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A 4Mg Static RAM S-100 board

M

monahan_z

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
263
Location
San Ramon, CA
In our continuing efforts to build new S-100 boards, Andre and I have just completed a 4Mg Static RAM S-100 board. While this board will work with current 8 bit systems it is really for 16 bit systems (8086, 80286 and 80386 etc.) we currently have in the works.
This is just a prototype. Will give more details over the next few weeks. You can follow progress here:-
http://s100computers.com/My System Pages/RAM Board/4MG RAM Board.htm
 
Hi! Finally the S-100 4MB SRAM board is nearing its PCB manufacturing order. It completed trace route optimization last night and I added some final tweaks. It has a couple more checks and with any luck will be sent to manufacturing order tonight. There are about 17 people who've expressed interest in getting their own S-100 4MB SRAM board so I'll order enough for them and a few extras. I am not sure what the final unit cost will be but am estimating about $20 each plus or minus a few bucks. If you are interested please let me know.

The good news is with the SRAM board finally almost done we can focus on some of the other boards in work. John and I am are working on another PCB prototype round on the SMB (aka Front Panel). With some luck we'll have that prototype PCB ordered by this weekend and then it will be just letting it finish in the trace router until it is ready for PCB manufacturing order.

After the SMB prototype will hopefully be the Z80 CPU first round prototype. Given its complexity, I suspect that it will also have multiple rounds of prototype PCBs but I hope it will go smoothly. There are numerous "cats and dogs" boards in the works too in varying states of readiness waiting their turn in the queue such as S-100 EPROM, S-100 PIC/RTC, and S-100 bus extender.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Hi! I ordered the S-100 SRAM boards last night. Tonight I'll be working on the next SMB prototype board and hopefully getting that going.

I've also ordered another batch of the XT-IDE boards (different thread) and the first manufactured PCBs of the N8VEM SCG.

There has been a lot of activity lately! It is good to see some of these many project either delivering the final product or coming close.

Either the S-100 bus extender prototype PCB or the S-100 Z80 CPU board prototype PCB will follow once these boards make it through the build and test phase.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Andrew, John,

Please put me down for the 4MB Ram card, Z80 CPU card and the S-100 Backplane. I'm still on for the IDE card too
I wasn't sure if you needed paymnt yet for the IDE pcb.

I saw on John's website that the backplanes are sold out, but I see 12 people on that waiting list, is this a new list ?

In the other Z80 card thread, you mentioned something about the Eprom card, would this be next in line ?

Because then I like to build a standalone S-100 system that I could use for development.

But I noticed that the Z80 card(Intersystems Series II) doesn't have a serial port and the PC Keybd adpater card is keybd only. I guess we have to continue to use a separate Serial card for now ?


thanks !
=Dan
 
Ragooman said:
Andrew, John,

Please put me down for the 4MB Ram card, Z80 CPU card and the S-100 Backplane. I'm still on for the IDE card too
I wasn't sure if you needed paymnt yet for the IDE pcb.

I saw on John's website that the backplanes are sold out, but I see 12 people on that waiting list, is this a new list ?

In the other Z80 card thread, you mentioned something about the Eprom card, would this be next in line ?

Because then I like to build a standalone S-100 system that I could use for development.

But I noticed that the Z80 card(Intersystems Series II) doesn't have a serial port and the PC Keybd adpater card is keybd only. I guess we have to continue to use a separate Serial card for now ?


thanks !
=Dan
Click to expand...


Hi Dan! Thanks! Please do not send any money until the PCBs arrive. I will post here and send an email to everyone who has requested boards. You are exactly right -- the plan is to make a completely independent S-100 hobbyist system anyone can build from scratch. Some of the major pieces exist, some are in development, and others are still on the drawing board. The "core" parts are the backplane, SRAM board, Z80 CPU board, and Console IO. The backplane is available now pending PCB reorder, the SRAM board is on its way, the Z80 CPU board is nearing build and test of prototype and the Console IO (serial IO) board is still on the drawing board. The system won't be complete until all the "core" boards are available and I don't have an estimate for when that will be done.

Your order for the S-100 IDE board is still good as are all the others and there is only one waiting list for the S-100 boards. My plan was to start making PCB manufacturing orders for the existing and/or updated S-100 boards we already have (backplane, prototyping, IDE, ASCII keyboard, etc) but current events put that on hold. My focus now is to get the planned S-100 boards designed and prototyped and am deferring the PCB manufacturing until things slow down a bit and I get more free time.

The next manufactured PCB will be the S-100 SRAM board probably followed by the S-100 SMB depending on how it goes. My plan is to make PCB manufacturing orders for the newest boards first and then as time permits go back and make reorders and/or update the existing designs. The PCB manufacturing orders cost typically several hundred dollars each so I have to spread them out. I'll make an order, distribute boards, recoup the expenses, make another order, etc as budget and time permit.

I know this project probably seems like it is taking forever but it just takes time and patience to work through all the issues. We'll get there before too long though. I can definitely see progress and the goal is in sight. Once the "core" boards are available, then as John puts it we can work on the "interesting" boards and there are a whole bunch of those too. Right now we are struggling with the basics!

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Hi! Good news! The S-100 4MB SRAM boards have finally arrived. I sent an announcement email out to the builders on the waiting list last night. Tonight I'll send out the first round of boards. They look wonderful and after two rounds of internal prototypes I think these boards are going to be really nice.

There are enough boards for everyone who asked for one on the waiting list. My plan is to "burn down" the stack of boards and still have a few remaining units. When those run out I'll order some replacement boards. Following this pattern, my goal is to go through the list of boards and get them out to everyone who wants them and build up a small inventory so we can just handle them as they come in rather than cycling through group orders.

Unfortunately these boards are rather expensive although with the current arrangement I was able to keep costs per unit to $20 per PCB plus shipping.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Hi! Well the good news is that I've shipped most of the S-100 4MB SRAM boards. There are a small number left and a similar number of remaining outstanding orders.

Now that these boards are out my plan is to start the next round. That'll probably be another run of either the S-100 IDE board or the S-100 buffered prototype. There should be enough time for it before its time to order another of the new boards.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Hi! This last weekend I ordered another batch of these S-100 4MB SRAM boards. They were very popular last time around and if you are interested please contact me.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch

PS, I have a small number of S-100 PIC/RTC, S-100 parallel ASCII keyboard converter, and S-100 regular prototyping boards. The S-100 PIC/RTC will be particularily useful when the S-100 8086 CPU board comes out later this year.
 
Hi! I did a recent reorder of the S-100 4MB SRAM boards and have a few left over. If you would like one they are $20 each plus $3 shipping in the US or $6 elsewhere.

These boards were very popular last year and many builders requested for another batch. I got some extra PCBs anticipating there would be others coming along later.

These boards have no known defects AFAIK and dozens builders have gotten them since last year. They can use either SRAM or Flash memory chips and are all DIP/PTH construction for easy assembly.

Please contact me if you would like one or more. Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch

PS I set up a Google Group for announcements on the S100computers and N8VEM S-100 projects called N8VEM-S100
 
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