gEDA-user: Re: Single board computer

[Karel Kulhavy <clock@twibright.com>]

If you want pretty-printed partlist, here is my program bom.c that makes it
for Ronja:

http://ronja.twibright.com/schematics/bom.c

And here is the Makefile that calls it:

http://ronja.twibright.com/schematics/bom.c

The Makefile is set up that it generates also online pictures from the
schematics, PCB etc. You can suck out all the sources from the Ronja website
except .php code (they are interpreted by the webserver instead).

If you want the entire cvs tree to be able to reuse some tools from Ronja,
tell me, I'll send as a .tar.gz.

Cl<

On Tue, Oct 12, 2004 at 10:05:23PM -0500, Darrell Harmon wrote:
> Karel Kulhavy wrote:
> 
> >Hello
> >
> >I am Clock of the Ronja project
> >http://ronja.twibright.com
> >I am using gschem and PCB on Ronja project too.
> >
> >I would like to ask why did you make the SBC? For someone, or for
> >your own use, or just for fun and experiments?
> >
> >There are problems with the schematics. For example the dp83846A.sym
> >is lacking the device= attribute and the attribute is omitted in the 
> >schematic
> >too.
> >
> >Are you planning to fix these problems and/or publish a complete guide how
> >to build the device, including partlists, soldering instructions, where to
> >get the parts etc. in the style of Ronja project?
> >
> >What software setup were you using to program the XILINX and what does the
> >XILINX do in the computer?
> >
> >Are you planning to publish some instructions how to load and boot Linux 
> >into
> >the device?
> >
> >Is it necessary to have proprietary programs (Windows, some Xilinx 
> >programs)
> >to program the XILINX inside and/or Linux into the device?
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Cl<
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >
> I have just build this for the fun of it.  The it intended as a genral 
> purpose embedded computer.  It is designed wiht the intent of data 
> acquisition and control work.  Two things I plan to do with it include 
> software defined radio and  digital scope via addon cards.  The 
> schematics have not been updated since I ordered the board.  Yes, I have 
> been intending to update the schematics.  Most of what is missing was 
> drawn in as I built it.  I just have not had a chance to do it.  I have 
> all the invoices stapled together and creating a partslist should be 
> easy.  Everything but the SDRAMs, FPGA and NAND flash come from 
> Digikey.   I just need to clean up the source and release a tarball of 
> the bootloader, and a kernel patch.  I am not quite done with the kernel 
> patch. 
> 
> The FPGA is not used for anything on the board.  I just included it to 
> make interfacing high speed ADC's and DACs easier.  It can be left of 
> for a significant cost savings.  I dislike having to run proprietary 
> software, but there are no alternatives to program a FPGA.  I use Xilinx 
> ISE webpack.  Xilinx only charges for the CD itself $5.  It is supposed 
> to run on windows, but it works under wine with it set to emulate 
> win2k.  For simulation I use Icarus Verilog.
> 
> Loading up linux is easy with the AT91RM9200.  It has a mask ROM 
> containing a boot uploader.  This allows  16kB of data to be uploaded 
> and run. A jumper selects if this data comes from the serial port or the 
> serial data flash.  Simply jumpering it to the serial allows the 
> firmware to be loaded.  The firmware then allows the flash to be 
> programmed with itself and a kernel.  You will get a better idea how it 
> works when I release the source.
> 
> I like the Ronja project and how well it is documented.  I hope to 
> achieve this level of documentation on my SBC.  It will be more 
> difficult as there are more parts, and I dont have much time to spare 
> (getting EE degree).  Let me know if you have any more questions or 
> suggestions.  The SBC is much a work in progress.
> 
> Darrell Harmon