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Author Topic: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA. (Read 92379 times)

Offline Tuby128

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #135 on: 2022.January.16. 22:08:54 »
- FPGA frecuencia del cristal: 50MHz-

 So your board has a 50 Mhz christal.
 Probably you are making 16 MHz with PLL via 8/25 multiplier. Am I right?

 According to the data of the FPGA you can use a second PLL.
 You have to place the Nick in separated clock domain anyway.

 The EP board is using a so called "clock streching" where the Nick is providing the clock signal for the Z80. Every time, when the nick accessing to its 64k memory, and the Z80 wants to access to the same memory, the nick delays the clock of the Z80.

Online gflorez

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #136 on: 2022.January.17. 00:00:39 »
The NeptUNO has the same front-end for all the possible implemented machines, then it takes only for itself one of the PLLs. It works at 14.000, so the same clock has been also used for the EP implementation as the easier solution. This way the other PLL is saved for other purposes, at least in this preliminary stage.

The front-end manages a lot of common peripherals, like floppy, SD or HD images, joystick ports, mouse and keyboard, audio and video outputs, and even Internet connection. This approach, common also on other popular FPGAs, discharges the different computer implementations from a lot of possible common code.

On the other side, actually there is no contention of Nick over the Z80. It will be implemented later. Also, Nick needs to be completely re-written.

Perfection will take a while.... but now Kyp will go faster with the SD cartridge operative.
« Last Edit: 2022.January.17. 11:28:20 by gflorez »

Offline Tuby128

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #137 on: 2022.January.17. 00:06:53 »
I understand. He leaves it as it is now. And concentrates on the next hardware.
 Is the vhdl or verilog code about the nick chip he wrote available somewhere? I am courious to see it.

Online gflorez

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #138 on: 2022.January.17. 00:10:47 »
Maybe, ask him privately.

Offline Tuby128

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #139 on: 2022.January.17. 09:18:36 »

I thought there is a sourceforge or similar webpage where he puts the code, where anyone can access it.
I can fully understand if he decides too keep his intellectual property.

Online gflorez

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #140 on: 2022.January.17. 11:16:44 »
Nah... the group will release it for free, but when the implementation will be correct. I personally think that there is no place here for own intellectual propriety... when we are playing with others intellectual propriety...

Kyp is one on the developers group, he has created the implementation from the documentation on Zozo's page(he doesn't own an EP...). Other aspects, like Dave's sound capabilities, are being developed by Rampa. Others do intensive beta-testing, like Ron. There are also others, doing things that I don't understand. I only observe what they do...

Until now they had the barrier of the lack of a massive storage. Having it will give them more time for the important and difficult aspects. Think that they are normal guys, with little time for the hobby, with families and work...
« Last Edit: 2022.January.17. 11:42:42 by gflorez »

Offline Tuby128

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #141 on: 2022.January.17. 11:42:18 »
Until now they had the barrier of the lack of a massive storage.

What do you mean under this sentence? Storage of what? Computer HDD, or free FPGA logic (LUT) or what?

Online gflorez

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #142 on: 2022.January.17. 11:53:40 »
I meant that 1 year ago only TAPE: was implemented, and it was hard to test some software on the FPGA EP.

Now, as you can see on the videos, the SD cartridge works like a charm.

And, for me, even being preliminary, Nick and Dave do an acceptable work, with great compatibility.


Offline Tuby128

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #143 on: 2022.January.17. 12:00:02 »
Now I understand you.

Online gflorez

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #144 on: 2022.January.17. 20:25:47 »
Just because some of you are asking me where to find a Neptuno FPGA, you should understand that this group is not a FPGA seller or provider.

Kyp uses the Neptuno for his own convenience, because it has composite video output and is fast when synthesizing the "core" of the computer(similar to compiling a program). It could be that the definitive implementation would be bigger than the Neptuno possibilities, so better keep calm and wait for further development.  

If you still want to enter just now in this new world,  the target FPGAs for the Enterprise will be these with enough capacity to be valid for some years. Yes, they also get obsolete, because some cores continue growing, or because other computers more complex are tried. I am writing here "FPGAs" in plural, because another speciality of this group is to port the cores to all available FPGAs with enough space.

The EP is a computer that, except for the Z80 or the WD177x, has no custom chips in common with other computers, so its development will take some time, because it shares less implementation. This means that the size of its implementation could be bigger than other contemporaneous computers, because these tested common modules can't be used as bricks to build the Enterprise.

The FPGA contenders can be Neptuno, MiST, MiSTer, MistiSIDI and other new ones that can appear on next years. But the actual chip crisis has also raised the price of these programmable chips, so it is not recommendable to buy them now.

Here in Spain there are two main FPGAs builders, Antonio Villena and ManuFerHi, but I think you have a builder in Hungary, I don´t know his name.

On the other side, I am not an FPGAs specialist, there are other better forums where to find information about the subject.
« Last Edit: 2022.January.18. 20:37:15 by gflorez »

Offline Tutus

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #145 on: 2022.January.18. 12:13:43 »
(Attachment Link)
You can see the stream, in Spanish on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/retrocrypta
A lot of thanks to rampa069, GFlorez and Kyp by the effort

Fantastic! :bow:  Congratulations and we look forward to continuing :)

Offline ron

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #146 on: 2022.January.22. 14:10:13 »
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Tonight, starting at 9:30 p.m.

Live stream: https://www.twitch.tv/retrocrypta

Online gflorez

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #147 on: 2022.January.23. 01:32:17 »
I want to explain one issue Ron had today with the video on his twitch channel.

He uses a RGB to HDMI to show the machine(any device that he needs to review) to make the Twitch stream in a good resolution and quality, for nowadays. But something odd happens with these converters that refuse to manage Pal interlace video, showing incorrect colours and resolution.

Ron has realised it on a moment of today video, and he has rescued his old composite video converter to try it on the Enterprise.

It is the reason why suddenly all seems to have changed to much better...

Offline geco

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #148 on: 2022.January.23. 08:31:30 »
Aha, so that was the reason why the resolution of interlace seemed to be good later, but after the change i think we saw colour problem also. Ex. Exolon had a total orange palette, and Operation Alexandra had also some strange color, can this cause by the converter?

Offline SlashNet

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Re: Enterprise Deployment Attempt Over FPGA.
« Reply #149 on: 2022.January.23. 09:45:29 »
Color palette is still weird, both via HDMI and composite.