Recent posts

#31

Neo6502 / Re: Apple II emulator

Last post by LubOlimex - November 13, 2024, 08:38:53 AM

These emulators are constant work-in-progress so the best version is the one at the GitHub of the emulator project.

Maybe try with this one:

https://ftp.olimex.com/Neo6502/apple2e-5.uf2

If it doesn't work well, try with the original one:

https://ftp.olimex.com/Neo6502/old-uf2/apple2_800x600_400MHz.uf2

Important! To use the apple emulator, you also need to format a USB flash drive with Total Replay. You can find it here:

https://ftp.olimex.com/Neo6502/Total%20Replay%20v5.1.hdv

Just place it in main folder of the USB flash drive and after that plug the USB flash drive in the Neo6502 that is prepared with apple2e-5.uf2. Finally power the Neo6502.

#32

A20 / Re: Ethernet problem A20-OLinu...

Last post by LubOlimex - November 13, 2024, 08:32:37 AM

Then it is quite likely problem with the Ethernet settings. You might try changing a value in the CPU registers and see if that improves the behavior (it is alright if it doesn't since the value gets reloaded upon reboot):

memtool mw 0x01c20164 0x00000426

Important: this value will reset to default if you reboot. So after issuing the command test the Ethernet throughput and ping right away before rebooting or powering down the board. If you reboot you need to issue the command again.

If your image has no memtool, try:

apt install memtool

or find it here

https://github.com/pengutronix/memtool

>  By any chance, can I remove my current external disk (which contains my current services) to run the Olimage Linux image via USB while I test the throughput? Or will I lose all my data?

I don't know how to boot from USB on these A20 boards. We boot from card and after that we can prepare booting from eMMC (with the help of SPI flash) or SATA disk.

You can prepare another SD card with Olimage and just run that, SD card has highest boot priority so your data on eMMC or SATA will be unaffacted as long as you don't wipe or install the card to them of course. The Olimage SD card boot will have precedence over other boot mediums.

Refer to Olimage guide:

https://github.com/OLIMEX/OLINUXINO/blob/master/DOCUMENTS/OLIMAGE/Olimage-guide.pdf

- Download the archive with the latest Olimage Linux image from the proper location for your board.

- Extract the archive, if you can't extract the 7-zip archive, download 7-zip software for your OS.

- Prepare a card with the image from the archive. I recommend using free version of BalenaEtcher since it is pretty simple to use, it can be downloaded from here:

https://etcher.balena.io/#download-etcher

- Insert the ready SD card in the board, attach debug medium (preferably USB-serial cable) and start the debug medium, finally attach 5V DC jack to the board to power it.

- Login to the board with root and olimex

- Test the Ethernet

- If there are issues still try the CPU register command from the beginning of this post and test the Ethernet again.

#33

A20 / Re: Lime2 fileserver HD noise?

Last post by mbosschaert - November 13, 2024, 01:12:18 AM

Thanks @LubOlimex for your thoughts
I've started monitoring temperature now on 5 servers all with SATA-HD connected. I've left them in the enclosures as they were and will see if the height of the cpu_temp coincides with the irregular behaviour as described.
Will report back in probably some weeks

#34

A20 / Re: Ethernet problem A20-OLinu...

Last post by valt - November 12, 2024, 11:20:05 PM

Hello,
Sorry for my late reply. I'm not on Olimage linux. I have the community version of Armbian for file 2. However, my card is currently running my personal services. Isn't there anything else than reinstalling the Olimex image? By any chance, can I remove my current external disk (which contains my current services) to run the Olimage Linux image via USB while I test the throughput? Or will I lose all my data?

#35

Neo6502 / Apple II emulator

Last post by estephan500 - November 12, 2024, 04:07:00 PM

Hello -- your last answer helped perfectly.

Now I have the Morpheus installed, I realize that my goal is really to emulate an apple II. I looked at your documentation but couldn't find answers to the below, huge thanks for any help you can give:

1-- is the best apple emulator the very same one that was installed when the neo6502 was out of the box? OR is there an apple II emulator for neo6502 that is more complete? (FOR EXAMPLE, I could not acccess the USB memory stick when it was out of the box, even though it was formatted FAT32. But I *can* see the memory stick now that I installed Morpheus.)

2-- How do I go back to installing the Apple II emulator now that I have installed Morpheus?

3-- If I was looking at emulation sites and I downloaded a .dsk image ... how can I get that .dsk to run on the neo6502?

#36

Neo6502 / Re: New neo6502. Trying to ins...

Last post by LubOlimex - November 11, 2024, 04:50:44 PM

First disconnect all cables, then you need to press and hold button BOOT, then apply the USB, then release the button BOOT.

#37

Neo6502 / New neo6502. Trying to install...

Last post by estephan500 - November 11, 2024, 04:31:58 PM

Hello!

I bought a new Neo6502, it's exciting.

The card works in the initial configuration out of the box (showing the single volume of several apple games and ProDOS.

But now I want to install Morpheus and proceed into more deep use. So, I am following the instructions on https://neo6502.com/welcome/starting/

My problem is:  I am following the instructions to use a USB-A to USB-A cable to connect to my PC, so that the neo6502 will behave like a drive and I can copy files to it.

BUT, when I connect the neo6502 to my PC, it immediately POWERS the neo6502 even when there is nothing going into the usb-C power jack. The red light goes on and I can hear it beep and start up!  AND THEN, no surprise, when I continue with the process to hold down the reset button when powering it up, to try to get the neo6502 to appear as a volume on my PC's operating system, it never appears there. (I'm not surprised because it is clearly starting up the neo6502 in its normal mode, not behaving as a disk.)

I have tried this on a macbook pro AND on an Acer windows laptop.  Same "power up" behavior is happening.

I have tried this on two USB-A to USB-A cables: One that was in my personal bag of cables, and then one that I ordered online and came to me new.

Why is the neo6502 starting up when I connect only the usb-a to usb-a? it's supposed to stay un-powered so I can continue with your instructions about powering it from the jack only when the reset button is being pressed, etc...

THANKS!
Eric

#38

A20 / Re: Lime2 fileserver HD noise?

Last post by LubOlimex - November 11, 2024, 09:05:18 AM

Interesting pictures. It appears the meltdown is just below the A20 main chip.

My first advice is - if you think the case is the problem with the freezes, why don't you just test one setup that freezes often without the case and see if stops freezing. This will be clear indicator that the problems are related to the case and possible overheating.

Now about the damage on the case - assuming that the board works alright and there is no hardware problem (e.g. short-circuit or failed component), then it is probably caused by combination of things - extra heat from hard disk, small case with no extra holes for air, thermally-susceptible material used for the cover. Also it is not clear where the box is placed, but if place it over flat surface with all of the box cover in contact with the surface - this will increase the thermal issues, avoid placing it over flat surface use some separator from the surface (rubber feet or bolts or something, or some plastic separators at the four corners at the case).

My advice is to try to drill few holes so some air can get trough and also think of some slim aluminum piece to fit over the processor and the RAM. From my tests this piece here lowers the CPU temperature by around 10 degrees C:

https://www.olimex.com/Products/Components/Misc/ALUMINIUM-HEATSINK-20x20x6MM/

But it won't fit between the HDD and the board in your enclose I guess, so you might need to experiment with other form of aluminum chip to insert over. Whatever aluminum piece you get just make sure to attach it over both the A20 CPU and the banks of RAM since these are the components that might heat up and cause issues, and also make sure it is attached to them with some adhesive that is not a thermal isolator. Mind that it is good idea this aluminum piece to be well attached since it is metal and if it touches certain GPIOs or legs and power supply it might cause short circuit.

Would it be possible that the HD produces some RF or magnetic radiation which interferes with the Lime2 processor, creating unpredictable and irregular behaviour?

No.

As Olimex still sells the complete sets for NAS, and even provides for a metal enclosure (not physically separating the HD from the board) I do not understand why my setup gives me troubles now for years.

We haven't had reports about the LIME2-SERVER setup overheating but our case is not that tight and there are ventilation holes at the bottom and larger holes around the connectors so some air can ventilate. Check this picture at the bottom of the case:

https://www.olimex.com/Products/OLinuXino/Home-Server/LIME2-SERVER-NO-HDD/images/LIME2-SERVER7.jpg

#39

MSP430 / Re: MSP430-169STK Demo files

Last post by LubOlimex - November 11, 2024, 08:38:28 AM

There is no extra info for the board at the wiki, but the web-page for the board has demo software, make sure to check here:

https://www.olimex.com/Products/MSP430/Starter/MSP430-169STK/

#40

A20 / Lime2 fileserver HD noise?

Last post by mbosschaert - November 10, 2024, 05:27:19 PM

For a long time I've been struggling with random locks of my Lime2 Rev.L boards when a HD is connected (see earlier posts). After some time the board starts freezing for some seconds or minutes (eg running dmesg or ps ax may take minutes to complete) and the logs are filling with harddisk errors. As reported earlier I'm running the latest olimex debian kernels, have sufficient stabilized power, tried to de-noise the HD power supply, reduced max cpu frequency, etc, without any improvement. One of my fileservers recently crashed again with fatal HD errors after which I had to do a forced fsck to have it come back again. After the recovery of the HD I reinstalled all but did not put the board and HD back in its enclosure and rebooted. Now after having it run for some days still no locks and the board remains responsive as all boards I'm running without HD's connected.

The enclosure I'm using was created as compact as possible having both the 2.5" HD and lime2 board.



When I took the fileserver from the cabinet, it appeared that the bottom (precisely over the CPU location of the Lime2 the PETG was completely worn out and brittle and apparently the CPU had heated up so much that the material was brownish decolored.



In the enclosure the axis of the harddisk and the CPU of the Lime2 are just a few mm separated.



Would it be possible that the HD produces some RF or magnetic radiation which interferes with the Lime2 processor, creating unpredictable and irregular behaviour?

If this could be the case what would be a solution (except of designing a larger enclosure)? Would it help to add an alu-foil layer between the HD and the board connected to the board ground? What other solutions I should think of? Could the wiring (original Olimex power and data wires) cause any trouble? As Olimex still sells the complete sets for NAS, and even provides for a metal enclosure (not physically separating the HD from the board) I do not understand why my setup gives me troubles now for years.