Overview Features Coding ApolloOS Performance Forum Downloads Products Order Contact

Welcome to the Apollo Forum

This forum is for people interested in the APOLLO CPU.
Please read the forum usage manual.
Please visit our Apollo-Discord Server for support.



All TopicsNewsPerformanceGamesDemosApolloVampireAROSWorkbenchATARIReleases
Documentation about the Vampire hardware

Standard Hardware Definitions

Chris Chris

Posts 25
12 Nov 2017 09:31


Dear Apollo Team,

may be I have not the full overview but i have some questions regarding hardware keyboard mouse and grouping of IO pins / connectors to certain functions on the stand-alone-vamp:

A) Keyboard / Mouse by wireless USB using one socket only:

All my old Amigas are build into different 19" server housings in 1 HE or 2HE and I added Wireless USB Keyboard and Mouse from Cherry using one USB slot only. The negative thing is that the keyboard and mouse are only working after final booting. Not during Boot-Selection or when booting is interrupted when I then need to edit the startup sequence.

What is your solution to make a "wireless USB" from today working also during booting and boot selection?

For getting into Boot-Selection I made a switch which goes on both pins of Sub-D-9 for left and right mouse button simulating pressing the original Amiga Mouse Buttons to step into boot menu. (On Vamp could be done the same but is not elegant).

B) Reset:

Is there a pin outside the 3 IO headers to make hardware reset ?

Could you standardize such a hardware pin/button as a real pin on the board ? Or is it still extisting ?

Majesta: I know, newer close a housing ;-) A screw driver is good enough for a reset.

B) IO-Header

Does the Appollo Team think about a standard definition grouping the IO-Header to avoid chaos in hardware development so that different hardware will be conneted to one header only so that you can use one of them instead of both as both are using IO header 1 ?

For Example:

- IO-Header 1: USB for "wireless keyboard+Mouse" (of course plus Gng, 5V), Serial Port, Boot Selection, Reset, ...
- IO-Header 2: ParPort or free
- IO-HEader 3: free

C) Are the 2 USB connections used for 1x Keyboard 1x Mouse hard wired  and separated for the stand alone version ? How did you solve the Keyboard Mouse task in genereal for the stand alone using wireless usb bundle of keyboard and mouse ?

 
D) Or is all done by a simple config-table as text file where the necesarry variables are pointing just to the dedicated outputs as USB1/USB2 or Header1-Pin1, etc. - freely configurable on the software side and then store it back into the Vamp ? Then it does not matter what is where connected. I will only make configuration for non profis a bit complicated. Such a solution in general would be perfect.

Thanks for your answers.

Chris



Chris Chris

Posts 25
04 Jan 2018 13:45


Hi All,

how do you plan to connect KEYBOARD and MOUSE to the stand alone Amiga ?

Do you plan to connect a today's standard WIRELESS keyboard mouse bundle using only one USB-wireless receiver ?

Would it be possible then to enter into Boot-Menu ?

What is the solution of the mouse / keyboard you are planning ? Wired on 9-pol Sub-D with USB adapter ?

BR Chris

PS: Or is this question stupid ???


Obetto Sannala

Posts 61
04 Jan 2018 14:41


This kind of information would be useful to me too, as I plan to develop full compatibility to the pi-top for the standalone version.

(https://pi-top.com/products)


Vojin Vidanovic

Posts 770
04 Jan 2018 18:33


I have no insight in standalone physically, so I will guess.
 
  I believe one USB will be keyboard only, nulling possibility of using single USB wireless solution for both kb and mouse. , USB wireless keyboards that use single port should work. Less complex USB solutions that dont have additional multimedia keys depending on software and simply mimic ordinary USB keyboard via USB "radio" tend to work better.
  Mouse should go DB9. We need at least one USB port for mass media or printer. There are some kinky wireless solutions there, like
 
  Typhoon mouse
  EXTERNAL LINK 
  Cocolino PS2 adapter and Wireless mouse (with same Cocolino adapter PS/2 keyboards could work?)
  EXTERNAL LINK 
  RESET taster? Great idea, needed badly since Spectrum days :-) Fully supported, a old school red one, but not easy to press :-)
 


Chris Chris

Posts 25
05 Jan 2018 17:41


Hi,

it should be possible to connect wireless keyboard + mouse.

Why ?

You can then put the standalone in a box and place it behind the TV and play games, surf or do anything you like. Also a wireless for competition would be great.

Then it would be really *COOL old RETRO FEELING* when playing games.

Why stepping back all in cable this would be useless for the standalone in these days. I think - it is a must !

With the USB-Kit from JS from IS and the software package it works fine on USB but not during booting and not in the boot loader menu.

All my Amigas have this kit:

Reichelt: JD-0520DE-2

EXTERNAL LINK 
Adding wireless LAN you can make nice package out of the Amiga comparable the AmigaTop (see PiTop). You can give them as gift to friends and say

"Amiga is still alive" -> Let's play - as in the old times !!!

This would be step a head.

"Cable-Salad" - we say in Germany - would not be a solution -> No wife would accept this !!! It would only "limit" the new freedom for speed and possibilities on applications and usage.

May be a PIC/ATMEL as add on card on the IO-PINS ??? But when, when it's needed and anyway can be programmed into the Amiga directly with adjustable keyboard conversion table.

Please let me know your thoughts.

PS: If you want to thrill or inspire "non Amiga" people you cannot come with a box of 100x100x100 mm and then add 20 cables !!! How stupid is then. From outstanding people - then nothing has changed and also the elegance is gone at all.

Remember from the past: The "Amiga" Lady was a "Queen" in the last Millennium. So, why should Apollo not be a "pretty princess" ???

So, what could be reasonable solutions? I think that software and drive are existing but how to implement ?

BR Chris

PS: Would it be a good idea to make a collection of "solutions" or "bundles" to identyfy what is needed in real and what is needed to make the NEW VAMP -> Sexy and Attractive <- ?




Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
05 Jan 2018 18:01


Vojin Vidanovic wrote:

    I believe one USB will be keyboard only, nulling possibility of using single USB wireless solution for both kb and mouse.
 

  I don't see why it couldn't do both, hell the MIST can. Maybe initially on early cores maybe it may be omitted until it can be worked on.


Chris Chris

Posts 25
11 Jul 2019 19:24


Dear Apollo-Team,
 
  it has been said that native device driver have been implemented to use modern USB mouse and USB keyboards.
 
  Q: Does a wireless mouse/keyb "combi" work on "one" USB-Receiver in "one" USB Port on the standalone Vamp ?
 
  Like this:
 
  EXTERNAL LINK 
 
Q: Also during startup and boot screen ?
 
  Thx Chris


Istvan Hegedus

Posts 22
12 Jul 2019 13:33


I would rather use the HID2AMI DB9 adapter. I am using that on my Amigas with a wireless mouse and works great (although that is solution only for the mouse).


Chris Chris

Posts 25
11 Jan 2020 09:13



Dear Apollo-Team,

many thanks for all that has been realized. Amazing !

To the topic of Jan 2018:

1.) Extra Hardware on Expansion Ports: Did Apollo-Team think about grouping of hardware on expansion ports to avoid connection mismatch in future ? It should be avoided that hardware will block each other  ? Did you have a definition for the WiFi ethernet connection to be on specific pins ? Or is all really changeable by software in the ROM by changing a pin-table ? Where will be USB expansion ports been connceted to ?

2.) Existing USB-Connections: Maybe to early. Would it be possible to connect a WiFi-Mouse-Keyboard-Bundle to USB-Port 1 and use USB-Port 2 for Data Exchange using USB-Stick - in future?

3.) Extra USB-Port planned on expansion port for data exchange or USB-hub using the existing tools after booting the Amiga?

What are the plans ? Anything planning like this ?

I know that this is more professionel related than gaming (Amiga daddeln). 

Many thanks. 



Chris Chris

Posts 25
11 Jan 2020 14:22


Dear Apollo-Team,

1.) Vampire V4 Stand-Alone / Question to Connector: IC2/RTC

Q: What PIN has what function: Vcc / Gnd / SCL / SDA / ?

Q: What has PIN5 for a function ?

Q: Can a Seeed Groove Arduino RTC Clock been connceted ?

Link: EXTERNAL LINK 
or is it planned to use a Raspberry PI clock directly as foreseen as ready to connect ?

Link: EXTERNAL LINK 

2.) How is the I2C been foreseen to use ?

Q: Can an Adafruit Exanderboard been connceted to I2C ?

Link: EXTERNAL LINK 
to control extra LED's, relais, switch electrical functions (Audio-Amplifer, Lights, Fans, etc.) or measure temperatures, or what ever could be nice when building a High-End-Amiga?

Q: Is direct programming by ASM possible as CIA's in good old times ?

Thanks.

posts 10