Re: Rosetta progress report

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43dc757c.725531859@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I use a separate oven dedicated to soldering and no longer have a wife
(gave
> up after 12, figured 13 would be unlucky).

"Science Projects" (as she calls anything with alligator clips, trailing
wires, odd smelling chemicals, etc) have to stay out of the kitchen and
laundry area.  That seems fair enough given that she's the one spending the
most time in those areas.   Oddly enough, I think the oven thermostat is
fried in our toaster oven so it might have to be retired. :-)  Not sure that
I want to get into board-heating soldering techniques, though.  I still have
lots more reading to do in that area.

> As I think I noted earlier, modifying the BX24-AHT firmware will come
after
> I finish roZetta and after I port the code to the ZX-24. To be clear about
> my priorities...
>
> 1. roZetta (which will use a ZX-24)
> 2. port BX-24 code to ZX-24 - can be used with existing BX24-AHT boards
> 3. update BX-24 code for existing BX24-AHT users
>
> I will include your escape mechanism in roZetta (#1) and will try to
> remember it for #2.

Great.  I'm grateful you considered doing anything at all with it.  Thanks
again, Dave!  Meanwhile, I am going to see if anyone at ADI thinks that
something that
speaks RF to the Ocelot is a good idea.  People seem to keep asking for it.

> #3 requires adding an external EEPROM to the BX-24 "chip" and a major
> rewrite of the code. I may not last that long. The existing firmware works
> well (Manual documents features) but uses all but about 10 bytes of the
> EEPROM. I have no plans to do anything with it until finishing 1 & 2.

Well then, live long and prosper!

> I think roZetta will probably suit your needs better than the *X24-AHT
> although it will require that you use a modified MR26A for RF input.

That's a piece of X-10 gear I *don't* have.  :-(  Any product that
*required* software produced by X-10 didn't interest me.  The picture looks
a little like the USB unit that ATI packages with their All-in-Wonder cards
with RF remotes.

> The main failing of the BX-24 (other than insufficient EEPROM) is that it
> only has only one software UART. While it can be reassigned to different
> pins, it can only use one pair of input/output buffers. This means that
only
> one of the three secondary serial ports can be full-duplex (almost full as
> it goes deaf when the UART is switched to the other pins). Since the CM11A
> keeps repeating its "data available" poll until there's a response,
nothing
> is lost during the brief excursions of the UART to other pins but it
limits
> the usefulness of the other ports to tasks where the attached devices can
be
> polled. The ZX-24 makes about 10K of EEPROM available and has 4
full-duplex
> interrupt driven software UARTs.

More I/O and memory is always better!

>(And the developer of the ZX-24 is far more
> open to suggested improvements than was Jack Schoof who developed the
> BX-24.) I still have some work to do to adapt the code to the ZX-24 chip.
> When I get it adapted I plan to publish it as an Application Note on the
> ZBasic site. Anyone who wants can take a stab at modifying it for their
own
> purposes whether benign or nefarious.

It's good that you're collaborating.

> The problem roZetta has regarding collisions is totally different from any
> associated with the RR501. The RR501 sees the powerline in realtime while
> anything listening to a TW523 only sees it on a delayed (and part-time)
> basis.

Oh well, it sounded similar to my tin ear.  Does the TW523 use some sort of
comparator to check the what it hears on the powerline to a command stored
in its buffer?

> I had just recently shut down my web page so I wouldn't have to update and
> maintain it. I'm afraid roZetta will require a web page to explain its
care
> and feeding so I'll try to get that setup while I'm waiting for the 2414S
> and UPB gear that Bruce is loaning me.

You're an old war dog, Dave, and all the commotion with all these new
protocols was too much for you to ignore.  I think it's great!  Once more
into the breach, dear friends, once more!

> I've also designed a board that uses the ZX-40 (and optionally can use the
> xPort) that more or less duplicates the basic concept of the *X24-AHT but
> with more EEPROM and more I/O pins (8 ADC, 6 DIO). It was while designing
it
> that I realized it would (with some changes) make an excellent universal
> translator which led to roZetta. roZetta uses the ZX-24 because it was
> easier to make a plug-n-play version using it and because roZetta doesn't
> directly interface with an RF receiver.

I hadn't realized that.

--
Bobby G.