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Suggestions and Ideas for custom Omega2 Docks



  • Nevertheless the circuit should be double checked. šŸ˜‰ i.e. values and connections around C6, R4 and R5 . The Borg would say "Resistance is futile" :upside_down:
    Ī£ R1//R15//R24 ā‰ˆ 3.3K



  • @Calavero-. thanks for pointing all that out, dont know what i thought about those extra resistors on the poweron-rail.
    and also didnt noticed the wrong values on the 3v regulator. changed the values to fit the datasheed (150K and 680K) although C6 is alright.

    got some time this weekend to recheck everything.

    Corrected, thanks again šŸ™‚



  • @Matthias-Nowak said in Suggestions and Ideas for custom Omega2 Docks:

    ā€¦ although C6 is alright ā€¦
    almost - šŸ™‚ - 22 pF instead of 22nF



  • @Calavero-. ok, im blind šŸ˜„ 1h sleep isnt enough lol thanks again.



  • While we're at changing things,: i will maybr consider changing the lipo charger to something that can deliver a bit more current. 500mah seems a bit low for me. Like 1A would be more than enough.



  • Soooo, just to update stuff:

    Didnt worked on it bcs its still not known if the pinout has changed now or not, messaged them on KS though



  • Matthias

    Great work!
    Questions:

    1. Do you think MT7688's Ethernet controller is using 3.3V in its DC bias?
      I know Omega 1's using 2.0V bais, while many commercial SoC /CPU or standalone Ethernet MAC are using 1.8V.
      MT7688 datasheet as Onion linked does not have enough info on this.

    2. Even it's using 3.3V, probably you've already know this, Omega 2's Vout (Net_POW) pin is left open.
      There are two reserved spaces on PCB backside probably for 0 ohm resistor as jumper. But none populated.
      Also AFAIK, Omega 2 does not have 1.8V or 2V output lead exposed/available.

    Your comment is appreciated.

    ccs_hello



  • @ccs-hello

    Hey, havent been here for a few days and received my onions latery.

    Yeah, it really isnt connected, so im really wondering what theyre doing (still waiting for their schematic).
    But ive noticed that the LinkIt Smart 7688 also doesnt need a center tap voltage.
    And as you said, the Datasheet also doesnt give any indication.
    Makes you really wonder why, but seems like it works



  • Yeah, that design is (on facing MT7688 side) tying both the transformer magnetics Tx's CT and Rx's CT together, then thru 100 nF bypass capacitor to Gnd. No extra DC bias is applied. If that is the working design, it begins to make sense that
    Omega 2's Net_PWR output lead is left floating, since there is no DC voltage needs to be supplied.
    In another word, it's not 3.3V nor 2.0V DC bias.

    ccs_hello



  • My suggestion is a dock that holds a bunch of AAA batteries to power the thing. Maybe an on/off switch to go with it.

    Also, there should be a video out option. I know the official line is that the Omega2+ isn't powerful enough to output video, but that's horse hockey. That's thinking like a Millennial who only knows HDMI and 1080p.

    If the Atari 2600 could output composite video in 1977 with 128 BYTES of RAM running at 1MHz, then the Omega can do at least as good as a Commodore VIC-20.



  • @WayneL said in Suggestions and Ideas for custom Omega2 Docks:

    If the Atari 2600 could output composite video in 1977 with 128 BYTES of RAM running at 1MHz, then the Omega can do at least as good as a Commodore VIC-20.

    Apples and oranges. It wasn't the MOS 6507 on the Atari directly driving the composite-output, it was controlling the TIA, which did the actual driving of the analog signal. On the Omega2 there is no analog output at all and certainly nothing to drive a composite-output or the like at all; on the Atari 2600, the game-logic was running on the MOS and video-rendering and signal-driving happened on the TIA -- the CPU-speed is irrelevant wrt. video-output in such a setup.



  • @WereCatf But we're talking about building docks here. It doesn't matter what the Omega lacks, you add it in with the dock. Or its modern equivalent. That's the point.

    People have built entire Atari 2600's in form factors as small as an Omega2 dock before. Since the Omega can handle some parts of it, like power, it's far from impossible.

    So many Negative Nellies on the internet these days. Everything's a "no" before it's even been tried.



  • @WayneL said in Suggestions and Ideas for custom Omega2 Docks:

    Everything's a "no" before it's even been tried.

    Sorry, but nobody is really interested to do researches for you. If your lack of knowledge lets you believe everything is possible do it! Develop your own Hardware based on Omega2. Hard & software is open-source. Then you can also make your own request about your Omega2 based Hardware with Atari Display output šŸ˜‰



  • @WayneL said in Suggestions and Ideas for custom Omega2 Docks:

    So many Negative Nellies on the internet these days. Everything's a "no" before it's even been tried.

    I didn't say "no" or that it's not possible, I was saying your comparison is stupid. Of course you could even go and create a dock for driving twelve 8K-displays simultaneously, if you wanted to! Or 200 simultaneous composite-outputs! Nothing stopping you.



  • @WayneL i gotta revisit the schematic n everything when i have time this weekend, ive waited for my onion to arrive first so i can make sure they wont change anything in the pinout etc. AAA batteries would be obscolete when the dock has LiPo connectors and a charger on it, i would rather see the AAA as e-waste compared to lithium cells.

    And adding video-output is a rather special thing and out of scope for this project, im sorry. It would add a ton of software to be made or ported over from other SoC's and i dont think there is a huge interest in it.

    My two cents



  • @Matthias-Nowak Hello. What is the status of your docks?
    I really want one, but forgot about this while I waited for my Omega2.



  • @Flemming-Richter i dont have the time right now to work on them and also forgot about them because i got a different project running too. but i will probably check back this summer, so it will take time



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