Anton's Journal

This is a place where I will collect general notes and thoughts on projects I pick up ad-hoc, or other stuff that takes my interest and I experiment with.

Create a new article with make or make new (same). Ensure this README is updated correctly at the end, too.

Index

2019

Click to open:

• 0001-2019-11-28.md: Digispark tiny Arduino-based minimal USB device.
• 0002-2019-12-02.md: Digispark code experiments, Arduino basics, system requirements.
• 0003-2019-12-03.md: Digispark virtual keyboard experiments.
• 0004-2019-12-04.md: Stuff about installing Arduino libs.
• ...TBC...
• 0009-2019-12-19.md: Quick update re DigiCDC (more minimal USB stuff).

2020

Click to open:

A lot of 2020 was about FPGA/CPLD/Verilog stuff, starting with entry 0022

• 0010-2020-01-06.md: Blender 3D SVG path offset extrusion, i.e. Straight Skeleton.
• 0011-2020-01-07.md: Geeetech A10 3D printer bed adhesion notes.
• ...TBC...
• 0021-2020-05-24.md: FPGA/Verilog getting started; XC9572 CPLD board design initial notes.
• 0022-2020-05-26.md: CPLD board, KiCad notes, Xilinx ISE Webpack.
• 0023-2020-05-29.md: Lab setup, XC9572XL CPLD board prep notes.
• 0024-2020-06-02.md: Quick notes about JLCPCB and other PCB ideas.
• 0025-2020-06-04.md: NES Dev board ideas and some thoughts on STM32 types, speed, overclocking.
• 0026-2020-06-06.md: Initial tests of DP's XC9572XL CPLD board, Bus Pirate, XSVF player, JTAG.
• 0027-2020-06-08.md: Quick notes on my CPLD board, Xilinx ISE on Linux.
• 0028-2020-06-09.md: More Xilinx ISE and PACE stuff. Success!
• 0029-2020-06-15.md: Following fpga4fun.com on my CPLD board.
• 0030-2020-06-17.md: test05f/g/h (music) designs, and working around ISE/Fitter/Synth bugs.
• 0031-2020-06-19.md: test05h: Calculating notes.
• 0032-2020-06-20.md: CPLD optimisation/fitting and more music box stuff.
• 0033-2020-06-21.md: Quick note about starting a Pong-like design.
• 0034-2020-06-22.md: Basic VGA output working from by XC9572XL CPLD board.
• ...TBC...
• 0046-2020-07-22.md: Starting CPLD t09a
• 0047-2020-07-25.md: CPLD t09a: VGA image from ROM plug-in board
• 0048-2020-07-29.md: CPLD t09c rough notes
• 0049-2020-08-02.md: CPLD t09d: ROM-based tile map VGA renderer.
• 0050-2020-08-03.md: Verilator and vgasim.
• 0051-2020-08-04.md: More Verilator: Register initialisation/randomisation.
• ...TBC...
• 0057-2020-08-10.md: Quick notes about GT's (ZipCPU's) Verilator simulation models, re QSPIFLASHSIM.
• 0058-2020-08-11.md: Last from 2020: Some FPGA/CPLD/Verilog/Verilator final notes and thoughts about 6502 DMA/Video bus sharing.

2022

Click to open:

• 0059-2022-04-02.md: Restart from 2022: Some VirtualBox symlinks stuff under Windows 10 host.
• 0060-2022-11-23.md: Loose notes and next steps after Connectorama (ACUcard) first attempt.

2023

Click to open:

• 0061-2023-04-16.md: ASIC stuff with a focus on ray casting.
• 0062-2023-04-17.md: Fiddling with Raybox ideas.
• 0063-2023-04-18.md: Mostly notes about Verilog division and reciprocals.
• 0064-2023-04-21.md: Summary of basic fake rendering stuff, and a basic plan for what comes next.
• 0065-2023-04-23.md: Quick notes mostly about Verilog
• 0066-2023-04-26.md: Lots of notes about TT03 and running Tiny Tapeout GDS build locally
• 0067-2023-04-27.md: Some more quick notes about TT03
• 0068-2023-04-28.md: Starting fixed-point mode in raybox-app. Notes on VSCode C++ debugging.
• 0069-2023-04-29.md: Running Raybox on an FPGA.
• 0070-2023-04-30.md: Raybox starting Q16.16. Other future ideas.
• 0071-2023-05-01.md: Raybox wall edge glitch fixed! Q16.16 working. What next?
• 0072-2023-05-02.md: Raybox map grid boundary glitch fixed.
• 0073-2023-05-03.md: Raybox LZC alternatives. Rotation issues.
• 0074-2023-05-04.md: Diagnosing/fixing Raybox on FPGA.
• 0075-2023-05-06.md: Notes for some Raybox stuff to look at next
• 0076-2023-05-07.md: Raybox axis glitch fixed? Other ideas for host control
• 0077-2023-05-09.md: Raybox sim builds under Windows now and supports mouse rotation.
• 0078-2023-05-10.md: Raybox wall textures, thoughts on RAM
• 0079-2023-05-12.md: Raybox improved column rendering/scaling
• 0080-2023-05-16.md: Raybox starting work on sprites
• 0081-2023-05-20.md: First Raybox sprite seems to project OK
• 0082-2023-05-22.md: Raybox sprite extra scaling and screen 640-width
• 0083-2023-05-23.md: Tidying Raybox for targeting OpenLane
• 0084-2023-05-24.md: Merged Raybox sprites branch. Notes on OpenLane.
• 0085-2023-05-25.md: Raybox 64x64 map with multiple wall types supported
• 0086-2023-05-26.md: Quick notes on ideas for sending data to the FPGA
• 0087-2023-05-27.md: OpenLane experiments with reciprocal approximation design
• 0088-2023-05-28.md: Quick notes about LZC and cocotb
• 0089-2023-06-05.md: Notes about solo_squash tt03p5 submission
• 0090-2023-06-06.md: PC to DE0-Nano bridging ideas inc. IO expanders
• 0091-2023-06-07.md: Notes about STM32 USB and virtual COM
• 0092-2023-06-08.md: STM32 vs Raspberry Pi Pico
• 0093-2023-06-09.md: Follow along with Pi Pico C SDK guide
• 0094-2023-06-12.md: Pi Pico to DE0-Nano pin mapping
• 0095-2023-06-14.md: Pi Pico stdio coding on Wokwi
• 0096-2023-06-17.md: Getting Pico-DE0 REPL working just for GPIO reads
• 0097-2023-06-18.md: Pico-DE0 firmware supports basic I/O control now
• 0098-2023-06-19.md: Pico-DE0 improvements and readying for Raybox IO
• 0099-2023-06-20.md: Notes on Pico-DE0 speed
• 0100-2023-06-21.md: Basic plans for next steps in Pico-DE0 and Raybox
• 0101-2023-06-22.md: Working on raybox-bridge
• 0102-2023-06-25.md: Raybox-bridge time scheduling and USB transfer
• 0103-2023-06-26.md: Quick raybox-bridge notes and next steps
• 0104-2023-06-27.md: FPGA vga_cursor design works with raybox-bridge. Quartus project notes.
• 0105-2023-06-29.md: vga_cursor initial test findings
• 0106-2023-06-30.md: Quick update on vga_cursor with circle-cursor test
• 0107-2023-07-02.md: Notes on changing vga_cursor to SPI
• 0108-2023-07-03.md: vga_cursor now works via SPI
• 0109-2023-07-06.md: PicoDeo SPI /cursor command with raybox-bridge support
• 0110-2023-07-07.md: Raybox: DE0-Nano builds again. PicoDeo /rbvectors. Windows Verilator notes.
• 0111-2023-07-10.md: raybox-bridge basic FPS game state tracking
• 0112-2023-07-11.md: raybox-bridge sends vector (view) data, enabling KB/Mouse control in Raybox
• 0113-2023-07-12.md: Starting BOOP! game for Lily
• 0114-2023-07-13.md: Notes on next steps for Raybox
• 0115-2023-07-14.md: Quick notes on VGA DAC and 2D grid collision detection
• 0116-2023-07-16.md: raybox-game with basic collision detection
• 0117-2023-07-18.md: Thoughts on targeting Tiny Tapeout with Raybox
• 0118-2023-07-19.md: Some TT04 ideas
• 0119-2023-07-22.md: Let's get started with TT04
• 0120-2023-07-24.md: tt04-solo-squash next steps
• 0121-2023-07-26.md: Setting up tt04-solo-squash to use solo_squash submodule
• 0122-2023-07-27.md: tt04-solo-squash stuff
• 0123-2023-08-14.md: Quick update re raybox-zero
• 0124-2023-08-16.md: Another quick raybox-zero update
• 0125-2023-08-18.md: raybox-zero tracing works
• 0126-2023-08-19.md: tt04-raybox-zero started, but gds hardening crashes
• 0127-2023-08-20.md: Exploring tt04-raybox-zero synthesis, chasing yosys-abc bug
• 0128-2023-08-21.md: Starting tt04-reciprocal test
• 0129-2023-08-22.md: tt04-reciprocal findings and next steps on yosys-abc bug hunt
• 0130-2023-08-23.md: More yosys-abc bug hunting
• 0131-2023-08-24.md: raybox-zero: Improving the FSM
• 0132-2023-08-25.md: tt04-raybox-zero harden_test.sh script for stats
• 0133-2023-08-26.md: Setting up MPW8 VM again on a new laptop
• 0134-2023-08-27.md: raybox-zero SPI access to pov
• 0135-2023-08-28.md: raybox-zero sim kb/mouse control and partial POV SPI synth success
• 0136-2023-08-29.md: Working on wall_tracer changes
• 0137-2023-08-30.md: raybox-zero: Merging height_scaler
• 0138-2023-08-31.md: raybox-zero: Minor update
• 0139-2023-09-01.md: Improved harden_test, more test results
• 0140-2023-09-02.md: raybox-zero test005: Shared multiplier is a winner?
• 0141-2023-09-03.md: test006: shmul registered inputs; test007 reg rcp_in
• 0142-2023-09-04.md: test008: put a shmul in rcp and mainline test005
• 0143-2023-09-05.md: test009 (reducing pov bit ranges); test010 (fixed-point use Q10.10)
• 0144-2023-09-06.md: Work on implementing textures
• 0145-2023-09-08.md: Notes during TT04 final submission
• 0146-2023-09-26.md: VGA DAC PCB
• 0147-2023-09-27.md: What next: TT05 etc.
• 0148-2023-09-28.md: General updates, looking into VM speed
• 0149-2023-09-30.md: SPI flash ROM stuff
• 0150-2023-10-02.md: Reading SPI flash ROM using Bus Pirate
• 0151-2023-10-03.md: More SPI flash ROM stuff
• 0152-2023-10-04.md: Preparing for SPI flash ROM cocotb tests
• 0153-2023-10-06.md: SPI flash ROM FPGA tests
• 0154-2023-10-07.md: More SPI stuff
• 0155-2023-10-09.md: tt05-vga-spi-rom TT05 submission
• 0156-2023-10-10.md: tt05-vga-spi-rom improvements
• 0157-2023-10-11.md: tt05-vga-spi-rom and cocotb stuff
• 0158-2023-10-13.md: A bunch of tt05vsr (tt05-vga-spi-rom) tests
• 0159-2023-10-14.md: Continuing tt05vsr (tt05-vga-spi-rom) tests
• 0160-2023-10-16.md: Work on raybox-zero update for chipIgnite
• 0161-2023-10-17.md: Lots of chipIgnite notes
• 0162-2023-10-20.md: raybox-zero textures from external ROM
• 0163-2023-10-22.md: Working on QSPI
• 0164-2023-10-23.md: Implementing QSPI in tt05vsr and raybox-zero
• 0165-2023-10-24.md: raybox-zero OpenLane hardening
• 0166-2023-10-26.md: Preparing for chipIgnite
• 0167-2023-10-27.md: More prep for chipIgnite
• 0168-2023-10-28.md: Again more prep for chipIgnite
• 0169-2023-10-30.md: Snippets for other modes of top_ew_algofoogle
• 0170-2023-10-31.md: top_ew_algofoogle next steps
• 0171-2023-11-03.md: Getting down to the final steps for chipIgnite
• 0172-2023-11-04.md: Some fixes to raybox-zero-caravel
• 0173-2023-11-18.md: Analog start: installing xschem
• 0174-2023-11-19.md: sky130 analog simulation with xschem
• 0175-2023-11-20.md: More xschem and sky130
• 0176-2023-11-22.md: Tiny update re xschem/sky130
• 0177-2023-11-27.md: GFMPW-1 test (gf180mcu)
• 0178-2023-11-28.md: GFMPW-1 attempt at raybox-zero
• 0179-2023-11-30.md: Quick update re GFMPW-1 attempts
• 0180-2023-12-01.md: GFMPW-1 raybox-zero hardening
• 0181-2023-12-02.md: Getting algofoogle-multi-caravel up to efabless
• 0182-2023-12-03.md: GFMPW-1: Trying to fix UPW harden for gf180-rbz-fsm
• 0183-2023-12-04.md: Continue trying to fix rbz-fsm harden for GF180
• 0184-2023-12-05.md: First rough success hardening raybox-zero-fsm/UPW
• 0185-2023-12-06.md: Mux for GFMPW-1 group submission
• 0186-2023-12-08.md: Improving GFMPW-1 muti-project mux and layout
• 0187-2023-12-09.md: GFMPW-1 mux and group plan
• 0188-2023-12-10.md: GFMPW-1 Finalisation plan for today
• 0189-2023-12-11.md: GFMPW-1 finalisation

2024

• 0190-2024-01-17.md: PCB assembly with JLC PCB
• 0191-2024-01-31.md: Soldering QFNs and GFMPW0 bring-up
• 0192-2024-02-02.md: More GFMPW0 bringup prep and other notes
• 0193-2024-02-03.md: GFMPW0 smoke test
• 0194-2024-02-05.md: Getting TT03p5 ready for demo
• 0195-2024-03-23.md: Coming back to life (mostly about a new MPW9 VM)
• 0196-2024-03-30.md: TT04 raybox-zero test prep
• 0197-2024-04-02.md: Diagnosing tt04-raybox-zero ASIC malfunction
• 0198-2024-04-03.md: TT04 bug GL sim; fix VBox VT-x; analog stuff
• 0199-2024-04-04.md: Quick update: sky130 and Tiny Tapeout analog design
• 0200-2024-04-05.md: Belated update (TT chips, and analog)
• 0201-2024-05-11.md: Warming up for TT07 (tt-vga-fun)
• 0202-2024-05-15.md: Full layout simulation of tt06-grab-bag
• 0203-2024-05-20.md: ngspice full-circuit simulation results and improvements
• 0204-2024-05-25.md: Prep resubmission of TT04's raybox-zero to TT07
• 0205-2024-05-30.md: Very rough mixed notes about TT07 and starting TT04 testing
• 0206-2024-06-26.md: Trying out Efabless eval board and generic Caravel chip
• 0207-2024-06-28.md: Testing Caravel chips with HKDebug and the Efabless Eval board
• 0208-2024-07-05.md: Trying out CI2311 chips
• 0209-2024-07-23.md: Review original binary-weighted current-switching DAC
• 0210-2024-08-09.md: Current steering DAC experiments
• 0211-2024-08-09.md: Start tt08-vga-fun repo
• 0212-2024-08-11.md: Creating layout for tt08-vga-fun's CSDAC
• 0213-2024-08-16.md: Completed csdac_nom initial layout for tt08-vga-fun
• 0214-2024-08-17.md: Integrating digital and analog blocks in tt08-vga-fun
• 0215-2024-08-21.md: New 3x DAC layout and simulation for tt08-vga-fun
• 0216-2024-08-23.md: Notes for tt08-vga-fun finalisation inc. segmented CSDAC
• 0217-2024-09-29.md: Notes on CI2311 and GFMPW-1 versions of raybox-zero
• 0218-2024-10-05.md: GFMPW-1 basic bring-up
• 0219-2024-10-07.md: GFMPW-1 bring-up (continued)
• 0220-2024-10-11.md: Raybox-zero running on GFMPW-1
• 0221-2024-10-11.md: Quick first attempt at TTIHP0p2
• 0222-2024-10-19.md: