[Coco] New MPI project for brazilian clones

[Michael Brant]

So Jim does this mean there with be an addon to take the slot number to 8?
On Jan 21, 2016 2:09 PM, "RETRO Innovations" <go4retro at go4retro.com> wrote:

> On 1/21/2016 8:38 AM, camillus gmail wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Ask for Jim on this list, he is at the brink of releasing his project of
>> an MPI. Based on CLPD , so iI heard it is capable of having more slots, the
>> first proto I saw was at cocofest 2015 an it had two boards, the interface
>> that plugs into the coco and the slots are on other board. The connection
>> is made by two flatcables.
>> I'm not sure what the status is now, but you can always inform on this
>> list.
>>
>>
>> cb
>> On 1/21/2016 5:00:52 AM, Daniel Campos <daniel.campus at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> We are gathering here in Brazil to make a MPI that would be usable on the
>> CP-400 and other brazilian clones as well. This MPI will be a little
>> different because it will have a flat cable to connect on the tiny CP-400
>> slot.
>> We are thinking to follow and adapt this design here:
>>
>>
>> https://sites.google.com/site/tgmaxx/tandy-color-computer/expansion-interface
>>
>> Anyone have tried to build this project before? It works well on
>> CoCo1/CoCo2 machines?
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Daniel
>>
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>>
>> I am here, lurking and working on the MPI.
>
> The good news is that the unit works well.  The cable length was an issue,
> but I believe I have moved beyond that.
>
> I used the same design as a base, but moved all of the functionality into
> a CPLD, as it minimized the design a lot and the cost as well.
>
> A picture of the unit is on page 12:
>
> http://www.glensideccc.com/data/library/newsletters/gccc35_2nl.pdf
>
> If the pinout of the CP-400 is similar, you should be able to just make a
> new "head end" and use the same expander design.
>
> The design is open source (HW CC-BY-SA, and CPLD firmware GPLv2), but I
> have not published yet as I am making final changes, including:
>
> I am adding a relay to turn the unit on only when the computer is powered,
> or at least give the option.
> I am adding an LED on the xpander so folks can tell if it is powered (so
> they do not pull or insert carts)
>
>
> As Camilus notes, although the unit shows 4 (5) cart slots, the CPLD can
> handle switching 8 slots.
>
> Jim
>
>
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