Thanks for the comments. I will be adding more videos as I find time. The 'black box' is the hardware to run the ADT test. Its my prototype one however the ones you will get with the testers are on small pcbs with a ribbon cable attached. Simply plug it in to the tester then it will take snapshots of the devices you want to test.
PI/Arduino Processor Emulator
- Thread starter andrewsm
- Start date
Would it be a good idea to make a version of this that also powers the board under test? Incorporating a supergun would be beneficial in that the GND can be shared internally and the video out could be on the external display or even Picture In Picture. Stage 1 could be a separate supergun designed to complement the unit. Just a feature suggestion although I realise most users will likely already have a supergun of sorts.
The problem with directly relying on the mame exe (or the dat file) for crcs, is that you would have to manually tell the tester the ROM memory map for the pcb. Otherwise how would it know how big each eprom is, and where it resides in the memory space. In this regard, it is just as much labour as using an old Fluke. This would be especially hard, if you connect up an unknown pcb, whose memory map is unknown.
A way to give it a bit of intelligence, is something like this:
So this file is read (ideally it would be an sql database or similar) when you connect to a Z80 socket. The file lists mame_game_name:total_ROM_size:first_1k_crc32:total_crc32
Z80_briefcrc
It means you don't have to tell the tester anything, it can simply read the first 1k of address space, calculate a CRC on it, and then work out which game(s) it could possibly be from the info in the file/database. It then knows the total ROM space, and has a total CRC for that in the file too.
Once it has that info, it can then get more info on the game by using information scraped from the mame xml dat, such as:
Z80_full
lines starting with + are maincpu eproms, showing hex memory address, size and crc. Lines starting with - are graphics etc. eproms that aren't directly addressable, and so can be ignored.
It's all a bit convoluted to set up, but it would make it a very clever device.
Does that all make sense?
A way to give it a bit of intelligence, is something like this:
So this file is read (ideally it would be an sql database or similar) when you connect to a Z80 socket. The file lists mame_game_name:total_ROM_size:first_1k_crc32:total_crc32
Z80_briefcrc
It means you don't have to tell the tester anything, it can simply read the first 1k of address space, calculate a CRC on it, and then work out which game(s) it could possibly be from the info in the file/database. It then knows the total ROM space, and has a total CRC for that in the file too.
Once it has that info, it can then get more info on the game by using information scraped from the mame xml dat, such as:
Z80_full
lines starting with + are maincpu eproms, showing hex memory address, size and crc. Lines starting with - are graphics etc. eproms that aren't directly addressable, and so can be ignored.
It's all a bit convoluted to set up, but it would make it a very clever device.
Does that all make sense?
david_orton_2000
Green Mario
This is a really interesting project combining a number of testing units in one.
For your shutdown question, I noticed the user has to exit the application then shutdown on the Linux desktop menu.
A simple and quick solution could be to launch your application with a shell script (which I suspect is done already) and then as the application finishes the shutdown for the Pi automatically launches. Simply add another line to the Shell script such as:-
sudo shutdown -h now
or
init 0 (but only works if the user is 'root').
Hope this helps a little.
For your shutdown question, I noticed the user has to exit the application then shutdown on the Linux desktop menu.
A simple and quick solution could be to launch your application with a shell script (which I suspect is done already) and then as the application finishes the shutdown for the Pi automatically launches. Simply add another line to the Shell script such as:-
sudo shutdown -h now
or
init 0 (but only works if the user is 'root').
Hope this helps a little.
The Last Bandit
User
I done a power on/off circuit for a couple of Rasp Pi based consoles which works pretty well.
Basically its a little microcontroller (ATtiny) with a relay and a daemon running on the Pi. Press the power button closes the relay supplying power to the Pi, pressing the power button again asserts one of GPIO's which the daemon is monitoring and triggers a clean shutdown and after a certain amount of time the relay is opened killing the power.
Basically its a little microcontroller (ATtiny) with a relay and a daemon running on the Pi. Press the power button closes the relay supplying power to the Pi, pressing the power button again asserts one of GPIO's which the daemon is monitoring and triggers a clean shutdown and after a certain amount of time the relay is opened killing the power.
Very interesting ideas guys. I will look into them further when I get some time. Currently up to neck in work plus building testers etc. Any ideas are more than welcome as Im always looking at ways to make this tester more useable and informative. An example of this is ive spent a few evening working on a 8 channel logic analyser function for it and pretty happy so far with the results. Its almost if not showing signals better than my scope so looks like it might find it way in in not too distant future.
Signal on my 60MHz scope
Same signal captured with my Tester.
Signal on my 60MHz scope
Same signal captured with my Tester.
nice
Just uploaded another short video guys. The logic analyser is working well so look out for a software update soon. Also I will probably start doing some videos of debug in action soon. I seem to have blown up my pacman board so going to be the first patient! Dont ask how I did it, just say it was late and I made a stupid mistake! Im a fud
Good stuff mark. And look forward to you debugging pacman
silverfox0786
Beware the Hillman
if anyone is interested i will have some Z0 Pods for sale
ill do others as and when but decided the Z80 is a common one so did that one first
the pod will be complete with header and everything all ready to use
shouldn't be too expensive ill price it up once i get all the parts
here is the start of the POD
ill do others as and when but decided the Z80 is a common one so did that one first
the pod will be complete with header and everything all ready to use
shouldn't be too expensive ill price it up once i get all the parts
here is the start of the POD
Nice one Sarj
silverfox0786
Beware the Hillman
Ok so i have some more info on this tester for you guys
i been chatting with Mark and we decided it would be a good idea to have a WIKI for this tester so basically
you can go to the wiki for the manual and how to use it and all the different features and also grab updates to firmware and things like that.
there is also eventually going to be a section for where people add truth tables, GIFs and additions to CRC32 to add them so they can be downloaded
Anyone that owns one of these testers if they so wish to will be given a username and access to the wiki to add manual elements and personal how to's
there will also be a section for repair logs using the AR81 so others can see how it was sued to fix a board or appliance
thw website wiki is
www.arcadetester.co.uk
i been chatting with Mark and we decided it would be a good idea to have a WIKI for this tester so basically
you can go to the wiki for the manual and how to use it and all the different features and also grab updates to firmware and things like that.
there is also eventually going to be a section for where people add truth tables, GIFs and additions to CRC32 to add them so they can be downloaded
Anyone that owns one of these testers if they so wish to will be given a username and access to the wiki to add manual elements and personal how to's
there will also be a section for repair logs using the AR81 so others can see how it was sued to fix a board or appliance
thw website wiki is
www.arcadetester.co.uk
Just a quick update to say that Im working my way though the testers on order and will be thinking about the second batch in next week or so. If anybody is interested in one of these then PM me.
There are a few improvements I have made in the meantime which will be incorporated into the second batch but ALL testers will be able to run them.
1) Logic Analyser sampling down to 700nS. Full 8 channels possible and hardware upgrade to follow allowing it to sample to 50nS. The current testers will run the new software and provide 1 single channel to 700nS.
2) Read/Write can now be done to VRAM. Before only write could be done but ROMS are not affected and always were able to be read.
3) Access time to read data has been reduced allowing the ID check to run much faster.
On top of this, Sarj has very kindly setup a website from earlier posts and I am providing him with various info so it can be uploaded onto the site. This will continue and be updated when Sarj has the time etc.
There are a few improvements I have made in the meantime which will be incorporated into the second batch but ALL testers will be able to run them.
1) Logic Analyser sampling down to 700nS. Full 8 channels possible and hardware upgrade to follow allowing it to sample to 50nS. The current testers will run the new software and provide 1 single channel to 700nS.
2) Read/Write can now be done to VRAM. Before only write could be done but ROMS are not affected and always were able to be read.
3) Access time to read data has been reduced allowing the ID check to run much faster.
On top of this, Sarj has very kindly setup a website from earlier posts and I am providing him with various info so it can be uploaded onto the site. This will continue and be updated when Sarj has the time etc.
Pleased functions are being added all the time, going to be very powerfull device. Can you give a bit more info regarding the hardware upgrade? Is this just a revisions thing or can the earlier devices be retrofitted? Do you expect the hardware to change further?
Thanks
Thanks
silverfox0786
Beware the Hillman
radfoo said:
There are 2 hardware addition which are only effecting the current versions, one is VRAM write implementation has been added but needs hardware addition so i have added that to the Pods i am making
the second is the Logic Analyzer which i think Mark will make as a addition unit (or i will maybe) but that is only if you want full 8 channel, single channel will be functional on the probe
Mark has said these revision will be added to second motherboard revision which will mean he will most prob up the price, which also means you having to pay for these additional upgrades wont mean you pay more than what a new user may pay
Currently with the VRAM write addition the Pods i will be selling will be a mere £35 and you get the pod out of it anyway (thats my actual cost)
i will also post how to make your own pod on the Wiki page as well
(Correct me if im wrong Mark)
So can this new mod be retro fitted to my 1st generation machine?