ZX-Uno

Hi,

*sorry*, but I don't understand spannish and G**GLE (my best friend) isn't able to translate the forum in a way that I can understand it...

Is there anybody out there who has experience with the ZX-Uno XL? The board is nice for some solutions such as the bridge rectifier which makes it work with any PSU and was the reason why I bought it. On the other side it seems to be crap for some solutions. The speaker doesn't really work and audio out is crap...

On the good side to me also the connector for ZX-Uno Extentions should be mentioned.

BAD though is the Extention connector to the board. A Plug would have been 100.000.000.000% better than this "Platinenstecker" which is able to be connected/disconnected aprox. 10 times max!

Any suggestions from your side?

THNX 4 info.

MfG
der Eratosthenes

I belive you are one of the first ones having an XL in this forum, and it's good to see a close photograph of the board. Could you make more photographs from different angles so we can see how it's done?

I helped desing it's close competitor, the ZX GO+, and for what I've seen, different design decisions were taken in the XL, what doesn't have to mean they are worse, just different and probably not the ones I'd chosen.

The fact is building a board like this to fit in a 48K case, forces you to take decisions about priority. For instance in the GO+ PS/2 connector was considered high priority, and that's why it using the 9V DC hole, also we considered RGB connection key, so instead of composite video, the RGB connector is in the TV hole. I think both PS/2 and RGB connectors are present in the XL, I guess those two silver connectors are exactly that, but you have to cut the case to make them avaliable.

On the other side, the pros I see in the XL, it's the any-PSU-is-OK thing, and a better expansion card (I think go+ one is even weaker, though I'm not sure cause I don't really use it cause I'm not a joystick fan).

Hi,

thanks for the info.

The "design decisions" made me buying the XL. As I've got a ZX-Uno 2M VGA I know that his (this?) hardware is working well...

To me the "WhoCaresPowerSupplySolution" is a killer criteria. This is the way I'd have built it.

All the rest how the board is build is looking good to me.

I think it's a challenge to enable all the features you want to. Especially if it's some kind of "hobbyist-project-stuff"!

So if "8bits4ever" is looking @ this forum: The ZX-Uno XL to me is a "well performed" solution.

What is CRAP though is that I do not know "WHO THE F*CK IS 8bits4ever". I do not have any name or even where they come from.
(Usually I definitely wouldn't have bought anything from a F*CKING seller like this... - sorry for this but I'm really "unpleasant" about this behaviour of them)

It's sad that there is so much interference on the audio lines. The rest - hopefully - will work for me.

@GO+: I haven't seen the board. If it's as well built as the ZX-Uno VGA I think it's the better solution.
(If you'd have added the "who cares power supply adapter", I would have bought this solution...)

P.S.: The 2nd reason (==design decision) was that the CVBS is there. => My wishes seem to differ to GO+ ones...
RGB is nice but as long as there is not "Sync on Green" many of elder german SCART TVs do not work with the RGB out...

P^2.S.: Do you have a solution for "Sync on green" for the ZX-Uno 2M VGA? - You would "earn a real friend" if you will add this...

@Eratosthenes - i dont have that board in my collection... dont know about those problems

did you try to talk with daniel? by email? contact form on website? facebook?

I'm afraid I don't know about the sync on green issue but maybe if you open an specific thread about it in the forum someone can help.

This is the GO+ board, so you can check:

You can also use DIN9 to VGA cable or composite video output in GO+ with this cheap cable
https://es.aliexpress.com/store/product ... autifyAB=0
If your board include composite video mod components.

I think I've posted here in the forum according to sync on green ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video_sync ) earlier. SOG is needed for many older TVs including flat screens when using SCART RGB input. Possibly it's only a problem for TVs/monitors sold in Germany...

As I'm using a VGA monitor for the ZX-Uno 2M VGA I don't have this issue anymore.

P.S. @Uto/ManuFerHi: Of course I've seen photos of the GO+. But I never held one in my hands...
The GO+ is interesting and "a clever solution". As I know about the quality of the VGA 2M I think that everything will be fine with it.

Compared to the VGA 2M the ZX-Uno XL has some quirks. - Nevertheless, for me it is the better solution for my use case.

@quirks: For example I wouldn't expect issues with the built in speaker. The XL has a major problem with crosstalk on the audio line.
=> On the one hand it's nice to hear how the Spectrum is processing but in the long run this is irritating somehow... ;-> As I'd like to have the native 48k Sound inside the case this is a restriction. But it's OK for me.

The reason why I like the XL is that the connectors for video out and the power plug are the same as on the original 48k. I also like the solution having a power button without cutting holes into the case. As mentioned the power being reverse polarity protected AND able to handle +/- "as it comes" including voltage from less than 9V up to more than 12V is a killer criteria for me. Of course these are very specific requirements which I have.

Eratosthenes !

The very big problem with the ZX-UNO (XL) is the MiniDIN9 element on Eagle library.
Poor design !!!!!

Few pins on the schematics not same as the part (PCB design) pins of element.

It can not be repaired on the PCB.

Very annoying !

Hi gatora,

what does this mean?

I'm fine with the ZX-Uno XL except of some minor issues.

What's about the DIN9?

Using my board:
- cvbs works fine
- the idiots-like PCB voltage connector works fine to me
- sound (via mic) is OK
- VGA via the extended connector is OK
- PS/2 via the extended connector is OK
- WLAN works fine
- ...

- using the speaker is crap: "Not so well designed I think." ...

So what about DIN9? (I don't know about...)

THNX 4 the info.

Hi !

The MiniDIN9 bugs:

On the schematic pin7 is : R (red)
On the PCB the R (Red) is pin6.

On the schematic pin8 is: L-OUT
On the PCB the L-OUT is: pin7

On the schematic pin9 is: R-OUT
On the PCB the R-OUT is: pin8

On the schematic pin6 is: VSYNC
On the PCB the VSYNC is: pin5

On the schematic pin5 is: CSYNC
On the PCB the L-OUT is: pin9

The CVBS is OK.