The Figgipad keyboard interface Available, register you interest here.

[carl]

Oleg and I have been working to make available a DIY keyboard interface, to enable the use of a PS/2 keyboard.

There are full instructions and a method on how to do this here

https://sites.google.com/site/figgipad/home

There is also an option to but a Kit that will compliment the site, it covers Stripboard and Protoboard constructions ( this will go up in time) also the RevD mod will be published , I am also considering a 'chip only option' both Me and Fig8r will add to the site and keep all wikis updated re firmware changes etc.

But I need to know how many people would be initially interested so I can get the parts in.

Please visit the site then come back and comment here in this thread, I will answer your questions.

[Allan Matthews]

I would be interested in purchasing a kit, however only bought my fignition last Saturday and it's still still in its Jiffy bag 

Assuming that I don't have a disaster building it, I would definitely buy one.

Sent from my iPad

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[STEPHEN STUTTARD]

Carl, would be interested in the kit for ease of finding the bits and also would save much gnashing of teeth at Maplins as the only seem to stock the odd items when i want something.

Will be great to have a good keyboard interface running.

---

From: Allan Matthews <alma...@googlemail.com>
To: "fign...@googlegroups.com" <fign...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, 28 February 2013, 16:01
Subject: Re: The Figgipad keyboard interface Available, register you interest here.

[Bob]

Yes, the kit option would be nice.
Thanks

[Pascal COURTOIS]

Hi,

I would be interested by one kit. What about shipment (low) cost for France ?

Regards.

2013/2/28 carl <carl.a...@gmail.com>

[Gethyn Owen]

Yes, I would be interested in one kit, possibly two.

[JESSON SEAN]

Hi Carl,

This looks interesting. Thanks for your efforts in producing and sharing the information. Please count me in for a kit.

My only question is why you have decided not to include some stripboard in the kit. Is this to keep the postage down or is it to let people make their own choice between stripboard and protoboard?

Cheers,

Sean

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi Sean,

Well possibly, but of course he could buy the right amount of
stripboard and protoboard basd on orders and still supply it - he'd
have to cut it though.

-cheers from julz

--

The DIY 8-bit computer from nichemachines™

[James Grimwood]

I've just been reading the website, the photos and explanation look quite straight forward - certainly easier than raking through a selection of emails.

I really need to finish unpacking the house (we moved last week) and sort out an electronics bench for fiddling with this kind of thing.

--
iOS Games - http://ncot.piku.org.uk | Programming Blog - http://error-success.piku.org.uk | Photos - http://photography.piku.org.uk

[Jonathan Lake-Thomas]

I would be interested in the Keyboard interface kit.

Cheers,

Jon

[Romilly Cocking]

I'd be interested in the keyboard kit.

Cheers,  Romilly

--
http://quick2wire.com safe, simple connection to your Raspberry Pi

[carl]

Well, I have been away for an hour and a half and over ten responses! so Its a goer! great stuff.

I have just placed an order for more PS/2 sockets so when I get them (they are the slowest part) I will take orders and ship out the first 15

re inclusion of strip board.

I hope to include it in the kit- I have allowed for it but if anything disastrous happens in my costings- it would be omitted for the sake of the price point.

But it looks certain that I will include it, Protoboard may have to be self-sourced although I will post the method I did mine on the site, I can't afford to have two types of board hanging about.

Shipping.

Provided the Packet is light- air mail small packets the cost should be £3 extra in a jiffy bag to EU outside EU slightly more and £3.70 to the Americas and Australasia. But signed for will be significantly more.

In the uk- it should go Large letter but I think recorded / signed for might be sensible.

I will keep updating you all as to when I have the assemblies to ship, then I guess it will be first come basis, but the second batch would not be far behind.

I will give the definitive price for the first batch soon also.

Carl.

[Neo]

Hi,

I would like to register my interest in a kit too.

Many thanks

Neo

On Thursday, 28 February 2013 15:53:22 UTC, carl wrote:

[Gregory Carlson]

I agree, a kit option is a good way to go.  I've built using Arduino board, but it's bulky.  A kit like that shown is much cleaner.  I'd by a kit, protoboard type.

[Michael Wills & Daniela Kaelble]

Hi,

 

we have 2 Fignitions here and I think they would see a lot more use with ps/2  (recently made an interface for my Tangerine Microtan computer which made it much easier to use as parallel ascii keyboards are hard to get now!)  So yes please, can we register interest?

 

Michael (and my son Max)

 

[carl]

Rev D owners are now able to hook the interface up!

I have just added it to the site.

https://sites.google.com/site/figgipad/revd-mod

I will be able to offer Figgi Zak - the stripboard Kit and also Figgi Jakob - the protoboard kit.

The First batch will also have four self adhesive rubber feet.

I am just awaiting the PS/2 sockets and some headers. Everything else is ready to go!

Regards, 

Carl.

[Steve Smith]

Hi Carl,

Can you send me an e-mail so I can run the Eagle layout by you please? st...@projectavr.com

Cheers - Great project by the way!

Steve

[Retrophile]

As a Rev D owner I would be looking to go my own way with a stripboard add on design that included the sound mod etc. I would also need to upgrade my firmware so presumably programming a Figgypad chip could be done at the same time. However I am lazy enough that I would be a lot happier with a pre programmed chip and would also be interested in a reasonably priced kit of parts that saved me the trouble of sourcing them myself.

I am therefore interested in your proposed Figgypad kit and look forward to confirmed price and ordering details.

Thanks for your effort in putting this together and for sharing it with us.

[carl]

Including the audio mod onto the spare space on the protoboard would be good for a revD , the rca plug could fit on there somewhere, I am sure.

thanks for all of the encouraging words.

[carl]

The Kit is now available,

There are two types,

 Figgi Zak - with stripboard

 Figgi Jakob - with protoboard

the Price both either of these kits is £12.99 each plus shipping.

UK signed for  £1.85* extra

EU and Europe Air mail small packets £2.80*

Row Air mail small packets £3.40 (* based on sending one kit)

all overseas can have the item tracked, you will get a quote before you pay.

I am taking the orders in the following way.....

visit the website

https://sites.google.com/site/figgipad/get-a-kit

there you can obtain my contact address, mail me with your requirement 1, what type 2, Quantity 3, your location with shipping preference i.e signed for or not signed for.

I will respond  as soon as I can with a quote including postage and my paypal details.

When I receive your payment I will confirm the order then follow up with confirmation of dispatch too.

If you have any more questions, please contact me.

Carl.

On Thursday, 28 February 2013 15:53:22 UTC, carl wrote:

[Pascal COURTOIS]

Hi,

Please :

2 x Figgi Zak - with stripboard  

not signed  shipment to

Pascal COURTOIS

Résidence COLMAR

4, rue F. DELMAS

17000 LA ROCHELLE

FRANCE

2*(12.99 + 2.80)= 31.58 £ ( or should it be 25.98 + 2.80 = 26.78 £  ? ) 

Best regards.

Pascal COURTOIS

2013/3/5 carl <carl.a...@gmail.com>

[carl]

There is also a PCB under development, the kit parts would transfer to the pcb when it becomes available.

I am not in the position to take orders for a PCB at present however.

[carl]

Thank you all for your interest so far, I have 50% of the stock remaining of this 1st batch. 

please visit the site https://sites.google.com/site/figgipad/get-a-kit  or figgipad.com for extra support ( thanks Steve! )

for more details.

Carl

[Micky]

This is what I say. A pc without keyboard is not a pc. The interest from the people gives me right.


Micky.

[Mark Wills]

Its not a pc. It's a single-board hobbyist kit.

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi mark - well it's a 'personal computer' in the ZX81 sense ;-)

And all i have to do is write an 8088 emulator in FIGgy Forth & I'll fully qualify ;-) (oh and a few other negligible trad pc hardware emulations ) performance will.... lack i admit ;-)

-cheers julz

[Micky]

Not a pc? A 8 bit computer is a pc too.


Micky

[Julian Skidmore]

Yay Micky! Right on the button :-)

-cheers julz

[Mark Wills]

I know what you mean, but to all intents and purposes, the nomenclature "PC" these days refers to an x86 based machine. The Figgy is a very different beast.

 

The Figgy needs a serial port. I've said it before and I'll say it again! The world opens up real fast once the figgy has a serial port.

 

If it had a serial port, I (personally) would:

 

* Keep the keypad - these would become general purpose keys for an application to use

* Remove all "chording" code from ROM - no longer necessary (imagine what you could fit into that space!)

* Simply have the FIG behave like a terminal; the FIG would be programmed using a PC/laptop/anything with a serial port (e.g. my trusty old Psion Series 5mx)

* The PC becomes a useful place to store source code.

* To program the FIG with source, just upload source to it in text format - the figgy compiles it line by line as it comes in, as nature intended.

* Once the application is running, the serial port becomes a general purpose port, so you could connect all manner of funky things to it; modems (hmmm...) serial to bluetooth converters, LCD displays, scrolling LED displays, the world is your kitchen!

 

An interesting concept is that, when the FIG is connected to a PC via the serial port (and the PC is running some terminal emulation software) then the FIG has two screens to play with - its own screen, and the screen hosted on the PC. With some simple colon-definitions one could manipulate the VT100/VT52/whatever screen on the host, thus making colour (textual) screens possible, cursor manipulation etc etc.

 

It would be a nice idea to make EMIT and KEY vectored (if they're not already); one could then easily switch between reading/writing to the FIG screen, or terminal screen, or the FIG keyboard and terminal keyboard. That would be very nice!

[Romilly Cocking]

+1

[James Grimwood]

That'd just turn the Fignition back into an Arduino with a bit more 'memory'. LCDs and flashing LEDs is what you do with an Arduino ;-)

What it sounds like we need is the equivalent of the old 8-bit computers' "expansion port" like the one the speccy had. Plug devices into it - like keyboards and serial ports (with the ability to daisy-chain them) but also have ROMs connected that way so you could provide "alternate" firmware for the fignition to load in.

On 12 March 2013 07:46, Mark Wills <markwi...@gmail.com> wrote:

--

[Mark Wills]

"I'd buy that for a dollar!"

[Micky]

What did you buy?


Micky

[David]

There aren't enough pins for an expansion port, and what did people do with an expansion port anyway? They added circuits to get data in and out of the computer. The Fignition must have enough pins for a serial port, then one could get data in and out and you could even send that data to an Harduino to drive LCDs and flash LEDs. IIC is no substitute for a serial port, there is too much overhead unless you are talking to specific IIC chips. Adding a serial port would expand  the Fignition from a simple games machine to a computer. With a serial port and redirection you could drive it from any terminal screen as well as the inbuilt kbd. More importantly it would allow the Fignition to run programs, load new screens, process data, output data to other circuitry and do things other than just drawing on a TV screen. At the moment besides practicing a bit of Forth and/or painstakingly loading new screens what can you really do with a Fignition? I'd like it to be a high level command processor reading and writing text to screens and then executing those screens and sending data to Ucontrollers which would twiddle bits and get the job done, all the while listening out for even higher level commands from a human or another computer. What other uC has a hope of doing that? They (all?) expect edit and compile on a PC and download code, and as for being able to write text and then execute it - heresy of heresies - not allowed. That idea along with C belongs in the grave. So - Jules - do the world a favour and put on a serial port, please.
David

[carl]

I like doing a little bit of forth, and I paste my data in via an arduino. The fignition is teaching me something new all the time. We wanted a keyboard, we got one. We want more? Lets make it. Time to stand on some giants shoulders.

[Julian Skidmore]

Interesting reply David. I see what you mean. Connection maketh the Computer.

Normally I define Fignition as a computer, because the machine is Turing-Complete as you receive it. That's not true for an MCU nor an MCU with a program dedicated to a task. Nor, is it true if the machine requires an external computer to program it. Thus a computer that's programmed via an external serial port would still count. Note, this means the AVR with FIGgy firmware isn't turing complete, but FIGnition as a whole is.

FIGnition's firmware does in fact contain a serial out routine. The big difficulty with serial in is that the video display will get in the way unless you implement cts on the FIGgy ( in text mode user code execution can take place  on every scan in the margins, but this still limits baud rates to 15625).

My current plans are still to get firmware to 1.0: Blitter + Nicer Compiler in 0.98 and Audio loader + Floats in 1.00. The Blitter can almost clip correctly now, the compiler changes are mostly there. The audio loader will involve overwriting the bootloader (indirectly, via another firmware image).

But I see your point about I/O.

-cheers Julz

On Mar 12, 2013 10:16 PM, "carl" <carl.a...@gmail.com> wrote:

I like doing a little bit of forth, and I paste my data in via an arduino. The fignition is teaching me something new all the time. We wanted a keyboard, we got one. We want more? Lets make it. Time to stand on some giants shoulders.

[carl]

Hi as an update- to this thread / conversation I now have a ready build option- but you will have to contact me with regards to lead times and postage costs etc.

when I can no longer keep with demand I will stop but you can alway get a kit instead.

anyway the details are here- with a picture of the ready built option as well as the other types of kit.

also out of curiosity who would be interested in a chip only price?

https://sites.google.com/site/figgipad/home