Subject: [E3-hacking] DC adaptor?

From: David Given <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 22:43:39 +0100

Okay, this is slightly embarassing...

I've just dug my E2 out of storage, wanting to set it up again. I've found the 
E2, the TTL line converter, but I've also found my very large box full of 
dozens of miscellaneous DC adaptors. I have no idea which one of them works 
with the E2. The manual doesn't say what voltage or polarity to use.

I've found an FP branded 12V positive-tip adaptor with a connector that fits 
--- does this sound familiar?

-- 
"Curses! Foiled by the chilled dairy treats of righteousness!" --- Earthworm 
Jim (evil)

---

From: en4rab <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 21:03:08 -0700 (PDT)

Unless there has been a radical redesign of the E2 your adapter for the
E2 should be a blue Amstrad branded adapter marked OUTPUT: DC 28V 280mA
Mine is marked Model No: PSU-EM2001A-UK
I havent checked to see if it actually does output 28v but that is what
my adapter says.
en4rab

--- David Given <[email-masked]> wrote:

> > _______________________________________________
> e3-hacking mailing list
> [email-masked]
> http://www.earth.li/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/e3-hacking
> 

--
|     .-.   [email-masked]
|    /   \         .-.
|   /     \       /   \       .-.     .-.     _   _
+--/-------\-----/-----\-----/---\---/---\---/-\-/-\/\/---
| /         \   /       \   /     '-'     '-'
|/           '-'         '-'  -END OF TRANSMISSION-

____________________________________________________ 
Yahoo! Sports 
Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football 
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com

---

From: David Given <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 00:09:29 +0100

> Mine is marked Model No: PSU-EM2001A-UK

Yup, found it. It wasn't *in* the Big Box of DC adaptors, of course... (and my 
one is black).

Now I've discovered that my TTL line level converter board seems to have died. 
Given that I had endless grief getting this to work in the first place, does 
anyone know where I can get a ready-made converter that comes in, like, a 
box? I know that the radio HAM community uses these things a lot, so they 
might be a good source --- any suggestions?

---

From: en4rab <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2005 20:51:25 -0700 (PDT)

Im afraid I dont know anywhere that sells a finished product in a nice
box but I have a couple of ideas.
The first idea which im fairly sure will work ok is to buy a max232
interface from either here:
http://www.tailor-madecircuits.com/rs232_max.htm
or here:
http://shop.jabsplace.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=8

These are meant to draw their power from the target device so they have
a pin for 5v to be applied to, since the E2 doesnt have an easily
accessable supply, unless you dragged the jtag port out to a connector
on the back :), It would probably be possible to power the interface
with a 4.5v cmos backup battery such as this one from maplin:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=22787&doy=3m7D
connect the battery accross vcc and gnd, and then make a lead to take
rxd txd and gnd to the exp port.
Just be sure to disconnect the battery when the interface isnt in use.
This is just an idea off the top of my head and it hasnt been tested,
the only issue i can think of is if 4.5v is enough for the max 232 which
is a 5v part i think.

Im still not 100% sure what voltage the exp port is supposed to work at,
from reading other arm documentation i was under the impression that arm
devices I/O was 3.3v or there abouts so when i built my interface I used
a max3232 which is designed for operation from about 3v to 5v and i took
my supply from the the same point I used for Vref for the jtag, but
others on this list are using 5v so i guess that is ok.
(I must read the docs sometime lol)

A slightly more off the wall idea might be to sacrifice a datacable for
a nokia phone, i *think* that would work, and as a bonus should draw its
power from the PC's serial port, but i would have to look into it some
more.
The 2 shops above are selling the max232 interfaces because they are
being used by people to communicate with a pace set top box, but others
have used nokia data cables with the ends chopped off to achieve the
same results.
Im off work on monday if i get a chance i wiil have a root about and see
if i can find a data cable to try it.
If you wanted to have a go, try to find the oldest nokia cable you can
and preferably an fbus only type (or one you can switch between f and m
bus)
The F bus type has txd rxd and gnd (mbus has rxd and txd as one wire i
think) I think a 3210 cable should work ok but other types should too.

This is all untested though so dont hold me responsible if your E2 blows
up or it doesnt work.
your mileage will vary.
en4rab

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com

---

From: Matt Evans <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 20:02:52 +0100

David, en4,

I use an ex-Ericsson T610 datacable to talk to the E2.  It's 
USB-powered and contains a PL2303 USB-serial 'uart' and has no line 
drivers.

Ericssons have 3.3V interfaces whilst the E2 talks at 5V - I cracked 
mine open and rewired the 'VccIO' pin (my own name - I can't remember 
the real name, it's the I/O pads power supply which may be greater or 
less than the 3.3V logic supply to the PL2303) to 5V instead of 3.3V.  
In fact my particular cable has a switch on the side (charging on/off 
it seems) so I can switch 5V/3.3V operation (for other projects).

It's very nice, I'd highly recommend going down this route rather than 
making all sorts of separate boards and, as has been mentioned, trying 
to find a +5V supply for them.

(Actually if you CBA to crack it open and change it from 3.3 to 5V it 
should work at 3.3 too.  (though of course the inputs may not be 5V 
tolerant on your cable - consult the data sheet, a good proportion of 
the el cheapo no-brandname cables have the PL2303 in though.))

Best of luck,

Matt

PS:  I believe Nokia F-Bus also runs at 3.3V

---

From: David Given <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 14:56:14 +0100

On Sunday 03 July 2005 20:02, Matt Evans wrote:
[...]
> USB-powered and contains a PL2303 USB-serial 'uart' and has no line

I've just been out looking for a cable from the various high street mobile 
phone shops. Four out of the six shops didn't have anything on display, or 
wouldn't talk to me; one had a T610 data cable for 30 quid, which I politely 
turned down; and the Nokia shop said, "F-Bus? What's that?"

Sigh.

Any suggestions on good mail order places to get one?

[...]
> the el cheapo no-brandname cables have the PL2303 in though.))

A PL2303 would be nice; Linux supports it, and there's none of that faffing 
around with serial ports. (Instead you get to faff around with USB ports. 
Whee!)

-- 
+- David Given --McQ-+ "My days of taking you seriously are certainly
|  [email-masked]    | coming to a middle." --- Firefly, _Our Mrs.
| ([email-masked]) | Reynolds_
+- www.cowlark.com --+

---

From: en4rab <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 09:05:05 -0700 (PDT)

I have always got my phone spares from here:
http://www.m-99.co.uk/
they have a sony ericcsson cable for £16.95 on this page:
http://www.m-99.co.uk/Mobile_Phone_Data_Cables/mobile_phone_data_cables.html
near the bottom.
They list 3 cables (one for unlocking which is no good i think) ans 2
others one that is definately USB for £16.95 and another for £9.95 but
it doesnt say if it is USB.
I havent ever had any problems ordering from m-99.

I had a quick try with a couple of nokia phone leads the other day but i
didnt have any success communicating with the emailer, the ones i had
were the f and m bus type but without a switch so that might have been
the problem, i believe the newer type use the RTS and another pin on the
serial port to power and switch between f and m bus so possibly they
might work if you faffed with the serial port, but as it was i got
nothing with them.
As it is it sounds like the sony T610 USB datalead is a good bet as it
has already been made to work.

A random google search also turned up these sites:
http://www.t2retail.co.uk/productDetail.asp?product=1709605 for £19
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?recordid=1523743&cid=880&afid=88888
£19.76

and http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/941.htm £17.45

all prices include postage, im not sure if all of them offer the
charging function as well as the data connection.
en4rab

Oh and off topic but if any of you have matt evans boot monitor running
on your E2 have you tryed typing "fire" at the terminal prompt :) I
discovered that the other day, its rather cool
en4rab