CBA Podcast

Not much diversity this time - just doing my best to get ready for Maker Faire Ruhr (Dortmund) on March 10-11. The idea is to bring 2 versions of my CPU-project: the old one (with emulated RAM/ROM on a laptop connected to it), and the new stand-alone one (with RAM/ROM onboard). About 2 weeks to get everything ready, so yeah.

Undoing hack (diode between Vcc and 74LVC06) on CPU's I/O-module:

New CPU-baseboard:

Links of mentioned items:

• Gigatron TTL microcomputer
• Hackalot hackerspace (Eindhoven, NL)
• HomeComputerMuseum (Helmond, NL)
• Qibec 1-bit 1-instruction transistor-CPU

It's been more than "approximately a week", but instead of keeping to a preset schedule, we choose to bring you only QUALITY CONTENT!

Just kidding. This time, I'll talk a bit about choosing shift-registers instead of a big fat MCU, hunting what may be latch-up in my logic-boards, simulating electronic (sub)circuits using SPICE or QUCS, a repair-session at retro-computing place in mid NL, and some non-tech hobby stuff.

• simulation using Qucs...
• ...or Ngspice (or any other SPICE incarnation/front-end)
• a short SPICE3 hacking primer I wrote a while ago (manually type subcircuits and run them through e.g. Ngspice)
• basic info on latch-up
• Maker Faire Ruhr (Dortmund) in March 2018

Another cohostless(tm) episode, talking about assembling and debugging a digital logic PCB using the Rigol DS1054Z's segmented memory ("waveform recording"), the need for an actual logic analyser, possible clipping of silkscreen layer when having PCBs made, DIY PCB-stencils using lasercut removable label-sheets, the Gigatron homebrew TTL-computer, and dual fail getting a LED-driver to work and actually making planned software.

• Rigol (DS)1000Z series scopes
• Gigatron TTL microcomputer
• RevSpace (Leidschendam, NL)

Qibec CPU's new multiplexer-board (now with fancy shiny LEDs):

DIY PCB-stencil with/without camera-flash, applied paste, and after soldering:

Clipped silkscreen (left/right = pre-rendering vs actual PCB):

This time, the whole CBA Podcast team talks about ongoing redesign for the Qibec CPU (preparation for Maker Faire Ruhr 2018), lasercutting lightpipes and bendable mesh-zones out of acrylic for doing tests, my Flashing Light Prize 2018 entry, the surprising (to me) AH276 Hall sensor / motor coil driver, and a not-too-productive gear-fixing session.

• Qibec 1-bit 1-instruction transistor-CPU
• Flashing Light Prize 2018
• ...and my entry for that
• AH276 datasheet
• ...and a small circuit I made with that
• one of the many Atari VCS AV output descriptions

Qibec's old (left) and new (right, still unpopulated) multiplexer I/O-boards:

Lasercut acrylic with mesh-pattern to make a bendable zone. (This one could do 45 degrees, and not much more...) I didn't actually come up with this pattern myself - just stole it off the Internet. :-)

We talk - again - about angle-grinders, PCB-layout failure because of hasty decisions, and lasercutting vs milling acrylic sheets, in no detail whatsoever.

Happy 2018! :-)

Holiday-chat about progress with my Maker Faire Dortmund project, experiments for a possible UV LED project, ideas for an interactive cassette-tape adventure-game, the Retro Challenge, and the Outline and X demo-parties in the Netherlands.

Another Remi/Han/solo episode this time, where I talk about a small success with iTunes podcast-registration, Maker Faire Dortmund / Ruhr (Germany) and my project for that, the great effort of mounting 4 power-resistors to a metal plate, cheap/fast PCB-manufacturing, and finally Piotr's Holiday Gift to me - an Arduino Nano and its bootloader.

This time, we (or rather I) talk about trouble registering this podcast with iTunes, past and upcoming Maker Faires around the Netherlands, EMF camp in the UK, a resistive 230 Vac load - for the last time, a DIY box to show/control slow digital signals, and an idea for an upcoming project consisting of several types of digital drivers/output in parallel.

We push the boundaries of lameness by having a solo-episode, where Michai talks about what he did this week, and Piotr is being emulated here and there by modern technology.

The aforementioned Commodore 64 adapter-cartridge reached mild failure, short mentioning of stumbling-blocks and reasons for making stuff at all, a bit more info about my DIY resistive 230 Vac load slowly getting ready, a report about fixing a C64, and recycling an old LED banner-board from a store I once worked in.

This exciting episode, we talk about Piotr's welding, angle-grinders, Michai's kettle-alarm and resistive test-load, and equipment that can catch fire.