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Groups > comp.lang.forth > #41988

Re: GA144 use cases

From rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.forth
Subject Re: GA144 use cases
Date 2015-09-13 18:59 -0400
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <mt4v11$ahu$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (13 earlier) <7a289415-dc93-49b6-b3f9-6aab53a23160@googlegroups.com> <mssnvp$1o5$1@dont-email.me> <81a8b5fc-d075-4005-af8d-ba8e46ff998a@googlegroups.com> <mt1cn5$pg$1@dont-email.me> <102f7769-e18e-4548-99be-757e617792de@googlegroups.com>

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On 9/13/2015 4:05 PM, Greg wrote:
> I am a software guy so this discussion about crystals is way over my
> head, at this point in time. I did run into some GA144 related posts
> here though, where it was claimed that if one managed to get the
> crystal oscillating reliably, that had huge markerting potential.
> Some going as far as calling this a Cana of Galilee like moment
> (Jesus started his ministry with the first public miracle there). So
> what Stefan is talking in here, isn't that?

No, Stefan is just saying you can pay GA $500 for the privilege of 
playing with their software and chip to see if you can figure out how to 
use it in a product.

I was pointing out that they worked with Schmartboards to promote a low 
cost product which allowed easy access to the pins on the chip, but 
didn't bother to get any decoupling caps included on the board which 
would allow the user to actually use *all* 144 processors on the chip. 
Obviously this was something done with virtually no investment (or 
possibly *literally* none), so was not targeted to anything like the 
typical low cost starter kit. Not sure what they were thinking.

The issue of the crystal oscillator is not at all a show stopper or the 
great enabler of this chip.  It is just another useful feature that was 
left out of the design for unknown reasons.  One might think it was 
because the processors don't need a clock, but that is simply an issue 
of controlling the timing of each processor.  Nearly all embedded 
processors need timing for various interfaces and algorithms.  So a 
clock is required.  Having an oscillator on the chip saves the cost of 
using an external oscillator vs. just a crystal, about $0.50 in 
quantity.  This does not seem to be a large cost, but when making high 
volume products this becomes a large cost.  Just one of many 
shortcomings of the GA144 for high volume apps.


> I took arrayforth school classes, which are done quite
> professionally, and found the chip to be quite original and
> interesting. Most programming documentation though assumes Forth
> knowledge, so I decided to learn Forth before buying the evalboard. I
> am itching to buy it earlier, are there enough people intersted in
> the chip, where we could start maybe a dedicated group, and where
> also clueless people like me could be helped along the way by the
> more advanced people?

I would say I am "interested" in the chip, but not enough to spend $500. 
  I have several of the Schmartboard devices and have never powered them 
up.  Part of the reason is that I did take a look at the development 
system from GA and found it to be rather labyrinthine.  I spent 
significant time trying to learn the chip at the lower levels where I 
wanted to optimize some of the timing for an interface to SDRAM.  So I 
did learn the instructions and their timing, but it turns out there are 
details of the I/O instruction timing missing.  I wasn't able to get 
that timing from GA, so I dropped my efforts.

There may be other projects which the GA144 could be an interesting 
device, but something would need to motivate me to get up and over the 
learning curve for the tools.  Are the videos fairly painless?  I seem 
to recall watching two or three finding that progress was slow and full 
of details which are not otherwise documented (perhaps in the source 
code of the system).

-- 

Rick

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GA144 use cases dunno <dunno@dunno.dunno> - 2015-08-31 07:20 +0000
  Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-31 09:55 -0400
  Re: GA144 use cases Syd Rumpo <usenet@nononono.co.uk> - 2015-08-31 16:49 +0100
    Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-31 18:35 -0400
  Re: GA144 use cases Dennis Ruffer <daruffer@gmail.com> - 2015-08-31 19:08 -0700
    Re: GA144 use cases Mux <Yvo.Zoer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 10:57 -0700
      Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 14:17 -0400
        Re: GA144 use cases Mux <Yvo.Zoer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 11:28 -0700
          Re: GA144 use cases hughaguilar96@gmail.com - 2015-09-02 13:41 -0700
          Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 16:50 -0400
            Re: GA144 use cases Mux <Yvo.Zoer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 15:03 -0700
              Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 18:18 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Mux <Yvo.Zoer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 16:14 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 20:40 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <borota@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 17:53 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 21:25 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Mux <Yvo.Zoer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 22:28 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-02 22:53 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-03 11:32 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-03 11:57 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-03 10:35 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-03 15:54 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-03 16:11 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-03 13:06 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-04 08:07 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-04 11:49 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-05 11:06 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-05 09:05 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-05 12:59 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases mhx@iae.nl - 2015-09-05 10:56 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-06 14:29 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-03 22:08 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-03 14:00 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-04 01:28 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases franck.bensusan@gmail.com - 2015-09-03 23:04 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-04 08:24 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-04 15:09 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-05 15:10 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-05 22:04 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-06 14:51 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-06 22:51 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <borota@gmail.com> - 2015-09-06 17:30 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-04 22:27 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-05 13:07 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-05 11:22 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-04 08:14 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-04 15:13 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-05 16:06 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-05 21:05 +0200
                Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-06 14:37 +0000
                Re: GA144 use cases Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2015-11-30 04:17 -0600
                Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-12-01 23:06 +0100
                Re: GA144 use cases Mark Wills <markwills1970@gmail.com> - 2015-09-03 00:05 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-03 13:08 -0400
              Re: GA144 use cases forther <forther@gmail.com> - 2015-09-07 11:26 -0700
      Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-02 15:15 -0400
    Re: GA144 use cases forther <forther@gmail.com> - 2015-09-07 11:21 -0700
      Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-11-30 16:33 -0500
        Re: GA144 use cases forther <forther@gmail.com> - 2015-12-03 12:12 -0800
          Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-12-03 16:10 -0500
  Re: GA144 use cases Jason Damisch <jasondamisch@yahoo.com> - 2015-09-02 12:10 -0700
  Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-03 01:27 -0700
    Re: GA144 use cases Syd Rumpo <usenet@nononono.co.uk> - 2015-09-03 13:32 +0100
      Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-03 11:32 -0400
  Re: GA144 use cases mhx@iae.nl (Marcel Hendrix) - 2015-09-03 18:57 +0200
    Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-03 23:58 +0200
    Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-04 07:52 +0000
    Re: GA144 use cases Waldek Hebisch <hebisch@antispam.uni.wroc.pl> - 2015-09-05 16:32 +0000
      Re: GA144 use cases mhx@iae.nl - 2015-09-05 10:52 -0700
        Re: GA144 use cases Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2015-09-05 22:11 +0200
          Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-06 14:18 +0000
            Re: GA144 use cases anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-09-07 07:49 +0000
        Re: GA144 use cases Waldek Hebisch <hebisch@math.uni.wroc.pl> - 2015-09-05 23:42 +0000
          Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-05 17:25 -0700
  Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-07 03:18 -0700
    Re: GA144 use cases Raimond Dragomir <raimond.dragomir@gmail.com> - 2015-09-07 03:31 -0700
      Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-07 15:06 -0400
        Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-08 21:41 -0700
          Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-09 02:54 -0400
            Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-09 03:02 -0700
              Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-09 16:55 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2015-09-09 20:12 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-09 23:40 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-09 23:43 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-10 00:07 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-09 21:55 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-10 01:43 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-09 23:49 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-10 14:43 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-10 16:10 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Stefan Mauerhofer <smauerhofer@androsoft.ch> - 2015-09-12 03:15 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-12 10:28 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <abiforth@gmail.com> - 2015-09-13 13:05 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-13 18:59 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <abiforth@gmail.com> - 2015-09-13 18:42 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-13 22:47 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <abiforth@gmail.com> - 2015-09-13 21:24 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 02:00 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases borota@gmail.com - 2015-09-14 08:35 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 12:06 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases borota@gmail.com - 2015-09-14 09:33 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 13:25 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <borota@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 14:17 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 18:12 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <schmegner@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 18:15 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-09-14 22:16 -0400
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <borota@gmail.com> - 2015-09-18 14:50 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Jason Damisch <jasondamisch@yahoo.com> - 2015-09-18 15:11 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <borota@gmail.com> - 2015-09-19 05:32 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Dennis Ruffer <daruffer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-19 08:39 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Greg <borota@gmail.com> - 2015-09-20 19:03 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Dennis Ruffer <daruffer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-21 06:44 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Dennis Ruffer <daruffer@gmail.com> - 2015-09-22 13:10 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases Mark Wills <markwills1970@gmail.com> - 2015-09-18 16:18 -0700
                Re: GA144 use cases schmegner@gmail.com - 2015-09-14 18:21 -0700

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