e3-hacking July 2005

e3-hacking@earth.li

8 participants
8 discussions

Shell
by Jonathan McDowell 16 Aug '05

16 Aug '05

Turns out the E3 does obey the same sort of PBL format as the E2, but there's some sort of timing issue with pblq I think. I've hacked up something that does the job and rewritten my boot parameters to drop to /bin/sh and I'm in! Some files from /proc can be seen at: http://www.earth.li/~noodles/files/delta-proc.txt J. -- /------------------------------------\ | Make friends. | \------------------------------------/

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Re: Cheap PL2303 cable @ Ebuyer
by Irreversible 15 Jul '05

15 Jul '05

I have a max232 convertor I made for a previous project and somehow didnt make the connection that it *could* be used to work with my E2 amstrad. Would this achieve the same as a max232 based circuit?

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Re: [E3-hacking] Cheap PL2303 cable @ Ebuyer
by Matt Evans 14 Jul '05

14 Jul '05

On 7 Jul 2005, at 15:26, Rahim Nathwani wrote: > http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?product_uid=51518 > > It's USB at one end, and Nokia pop-port at the other. It doesn't play > nicely with current versions of Nokia PC Suite, but might be a good > alternative to a home-made MAX232 (which would probably work out > around the > same price). That looks like a bargain! Also - the picture's a little small but that looks very much like the T610 cable I have, so hopefully same manufacturer. (There's a little rectangular 'pod' with a PCB inside.) If it is the same as the one I have then it has the advantage that it's not sealed into a resin glob, but there's the disadvantage that it needs a mod for 5V which requires soldering a tiny leg on the PL2303. -Matt

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RE: [E3-hacking] Shell
by Cliff Lawson 11 Jul '05

11 Jul '05

> -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Evans [mailto:matt@axio.ms] > > Will start having a look at LDR; am intrigued by the "Linux start-up > params (Any key to edit)" line, and want to see if this is > telling the > truth (i.e. the params could be edited without requiring a PARMS > reflash). Matt just to save you a little time: DSI_printf("Linux start-up params (Any key to edit)\r\n"); // Lets start by letting the user Edit this command line // edited=getcmd(startup_string,sizeof(startup_string),0x00346000); cmd_line=startup_string; while(*cmd_line!='\0' && *cmd_line!=' ' && *cmd_line!='\t') cmd_line++; // find end of first string .... The fact is that the fact you see that message is simply an error from an older version of LDR where we used to make it easy for ourselves to be able to manually change the PARMS. The call to getcmd() (but unfortunatelly not the printf() ) in the source is now commented so there's no way it's going to be of any use to you. I'm sure a disassembly will confirm that the next thing after that printf() is the code for the "cmd_line=startup_string;" Cliff This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended exclusively for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. This message is attributed to the sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Amstrad Plc or its subsidiaries. For further information on Amstrad Plc please visit our website: www.amstrad.com Amstrad Plc. Brentwood House 169 Kings Road Brentwood Essex CM14 4EF Registered in England : No. 955321

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Cheap PL2303 cable @ Ebuyer
by Rahim Nathwani 07 Jul '05

07 Jul '05

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?product_uid=51518 It's USB at one end, and Nokia pop-port at the other. It doesn't play nicely with current versions of Nokia PC Suite, but might be a good alternative to a home-made MAX232 (which would probably work out around the same price). Rahim.

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[E2 monitor] v0.25
by Matt Evans 07 Jul '05

07 Jul '05

Hello, OK I've /finally/ scraped this off my harddisc and uploaded it... http://axio.ms/projects/e2/e2-monitor-0.25.tgz The main changes are improvements/bugfixes to the XMODEM code (particularly in cancelling the transfer if an error is detected), avoiding using the wrong signed type which makes stuff break every 256 blocks... and some much nicer exception debug output. (The register dump provided when an exception is taken should now be accurate for all running modes.) A couple of people have reported 115200 being flaky for them; the baud rate divisor could be 1 off for them. It's spot on for my cable - but then my cable could just be clocking itself a little slower than normal ;) In uart.S:setup_uart try using 27 instead of 26 for the divisor if you are having problems at 115200. No 'fire' optimisation yet ;) -- Does anyone have any explanations for why the pixels are in the strange order in memory? (They are not in increasing-nybble address, or big-endian nybble address in little endian words.. etc. See cons.c) Also does anyone know whether SPI is used for anything on the E2? (The pins are wired - somewhere - but they could just be in GPIO mode.) I'd like to add an MMC card to rapidly download/prototype code... Cheers, Matt

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DC adaptor?
by David Given 06 Jul '05

06 Jul '05

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)

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RE: [E3-hacking] DC adaptor?
by Cliff Lawson 06 Jul '05

06 Jul '05

Don't know if this'll help y'all but in house we use little boxes with a bit of veroboard on which sits a MAX232 (and some TTL inversion if being used for E3). To power it we generally just use the 5V on USB and either stick this into the E2/E3's own USB (except that they don't have the 5V enabled until boot has finished) or (more usually) stick it into the USB on a nearby PC. You don't even need a fancy USB plug to do this - the copper "fingers" on a piece of veroboard are the same pitch as USB pins anyway so a "4 wide" bit of veroboard stuffed into a USB is an easy way to get 5V to power a MAX232. Alternatively you can power the boxes with a 5V "wall wart" or even a bench PSU but, on the whole, the USB power route is the easy solution. Cliff > -----Original Message----- > From: en4rab [mailto:en4rab@yahoo.com] > Sent: 03 July 2005 04:51 > To: Discussion of the Amstrad E3 emailer hardware/software > Subject: Re: [E3-hacking] DC adaptor? > > > 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&c > Path=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 > > --- David Given <dg(a)cowlark.com> wrote: > > > 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? > > > > -- > > "Curses! Foiled by the chilled dairy treats of righteousness!" --- > > Earthworm > > Jim (evil) > > > _______________________________________________ > > e3-hacking mailing list > > e3-hacking(a)earth.li > > http://www.earth.li/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/e3-hacking > > > > > -- > | .-. en4rab(a)yahoo.com > | / \ .-. > | / \ / \ .-. .-. _ _ > +--/-------\-----/-----\-----/---\---/---\---/-\-/-\/\/--- > | / \ / \ / '-' '-' > |/ '-' '-' -END OF TRANSMISSION- > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ > e3-hacking mailing list > e3-hacking(a)earth.li > http://www.earth.li/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/e3-hacking > This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended exclusively for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. This message is attributed to the sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Amstrad Plc or its subsidiaries. For further information on Amstrad Plc please visit our website: www.amstrad.com Amstrad Plc. Brentwood House 169 Kings Road Brentwood Essex CM14 4EF Registered in England : No. 955321

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e3-hacking July 2005