Pi based MK14 VDU

[Realtime]

That’s great news. Looking forward to getting one. Have you settled on a v1 of the application software yet and how do you control things like switching to graphics mode?

[coolsnaz2]

Short video showing the Pi based MK14 VDU (PiView) in action, with an updated program on the M5Stick to send a menu to the PiView video Ram, and send programs into the MK14.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RI5K1KWh0

[SiriusHardware]

Looks great, you should open that up to a wider audience and allow comments, I think it would spawn a lot of interest. Interesting use of colour - yes, colour graphics for the MK14.

Are you taking that along to the Cambridge 'meet'? I'm not going to be there but it looks like several of the 'crew' will be.

[coolsnaz2]

SiriusHardware: Yes going to the Cambridge event on Sunday, hope to meet a few of the 'crew' for the first time. PiView will be in the back of my car, but not sure it will be possible to show.

I have also posted video on Facebook, I have opened YouTube up for comments, so far had 25 Views and 1 very important comment "Colours!"

[ChrisOddy]

I'll be there with a working MK14E and not quite working replica SOFTY 2 !

Chris

[SiriusHardware]

If you are lucky, Tim may have a real one there for you to compare it with.

[SiriusHardware]

coolsnaz2 - maybe you could add further comments of your own below the video explaining a little bit more about both the M5stick loader project and the PiView project, perhaps with links to your threads here about both projects so people can see how they developed / learn a bit more about them.

If you are a member of the Facebook MK14 group, maybe flag up your Youtube video there as well?

As you might remember I have here a 7132 dual port RAM which I intended to place between my Issue VI and my original SOC VDU, but never did. If you have any spare PiView PCBs available I'd quite like to buy one from you and have a go with a PiView myself.

From your comment in #22 I guess you have progressed to the stage where the Pi can not only read data from the video memory and render it to the screen, it can also parallel-write program code to the dual port memory from where it can either be run directly or copied into its 'legacy' location in the original MK14 before being run? Or maybe it doesn't do that yet.

[SiriusHardware]

Having re-watched your video I notice you say the Pi has a read-only connection to the dual port RAM so it isn't technically possible for the Pi to do parallel writes directly to the dual port RAM.

However your serial loading method is so fast that that hardly matters.

[coolsnaz2]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

coolsnaz2 - maybe you could add further comments of your own below the video explaining a little bit more about both the M5stick loader project and the PiView project, perhaps with links to your threads here about both projects so people can see how they developed / learn a bit more about them.

Description and comment added to YouTube video

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

If you are a member of the Facebook MK14 group, maybe flag up your Youtube video there as well?

I have posted details of MK14 PiView and YouTube video on the Facebook group "Science of Cambridge MK14 Microcomputer & NatSemi SC/MP"

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

As you might remember I have here a 7132 dual port RAM which I intended to place between my Issue VI and my original SOC VDU, but never did. If you have any spare PiView PCBs available I'd quite like to buy one from you and have a go with a PiView myself.

If you PM with your address I'll put one in the post.

I would like to develop PiView so that it can send the hex files via the PiView board directly to the MK14, still using the Fast Loader (SIN/Sense B). This would reduce the need for the Atom/M5Stick or another. This could make future developments for the MK14 a lot easier. Two GPIO pins are available on the board next to the Grove connector, see attached photo.

I have also tried a Pi Zero 2, could be a lot neater solution, but was only able to get 10FPS, see attached photo.

[SiriusHardware]

I do like the M5stick project (combined with your fast loader code in PROM) because it is a perfect portable solution for demoing the MK14 at computer meets, etc, since you don't need anything other than the MK14 and the M5stick.

Thanks for the offer of a PCB, I will PM you about that this evening.

I was going to ask about the performance level with various types of Pi, it sounds as though the zero would be OK for stuff which doesn't need a high frame rate, like a slideshow of images.

Which Pi is it that you developed this with, Pi 3? Pi 4 maybe? I don't have a Pi 5 yet - to be honest I may not buy one unless I see a specific need (I have every other Pi except for the Pi 400, with integrated keyboard).

[SiriusHardware]

I've just gone back to your Youtube video again and the links you've posted in your main comment under the video don't seem to work for me, although that could be due to our locked - down I.T. here at work. Anyone else having that problem?

[coolsnaz2]

To make external links clickable, I needed to complete a one-off verification, which can take up to 24 Hours.

[SiriusHardware]

Ah, that explains it.

[Phil__G]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

If you are a member of the Facebook MK14 group, maybe flag up your Youtube video there as well?

I know you dont do FB G but just to allay any FOMO, of the 89 members only a handful are active, early days but its mostly observers, development wise theres nothing that you havent seen here. UK VRRR forum remains the centre of the SC/MP universe
This thread alone has had 1600 views so any projects or discoveries are far more visible here - Slothies 'Mk14 schematic revisions' for example has 81,000 views.
The other thing is that FB by its nature is fly-by-night, we as enthusiasts rely on archived posts which are easy to find on the forum but after a month are buried without trace on FB.
I've been promoting the UK VRRR forum whenever its appropriate, I wonder if any new members have arrived here, having found out about UKVRRR via the SC/MP FB group?

[SiriusHardware]

No, I feel quite assured that if anything interesting came up on there it (or at least news of 'it') would soon find its way here.

I notice the links in Ian's main comment under his video have now gone 'live' (they can be clicked on).

[Realtime]

Originally Posted by coolsnaz2

Short video showing the Pi based MK14 VDU (PiView) in action, with an updated program on the M5Stick to send a menu to the PiView video Ram, and send programs into the MK14.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RI5K1KWh0

Great video. My PiView is up and running - worked first time. The programs look amazing in colour.