New Memories, contd.

Rhea ordering window will be open this Saturday, 2020-01-18, at 18:00 CET. So this is another USA-friendly one.

I was away in December and otherwise pretty busy, and have a huge email backlog that I’m slowly dealing with. This prompted some less patient people to send their message several times – in case it got lost or something. While I understand the reasons, it forces me to try and filter out the copies and, shall we say, less important content from the actual requests for help. So if you don’t hear from me until Februrary and you have a problem that needs my attention, please email me again. But not before the end of January, pretty please.

Oh and about the OLED idea and devices other than GDEMU, I get asked if it’s possible to add that to Rhea/Phoebe and DocBrown maybe. The answer is yes but it’ll take some time – so GDEMU first, then I will work on the rest.

And in case it wasn’t clear, the OLED display is completly optional, and not part of the device. In fact I don’t want to make it a permanent part of the device as this would require cutting holes in the case in places you might not want to touch, not to mention adding power draw and heat even if you were never to use it. However some people do like features like these so that’s why I’ve made it an option.

New Memories

Happy New Year 2020, everybody! GDEMU shipments will soon commence. I’m running some final tests on a new bootloader code that will support 128×64 OLED display based on SSD1306 chip:

Getting that new code, and font definition, to fit in the already very memory starved MCU was no easy task. In fact it took me so much time that I’m not yet ready with the new FW for GDEMU – that will come in a month or two. This new FW will also have OLED support and will require the new booloader to work – though in general GDEMU will be somewhat limited in what it can show and when. Updating the display takes time and drive emulation takes priority, obviously. Note, I’m using a display with split-color screen but that’s not a requirement (looks nicer though).

Since I want every existing GDEMU owner to be able to use the new FW (and I mean all of them, including the early v4/v5 units on green PCBs) I will also prepare an “upgrade FW” that can update the bootloader code in older units.

Every device sold from 2020 onward will already have the new bootloader. The devices I’m about to ship will come with a hybrid FW that works with it, but doesn’t yet have the improvements. Do not attempt to flash them with any older version, that won’t work and you’ll be stuck with a non-functional device until I have the new FW ready.

Will other devices also receive OLED support? Yes, in due time, since that also requires some code changes and testing. And if you don’t care for the display, no problem, you don’t need it, the ODE will work without it.

I’ll update GDEMU page with some more info on what OLED screen to get and how to connect it soon. Keep in mind that some soldering will be required.