Updates

Update Log

20 April 2012: The P112 boot disk image has been re-posted in the P112 downloads area. The original, 7July06 disk is still current.

21 February 2012: A new Stack-180 EEPROM code file is in the download area, Version 2.02.05 of 20 Feb 2012. The major modification was to the EEPROM Load code. Previous versions took approximately 2-3 minutes to burn the EEPROM code. With the 2.02.05 version, a complete EEPROM burn takes about 12 seconds.
18 February 2012: A new StackOS image (02-18-12) has been posted, correcting a faulty image from 02-12-12. A New User Manual (02-19-12) is also posted.

12 February 2012: A new Stack180 User Manual (9 Feb 2012) is posted. New StackOS and StackBP images also posted.
28 December 2010: The H89 D-GIDE has been modified to incorporate a 512K RAM instead of the 128K chip previously described.
23 December 2010: A new page has been added to the website - the H89 Page.
6 November 2010: A new Stack180 EEPROM file has been uploaded. The new file adds LUN capability to the "L"oader program, meaning that it supports the use of multi-slot Card Readers for reading/creating boot drive partitions from an image file. The "How To" file for XPORT LAN printer configuration is also posted for download.
5 November 2010: The StackOS download image now contains the LAN-based printer driver for those machine with the XPORT AR optional component.
29 October 2010: The User Manual for the Stack 2MB Memory Expansion has been posted. The RAM Expansion kit is now available for ordering on the Services page.
27 October 2010: New StackOS and drive images for B:, D:, and E: drives are posted for download. The latest StackOS contains updated BIOS modules and many improvements to BACKUSB.COM. The 2MB Ram Expansion board now has a 1MB RamDisk driver.

27 September 2010

P112-related pages and links have been re-established throughout the website.

25 September 2010

A new StackOS boot drive image is available for download. Contains several fixes and enhancements, most notably the drivers and handlers for the LCD Display.

23 September 2010

A new BootRom file - Version 2.02.01 - has been uploaded. This version corrects a few bugs in previous versions and provides code for operating the new LCD Display. Owners can download and use this code without having the LCD Adapter and Display. The ZIP file contains both BIN and HEX file formats.

All Update Log entries prior to 2007 have been removed and archived.

22 September 2010

The LCD Adapter (photo here) is now ready for shipping. It includes a 24x2 LCD display on a 16" ribbon cable, and will install in either Slot1 or Slot2. A longer cable can be specified ahead of time, although 16" will fit most ATX cases. Installation also requires an EEPROM and OS update, soon to be included on the downloads page. The date/time is displayed on LCD Line 2 and updated every second with the EEPROM and OS updates. A CP/M utility allows command line control of LCD Line 1.

9 January 2010

A major website hosting issue has been resolved; DriveB, DriveD, and DriveE images are now available for downloading and use with BACKUSB.COM, a USBWiz-based backup/restore program contained in the StackOS install image.

28 December 2009

New files have been posted for StackOS, DRIVED and DRIVEE images.

27 December 2009

A new EEPROM file (Version 2.01.00) is available. It adds limited support for 'banked' RAM beyond 1MB.

20 December 2009

Updates have been posted for the EEPROM (2.00.01) and User Manual.

18 December 2009

Updates have been posted for the EEPROM and B/P BIOS OS model.

The previous B/P BIOS image had an issue with the terminal redirector data being passed from the EEPROM. As a result, the terminal output would often switch to the 'other' terminal during a B/P BIOS BANK OS load. To the user, this appeared to be a 'lock up' in that no data was being sent to the terminal, nor was the CPU responding to the terminal keyboard. In fact, the CPU was sending/receiving data to/from the 'other' terminal. The bug only manifested itself during the first attempt to load the BANK OS after startup or a hard reset.

11 November 2009

The initial B/P BIOS download image is now posted. It can only be used with the USBWiz.

14 August 2009

Updated StackOS and EEPROM images have been posted in the Downloads area.

12 August 2009

An updated User Manual has been posted in the Downloads area.

8 August 2009

The Mainboard shipment has arrived - CPU, D-GIDE, and Mainboards are now in stock; kits can be shipped immediately. The User Manual has been updated, but much work still remains.

27 July 2009

The project to replace the HEX LED with the parallel LCD has been shelved. The HEX LED will remain on the mainboard. The LCD project will consist only of a Slot1 adapter board. The board design is currently undergoing testing.

A batch of Mainboards is on order and should arrive around 5 August. As stated above, they carry the HEX LED circuitry.

7 July 2009

The HEX LED is being removed from the mainboard. In its place will be an adapter for using an external 20x4 backlit LCD. Testing to determine suitability is underway. Mainboard purchases are being held in abeyance until the interface is completely tested.

A batch of Mainboards will be placed on order as soon as the LCD design is tested.

7 June 2009

The Stack-180 Boot EEPROM image has been updated to version (B) 5.06.00. This is considered to be a mandatory update.

4 June 2009

The Stack-180 User Manual has been updated and is now in a PDF file format. Stack schematics have also been changed to a PDF file.

31 May 2009

Stack schematics have been removed from the User Manual and placed in a separate download file. The User Manual is receiving numerous updates and the schematics make it too cumbersome to upload/download often.

29 May 2009

New Stack photos are posted here. The Downloads page has been updated with an early and incomplete version of the Stack User's Manual. Regular updates to the manual are being posted.

23 May 2009

Stack system hardware configuration is now complete. Production PCBs for the CPU and D-GIDE boards are on-hand and ready for immediate shipping - see the Services page for pricing. Mainboard orders are being taken but not charged; when sufficient orders are received (minimum of 10), a charge notice will be sent. When funds are received, boards will be ordered and kits provided.

As always, software is an on-going item. Currently, software exists for building a boot IDE drive directly via the USBWiz and a Thumb drive. Downloadable images are posted here. Requires Mainboard and USBWiz hardware. You can also receive the software via a CF-IDE adapter/CF module that can be booted immediately. Updates are provided via Thumb Drive or Floppy images.

9 January 2008

The Stack180 has undergone a number of modifications - both hardware and software - prior to this point. The hardware is now considered 'ready' for use. Software development is still ongoing, and likely will be for some time. Here is the 'final' hardware configuration:

	CPU: 29.4912Mhz, 0 Wait State, 1MB RAM, Terminal I/O.
	D-GIDE: Four IDE Devices (2 Master, 2 Slave) All CPU signals buffered.
	Mainboard: Quad Serial Ports, RTC, 16-level Interrupts, HEX LED, USB, 10/100BaseT, 4 expansion slots.

There are three 'beta' systems in regular use and all are operating as designed. Software updates are provided through several different mechanisms, including e-mail attachments and website downloads.

25 October 2007

The Stack180 is ready for production. We've finally received and assembled the first mainboard PCB. Measuring approximately 6.5" wide by 9.5" tall, it easily fits into the Micro ATX case. Testing revealed a single mis-route on a trace, which has been corrected for production PCBs. The mainboard contains an Epson 72421 RTC, battery, 16C754 Quad UART, 2 PC-Style AT expansion connectors supporting 16-bit I/O, 2 Stack expansion connectors, a 16-level interrupt system, HEX LED display, 4-bit switch port, ATX 20-pin power connector, the Saelig USBWiz for USB and SD Card I/O with the FAT file system, and the Lantronix XPORT AR for 10/100BaseT support. One of the AT-style expansion connector slots is hosting a PC-style multifunction adapter that provides Floppy, Parallel, IDE, and 2xSerial ports. The Floppy and Parallel ports are fully integrated into the CP/M Banked BIOS.

Photos are available here.

20 July 2007

The CPU board has undergone a couple of changes prior to production. The CPU clock has been upped to 29.4912MHz, and the RAM sockets have been removed in favor of two 512Kx8-15 SMD RAM chips. The 15nSec speed is more than sufficient for zero wait state operation at 29MHz. The 18.432MHz clock option is being removed from the ROM code. The only reason it was being maintained was in case a user needed more than 256K of RAM (fast static RAM was only available in 128Kx8 chips. Since a source for 5128Kx8 RAMs in the 15nSec access range has been arranged, the low speed option using 70nSec RAM is no longer needed. The RAM chips will be pre-installed before shipping. The standard configuration will include a single 512K RAM; a second RAM can be added to your order if desired.

22 April 07

The CPU and Dual GIDE boards are finished and ready for production. The final specs for the individual components are:

CPU: Z8S180-33 CPU with an 18.432MHz or 24.576MHz clock. Terminal I/O, RAM, Clock, and Reset circuitry are on-board. External expansion connections are handled by two, 30-pin headers. In a stand-alone configuration, the CPU provides a fast, stable, Z80-compatible platform that can be adapted to virtually any use. Memory consists of either 128Kx8 or 512Kx8 chips (the 32K chip option was discarded.) The 32K Monitor EEPROM can be switched out of context under software control, leaving the flat 64K memory space required by CP/M.

D-GIDE: Handles 4 IDE devices and buffers all necessary CPU signals for further expansion. The CPU board plugs in the the D-GIDE via two, 30-pin headers, arranged on .1" centers. The two D-GIDE expansion connectors use a 26-pin and a 34-pin header arranged on .1" centers, so expansion can be either by 'plug-in' to a motherboard, or via ribbon cables. A 4-pin power connection, identical to that used on a 3.5" floppy, provides power to both the D-GIDE and the CPU.

Motherboard: Still in the late design stages, the motherboard is nearing completion. Roughly 6.5" wide x 9.5" tall, the mainboard was designed to fit directly into a Micro-ATX case. It contains the standard 20-pin power socket used by the ATX power supply, Real Time Clock, 4-port Serial controller, 25-level interrupt system, port decoding, rear-of-the-case I/O connections, four 8-bit (62 pin, PC-XT type) expansion connectors, and mounts for LAN and dual USB host adapters.

LAN: The LAN adapter mounts directly to the motherboard and uses one of the four serial ports for I/O. It has been tested and works well for Terminal I/O via the LAN connected to a Windows XP machine. The BIOS still needs to be adapted for this use of the LAN adapter.

USB: The USB adapter also mounts directly to the motherboard, and also uses one of the four serial ports for I/O. It contains dual Type-A USB connectors and an SD memory card connector. It can directly handle SD card and USB Thumb Drives with the FAT (-12, -16, or -32) file system installed. All file system I/O is handled by the adapter. It can also support mouse, printer, and keyboard devices via the USB ports, although these applications require additional software drivers. The USB adapter is a recent addition to the motherboard, so the full capability is still under investigation.

Final system costs are still being investigated and will be determined by pre-orders. The major cost factor will be the production PCBs, and a larger bulk purchase will bring the cost down considerably. Pre-order can be placed via e-mail here.

: Two prototype CPU and D-GIDE kits are available now. Inquire here for costs.

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