Update on all things myStorm - streaming

[Folknology]

Last night's stream was interesting, even if the presentation technology didn't work too well.

Thanks @lawrie glad you like it, I am still trying to troubleshoot the remarkable, it may be the cloud side that's an issue, will continue to improve this.

It taught me something about driving stepper motors, and the use of python to generate the nmigen Case statements was a good use of nmigen.

It showed how to do simulation with nmigen.

I'm glad you got something useful out of it, that's why I choose something a bit simpler to start with than the ABC bus..

If it were developed into a python API to drive multiple stepper motors from the ESP32, it would be useful for robotics or other applications that use multiple stepper motors, and would be a good example of using an Alloy board.

This is my plan longer term to develop more focused application examples, in this case motion control and there is lots more of this to build on over subsequent streams.

BTW here is the first nMigen stepper stream from last night, apologies for the slight cock-ups with the new tech and failing mouse

I also notice youtube can take time to process the HD versions so sometimes it is worth waiting for those to complete before watching

[Folknology]

Here is the myStorm stream playlist , all the streams so far.

[BigEd]

I missed this one. Nice idea, @lawrie, to provide some show notes - in the long run, an index of which things are discussed at which timestamps would add value to the collection of session videos.

[Folknology]

I was just looking at the youtube editor to see if I could add markers at certain points, haven't found that yet if it exists.. But recording timestamps in a separate note would be useful.

Ok I think I can see how to add chapters so if someone makes notes I can add those..

[BigEd]

I have seen some videos these days are divided into chapters, but I have no idea how you do it. (So the scroll bar is divided, and has a hover text for each chapter)

[Folknology]

Just chaptered (only 3 chapters) the last stream take a look

[Folknology]

I will be doing the stream on Friday rather than Wednesday due to family commitments this week

[Folknology]

IceStudio (and nMigen) FPGA Stepper basics part 2

1. Community & News
   • SOC development on BlackIce Mx Thread
   • Some detail about SYZYGY re FPGA IO - Thread
   • Robert Baruch's next chapter LMARV Risc-V Part 2

2. IceStudio with BlackIce Mx Thread

3. IceStudio conversation e.g. stepper example

[Folknology]

BlackIce V, Tiles & Stack & nMigen Stepper part3

1. Community & News
2. Wyre HDL that compiles to Verilog Thread
3. Also similar is Silice re FPGA IO - Video

4. Juan Gonzales of FPGA Wars has been doing an APIO quickstart for FPGA boards incl BlackIce Mx

5. BlackIce V CAD/Discuss

6. Next 'Steps' nMigen stepper Part 3..

[lawrie]

@Folknology

After last night's stream my understanding of your hardware strategy is to move to tile-based boards.

That means that connected hardware and extra connectors will be on tiles rather than Pmods. The only way to use a Pmod would be if a tile was produced with a Pmod connector.

So what is the specification of a tile? Is its dimension about 72mm x 36mm? Is the connector to is 12x2? Do tiles have male of female connectors?

The first board you plan to make in small numbers as a test of the concept will have a up5k and a usb c connector.

The main boards will be roughly the size of two tiles side by side.

One of the first tiles you plan to make is a stepper motor driver.

The up5k board will have two tile connectors on the top of the board.

If the concept works out, you plan to make one or more ecp5 boards. They will contain an HDMI connector, DDR2 ram etc., and will have tile connectors on the top and the bottom, allowing up to 4 tiles to be connected.

So for the moment you do not plan to make the Alloy board, or the Blackice V with the Arduino headers or the Amalgam board with the 80-pin connector. You are going with tile-based boards instead.

The new boards you are making will all have an ESP32 S2, with extra spi flash ram, and a flash rom connected to the fpga.

They will all have flat ribbon cable (FFC) connectors for cameras and an lcd.

Is this correct?

[Folknology]

You are mostly right.

I currently have 4 main designs on the drawing board right now:

• Ice40 up 5K boards : Alloy (feather) and BlackIce V tile/stack,
• ECP5 : Amalgam_stack (tile based) and Amalgam (SOM based)

I need to manufacture the ECP5 boards first as I already have the parts in storage and need to produce them. Also there seems to be more interest in ECP5 than Ice40. However do I go the SOM or stack route? If I go the SOM route all the ECP 5 boards would be more expensive if I wanted to go Stack based, it doubles the number of boards. For the higher end loaded version the cost would be less of an issue, however at the more entry ECP5 level cost is king. I also believe I can get the entry level ECP 5 board closer to what the BlackIce board is as a stack board but that would not be the case for a SOM board as it takes 2 boards..

In addition the Tile/Stack design is currently untested, we will only know if this does what it is designed for when we make some test units and try things out in the real world (i.e. not just in CAD). The lowest cost and quickest way to do this is via the BlackIce V Tile style board which I think I can build in the next few weeks along with at least one fully functional Tile (the 4 axis motion control Tile). This also fits in with my planned nMigen development steps I want to cover in the stream.

To add to this I have gotten really frustrated with the Feather mechanical format for my current development of the Alloy stuff which is software heavy, I think the BlackIce V tile would have made this much easier to develop with, but this is a personal thing and I am just frustrated with my current Alloy rig I prob should have done a BlackIce V stack first. maybe.

BTW the ECP5 amalgam Stack does have the potential for a Mixmod or quad Pmod on the main board which may be good for backward compatibility.

I hope that helps a little, I will do more specific threads for the tile spec detail etc.. shortly..

[lawrie]

What does SOM stand for?

[Folknology]

Sorry SOM - System On a Module like IceCore or Amalgam with 80 pin connector, SOMs require a carrier, they are always 2 part solutions.

BTW Very few folks have shown interest in building carriers which is why I am leaning toward a stand alone Tile/Stack Amalgam first.

[lawrie]

BTW Very few folks have shown interest in building carriers which is why I am leaning toward a stand alone Tile/Stack Amalgam first.

Could you do a carrier as a double tile using both tile connectors, similar to the Blackice Mx double connectors (but with fewer pins to the carrier).

I am still interested in a carrier for a games console.

[Folknology]

Could you do a carrier as a double tile using both tile connectors, similar to the Blackice Mx double connectors (but with fewer pins to the carrier).

Yes this would give you 24 FPGA Pins, 8 analog and SPI,I2C

Or for Amalgam Stack 2 x carriers

[lawrie]

12 FPGA pins seems rather few to go to a tile, as you cannot do the equivalent of a double Pmod with it, as that needs 16 pins.

For example the Digilent VGA Pmod with 4 bits per colour needs 14 FPGA pins, so we wouldn't be able to do the equivalent of that.

[Folknology]

I will be streaming as usual this evening 8pm GMT:

• Community & News
• BlackIve V decision and design
• Stepper in nMigen Part 4

The recording is up for those that missed it

[Folknology]

I will be streaming as usual this evening 8pm GMT:

• Community & News
• Amalgam decision and design
• Stepper in nMigen Part 5

the recording is up for anyone who missed it.

[Folknology]

Streaming as usual this 8pm GMT, 16th December:

• Community & News
• Plans & discussion for stream in 2021
• 6 DOF Motor Driver Tile CAD and feedback

the recording is up for anyone who missed it.

[BigEd]

I'm afraid I've been skipping these: usually a bit tired by the end of a Wednesday.

To pick up a point made nearby:

As for streaming vs videos: I think they may well serve different purposes, but videos seem better value per half-hour spent, from a viewer's perspective, while streaming is much lower cost per half-hour of content, from the presenter's perspective. Streaming perhaps has the feature of live sports, that it feels good to watch it while it's happening, but much less compelling to watch it after the event. (I'd prefer the edited highlights!)

I've also found the very limited interactivity of twitch a bit uncomfortable. With such a small audience, something more symmetrical which allows for more interaction might be more attractive. Even with a larger audience, it's possible to set up as a presenter and an audience, and to alternate between presentation and Q&A.

It may be that it's just me!