Picomite

[Jeff_T]

I am getting close to trying basic on a pi pico, I was looking for a ready made picomite vga board to try some retro computing. This video was interesting and their board is just $12, I would find it hard to build one for less than that price

https://www.tindie.com/products/land_boards/raspberry-pi-pico-card-with-vga-sound-keyboard/

Are there any thoughts on this or a link to any alternatives.

[granz]

I have had my eye on that for quite a while. Land Boards seems like a pretty cool company (and that is one of my favorite products from them.)

There is another version of that board; version 2 (https://www.tindie.com/products/land_boards/raspberry-pi-pico-card-with-vga-sound-kbd-ver-2/) that costs the same (note that the $12 is only for the bare board - you will need to pay for everything else) but has more external GPIO (from the MCP23017 Port Expanders.) Actually, the assembled price ($60) is pretty good, unless you have a very well stocked parts bin. Also, consider replacing the Pico with the Pico 2W - that is what I am doing with my PicoCalc.

Also, apparently some of the newer MCP23017s do not have all of their IO pins available for input (https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/661173/output-only-io-expander-question).

If you just want to try PicoMite BASIC, you can just put a Pico onto a breadboard, then load that BASIC onto the Pico and get a feel for the BASIC via the USB serial link (use minicom if using Linux, or Tera Term if you use Windows.) This will let you get familiar with the system, and is still a lot of fun. But, I still recommend a full system like that Land Board system that you found.

[Jeff_T]

Thanks for the correction and feedback @granz , I have a bad habit of skimming the details sometimes. Still worth considering even the V 03 board is appealing.

I will definitely begin with a bare system connected over USB but I have a monitor just begging for a vga connected device  😁

[granz]

Thanks for the correction and feedback @granz , I have a bad habit of skimming the details sometimes. Still worth considering even the V 03 board is appealing.

Yeah, like I said, that Land Boards seems to be pretty good. I also just found out that they are in Connelsville, which is pretty close to me. I will try to get in touch with them and invite them to our meetup - although, then I may go broke, buying their stuff. 

I will definitely begin with a bare system connected over USB but I have a monitor just begging for a vga connected device  😁

Like I said, just plugging a Pico into a breadboard, and loading the PicoMite .UF2 firmware file, gives you a working system.


This is pretty much my first working with a Pico - except that I used a Pico, rather than this Pico 2W.

Even without the super cap, it works pretty well. How are you for the basic components? If you want, I can send you a couple of my old component packs.

[Jeff_T]

@granz 

although, then I may go broke, buying their stuff

that is too funny but I know the feeling.

I can send you a couple of my old component packs.

that is a kind offer, I don't keep a lot of parts laying around I just buy as needed and I am not sure where I am going next 

I read about a meet up in another post and I think it will be a lot of fun but I can't see it happening with me, this year anyway. I'm in TN btw.

I'll keep posting on the pico and basic stuff.