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Jagcf Final Prototypes


GT Turbo

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Yes a long time without any news about the JagCF, here comes two beautiful photos from the PCB :

 

 

Jag_CF_avant.jpg

 

Jag_CF_arriere.jpg

 

Just hoping SCPCD et Zerosquare will give you more infos in the next days ;)

 

 

GT Turbo :poulpe:

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Very exciting!

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Yes, we finally got the PCBs from the manufacturer... the afternoon before the AC opening, in fact, so no time to solder the components (yet ;) )

 

What you see are the first 4 prototypes. Two of them are for SCPCD and me, to check that the hardware is working as intended. The remaining two will probably be used for network testing, and may be sold if there are collectors interested in them :)

 

The pictures are not ideal, because the PCB were still packaged inside a transparent plastic film ; we didn't remove it to keep them protected until they're soldered. The whitish look on the pads is because of the silver plating (it was cheaper than gold plating, and it is a better conductor, actually). Besides the two sides shown, there are four internal copper layers.

 

And I won't tell how much those 4 PCBs cost us, but they're not exactly cheap :D

(but it's only because of the low volume : they're much cheaper if you make several tenths of them)

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if there are collectors interested in them :)

 

Where on earth have you seen collectors in the Jaguar community?

 

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here comes two beautiful photos from the PCB:

 

That is a beautiful layout! The placement is very symmetrical which is a sign of a well thought-out design. And the routing is nice and direct. I guess that's the advantage of FPGAs. :D

 

- KS

 

P.S. Built-in USB support? Nice!

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Well that's pretty awesome guys! Nice! :DB)

 

Now, if the testing goes well and you do not have to make any more changes to the PCB, how long will it be before you can order a decent size run of them and start selling? :P Or is it just a random thing totally dependent on how much free time may or may not be available to both of you?

 

Question 2: When/If you order a larger run, can the PCB manufacturer solder all the components on for you so it will be faster and easier to populate the boards, saving work and time for you?

 

I bet there were some significant changes on these PCBs compared to that other Proto CF cart you guys have, that I saw demonstrated at one of the Jag shows and in some older pictures.

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Thanks for the kind comments :)

 

kskunk > They're fake USB ports. ;)

Actually, they're PS/2 ports with the equivalent of an embedded USB-to-PS/2 plug adapter (a lot of USB mice and keyboards also support the PS/2 protocol). We couldn't use the standard mini-DIN connectors, because there wasn't enough space left on the PCB. We also considered implementing real USB ports, but it would have made the hardware (and software) too complex. For those who would like to use real PS/2 devices, PS/2-to-USB plug adapters also exist.

 

ovalbugmann > Free time is indeed an important factor, so we prefer not to announce any release date... not yet, at least :)

And the production run will be machine-soldered. SCPCD says he'd be able to solder them by hand, but I don't want him to end up in an psychiatric asylum :D

 

atari_fan > No pre-orders yet. We want to be sure everything is OK first. :)

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Versailles, France...

 

Right, you caught me :lol:

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Great! Thanks for the info Zero - yes machine soldered components to easily populate will be nice! I await the CF's fruition with a fervor & ardor. B)

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  • 2 weeks later...

:yes: Let us know how testing and evaluation of this revised, and hopfully final, CF Prototype goes for you guys. I am optimistic that there are no major hurdles left to jump.

 

:D

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Oh WOW!!! That is really really nice! I am so glad Jagware has continued to develop the JagCF and I very much loook forward to it's release later this year(hopefully). Thank you GT Turbo for these great pictures, and I hope testing goes well so a production run can be made. I appreciate the JagCF updates as of late, they are quite re-assuring that this device will make it out to the Jaguar fans in the U.S. :D

 

France and Jagware rocks! B)

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