Foal of un1b0x

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uze6666
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by uze6666 »

Hey Dan,

Wow, you spent a of effort on your Uzebox there! What is your programmer brand/model? I never used Avrdude but if you have a programmer that is compatible with an AVRISP MKII like this one on ali express, you can use Atmel's Studio or the atprogram.exe command line tool to program everything in a way that I know the reliability.
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danboid
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by danboid »

Hi Uze

I am a stickler for documentation so I've been doing the rounds on here ponting out all the missing bits of info us total beginners might need that you may not think about. I think its pretty funny how I've seen several posts on here after someone has done a full Uzebox redesign, built and tested it yet only wrote a few lines about it and maybe posted a couple of photos. I'm the total opposite! I'm about a third of the way through and several threads in.

I've just resumed work on my Combat remake. I got half of it done so it'd be a shame not to finish it now, at least recreating the first Combat Tanks levels properly. When I've got that finished I'll definitely want a physical UB to test it on.

I've not made any progress on building my Uzebox. I know I'm going to struggle to solder the AD7XX into place properly. I'll have to get someone else to do that because its definitely beyond my ability but I'm open to hearing any tips or recommendations for getting it attached. The Uzebox construction guides starts with this already attached to the PCB and doesn't offer any advice for those having to attach it themselves. I've glued the AD chip into place and the legs seem to line up but they're not soldered yet.

I have got 2 programmers and one is the official AVRISP MKII that does work with Atmel Studio. I did manage to successfully write the bootloader to my MCU once but only once. A fluke? I'm amazed it worked at all. I don't hear any sound out of the audio jack so its not OK.

It would seem the Uzebox github repo is no longer maintained. It no longer builds under Linux unless you adjust the Makefiles. Do you have write access to it?
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danboid
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by danboid »

Seeing as soldering the AD725 has scared me off trying to build a regular Uzebox, I think I might be better off doing this:


http://uzebox.org/wiki/index.php?title= ... _Interface

My first failed attempt at building a Uzebox was a EUzebox but I think what is being suggested at the 'Uzebox for SCART' wiki page is closer to the reference Uzebox so I can probably use a regular Uzebox PCB. unlike the EUzebox, right? I want the UB to connect to my UK Sony WEGA TV via SCART cable.
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Kerby
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by Kerby »

Hello!
I made my first version of the UB on a regular breadboard and connected it to the TV via SCART, it worked fine))
There is nothing complicated, you need not be afraid of experiments!
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danboid
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by danboid »

Last night I finally found the courage to have another look at my long time WIP UB. The good news is that the ISP programming header does seem to work with Atmel/ MCU studio and it lets me flash the bootloader OK but I'm not hearing any sound being played from the UB's audio output when I plug in the power. I have tried connecting it to both a Sony TV with aux input and a Sony hifi amp separate with a known working cable.

Am I right in thinking that Bootloader5.hex makes a noise when it boots or should we try flashing something else?

The process of programming the bootloader onto the MCU isn't clearly documented on the website, wiki or the docs. Programming the MCU isn't covered at all in the UB assembly guide PDF and the AVR programming page on the UB wiki :

https://uzebox.org/wiki/AVR_Programming

That wiki page only gives some background technical details but no real instructions on how to program the bootloader to the MCU so the user has to go hunt on this forum for some instructions on a key step of creating a Uzebox? There is an AVRdude page on the wiki:

https://uzebox.org/wiki/Avrdude

but that kinda presumes the user knows to look for "AVR flashing" on the wiki. The least we can do is link to the AVRdude page from the AVR programming page with a short description of what avrdude is.

I know the official Windows Atmel SDK is a pain to install but I thought there might also be a guide for using that to do the chip programming or is avrdude the recommended way to flash the bootloader?

Does it make any difference if you flash the .elf instead of the .hex bootloader? Why do we have the two output?

These questions should be answered in the assembly guide pdf ideally.

EDIT

I just had another look at https://uzebox.org/wiki/Avrdude and it seems that that doesn't actually have an example of the command you would use to flash the bootloader onto the MCU via ISP either, so you would have to search the forums or the internet.

EDIT 2

No the bootloader doesn't make a noise it seems - I just tested it under cuzebox. Arkanoid will do for a sound test rom. I've left my UB at my friends house but will try it again with arkanoid this weekend.
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by Artcfox »

A while back I typed up instructions for flashing the new bootloader onto the Uzebox, and Uzebox DTV:
https://uzebox.org/forums/viewtopic.php ... 391#p32639

You definitely want to flash the .hex file.
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danboid
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by danboid »

Thanks Artcfox

I'll transfer your instructions onto the wiki so its easier to find.
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by danboid »

SUCCESS!

Today I managed to get avrdude working properly to flash my Uzebox for the first time! I flashed Arkanoid and booted my Uzebox plugged into a hifi amp and heard those sweet victory tones of a successfully running Arkanoid! It was a great triumph after months of thinking I was most likely going to have to order some new PCBs and start over.

To celebrate, I have edited Artcfox's instructions for flashing a Uzebox under Linux using avrdude and added it to the avrdude wiki page:

https://uzebox.org/wiki/Avrdude

I should hopefully be able to finish building my Uzebox in the next few days, then I want to 3D print the official case for it.

I wonder how many people have printed the official Uzebox case? I expect we'll never know.
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by Artcfox »

Nice!

There is a thread here about the 3D printed cases. I had mine printed at Shapeways before I got a 3D printer. Make sure you print the bottom that has the ISP port so you can reflash the bootloader easily without opening the case.

If you are going to print out all the parts yourself, you can get a much higher quality emblem if you print my version in the orientation I provide with built in supports, and a cooling tower. It even turned out much better than the one from Shapeways: https://www.printables.com/model/231910 ... ayer-lines

If you print that, be sure to read my notes on removing the custom supports. I broke a couple emblems experimenting with different ways of removing them. One of the pics in that gallery is a comparison of the quality of it printed flat (concentric rings all over the place) and it printed upright with the cooling tower after some light sanding and polishing.
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Re: Foal of un1b0x

Post by danboid »

I 'finished' making my Uzebox last night. Turns out I didn't have the correct SD card adapter so I need to find and order one of those first before I can claim to have a complete Uzebox.

My first test via composite to a PAL Sony Wega (KLV-26HG2) TV was unsuccessful. Sound works but the composite output doesn't. This TV also has svideo input but I haven't tried with a svideo cable yet because it seems I don't have one any more. It seems this TV should support NTSC from what I read online.
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