Re: gEDA-user: Re: Single board computer

[Ales Hvezda <ahvezda@moria.seul.org>]

For those of you wonder what this is all about, check out:

http://www.dlharmon.com/sbc.html


>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
>