The first batch of the highly anticipated Carte Blanche card is now shipping. Apple II enthusiasts who reserved a CB are being notified that their card is ready for shipment.
Carte Blanche has been completed and your remaining card is now ready for delivery. All cards have been fully tested, packed and are ready to go.
You will receive:
– Carte Blanche
– SVGA Adaptor Board and Cable
– Mounting Hardware Kit (hex nut and bolts to suit the Apple IIe/IIgs chassis)
– JTAG cable set
– Demo SD Card
– Bitstream SD card
– Molex connector (for developing a plug on board)
– Screw kit (Three screws for securing plug on boards to Carte Blanche)
– Shunt/Jumper (To enable/disable card features).Carte Blanche is an open source comprehensive logic resource board for the Apple II. The hardware and software code loaded into Carte Blanche on shipping is an enhanced version of Alex Freed’s open source Pseudo Disk ][ called JAT (version 1). JAT v01 is the standard demonstration code that allows Carte Blanche to be used out of the box when you receive it.
JAT v01 Features:
– Standard VGA video interface for Apple IIe – supporting 40 and 80 col text, low and hi-res graphics (but currently not double hi-res)
– Software library storage based on SD cards using read-only Apple floppy disk emulation (one demo SD card supplied with examples)
– Apple II software is stored as .NIB images directly onto FAT formatted SD cards, manageable by conventional PC’s.
– Menu driven disk selection on boot up (optional with supplied jumper).Other hardware, firmware and software examples, including diagnostics and open source resources will be made available on each of the Carte Blanche websites noted below in the following weeks. Schematics and gerbers will also be published.
On receipt of your card, please check: http://alexfreed.com/FPGApple/CarteBlanche1.html and http://www.applelogic.org/CarteBlanche.html for technical data and the latest information and examples for your cards.
A note of caution regarding compatibility of modern FPGA’s and the Apple IIe; Carte Blanche uses a Xilinx XC3S series logic device to provide a plethora of resources to plug in Apple II hardware designs. The FPGA’s only requirement is clean quick power. Carte Blanche has an onboard software selectable configuration delay of either 40ms or 220ms, allowing the power supply in the Apple II to reach regulation. It has been noted though, that with the aging of some Apple supplies (especially clones), they take longer to reach regulation when the capacitors of the supplies are dried out.
Payment requirements:
Each Carte Blanche is $US238.50, which includes courier delivery costs. For US residents only, payments can either be made via cheque, made out to “Freed Consulting” (for California Residents, a 9.25% sales tax applies). Or if you wish to pay via Paypal, a transaction fee of $8 must be included in addition, bringing the total to US$246.50 per card. Please make Paypal payments to: steveh @ postoffice . utas . edu . au with the serial number of your card(s).
Delivery: Your Carte Blanche card will be delivered to you via EMS couriers (international).
Thank you for your interest and support in Carte Blanche. If you have any suggestions or opinions, we very much look forward to your feedback.
With thanks,
best regards,
Steve and Alex