Radio Shack parts! Do you know of a schematic for such a
> device, also, will you be releasing the source code for the Extender uP?

I will most likely be releasing source to the TI-92 driver - At least the
critical
portions of the driver (I will probably not be releasing, say, the menu
GUI routines
since I don't want people slapping their name on it and recompiling, for
obvious
reasons.) However, I will probably never release the PIC source or compiled
PIC
program, since these took an enormous amount of effort and I would like to get

some small compensation for the >= $200 I've spent on this thing so far.

I have, however, seen schematics for some relatively inexpensive
PIC programmers.
Check out David Tait's site, its linked off of tinaja.com I believe, look
under PIC
links. I will get a more specific URL later, but I lost my netscape bookmarks
and
am busily preparing for back to school. However, I highly doubt you could
build
the programmer for less than $15, and I don't think all of the parts were from

Mouser.

> I would love to be able to make my own Extender from complete scratch
> and beable to build SPinTerface versions on my own, without needing to
> bother you with getting chips for me. I would really appreciate it.

I think you'll find that buying a preprogrammed PIC from me is much easier
than
building your own programmer and bothering with the hassles that burning a PIC

presents (and there are a few, believe me.) Plus, as I said, I do not wish to
release
the PIC firmware source or compiled program since these took an enormous
amount
of time and effort.

I have updated the Extender uP site quite a bit. You should check it out,
since there is a
lot of info on it that I have posted in the past few days to hold you guys
over for a few
months while I become ignorant again through the hell we call school. ;-)

Bryan Rittmeyer
bryanr@flash.net
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