Sample "baseboard"

[havok1919]

I had a couple hours free to either watch TV, or play with PCB layouts... I chose the latter.

Anyway, I did a little "gamer" version baseboard to go with the Stamp. (Which I think I'll rename as a "core", just so that nobody gets confused with any Parallax stuff.)

It's pretty small-- 2.23" x 3.3". There's the socket for the "core", S-video, composite video, Audio, power input, 'power' and reset buttons, a power LED, and then either NES or SNES ports (or both, I suppose).

Active circuitry wise there's the 'high quality' audio filter (which is jumperable to either 'no filter' or 'cheap filter' options), a "hardware" soft power switch (using a CD4027 and a rail-switch to toggle power to the regulator), and a 5V LDO regulator. The LED can either be tied directly to +5V, or be driven by PD4 on the AVR.

There's an ISP header on the board for convenience and four mounting holes for PCB standoffs or whatever.

I'm not going to order any until I see the SNES connectors in the multitap-- if they'll work I'll probably switch to them just to have something near term and I might stick a connector for the Playstation controller on as an option instead of the SNES (they'd occupy the same place on the PCB).



-Clay

[uze6666]

Very nice! I like the dual-joypad option. One question though, it's hard too see, but is there an extension header? I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hack UART, Ethernet and other stuff with this. A 2x10 header would be enough for most interesting pins and would not cost that more and take much space...side to the ISP maybe? Or just put traces+holes for someone to solder in a header if required?...what do you think? Anyhow, it's cool nonetheless. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

(Which I think I'll rename as a "core", just so that nobody gets confused with any Parallax stuff.)

I agree to the Uzebox CORE Module "appellation"... before we get sued!

Cheers,

Uze

[nubie]

As long as Intel can't sue you (It is ridiculous to come up with names anymore that aren't done a million times, Cell and Stick come to mind.)

base, center, cob, essence, focus, gist, guts, heart, hub, kernel, meat, middle, nodule, nub, nucleus, pith, root, staple, substance

Might I put forth Uzebox Staple? I do like the look of nub, hub, and nodule though, and this is just a list for the word "core".

I think UZEbox Guts sounds really cool, and it might attract kids


Looks good, it is almost too bad I am intent on a controller based TV game, or a handheld

(I don't know anything about trademarks or copyright, so just take it as a suggestion, we could go with something a little wackier, easier to throw out some options at an early stage )

[havok1919]

As long as Intel can't sue you (It is ridiculous to come up with names anymore that aren't done a million times, Cell and Stick come to mind.)

Hahah... Yeah, if Intel gets prickly then it's the "Kore" or it could be the St*mp or something. (There is/was an MP3/portable device chip from SigmaTel we used to use that was the "STMP3400". Everyone called it "Stimpy"-- like Ren & Stimpy. It was supposed to be the "SigmaTel MicroProcessor" or something.)

-Clay

[havok1919]

Very nice! I like the dual-joypad option. One question though, it's hard too see, but is there an extension header? I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to hack UART, Ethernet and other stuff with this. A 2x10 header would be enough for most interesting pins and would not cost that more and take much space...side to the ISP maybe? Or just put traces+holes for someone to solder in a header if required?...what do you think? Anyhow, it's cool nonetheless. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

So there's no expansion on this one (intentionally). It's the smallest/least frilly/cheapest one. (Basically "buy this if you want to program/play with software".) Then I'll knock out a bigger one that's more like "buy this if you want to program/play with software *AND* hardware". The bigger one can be full-on kitchen sink mode. Full sized SD card, expansion headers, USB->Serial adapter, DB9 serial, MIDI, Ethernet, prototyping area, etc.

I can try to stick down a little 2x10 on this board. I took some liberties with signal routing already (AKA, I didn't expect to need anything else on there, so routing to the joysticks chop up the vertical paths on both sides of the board), but I might be able to lash something up without too much hassle.

-Clay

[uze6666]

Then I'll knock out a bigger one that's more like "buy this if you want to program/play with software *AND* hardware"

I fully agree to you point...start with the simplest & cheapest. Its the idea of the whole project. But, hey, I sometimes get carried away too!

CORE - As long as Intel can't sue you

Eh, I didn't even think about that! Perhaps I shouldn't have wrote it in CAPS. More to be used a noun, not as a name. Anyway, trademark law allows to use the same name for different markets. Since I doubt anybody will confuse Intel CPUs with Uzebox , I think we're safe...

[CompMan]

Since I doubt anybody will confuse Intel CPUs with Uzebox

Maybe not confuse the Intel CPUs with Uzebox but use Intel CPUs for the Uzebox processor. How about a Quad Core Uzebox!!

Just kidding that is too much power.

Compman