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Hardware > Anyone using the Charmed Labs robot controller?

#57980 - legalize - Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:31 pm

Charmed Labs

Is anyone using their robot controller boards? Has anyone here done any FPGA coprocessor stuff with their boards?

Last edited by legalize on Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:31 pm; edited 1 time in total

#57994 - crossraleigh - Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:19 pm

AFAIK, Charmed Labs is not selling their robotics controller directly anymore. They are, however, selling something similar through Botball.

I have an Xport 2.0 (the SDRAM version, which they also aren't selling anymore), and while I've written some simple VHDL for it, I haven't done anything like coprocessing.

I mainly use mine as a devcart, and it indeed works well for that. It can be flashed while still inserted in the GBA (or DS), and it automatically resets the system for you.
_________________
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#58002 - legalize - Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:43 pm

You can still buy some kits directly from Charmed Labs according to their order page. The botball site doesn't sell the robot kit separately from a GBA, and I'm not really interested in buying another GBA, so....

How does the Xport 2.0 that you have compare to a flash cart like the X-ROM?

#58007 - crossraleigh - Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:40 pm

Which order page? This one lists the XRC as out of stock. This post is where they said they will no longer make them.

The Xport doesn't compare well with modern flash carts if you don't need the FPGA. It only has a 32 Mb chip, and no SRAM or EEPROM for saves. For half the price, you can get a flash cart with 8 times the memory, as well as savegame and RTC support.

If I were to buy a flash cart today, I think I would get the EFA II, since it can also be kept inserted, and apparently even supports automatic reset.
_________________
My world is black and white, but if I blink fast enough, I see it in grayscale.

#58011 - legalize - Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:11 am

Oh, I see now. Its the Xport 2.0 that's in stock, but it wasn't obvious at first that this is only the FPGA circuit with some headers and not the entire robot kit.