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+--- Thread: New Model Development Updates (/thread-449.html)
RE: New Model Development Updates - MbeeTech - 02-10-2025
(01-10-2025, 08:08 PM)zhulien Wrote: can the new microbee run without interrupts? or does it have NMIs?
(01-10-2025, 08:08 PM)zhulien Wrote: can the new microbee run without interrupts? or does it have NMIs?
I should ask... can interrupts be disabled fully.
Interesting question.
NMI is not used at all. Normal INTn is used in some modes, depending on which version of the CP/M boot disk you use, and also when using the normal print functions for the parallel & serial ports.
If using a boot disk / software that scans the keyboard via the CRT controller, no interrupts are required, however, if using the 256TC compatible method, interrupts are used via the PIO to signal that
a new key scan code is available from the keyboard controller logic.
Why do you ask? What is the purpose of having disabled interrupts?
RE: New Model Development Updates - benjaminboyjaminblue - 02-11-2025
Has there been any progress?
RE: New Model Development Updates - MbeeTech - 03-11-2025
(02-11-2025, 11:44 PM)benjaminboyjaminblue Wrote: Has there been any progress?
There has been quite a bit going on, although nothing momentous to post here.
Mainly there has been work going on in regards to working through a few bugs that needed to be sorted.
While the machines have been running well at 20Mhz in Z80 mode for a while booting at 3.375Mhz or 10Mhz
and then changing to 20Mhz, they would not boot at 20Mhz. The solution to this will be confirmed later this week.
Also, the keyboard interface drivers have been re-written but need further work to be completely production ready.
Next up also is the implementation of the USB mouse interface.
There are a couple of other things being worked on as well, which will be saved for launch time. Have to have some
surprises for the official launch ;-)
Continued work on component parts procurement is happening as well.
RE: New Model Development Updates - snake - 08-11-2025
How much have the specifications changed since you last published a full list?
RE: New Model Development Updates - MbeeTech - 10-11-2025
(08-11-2025, 01:49 PM)snake Wrote: How much have the specifications changed since you last published a full list?
They haven't changed
RE: New Model Development Updates - benjaminboyjaminblue - 13-11-2025
Do you have any vague idea of a release date yet? :)
RE: New Model Development Updates - benjaminboyjaminblue - 11-01-2026
Hello, has there been any updates on the Microbee? :)
RE: New Model Development Updates - MbeeTech - 12-01-2026
There has been some work going on over the last couple of months but our design & assembly service work has taken priority over that time.
We have been working on diagnosing and fixing logic bugs and have just started work on implementing the logic for the USB mouse interface.
I hope to have more details on this sometime next week.
RE: New Model Development Updates - MbeeTech - 14-01-2026
A quick update on the last post.
The USB mouse interface is now confirmed as working.
There is still a bit of work to do (including updating the Microbee XBIOS to suit the new mouse interface) but
mouse HID reports are seen by the hardware showing button state and x & y movement.
The tricky bit comes as the basic report rate of the USB mouse interface is 125hz - much quicker than the original
microsoft compatible serial mouses' report rate at 1200baud (approx 25hz fastest report rate).
RE: New Model Development Updates - Matty72 - 17-01-2026
Hey Ewan, have you ever thought of introducing YCbCr color thereby increasing color count to 64 or more?
My thinking is that color ram can hold CbCr bits (4bits), while PCG ram can hold the Y bit for each pixel. A Separate PCG bank could hold another set of Y bits and the two banks alternate quickly so you perceive 2 Y bits per pixel thereby visually creating 64 possible colors. Hell, fill yet another bank with Y bits and get 128 colors (too much?).
Now you have HDMI out, you'd have to convert this 4:1:1 scheme to something a tv will accept OR create and external analog vga output board for the bee. Just something i thought might be doable at 10 and 20 Mhz that would make users happy.
There'd have to be code for it of course.
Thoughts?