ZX44 Controller

stevech · Post by **stevech** » 22 February 2006, 22:46 PM

Anyone working on a PC board + components such as a larger EEPROM to yield a simple to get-going ZX44 based controller?

mikep · Post by **mikep** » 22 February 2006, 23:28 PM

Well of course the ZX-24 is based on the same ATmega32 chip and some support circuitry.

I have suggested an extended ZX-24 with 40 pin capability and a socket that any type of SPI EEPROM can be plugged into. See the following thread: viewtopic.php?t=128

stevech · Post by **stevech** » 23 February 2006, 12:51 PM

the 40 pin DIP package seems like an antique by today's standards.
For hobby/robotics, how about a chip carriers/ZIF for one of the small Mega32 packages? We could swap chips without soldering.

Also an onboard RS232 circuit would be nice; the +5 to 0v compromise doesn't work in many cases (laptops, PDAs, etc.).

mikep · Post by **mikep** » 23 February 2006, 13:18 PM

stevech wrote:the 40 pin DIP package seems like an antique by today's standards.
For hobby/robotics, how about a chip carriers/ZIF for one of the small Mega32 packages? We could swap chips without soldering.

Also an onboard RS232 circuit would be nice; the +5 to 0v compromise doesn't work in many cases (laptops, PDAs, etc.).

If you read the original thread, you will note that the extended ZX-24 proposal contains the same on-board circuitry as a ZX-24 but also includes a socket to enable switching the EEPROM, a true MAX232 level converter and a small switch to toggle logical or RS232 levels for COM1. BTW I do not work for Elba so these are my own thoughts of what could be done.

The 40 pin DIP package contains all of this support circuitry to provide a ZX-24 like package but with more I/O. If you did this yourself on a PCB with a ZX-44 it would probably take up more room than the 40-pin DIP. I find I need more than 16 I/O for some applications and this avoids the need for additional circuiry such as a PCF8574. In any case the idea is to provide a variety of packaging for the ATmega32 to suit different purposes.

ZIF carriers for a ZX-44 is very expensive ~ $70.

BTW Steve, I have received two negative emails for your appends today that made me wonder. However I'm happy to see that you have gone back and reworded them on the forum itself.