Oldbitcollector

It's simply got to be said...

2011-03-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted to this blog in far too long. Most of my blogging efforts have been focused on Propellerpowered.com (A blog specific for news and information surround the Parallax Propeller Microcontroller.

This blog is for personal projects and random musings, so I thought I'd jump on my personal soapbox this afternoon and share what I see is beginning to happen in the world around us. Understand that my perspective is, well my perspective, and perhaps you have a different vantage point. :)

There has been so much unrest in the news lately. Countries where folks who were happy to live their simple lives under the rule of a dictatorship have decided that "enough is enough." In our own country, we are starting to see a revolt of sorts against those who exploit the everyday common man to add to personal millions. Its interesting to see that folks world-wide are starting to wake up to take control of their lives, and it's quite frankly, about time.

The really interesting part to me is the reaction that those who have had "the power" when they realize that the gig is up. We are starting to become a world of thinkers, doers and makers. Information is quickly becoming available to everyone. People are finally starting to figure out that they don't have to be a slave to dictators.

Webster defines a "Dictator" as: A dictator is a ruler (e.g. absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power. In countries like Egypt, or Libya it is easy to define who fill this definition, however America has it's own type of dictatorship, which can be seen in those who rule with sole interest in the almighty dollar. Variations of these wanna-be dictators can be seen in all levels of government and their big business partners. Our society is being programmed to consume without question.

There is a low rumble that is rippling here that is making our "dictators" nervous. It is the rumble of everyday people who haven't forgotten that this country was made great by being DOERS, not consumers. It is a rumble created by those who still take the time to learn and practice "making" skills, instead of just throwing something out and buying more. The rumble caused by those who would DARE to OPEN something they just purchased, laughing at the warranty seal, and in some cases violating the DMCA.

Grandpa had a wood shop where he would craft his own furniture. Dad had a tool shop where he had the tools to 'repair' an item instead of just buying another. A new generation is on the rise where we have the tools to 'create' anything I want instead of just purchasing whatever imported crap you had shipped in. Be afraid. This generation is about to take power, and we're sick of the line of bull that you've shoved down our throats. We are looking for value both in our lives and our products. We really don't care about your plastic coated, cheap junk.

Government, we've seen your partnership with big business. We know that you have accepted the easy way out behind the scenes. We know what is going on and are taking the steps to fill your shoes soon. A new generation is about to assume power in those places where baby boomers have milked the system for too long for their own greed.

The information is now at our fingertips. The power to create a new world comes with it. The next generation wants more than just to consume. We intend to create. Not only do we intend to create, but we dare to do so giving our designs and information away. After the attitude of consumption is changed, big business looses dictatorship hold on us, we'll 'open source' big government next.

-Jeff-

Parallax Decommissions Chip Programmer: Parts going to UPE

2010-03-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

Parallax spent some time this week decommissioning their BP Chip Programmer. The parts from the machine are being packed into boxes destined for the Unofficial Propeller Expo junk table!

The junk table is a tradition of the Propeller Expo where attendees will bring extras from their shops and give them away. Sort of a electronics version of "Take a penny, leave a penny." It's guaranteed to be a popular UPE attraction again this year.

Unofficial Propeller Expos are being hosted this year in the Chicagoland area, NE Ohio, and Rocklin, CA. For more information on the expos visit: http://www.warrantyvoid.us/expo

Propeller Arcade: Finished!

2010-02-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Propeller Arcade is finally finished!

The new marquee was installed today giving the unit the final touch!
Complete photos, etc have been uploaded here.

In the meantime here's a quick run down on the changes made from when the unit arrived in October of last year (pictured on the right).

* Removed the broken arcade monitor and replaced it with a 19" television. (I've learned through this experience that the next arcade box I do will use an LCD monitor.)

* Added two buttons to the arcade panel, as well as had it sanded down and painted.

* Added the Propeller itself with games running as binaries from the SD card.

* Removed the Zookeeper marquee and replaced with Propeller Arcade Marquee. (Thanks to Jeff Moomaw of Johnson Hardware and Ron at Lettergraphics!)

* Rewired the controls to operated with both Atari and Nintendo Interfaces.

* Added a PC power supply to power both Marquee and the Propeller.

* Added two switches behind the coin return buttons which turn on/off the screen as well as reset the Propeller, returning it to it's menu.

All in all a great project. It was expected to be done in three weeks, instead took three months.

OBC

Propeller Arcade Gets a new Brain.

2010-02-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

A package arrived this morning from Gadgetgangster.com containing a new Propeller Platform Module and Platform El Jugador Module. The Propeller Platform Module is an Open Source Propeller alternative to the Arduino, without all that silliness weird offset pin plugs. The El Jugador is a new gaming module or "shield" if you will that plugs into the top of the Propeller Platform giving you audio/video, SD, and two NES interfaces.

While I had already built my own version of this board for the Arcade, this combination gives me a professional look as well as make things easier for others who may want to follow in these footsteps. Both modules were well documented and only took a couple hours to build total. The quality of the kits are on par with the high standards I see from Parallax as well.

Another addition to PropArcade is the addition of two switches mounted behind the coin returns. One activates the power on/off switch of the television, the other is tied to the RESET pin of the propplug connector on the Platform Module.

At this point I have completely closed the Propeller Arcade, but won't be posting a final video until the new marquee artwork returns early next week. The family has already accepted this new member of our family with trips to the workshop to play Boulderdash, Hero, or Defender.

Stay tuned for a final video update next week!
OBC

Propeller Arcade: Control Panel Finished!

2010-02-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

The newly painted control panel arrived from the paint shop yesterday just in time for 12" of snow on NE Ohio! I spent the day installing the controls and wiring. It works great!

All that is left for the Rropeller arcade is some new graphics and cleanup!

Here's some video of it in action!

Propeller Arcade: Atari Interface Test

2010-01-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

I was actually hoping to be wiring up the actual control panel this weekend, but the ETA is Tuesday. This wasn't a huge setback as I still have a lot of work in several other areas of the project, those being the Propeller board itself, (A Propeller Protoboard with a few addons from uController.com) and an Atari-2-Nintendo interface.

[Don't write me! Yes, I know my right hand from my left!]

In thinking about how to wire the panel itself, I thought it would be nice to follow some standards and give it an Atari/Commodore 9pin connection. This will allow me to test both the Propeller setup as well as the panel independently if I run into problems. There are just enough Unused pins in the Atari specification to pass the additional Nintendo B, Start, and Select buttons without a problem. For testing, I included an extra Start button on the interface itself.

Here's some additional close-up video of the menu system, (thanks Baggers!) and playing a few games.

More gaming... Was Boulderdash ever released as an Arcade? :)

Home Arcade Update

2010-01-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

After some winter delay. (It's just too cold to work in my garage!) the home arcade project is making some headway! First of all, the idea of doing a MAME cabinet has been scraped. (At least on this one.) This is becoming a Propeller powered Arcade Machine!
After spending too many hours trying to tie down a deal on a 19" LCD monitor and NTSC-to-VGA converter, I finally realized that I had a 19" TV I had been nearly tripping over at the shop for months! A quick check revealed that not only would it fit the arcade, but was a perfect fit for the original tube (broken) which came with the unit.

People who know me, know that part of my fun in my Propeller project hobby is to let the project take it's own shape as I work. This doesn't always pay off, but is rewarding when it works. Take a look at the way the TV's motherboard fell right into perfect place. (Almost like I had planned it. :)

Yep.. There's the Propeller! Not where it will wind up when I'm finished, but kinda funny to see this big arcade box running off a single chip board. We never dreamed this back in the 80's when these machines were in every shopping mall.

Finishing the arcade controls is next!

Home Arcade Teardown

2009-10-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend pulling the old monitor, wires, and controls from arcade panel. The arcade panel is being sent to a local machine shop to add a button hole on either side of the joystick. I was able to buy an additional "Gauntlet" arcade panel for $5.00 at the same time we bought the arcade This will provide us with the extra buttons we need as well as some backup sticks. After this panel is returned from the machinist, we'll peel the old "Jungle King" sticker off, and clean it down to a flat black.

This arcade will become a Propeller/Mame arcade allowing us to play Parallax Propeller games as well as arcade classics.

Father & Sons Project: Home Arcade

2009-10-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Matthew and I just returned from the White Rose Gameroom Show in York, PA. The six hour return trip was a little heavier than when we left. One of the outside vendors had several old, non-working arcade machines for sale for $50, so after playing a few hours of pinball, we loaded this machine into my Escort wagon as a new father/son project. Since I repair computers for a living, we should be able to convert this into a MAME arcade for winter. (I have plenty of parts to re-fill the innards of this machine.) Matthew made an interesting comment on the way home. He said that he's pretty certain this will be the one and only arcade machine in the town of Orrville. Being a child of the 80's this kinda makes me sad, but we've got plenty of garage space, and plan to return next year with a van.

Busy Summer!

2009-07-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog. It's been an extremely busy summer!

I just returned from the Unofficial Propeller Expo West 2009. UPEW, which was hosted at Parallax headquarters was an incredible event! We raised $2000. for the American Red Cross! A recap of the event with pictures and video is posted here. Now with less than 30 days to UPENE 2009 (to be hosted in Norwalk, OH) We are gearing up for another big Propeller event.

If you haven't had a chance to attend an Unofficial Propeller Expo, I'd strong encourage you to attend!

Jeff/OBC

SpinStudio Game Stacker Review

2009-04-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

Next to Parallax, uController.com creates and sells some of my favorite Propeller compatible products, and I've had the good fortune to get a sneak peek at a new addition to SpinStudio. The product is SpinStudio Game Stacker. This module plugs directly into the four ports of SpinStudio giving you two NES controller ports, keyboard & mouse, composite video, left & right audio, and SD socket. While many Propeller boards have incorporated a debug LED. Game Stacker takes that one step further with an RGB LED.

This is a perfect product for Propeller game creation, or use as a PropMICRO Propeller based microcomputer. Dozens of great games remakes are already playable on this platform as well as a version of BASIC.

Game Stacker will be sold as kit with an expected price of $35.00. Of course you will need to order a SpinStudio board which comes with the Propeller for $34.99. uController kits come with easy to follow instructions and can be generally soldered together in a single evening.

For those who are uncomfortable with soldering, uController.com says "Please don't let soldering stop you from enjoying our products. If you want the kits soldered for you before they are shipped to you, please contact me and I'd be happy to assemble them for you for a modest charge."

Wii Nunchuck Interface for the Commodore 64

2009-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Adapting the Wii Nunchuck to the Commodore 64

Here's a quick video of the controller in action, playing Master of the Lamps.

After finishing my Propeller Skateboard Project, it wasn't a big stretch to setup this project.
This interface uses the same transistor switching for the joystick, switching out the Accelerometer for a Wii controller. If there is interest, I will make this setup available as a kit from Gadget Gangster in the near future.

The Propeller/Commodore Skateboard Interface

2009-03-01T11:26:00.001-08:00

This is a project that has been on my TODO list for the past year:
Playing Skate or Die with a real Skateboard Interface!

I was recently inspired to get this finished by Johannes Ahlebrand's release of his Propeller based Commodore tape emulator code and thought I'd demonstrate both projects together. (In all fairness, I didn't tell Johannes that his project would be featured, so don't blame him for the speed. He's working on a faster, polished loader.)

Video part #1 demonstrates both the Propeller TAP loader as well as the Skateboard Interface.

The Skareboard interface is using a Memsic 2125 Accelerometer attached to the tail of the skateboard. It reports back the tilt of the board several times a second. Once a pre-programmed angle is detected, the Propeller triggers one of the switches on the joystick port. (A simple transistor interface.)

I've learned more about creating videos while doing this and lighting mistakes, etc so Shelly and I went back into the workshop again and filmed some additonal footage of the actual game screen. (Hard to photograph!) She had a blast doing the demonstration and is excited to tell her friends that she's famous on Youtube now, so run the views up. :)

OBC

Unofficial Propeller Expo West 2009 Annouced!

2009-02-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Unofficial Propeller Expo West 2009 is hosted at Parallax!
June 27th and 28th

Parallax has agreed to host the UPEW this year at their facility in Rocklin, CA.
The official website can be found here, and discussion about the expo
can be found on this forum thread.
No charge for attendance. RSVP required.

My Visit to Parallax 2009

2009-01-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

As I write this I'm just starting to recover from jet-lag. It is time to share my amazing trip to the headquarters of Parallax in Rocklin, CA. This 2300 mile journey taught me a lot about what happens behind the scenes in product development, as well as a good method of dealing with severe flying anxiety.

The many unexpected surprises started from about the first moment I walked through the doors, greeted by the receptionist. While she was answering phones, and paging my host, Ken Gracey, I noticed that she had an open PEkit on her desk as well as twenty or so finished kits on rack behind her. When not answering telephones she was assembling PEkits! Everyone at Parallax works hard to provide quality products, all the way down to the person answering the phone.

I was first taken to the "Purple Room", a conference room to meet with Ken Gracey. Like many shelves and desks throughout Parallax various Stamp, Propeller, and robot projects were on display on the sides of the room. There are so many variations of Boe-bot type robots throughout Parallax that I believe they out number employees 3-to-1. Creative juices really flow at Parallax. (Could it be something they serve in their kitchen?)

Ken then proceeded to give me the tour of Parallax. My first stop being the technical support department where I began to witness to the diversity of individuals that work at Parallax. The first cubical was covered with robots, electronics and reference materials. It looked like this individual has around 10 projects going on all of the time. A virtual toyland, with Parallax projects, gadgets, and proposed robots that just didn't make the grade everywhere, (and around 12 inches of desk space left to work.) I started looking for a cot, pondering that this might be a good place to spend a night. :) The second tech support cubical was extremely organized, with everything having a place, and everything in it's place. It's probably a good thing that they had hotel space for me, because I'm pretty sure the two cubicals would have matched by morning. I wonder if these two guys drive each other crazy from time to time.

The second leg of my tour took me through the Parallax machine room. Two very large mills, CNC machines occupy this room allowing Parallax to fabricate their own metal parts for their kits. When Parallax says "Made in America" they are not kidding. This investment has paid in many popular robots, wheel parts, and kits made onsite.

From the CNC room I was taken into the warehouse. Geek Heaven. Shelves and racks containing boxes of everything Parallax sells. Another surprise was just how open everything was. When I questioned Ken about security he replied with "Parallax has zero employee theft." When someone at Parallax wants to work on project or needs parts all they need to do is walk back and get what they want. The only requirement is that they list the item on an inventory paper with their name. This pays back with extremely product knowledgeable employees that are both happy with technology access, and perfect year-end inventory counts. Other technology companies could really learn from this. (Are you listening?)

The warehouse is connected to the production room where BASIC STAMPS were being built in sheets, and cut. Parallax has their own Pick-n-Place machine and the hardware to produce all of their own products on site anytime they need to produce boards. Products like the Protoboard are made at their overseas Parallax location, allowing them to provide the product inexpensively, but it was pleasing to see that any board could be assembled at whim.
Their recent investment allows them compliance with lead-free production.

On the second day of my visit, I was invited to a Product Planning meeting where several new products were discussed. I can't reveal everything I witnessed there, but I can tell you that there are exciting products on the immediate horizon in robotics, and BASIC Stamp. There are some incredible hurtles that must be leaped to bring a product from idea to market, regulations, FCC certifications, and design coordination. The teamwork at Parallax really showed as I watched them tasking each part of the challenge around the room.

You may have heard the joke, "This business would be great if it weren't for the customers" from tired businessmen. As I wandered around Parallax I saw repeated instances of the Parallax forums being open. Messages were even reviewed in the Product Planning meeting. Parallax really pays attention to both what their customers are interested in, as well as what happens in the forums. (Several forum members have commented that perhaps they should start wearing a tie. You'll be the only one. Parallax employees don't wear ties. ) Several times I saw support people asking for ideas to help solve customer questions. Parallax isn't really about their products, they are about people. The customer really is number one at Parallax.

My trip ended with a trip to Chip Gracey's house where we talked for hours about all things technical until very early in the morning when just before I left to catch my flight home I was invited to see his private office where the Propeller II is being designed. (Wait until you see the number of colors in the next graphics demo!) At the rear of his office was the nicest sound system I've ever seen. Two very large speakers, a stack of audio processors, topped off with a turntable. I tried not to smirk, (after all I was a guest) but a record player??!!! I think Chip caught my look because he immediately offered to let me listen to it. Out of respect I said, "Sure, why not?" Chip put on a 78 from around 50 years ago, and I swear I thought I was actually in the same room with the performer!! The sound was incredible. He switched to something from the Moody Blues, and I found myself ruined for CDs for life! I had always thought that audio CDs where the top of sound quality. I'll never look at vinyl the same way again. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised from someone who creates such a high quality products.

I made it back to my hotel with an hour to spare to pack up and head back to land of corn and Smuckers jelly. After my bags were taken to be loaded on the plane, I suddenly realized that I had packed my anxiety meds in my suitcase and I'd have to find a better way to deal with my issues with air flight. As we started to hit some pretty severe turbulence coming back to winter storms. It occurred to me that the ride was identical to the subways in Chicago. I love the subways and make sure to ride them every time I go to Chicago or DC. I closed my eyes and truly enjoyed the ride.

I was invited to wander around and take pictures everywhere.
You will find them at: http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffledger/ParallaxPhotos#

Jeff/OBC

Upcoming Visit to Parallax

2009-01-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

I feel like Charlie from the story of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (The Gene Wilder version, not the recent poorly made remake). Thanks to the generosity of the Parallax folks, and a very sneaky spouse, I have the "golden ticket" to explore the halls of Parallax. I'll be making a complete report on this trip, and snapping plenty of pictures and video so that others can enjoy the experience through the lens of my camera. While I'm not a big fan of fligh t, I'm looking forward to sharing the experience in full reporter style next week.

Propeller and CP/M: A perfect match.

2009-01-10T12:39:00.001-08:00

Question: What does a Propeller chip have in common with this old machine?
Answer: They both can run Wordstar 4. (Well sort of)

I've been playing with a board called the N8VEM, a 6"x4" mini CP/M computer with a Z80 processor, powered by 5v. The N8VEM's output device is a standard serial port, this is where the Propeller chip comes in. I've been creating VT100 terminal software for the Propeller, translating all those old Vt100 codes into a window into the past.

Pictures of the project as it progresses can be found here. The Propeller PPDB board is compliments of Parallax, (Thank you Ken!) and the N8VEM board was compliments of James Moxham (Thank you James!)

This is a truely interesting project combining my love of Retrocomputing with modern microcontroller technology. Playing with CP/M 2.2, Wordstar, and BASIC-80 feels a little like being a technology archaeologist at a dig site.

Ubuntu

2008-10-29T19:24:00.001-07:00

I've been running Ubuntu on my laptop for several months. I've found very little that can't be done in the Ubuntu environment that I could do under Windows.
We've offered the option for Ubuntu installed systems from Orrtech, however to date no one has taken it as an option. It's funny that people are so afraid to leave Microsoft for something new. I consider myself a typical computer user looking for many of the same things that everyone else does when using a computer.

Here's a list of the things that I do on a daily basis that work perfectly in Ubuntu.

Surfing the web: I use a version of Firefox packaged with Ubuntu.
Works exactly like the one for Windows. All online videos at MTV,HULU, and Weatherchannel work perfectly. The Adblock plug-in also works nicely, blocking about 90% of the banner ads and flash ads. My email needs are met with Gmail.

Watching Videos and Music: I have Movieplayer, Mplayer, and Rhythmbox. These three programs seem to support every filetype which are common. AVI,WMV,MPeg,MP3, standard audio CD's and DVD movies. I've had nothing fail for lack of being unsupported.

Viewing PDFs: PDF's work just as they would in Windows. Difference is that I didn't have to install Adobe to make it work.

Viewing PowerPoints: Ubuntu comes with OpenOffice which supports Word, Excel, and Powerpoint formats with ease. Open Office is a high quality alternative to Microsoft Office which is ready to use once the program is installed.

Backup of DVDs: I don't let my young daughter have my original DVD movies, instead I make her copies which I don't worry about her losing or scratching. Under Windows, this required two expensive programs to accomplish this. In Unbuntu, I was able to install "Acidrip" from the Ubuntu library for free.

CD/DVD Burning:In Windows I would have to install Nero for a good CD/DVD burner. Ubuntu comes with two easy to use burning tools.

Microsoft Office: Open Office is a very nice alternative. However, like most others, I'm used to Microsoft programs for my publishing needs. I was able to use Codeweavers "Crossover" ($69) allowing me to run many Windows programs, including my Office2003, MSpaint, and Calc. Silly, but I can't live without my MSpaint.

Games: The Ubuntu add/remove library contains thousands of programs ready to install freely over the Internet, including hundreds of great games. Everything from card games to 3d shoot'ems. Neither of these interest me, but I enjoy playing games from older game systems. I've been able to install emulators which allow me to run SNES, NES, and Atari 2600 games perfectly on my computer. (Hey, I'm old school.)

I don't miss giving up 40MB+ memory and system resources for virus/spyware protection. (No longer required as most of them only work in Windows)

I've been able to run an entire Windows XP enviroment in a window using a product called VMbox. (free download) It does put a little strain on my dual-core laptop, but does work perfectly when there is something I can't do under Ubuntu, but honestly I haven't loaded that program in over a month.

My flash drive and USB devices all work perfectly. The OS itself is easy to navigate and a Windows user could understand it within 30 mins.

Come on in, the water is fine... Second thought.. Most of my business is cleaning and tuning up crashing Windows boxes.. Stay right where you are.. :)

Retro Challenge Prize Arrived.

2008-10-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Got a package in the mail from CAFEPRESS today. My Retro Challenge mousepad arrived, and will take it's position with my laptop stuff. I haven't managed the skateboard setup that I was shooting for, but apparently the judge thought that my Baseball bat for the C=64 was the hardware winner. I'm looking forward to participating in the 2009 Challenge as this was a good excuse to spend some time tinkering with the old hardware again.

Happenings

2008-10-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy the last month or so since the Propeller Expo, that I haven't had a chance to update the blog. This entry will share a little of what I'm into these days.

The Unofficial Propeller Expo 2008 was a huge success! I had a great time giving away tons of Propeller related goodies. The complete after expo report is posted on the Parallax homepage, and of course there are pictures as well. I'm planning to start putting together the 2009 Expo sometime in January.

Most of my Propeller hardware projects have been placed on hold while I work on a hardcopy edition of The Propeller Cookbook. Sadly I'm only able to commit four or five hours a week to this project, so it's slow going, but I've already got around 20 projects already entered with a projected release date of January 2009. Parallax has been extremely supportive of the project and I suspect they may even stock the book when it is released.

I finally got my laptop up and running and decided to take the plunge into Ubuntu Linux. After running this for the last couple months I'm extremely impressed with it for home use and offer it now as an option for my residential customers. It has all the software that most home users want and even includes some very impressive games.

Pre:Unofficial Propeller Expo 2008

2008-08-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't added to my blog in quite a while. I've been busy with work. (http://www.orrtech.net) It has been a very busy summer for spyware and I've removed my share of it this year. I've also spent the last six months preparing The Unofficial Propeller Expo 2008.

If you think I'm might be talking about aeronautics or deep sea fishing, read the other posts in this blog. In short, the Propeller is one of the most advanced microcontrollers on the market.

Around the end of last year I started to daydream about what it might be like to get 20-30 Propeller enthusiasts together in one place and spend a day comparing notes, eating pizza, and in general meeting one another in the flesh. Many Propeller users from around the world talk daily on the Parallax forums, so why not get together? Living in Ohio, I figured that we could pull a few people from some of the surrounding states and make a day of it.

The first thing I did look for a location. Sandusky, OH is about an hour or so from me and has a reputation for being a hot tourist area. They have several water parks, and of course Cedar Point. My evil plan was to provide the geeks a good way to convince wives and family members that making a trip to Ohio the weekend before school started was a good idea. The other side of my evil plan was the name of the Expo. Since Parallax is one of my favorite companies, I didn't want to upset them by creating something that appeared Parallax sanctioned without their permission. Many times I use the concept of "do something" and apologize later", instead of begging for permission. (This once got me into some interesting hot water with the school system in Florida, but that's another good story for later.) So with best of intention I dubbed this the "Unofficial Propeller Expo North East" or UPENE for short. Hey, if I could get 15 guys together for a good Saturday of soldering and Propellers why not??

One of the first things you need to understand about putting together any formal get together, outside of a barbecue in your back yard is the amount of work and energy required to get everything together. I'm writing this the day before the Expo, and I'll tell you that this has been a huge learning curve for me. Not to say it is not worth it! But be ready for about a dozen unexpected expenses as well as mental exhaustion.

Did I mention that this is the day before? Let me bring you up to speed on just where we stand for our little 15 person get together. First of all, Ken Gracey of Parallax found my post about this idea on his forums and announced that everyone who attends will receive around $100 in door prizes just for showing up! That doesn't include the big prizes for ticket drawings. A few days later he added an official guest from Parallax, as well as springing for lunch! Did I also mention that we now have around 75 people signed up for this little get together?

In addition to several very interesting demos lined up, it looks like we'll have a live video/audio feed from the Expo. (http://www.Ustream.tv) as well as a dozen other prizes to be given away as well. Oh, and there's another surprise, but I'm sworn to secrecy on that one.

So, it's around 20 hours until showtime in Norwalk, OH. My nerves are a mess, (in a good way) but it looks like it's going to be a serious geek party in Norwalk, OH.

See you at the Expo!
Jeff

The C=Bat

2008-07-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Everyones heard of the WiiMote, but I've taken the next step with my Parallax Propeller interface for the C64 and added an Accelerometer. I've attached the Accelerometer to the end of a $2.00 wiffle bat, and programmed the Propeller to trigger the fire button of the 64 based on the G-Force reading. (See the monitor on the top of the TV in the video where I'm monitoring the Accelerometer input.)
My son and I are playing "Street Sports Baseball" a great game for the Commodore 64.
yes, I know I misspelled Commodore in the end of the video..
Moviemaker crashed twice while putting it together.

Nintendo Controller on a 64

2008-07-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I've been preaching the gospel of Propeller the last two years at the Cinn. Commodore Expo and while the expo itself sort of crept on me before I could get this project done, I've put my "money where my mouth is" and got a project using the Propeller Microcontroller as an accessory to the Commodore 64. Pictured is a Propeller Protoboard with a couple interfaces. The interface to the right is a simple NES controller connection tied directly to the IO lines of the Propeller chip. The interface to the left is a simple NPN transistor circuit connected to an additional 5 pins, and has a Atari joystick plug on the output. Currently the Propeller is programmed with program to accept NES controls and pass them to the Atari port as joystick inputs. It works perfectly.

The Propeller has a reasonably large library of code which can be incorporated easily with this interface. NES, SNES, GAMECUBE, PSX, MOUSE, and N64 controllers. Want a Wiimote for your 64? There is even accelerometer code I plan to implement next! My entry for retrochallenge is to build a skateboard interface, allowing me to play "Skate or Die" on a real skateboard. Step one is complete.. It's a matter of mechanics and software now.

Robotics, first attempt:

2008-06-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

(Find the part of a Gateway computer in the pic.)
My servos arrived for my Hero1 project, but since I didn't have all of the parts yet, I thought I'd dive in and build a "BoeBot." Having never built anything mechanical that actually worked, I'm very pleased with the end result. It uses a Propeller Protboard, two continuous rotation servos, an SD card, and a PING sensor mounted on the front servo. It's runs a version of BASIC for programming from it's serial connection. I have to re-order more parts for my HERO project, as I can't bring myself to pull apart my first bot.
(Didn't find it? The plastic base and PING bracket were cut from the top of an old Gateway tower.)

Learning something new: Robotics

2008-05-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

It's time for another personal challenge, Robotics. I've never proclaimed myself to be a mechanical engineer, (or even play one on TV) Generally, if it has gears and mechanics, I tend to run for cover. It's time to stretch out again. I'm going to take a shot a the creation of a HERO 1 replica. The HERO was originally an expensive robot kit produced by Heathkit.
Like the portable Propeller, I set a target budget of $150.00. I'll be using a Propeller Protoboard to control all of the movement, take commands from a keypad, as well as the robot voice. It will be approx 1/4 scale of an actual HERO. I'm waiting for parts, but here's where the budget is right now.

Parallax Protoboard $20.00
Ping Sensor $29.00
2 Continuous Rotation Servos with wheels $34.00
1 Servo $freebie

I expect to be learning about plastic forming. More about that later.

Recycling Electronics with a heat gun

2008-05-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

[rant]One of the most distressing things to me about our society is the fact that we buy things expecting to throw them away. I'm talking about typical consumer electronics items; TV's, microwaves, computers, etc. My grandfather owned his television for years. If it broke down, a repairman was called. It would be fixed and put back into use. Thanks to Chinese manufacturing, we buy products, expecting two to three years at most. Rapid technology advances have made the problem worse and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that we've got a real problem with electronics disposal.[/rant]

That "rant" being said, I've found several good ways to be "green" in my electronics hobby, one of which is the Recycling of electronics components from broken/obsolete boards from everyday consumer electronics. Modern manufacturing uses "though-hole" or "surface mount" design, meaning that the parts are placed by robot, then the entire board goes through a solder bath to fix them in place. Heating the backside of the board will cause the reverse effect, parts falling easily into reusable condition.

I came across this article about this about six months ago. The procedure involves heating the board upside-down. Once the solder melts, the parts literally fall out of the board. The author of this article points out that "using a heat gun to de-solder parts is dangerous!" and mentions to make sure to do this in a well ventilated area. He appears to be doing this inside, which raises some concerns about fumes. Solder is around 40% lead, and a quick Wiki search on the effects of lead poisoning is scary. Heating boards like this will cause some dangerous fumes.

My own success with this has two added safety precautions, doing this outside, (sunny, breezy day) and the purchase of a respirator designed specifically to filter (among other things) lead dust and lead fumes. This safety item was an investment, (around $50) but you've got to ask yourself, "how much are your lungs worth?" Between the purchase of the respirator, and the heatgun, I'm up to around $75, and that would have bought a decent box of electronics, but also being in the PC repair business, I wind up with many dead motherboards, modems, video cards, which I have subjected to the process to collect connectors, relays, crystals, caps, and various SMD parts, so it hasn't taken me long to fill my parts cabinet with plenty of pieces for experiments. In fact I've created a website just for purpose of trading parts with others. Anyone need a few 3300uf caps or 14.318mhz crystals... I've got tons of them.

Modern Homebrew Computing

2008-05-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

As a youngster I read the book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, by Steven Levy and have always longed to understand what it was like to be present at the moment of creation of machines like the Apple I, or the KIM. Sadly, being a "next-genner" I was born too late, and too far from places like Silicone Valley. I grew up with machines like the Commodore 64, and the Apple IIe, and certainly experienced the heyday of the 8bit computer, but wish I could have been a fly on the wall when Woz lit up his first microcomputer. The early home machines hold a very special place in my heart, and I have a reasonable collection of Commodore, Atari, Apple, and Sinclair machines stashed around my home and office. I still enjoy the simple days of computing, before spam, spyware, and viruses.

In the last year I've been playing with an incredible new device called the Propeller. The Propeller is an innovative micro controller, which is capable of eight simultaneous operations (8 cpu cores), and operates at speeds between 80-114mhz. With very little coaxing it can communicate with VGA and TV screens, PS2 keyboard/mouse, even save data on a piece of SD media. It has 32 I/O connections which have been interfaced with hundreds of devices. Several games, miniOS, and basic have been written for this chip.

It doesn't take an EE qualification to work with the minimal amount of electronics required to play with the Propeller. In fact, anyone with causal experience with a soldering iron can now realize the joy of building their own microcomputer. The technology has taken many leaps in the last year I've been involved with it, but there is so much more that it can do, and plenty of room for others to become addicted to the experience of seeing a microcomputer, designed with your own hands come to life.

Windows XP for the minimalist.

2008-04-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

Some of my retrocomputer use requires partnership with a more modern winboxen to facilitate internet access for internet BBS use, or software access for storage of multiple disk images. These "partner" machines are commonly castoff 400+ mhz boxes which are retro by their own right, heading for curbside service. I've stumbled across an XP install called "MicroXP". Unfortunately, due to it's questionable legal status, it has to be obtained via bit torrent, but consists of a minimal version of XP that installs very quickly and initally uses 36mb of ram at boot. While it's ability to be updated has been disabled, it is current with both Service Pack 2 as well as security updates to mid-2007. It is light weight and perfect for rescue and repurposing old machines heading for the landfill. Google "MicroXP v0.6b" for more details.

On a related exporation, I've been very impressed with Microsoft's Virtual PC software, but it seems that an Open Source project has stepped forward to do it one better with a product called VirtualBox. They both have the ability to load various operating systems within a VirtualPC window on your desktop, but comparing VirtualBox to Virtual PC, VirtualBox wins with both faster install (almost twice as fast) and does not max my Pentium 4 processor when the guest operating system is idle. My next test will be moving my Virtualbox drive image into Linux and seeing how well it performs there. Interestingly enough, basic XP usage was faster inside Virtualbox that it was in the host environment. That is until I started playing Youtube videos. :)

PETSCII

2008-04-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Being so busy with real life, running a small computer business, raising three children, and maintaining an interest in both retro computing and microprocessor technology leaves very little time for maintaining/updating a website. With that in mind, I've decided to incorporate some blog technology into this homepage at petscii.com. This should free me up to quickly post new information, projects, etc.

That being said, here's some links that you may find interesting..

Orrtech Computer Repair (my day job)
Petscii Forums (Retrocomputing forums)
Warranty Void (My electronics/microcontroller hobby site)