Raspberry Pi $25 ARM computer

[Scottinnh]

Has anyone been following the Raspberri Pi?
http://www.raspberrypi.org/ , http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/0 ... Foundation


At $25, could this be molded into some kind of internal helper hardware for the ST? It has Ethernet and USB.. might it be possible to use the whole Raspberry as a Ethernet to SLIP adapter? (or whatever interface makes sense). I'm actually not sure how this board helps Atari, but my gut instinct says this board is SO cheap it might be useful in some capacity.

Or maybe not.

[alexh]

Oooh. Interesting. Thanks for the heads up.

At $35 it's not _really_ cheap though is it? A budget Freeview set-top-box retails (with case and packaging) for less and contains the same thing. The main SoC is a BCM2835 which is probably only $3 each.

Yes, it has a UART so you will be able to use the $35 Model B as a Ethernet SLIP adapter.

The big problem is that it is not easy to get parallel data between the Atari and the Broadcom BCM2835. It has 16 GPIO but you will need additional chips to convert the voltage levels between the Atari's 5v and the Raspberry's 3.3v.

http://elinux.org/RaspberryPiBoard

All said though... it will be a very reasonably priced HTPC for media playback. I doubt XBMC will run on it but hey. I'll probably get one.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/?p=106

[alexh]

BuZz of Exotica has pointed out to me that one of the co-developers of Raspberry Pi is David Braben, founder of Frontier developments and co-author of the space trading game Elite. His goal being to try to return computing back to the roots of the Acorn BBC days. Interesting no?

[nativ]

Hi,

The BBC used a similar memory construction to the ST from what i've read.

if there's a board that could be used like a PCSpeed and plug into the ST's expansion port? I'd love to know about it!

[alexh]

???

[Scottinnh]

???

If you were replying to nativ unsure what he meant, it seemed to me he was wondering if this raspberry computer could act as a 'hardware accelerator' for one of the DOS emulators which were offered for the Atari (PC Speed, PC Ditto, etc).

[Scottinnh]

Oooh. Interesting. Thanks for the heads up.

At $35 it's not _really_ cheap though is it? A budget Freeview set-top-box retails (with case and packaging) for less and contains the same thing. The main SoC is a BCM2835 which is probably only $3 each.

Yes, it has a UART so you will be able to use the $35 Model B as a Ethernet SLIP adapter.

The big problem is that it is not easy to get parallel data between the Atari and the Broadcom BCM2835. It has 16 GPIO but you will need additional chips to convert the voltage levels between the Atari's 5v and the Raspberry's 3.3v.

http://elinux.org/RaspberryPiBoard

All said though... it will be a very reasonably priced HTPC for media playback. I doubt XBMC will run on it but hey. I'll probably get one.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/?p=106

Getting 5v and 3v devices talking to each other seems like one of the easiest "intermediate level" tasks, I think.

There's a boatload of tutorials/howtos for this, including ones for specific hardware I own (Arduino -> SerialIP --> WRT54G/openwrt as access point). Looks like I can get the 232MAX chips as free TI samples, also. Sparkfun has level converter boards ready to go. Costwise it doesn't seem any different than buying a Netusbee, and there might be potential benefits not considered (the only one I could think of now is silly.. if using the ST to browse the web, the Raspberry could perform DNS and content caching.. but this is not a very good sales point <grin>).


Actually, this board could be really useful for the 8-bit crowd also... SIO2PC I think. The cable becomes a dongle...

[nativ]

???

If you were replying to nativ unsure what he meant, it seemed to me he was wondering if this raspberry computer could act as a 'hardware accelerator' for one of the DOS emulators which were offered for the Atari (PC Speed, PC Ditto, etc).

Yep!

that was about the sum of it!

essentially taking a raspberry pi and installing it as you would do with a PCspeed type board and being able to interface with it from the ST side? I don't know as I have never seen one! I have however seen windows running on an acorn back in the day. . .

if you know of any links to 'how to build a pcspeed type board' please let me know!

[alexh]

Which interface did it plug into? Cartridge port?

[nativ]

Which interface did it plug into? Cartridge port?

Not as far as I am aware? I am led to believe there's an expansion facility on the STe for a solderless board and a soldered mod for the FM? there must be at least fitting instructions around? or someone who has fitted one?!

the Mac 'emulator' ran via the cartridge port, but I think that part was only for access to the official roms!

[Scottinnh]

In a perfect world, we would be scanning in old pcbs and reverse engineering them. If not for historical reasons, then for questions like this (re: PC Speed). would be kind of neat to build a pcb for PC Speed, Magic Sac, ComputeerEyes, etc.

[Nyh]

Which interface did it plug into? Cartridge port?

Not as far as I am aware? I am led to believe there's an expansion facility on the STe for a solderless board and a soldered mod for the FM? there must be at least fitting instructions around? or someone who has fitted one?!

That 'expansion port would mean the 68000 processor.

In ST's PC Speed (and AT Speed, AT Once, IDE hard disk interfaces, TOS 2.0 boards) are put in an IC socket soldered on the 68000.

In a lot of STe's the 68000 is a PLCC in a socket so you can remove the socket, place the PC emulator in the socket and re insert the 68000 in a socket on the emulator.

Putting your expansion on the processor has the big advantage you have control over the complete processor bus. At the same time this is an disadvantage. It is not a simple task to ad hardware here.

But why do you want to make the ST into something it is not? It would be far easier to write an ST emulator on the Raspberry Pi computer and make some extensions to the emulator so the emulated ST can use additional functions of the Raspberry Pi then to add the Raspberry Pi to the ST.

Hans Wessels

[StickHead]

How about ARANYM running on a RaspberryPi to create a cheap and powerful TOS compatible computer?

[nativ]

How about ARANYM running on a RaspberryPi to create a cheap and powerful TOS compatible computer?

Sounds NICE!!!


But why do you want to make the ST into something it is not? It would be far easier to write an ST emulator on the Raspberry Pi computer and make some extensions to the emulator so the emulated ST can use additional functions of the Raspberry Pi then to add the Raspberry Pi to the ST.

Hans Wessels

I just want to be aware of the options... If such a device could increase the lifespan an capability in a much more useful way than a PCSPeed card? ( I mean 286! pah! the Spectrum was better!!!! )

Cheers

[joska]

How about ARANYM running on a RaspberryPi to create a cheap and powerful TOS compatible computer?

That's something I definitely will try. I'm going to buy several of these. One to build into my cheap TV (to stream movies), one to act as a file/print/CVS/web-server and one to play with

[nativ]

You could build one inside an Atari Lynx Case! and have a bluetooth Keyboard and mouse!

[Hippy Dave]

overclocked-raspberry-pi-running-raspbian-os-is-lightning-quick
http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/over ... -20120713/

raspbian/pool/main/h/hatari
http://distribution-us.hexxeh.net/raspb ... /h/hatari/

Power without the Price

[wongck]

There's aranym as well...
http://distribution-us.hexxeh.net/raspb ... /a/aranym/

Looks like a nice alternative.... to the PC.

[MiggyMog]

I have paid for my raspi, just need to wait an age for the thing to arrive.

[rudis]

i shot one on ebay. now running my little webpage (some 60g) really quickly. albeit my uploud is limited to 800kbit.

my second one should arrive in september. lot to learn on linux

[MiggyMog]

A lot to learn, but at least they have a free magazine with tutorials, it's kinda like the good old days

[wongck]

On the webpage, it says it performance rating is like a P3 CPU.
I wonder how it perform on ST emulating.

[alexh]

In the UK there is now no waiting time for the Pi @ Farnell. I ordered a 2nd and it was here the same week.

[simonsunnyboy]

Farnell only takes credit card. And all other distributors semm to have a loooong shipping time.

Any idea where to get one more swiftly, esp from Germany?

*EDIT* I just checked Ebay and prices here in .de are swiftly above 45€, even without case. I am amzaed that this cheap board still gains those prices....

[nativ]

In the UK there is now no waiting time for the Pi @ Farnell. I ordered a 2nd and it was here the same week.

I think I ordered from the other UK supplier, not heard a thing... Will try farnell