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plasma
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Joined: 08/04/2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 437

Posted: 09:57pm 13 Feb 2016

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Hi,

one of the best technical solutions i ever seen. very pro.

i like it from the start and wish you much luck with this.
gtxEdited by plasma 2016-02-15

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 10:36am 23 Feb 2016

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People suggested me crowdfunding it, in private emails, so it can reach wider audience. There is a landing page here. A new set of boards, the release revision, is currently in the factory, and I also made an optional "upgraded" revision with MZ/EF (I know - big errata, but still), although that one doesn't have any software support yet.

Working also on a couple of extra keyboard panels and firmware for the keyboard controller - initially for ISO-8859-5 and ISO-8859-16, in addition to the standard ISO-8859-15 one.
Edited by kiiid 2016-02-24

http://rittle.org

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Frank N. Furter
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Joined: 28/05/2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 946

Posted: 09:30pm 23 Feb 2016

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Hi Kon,

I wish you good luck!!!

Frank

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 02:45am 23 Apr 2016

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My final release prototype is now close to announce, and soon the game will be on.

Because this computer is powered by a MM+, courtesy requires here to be the first place where I will share the full final schematic of 2M.
Only a member of the forum can find the password by looking at me...

2016-04-23_124349_2M.zip

http://rittle.org

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Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3282

Posted: 03:24am 23 Apr 2016

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You are a good designer, that is certain. And I can see why you are asking after multiple SD card support.

Geoff

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 04:23am 23 Apr 2016

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Thank you Geoff, it wouldn't have been be possible for me to design it without the MM+ in my hands :)

Continuing with the topic - for whoever is interested, this is the current firmware of the keyboard controller. It generates the entire ISO8859-15 table straight from the keyboard (although MM+ will not support the upper half of it, yet). Also supports controllable auto-repeat.

2016-04-23_140709_2M_16F1517.zip

In standby mode only the keyboard controller is active and the computer draws only about 80uA. It can last months on standby.

I also have a better design new keyboard panel for the final release as well. It is much easier for alignment and includes the functional keys and the shortcuts for on, off, reset and battery check. The shortcuts are executed together with CTRL pressed and held for a certain time.

Currently waiting for some good looking screws to arrive, which will perfectly fit the design, and soon I will present the whole thing working and running a game and... maybe some more serious stuff. Just getting my inspiration from the software from the 80s

Edited by kiiid 2016-04-24

http://rittle.org

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MicroBlocks

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

Posted: 04:48am 23 Apr 2016

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I am particularly interested in the experimenting area.
looks like a grid. Do you have a closeup/schematic of that?
Edited by MicroBlocks 2016-04-24

Microblocks. Build with logic.

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 05:13am 23 Apr 2016

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The schematic is on the panel. Well, almost...

There are 26 columns, each consisting of three linked groups of 9, 8, and 9 dots. The whole array is surrounded by four (only three are drawn on the panel) 'circular bus' lines.

Edited by kiiid 2016-04-24

http://rittle.org

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Zonker

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Joined: 18/08/2012
Location: United States
Posts: 767

Posted: 08:41am 23 Apr 2016

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Man..! What a perfect, prototype creating, code writing toy..!!

Can't wait for the rollout... I want one just on the sheer awesomeness of a fully exploited MM+ playground..!!

Bill7300
Senior Member

Joined: 05/08/2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 159

Posted: 08:53pm 23 Apr 2016

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I'm totally blown away too, Konstantin. I have only fallen across this design because of your posts of recent days. My back reading is in full swing but such is the prolific output of the Back Shed forum, I hadn't come across this project earlier.
I am in awe, like most other commentators and will certainly be following it closely from this point. I have even signed up on the landing page!

Bill

Bill

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 04:38am 07 May 2016

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Pether's excellent Big Ben clock is the first program ever ran on my just assembled and now fully functional ELLO 2M laptop (still using the old screws as the new ones with smaller heads are on their way)

http://rittle.org

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kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 04:48am 08 May 2016

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Another piece of ELLO software (still working on it, though...)

I think this is the first ever of its kind running on a MM-powered system

http://rittle.org

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Frank N. Furter
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Joined: 28/05/2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 946

Posted: 08:15pm 08 May 2016

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Hi Kon, that's really fantastic! I believe I must buy a laptop from you when it is finished!

Frank

bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2949

Posted: 09:00pm 08 May 2016

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@Kon,

Beautiful!!

Great work...

Is that a membrane keyboard or real buttons?

Kind Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2932

Posted: 09:10pm 08 May 2016

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@bigmik

Kon has 'constructed' the keyboard by using the PCB layers of his solution. So he has five (or six) PCBs and uses the top layer as the key 'cap' (with the legend printed on it), and then some 'spacers' before the contact layer. There is enough 'flex' in the top layer to give a key-like feel to the overall set-up.

I was lucky enough to see an early prototype and will hopefully see this latest version in a weeks time

As Geoff has said - it is a brilliantly engineered solution and wish Kon every success with this product

EDIT: Kon has cleverly cut a specific shape around the top keyboard 'key-cap' to create the moving key 'button'. Hope this makes sense

Edited by WhiteWizzard 2016-05-10

bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2949

Posted: 09:17pm 08 May 2016

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@WhiteWizard,

Hi Stranger, welcome back

I did notice some `slots' milled/punched into the top panel but I wasnt sure,

I gather 0.6mm PCB substrate would work out quite well, a novel approach that I have never seen before..

Thank you Phil.

Kind Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 10:50pm 08 May 2016

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0.6mm will be to rigid for this size of the keys. I had made the earliest prototype using 0.4mm, and it was too rigid as well. Currently I am using 0.25mm for the top panel, but my feeling is that 0.3mm is just about the right one for it.

http://rittle.org

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f1fco

Senior Member

Joined: 18/03/2012
Location: France
Posts: 155

Posted: 02:04am 09 May 2016

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a beatiful work !
just a question : what is this Chess software ?
is it the code source available ?
is it for Micromite (with LCD screen) only ? or alson for Maximite on VGA ?

thank you for answer

Pierre, from Nimes, south of France

73s de F1FCO

kiiid

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Joined: 11/05/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 671

Posted: 02:29am 09 May 2016

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It doesn't use any hardware-specific references and will work on any MM+ system with 800x480 touch-screen LCD. It will not work on the Maximite because its Basic doesn't have the GUI commands.

This is not based on another chess program. I have written it entirely from scratch and will publish the code once it is fully ready (still working on its play strategy).

Edited by kiiid 2016-05-10

http://rittle.org

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bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2949

Posted: 04:30am 09 May 2016

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@Kon,

0.25mm? 0.30mm? Boy that is thin, I used 0.8mm on my Nanomite and I thought it was very thin but you are talking less than 1/3 that thickness..

Wow again... I wonder how the longevity of it would be, any ideas?

Kind Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

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