forum speccy.pl
ZX Spectrum => WSPÓŁCZESNE KLONY => Wątek zaczęty przez: dakidski w 2019.10.20, 16:30:57
-
New ZX Spectrum 128k-clone from Ukraine! Presenting Karabas-Nano rev.C made by Andy Karpov ( https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano ). I reckon it is the world's smallest ZX Spectrum 128k-clone WITH a physical keyboard! I will be testing it during the coming week. (Real ZX Spectrum included for scale.)
More pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/retrogamingdenmark/posts/2179762428990375
-
I'ts to small.
Not for my eyes :)
-
IMHO, it's been made for fun, not for use.
Yes - too small. Who's gonna use this keyboard? Kids, dwarves? My fingers are too thick for it.
And no edge connector - bummer!
Furthermore, I see only one RAM chip, so I don't suppose any standard contention model is implemented.
-
Bo to blizsze Pentagonowi niż Toastrackowi.
-
IMHO, it's been made for fun, not for use.
Yes - too small. Who's gonna use this keyboard? Kids, dwarves? My fingers are too thick for it.
And no edge connector - bummer!
Furthermore, I see only one RAM chip, so I don't suppose any standard contention model is implemented.
The keyboard is small, but it's there.
There is actually an edge connector, or ZX Bus. But you need an adapter, which I don't have yet. The ZX Bus is on the middle top, between tape in/out and the power supply. See the schematics here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/master/docs/photos/revC-1.png
I'm not clever enough to answer you about the ram contention, but maybe the answer can be found here: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano
-
The keyboard is small, but it's there.
Yes, but what really counts is usability, IMHO.
There is actually an edge connector, or ZX Bus. But you need an adapter, which I don't have yet. The ZX Bus is on the middle top, between tape in/out and the power supply. See the schematics here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/master/docs/photos/revC-1.png
That's a good news, thanks for this link.
I'm not clever enough to answer you about the ram contention, but maybe the answer can be found here: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano
I am no expert on VHDL, but I have looked at the code on github, and my first impression was that the whole RAM is contended! I will review it once I have a sleepless night :)
What I also noticed, there is an AY implementation for AVR mentioned on github, but no AVR can be found on the PCB. Or maybe it is soldered on the oposite side of the PCB, thus invisible in these pictures above?
-
I would worry about timings that are not compliant with the 128K model at all. The CPU clock is driven by CPLD which divides 28MHz by 8. So the CPU clock is 3.5MHz only. On the first look into the VHDL code, both screen counters (vertical and horizontal) have been set to 48K model values. The extension port is off standards, even not in ZX-UNO style. And on the top of these an emulation of AY chip is based on Atmega8 with 20MHz clock, that does not sound to my taste at all.
Anyway you guys did an excellent job and created an interesting clone in very small form factor. :)
-
That's a good news, thanks for this link.
Actually this is the correct link for the schematics:
https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/blob/master/docs/karabas-nano-revC.pdf
What I also noticed, there is an AY implementation for AVR mentioned on github, but no AVR can be found on the PCB. Or maybe it is soldered on the oposite side of the PCB, thus invisible in these pictures above?
AY AVR is soldered on the back, see the facebook-link for picture of the backside.
-
Anyway you guys did an excellent job and created an interesting clone in very small form factor. :)
I did nothing. Andy Karpov created it alone. I was just lucky enough to get my hands on one.
Both the cpld- and avr-code was updated today. I programmed both onto my Nano.
-
Just a small update:
Karabas-nano on Altera EMP7512 + ESP8266 wifi + Timex Hires video mode + UART implementation by ZXUNO standard ;)
(http://i.piccy.info/i9/9a161600651f4c6b1786d50b14515c7d/1579388704/30989/1355932/IMG_20200118_230733_500.jpg) (http://piccy.info/view3/13607236/b0db4105b734638ab27d2181ce6c6d23/)(http://i.piccy.info/a3/2020-01-18-23-05/i9-13607236/354x472-r/i.gif) (http://i.piccy.info/a3c/2020-01-18-23-05/i9-13607236/354x472-r)
Will update karabas-nano github page soon with the source code.
-
Wow !
Very nice :)
-
Is it possible to implement Timex video modes for Karabas 128 too?
Hmmm... I suppose his CPLD already has little free resources.
However, if you push it in, would be great. :D
-
My short answer - no, it's impossible to implement Timex video modes for Karabas-128 due to lack of free macrocells.
Timex video more requires at least 5-bit register + 16-bit shift register inside the CPLD + some logic to service them...
So, there is no room :(
-
A few small updates to the karabas-nano:
1) Added support for simple UART (based on AY I/O port A) for EPM3256, fully compatible with the software by nihirash: https://github.com/nihirash/zx-net-tools, https://nihirash.net/
- EPM3256 firmware download: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/raw/master/firmware/cpld/releases/karabas_nano_revC_divmmc_ay_uart_3256.pof
2) Created an addon wi-fi module (based on ESP8266 ESP-12) for karabas-nano rev.C and rev.D:
- schematics diagram: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/raw/master/docs/karabas-wifi-addon-revA.pdf
- gerbers: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/blob/master/pcb/gerbers/karabas-wifi-addon-gerbers-revA.zip
3) Created a new pcb revision rev.E with integrated ESP8266 ESP-12 on back side, under keyboard:
- schematics: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/raw/master/docs/karabas-nano-revE.pdf
- gerbers: https://github.com/andykarpov/karabas-nano/raw/master/pcb/gerbers/karabas-nano-gerbers-revE.zip
Best regards, Andy.
-
Very nice, Andy!