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Dinosaur

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Joined: 12/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 304

Posted: 03:45pm 31 Dec 2013

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Hi All

Been searching for weeks to find a controller to suit my purpose.
The wish list is:
Programmable with FreeBasic.
Run Dos or WinXPe.
At least 4 A2D inputs.(Differential would be a bonus)
At least 2 PWM outputs.
At least 10 digital O/P
At Least 4 digital I/P.
Expansion Header for addon boards.
Easy to connect to or Breadboard.
Run unattended without display.
LOW cost.

Found this @ US$49:
http://shop.dmp.com.tw/INT/products/24

Not in stock yet, but I am lining up for one at least.
The only short coming on the site is that there is no detail,
IE: How would you interface an lcd or monitor?
What are the current limits of the I/O ? EDIT:16mA & 400mA on 3.3v

Guess downloading the Vortex86 datasheets may give a clue.

Interested in what others think of this device.
Edited by Dinosaur 2014-01-02

Regards
Hervey Bay Qld.

Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9084

Posted: 05:51pm 31 Dec 2013

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I know you are looking at that unit(which looks interesting), but any reason you can't use the MM other then you seem to want MS-DOS or XPe?

MM not fast enough?

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Dinosaur

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Joined: 12/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 304

Posted: 07:28pm 31 Dec 2013

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Hi All

Some reasons:
Grunt
Memory to store collected data.
Tools that I am used to (FreeBasic).

No need to make an Interface board.(at least to test the prototype)
The project I have in mind will expand to a GUI.

Regards

Regards
Hervey Bay Qld.

Grogster

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Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9084

Posted: 08:07pm 31 Dec 2013

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Okey dokey.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

elproducts

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Joined: 19/06/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 282

Posted: 04:27am 01 Jan 2014

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That is very interesting.
Though I don't see how you power it and the Arduino pins don't have the offset spacing that shields have so you can't plug shields directly in.
I like the breadboard incorporated into the case. I'd be interested in the case alone.

Their CNC computer looks like it might do the job but it's 4 times the price.
Quite interesting though.
Those are great designs.

www.elproducts.com

JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3678

Posted: 07:12am 01 Jan 2014

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Why DOS or WinXPe rather than Linux?

John

Dinosaur

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Joined: 12/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 304

Posted: 11:22am 01 Jan 2014

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Hi All

Quote Though I don't see how you power it and the Arduino pins don't have the offset spacing that shields have so you can't plug shields directly in.

There is a lot of information on how to use the whole thing still missing on the site.
Even their eStore is still in trial phase, so very new.

Quote Why DOS or WinXPe rather than Linux?

History, basically.
DOS, because I am in complete control of the hardware.
WinXPe , because I have lots of machines already running it.

Using the combination of Assembly ,FreeBasic & CGUI I can compile for Dos, Win or Linux
and the user couldn't tell the difference.

Finally ,I AM a Dinosaur and have no desire to learn another system.

RegardsEdited by Dinosaur 2014-01-02

Regards
Hervey Bay Qld.

Grogster

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Posted: 11:25am 01 Jan 2014

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Dinosaur said Finally ,I AM a Dinosaur and have no desire to learn another system

LOL!

Nice one.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3678

Posted: 11:28am 01 Jan 2014

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What will you do if the boards stop being available? (Such as the firm vanishing.)

Are they multi-sourced?

JohnEdited by JohnS 2014-01-02

Dinosaur

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Joined: 12/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 304

Posted: 03:24pm 01 Jan 2014

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Hi All

Quote What will you do if the boards stop being available? (Such as the firm vanishing.)

The Vortex cpu has been around for a long time.
One other advantage of being a "x86 compatible" is that the market is huge,
but not at that price though.

Had an email response from them.

Quote The item is out of stock now, already in production and schedule in release around middle of Jan. thanks

I have to admit though, IF there were an assortment of "Plugin" boards for the Maximite
or the UBW32, then I would consider them. Particularly with the new more powerful PIC32 release.
But it looks like all the work done in that area is aimed at the hobbyist with a soldering fetish.
I have done that for more years then I want to admit to, so now I am a "Plug & Play" addict.

Regards

Regards
Hervey Bay Qld.

elproducts

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Joined: 19/06/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 282

Posted: 04:45pm 01 Jan 2014

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Dinosaur said
I have to admit though, IF there were an assortment of "Plugin" boards for the Maximite
or the UBW32, then I would consider them. Particularly with the new more powerful PIC32 release.
But it looks like all the work done in that area is aimed at the hobbyist with a soldering fetish.
I have done that for more years then I want to admit to, so now I am a "Plug & Play" addict.

Thats where the arduino connectors come in. Lots of plug and play.

www.elproducts.com

JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3678

Posted: 10:58pm 01 Jan 2014

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There are a lot of boards that could be used except that you want DOS/WinXPe. You're seriously limiting your choice as you know. No problem if you're happy with that.

John

2001cpx

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Joined: 03/10/2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 59

Posted: 02:52am 03 Jan 2014

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seem to be interessting,

i've readed Doc about this product, and how you can connect
an external video adapter and keyboard?

on ISA 8 bit port?

"Color Maximite,(Duinomite-Mega,Mini),CGmmStick,GCmicroboard2b,Micromite + explore 64,100,LCD backpack,Lcd Backpack V2,TFT Backpack,Micromite Extreme,Armmite L,F,H,CMM2"

mbramwel

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Joined: 10/07/2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 42

Posted: 03:43am 03 Jan 2014

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I think he should re-read the webpage closely.

It is *supports* DOS, Linux, Windows. It does not say it *runs* DOS, Linux, Windows.

To me it looks like an Intel micro controller, not a small PC. No video out, how would you see the output? I doubt if there is a BIOS.

If it could boot DOS and run Basic programs, might be interesting to dig out the old DOS video games and play around.

Anyone know for sure what is that unit?

MicroBlocks

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Joined: 12/05/2012
Location: Thailand
Posts: 2209

Posted: 05:23am 03 Jan 2014

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Nohrtec in Thailand makes a very similar product already for many years.
They might even be the source.

http://www.norhtec.com/products/index.html

I have a few of those MicroClient JrSX and they work great.
Main use is as a thin client using RDC to connect to windows servers.

Microblocks. Build with logic.

mbramwel

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Joined: 10/07/2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 42

Posted: 05:48am 03 Jan 2014

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Very interesting products (JrSX). Yes, they clearly have Video out and keyboard/mouse ports.

What I find difficult to decipher on some webpages is when they say "Dos, Linux, Windows" supported.

Do they mean:

(a) The unit can directly load & boot Dos, Linux, Windows (example: ARM boards can run Linux)

or

(b) Using a laptop running Dos, Linux, Windows, you can create software and download the compiled code onto the board. (example: arduino)

A & B described above are very different scenarios.

The unit mentioned by dinosaur might be A or B. I am not sure which one yet.

JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3678

Posted: 07:18am 03 Jan 2014

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I reckon it's (a).

He wants to run FreeBasic and it makes EXEs so expects something like DOS/etc under that EXE. (Same concepts with other names if Linux.)

For the other scenario I think it would have to be phrased quite differently.

(Or they deliberately mislead, but I hope not.)

JohnEdited by JohnS 2014-01-04

2001cpx

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Joined: 03/10/2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 59

Posted: 09:25am 03 Jan 2014

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if we need to pay more than 100$,better to buy microAtx like Kino,which i have.

this board have 2 ethernet,4 or 6 USB port,lcd port,Vga out,Hdmi,4 serial,1 485,sound in out,20 or more i/o,keyb,ps2,sata,ide,pci ETC.

and very smaller 6 inch by 6

DosDuino if Exist like think,can be a new player.

i have sold a lot's of KINO in my industrial project,now i use Maximite,i know, it's
not the same thing,but , for industrial automation,no need to have a lot's of graphics,
and do the job,and more.

all electro mecaniks,here,in the very big plant(over 1200 worker) like a basic language
and can be modified on the fly,and no need to be an engineer to only change a parameter.

"Color Maximite,(Duinomite-Mega,Mini),CGmmStick,GCmicroboard2b,Micromite + explore 64,100,LCD backpack,Lcd Backpack V2,TFT Backpack,Micromite Extreme,Armmite L,F,H,CMM2"

Dinosaur

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Joined: 12/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 304

Posted: 12:16pm 03 Jan 2014

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Hi All

The processor definitely supports Dos,FreeDos,Win & Linux.
I have used this processor before on other boards.

After reading the cpu manual, it appears that the vga is supported through a PCI bus.
But I cant see any connectors for it, on the circuit diagrams that they provide.

So, when all else fails , ASK.
And I did. I got an answer to a previous email, so let's see.

Regards
Hervey Bay Qld.

mbramwel

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Joined: 10/07/2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 42

Posted: 01:33pm 03 Jan 2014

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Thanks for the update. That system and the MM based systems are great for logging output from devices. I agree on the 'no graphics' comment for industrial installations. The part I thought was interesting is the case with the embedded breadboard.

keep us updated on what you find out.

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