smashtv

Hi Frank, Sorry it is giving you trouble.... I can tell you that it was tested before it left here, I watched it boot + drive a display + send the proper sysex. Please don't see that sentence as me aiming some pointing finger of blame etc., just that the odds still favor a hardware or MIDI setup issue, and knowing it was well tested on my end might give some troubleshooting hints. PIC chips are hard to kill, usually a few HV erase cycles and a reload will bring them back from the dead. Hopefully there is someone more local with a burner that can help, if not you can send the PIC back to me for erase/program/verify/test. Return shipping via Airmail would cost $5.46 (including $2.28 for insurance and paypal fees). Would be no problem to write a spare or two also if you have some blank chips laying around. Best regards Tim aka SmashTV

Hi Phil! Short answer: for the UK order from the main order page. For a Baseboard only airmail order to the UK it gives the same price the low value page would. Long answer: For most countries the 6582 and Core32 boards won't be available on the low value order pages, unless the exchange rate goes far enough in the buyer's favor to stay under the no tax limit.....whether the country in question taxes 'landed cost' (total price for contents + shipping + transaction fees) or taxes value of contents only is a big part of the equation. Like the other tax rules this info can be very hard to find for a non-resident, so I don't have that info. Airmail from US to UK has been solid and reliable, so my main store page has some exception logic written in for the UK. If you buy a single baseboard and choose UK-Airmail for the destination it will give you the right price/same as a low value page would. A ready to mail flat containing only a 6582 Base board weighs in just over 12oz, putting it in the 12oz to 16oz rate class. To everyone: if you have links to the 'is shipping cost and insurance taxable' rule for your country please post it in this thread or in a private message.....I have no problem with building more customized pages to make the most of the different rule sets. Best regards Tim

Those are digital signals and on this design they need to be pulled up not grounded. More info here: Pull-up resistor Best regards Tim

Dave, I am so terrible with names I tried a mnemonic technique.... but stinky, whiney, and JoJo were not amused when I accidentally spoke the mnemonic instead of their given names. :)

Hi Rics, Without the R30 and R32 networks in place, you have some open lines and without anything connected these 'float'. In the same way that floating lines on J5 cause jitter, letting the serial lines @ J16 and J19 float can have the same effect. With analog lines it's common to 'pull down' or connect/clamp them to ground, with digital lines accepted practice is to 'pull up' floating lines to logic hi (typically through a resistor to +V/Vd). oof that's what the 5 pin SIL sockets in the kit are for! Best regards Tim

Hi Nigel, Considering you already have a C64 and no time, take a look at mssiah. It's a cart for the 64 with MIDI in - and a cheap way to get the SID sound for those who are solder-phobic. Best regards Tim aka SmashTV

hehe I noticed that, wrote a post about it, went back to check pinout one last time and before I hit send you posted about it. SmashTV lag level up! :) This is normal with these displays, it has on-board current limit resistor(s) for the backlight. Somewhere here on the forum there are some very old posts with more info. Absolutely.....backwards orientation, shorted or open R33 connections could definitely cause this. With an open connection @ R33 the related LCD control line would only see 3v logic levels. Likewise any problem with the 74HC595/IC2 will keep the display from working. Back to the kit mill! Best Tim

Hi Rics! The 'all black row' thing happens any time the display has initialized but has not received valid data..... It could be as simple as a dodgy connection on any of the data or control lines, a pair of data lines swapped, etc. You can get the same behavior from most character displays connected to a Core8 without it's PIC in the socket, meaning most will give the black row with only power and contrast bias connected. Let us know what you find, hopefully it will give up more hints about the cause. Best regards Tim

This sounds like a weak power supply. Yes with the bootloader + MIOS loaded on the PICs (as they shipped from me) the display should show a copyright message then "Ready." I suggest starting it up with your meter connected and looking for a drop on the 5v power rail as it lights the LEDs.....a working PSU will show little change, but a weak one will often drop below the operational power threshold of the PIC (and other components). Best regards Tim aka SmashTV

KnoBall thanks again for helping me figure out the rules for shipping to Brazil, both written and unwritten.... I added BR to the main store page with Express Mail service, and I will get the low value order page for Brazil finished and ready over the next few days. Brazil has a 'no dutiable articles in Airmail' rule, but unlike other countries that rule does not specifically include Priority Flat Rate service.....so the Brazil low value page will use volume units instead of weight. Hermes my main insurance provider stopped insuring shipments to Greece, but I recently started a new open coverage policy with a second insurance provider who does cover shipments to Greece. Greece is back in the country list on the main store page now. :) Thanks guys! Best regards Tim aka SmashTV

No artificial limits please, some of us here in the US would much rather have a pro panel from a guy paying close attention to detail. Best regards! Tim aka SmashTV

Yes! Thank you for reminding me.... Insurance rules/rates and shipping rules/rates are the same as most of the EU, the low value for customs is almost the same at nok 200, so I added Norway to the country list. If the exchange rate happens to widen the roughly $3 difference by another $3 in the customs threshold, I'll make a Norway only page to take advantage of the gap. In other words -if/when- the exchange rate is nok 200=$36.23usd a core32 board could ship this way without tax or delay. I'm off to do a full read of that section of the customs rules, but so far the only noteworthy difference I see is the parcel needs two invoices attached instead of one......I think I can cope! :) Best regards Tim

I wish it was not this way, but Italy has a specific rule about this: "First-Class Mail International shipments may not contain dutiable articles." (see #3 under observations at this link) Italy is not alone with this, many countries have the same rule....Assuming one of my two parcel insurance providers will cover it, I'll make a similar offering using Priority Mail. It's not as cheap as Airmail/First Class but it's typically $10usd or more less than Express Mail. Best regards Tim

Not a problem, refund issued :) Best regards Tim

Best wishes on your birthday TK!

Hello! I have sent a few test parcels to figure out some of the issues and I quickly noticed a trend.....If an Airmail flat is below the tax threshold it seems to find it's destination without taxes or delay, often beating transit times for Express Mail. I have set up a custom 'low value order' page for most of the EU countries that limits the total value of the order to roughly 22€ or less. Under 22€ is typically duty/tax free meaning a Core8 board costs roughly 10€ including insured shipping via this method. The new page serves Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Click here to take a look or place orders: EU Low Value Order page My main parcel insurance provider finally added Brazil and other countries in South America, so I'm working on similar custom pages for BR rules and few other countries. Any questions/suggestions/feedback are welcome, including 'why don't you ship to x'.....but lets keep it in this thread so I can stop repeating myself in my inbox. ;) Best regards Tim aka SmashTV

This as written is backwards.....Plug the red lead into "V Ω" and the black lead into "COM" and you will be good to go. :) Best regards SmashTV

Wow sorry about that, I'll remove the link right now. Excellent! I was hoping our lack of interest in padding your pocket would not hinder your creativity. I do have one question though: considering this postscript is a form of "engaging with the MIDIbox community" should I go ahead and delete the thread? I would really hate to see you accidentally do something that you are trying your best to refrain from. Seriously man, you are welcome to come play but you have to play nice. SmashTV