Balloon Hardware Choices
There are a number of subsystems in Balloon which can be considered independently. You may want to do a build without some of these sections if you don't need them to save cost and power consumption. We call each different build a variant
Variants only save money for a large enough quantity, but we want to be able to offer this approach. Experience so far suggests that a new variant can be set up for orders of at least 30 boards.
Below are the options, some notes about the choices, and examples of the currently available variants.
Balloon board
Fit Options (2.05)
The following
fit options are available for Balloon boards v2.05.
Other fit
options can be easily accommodated provided that they identify a unique set of
components that are either fitted or not fitted.
Options are
handled by tagging the relevant components in the schematic and using a
database to create the fit list by pulling out the relevant parts for the set
of options that have been selected for the build.
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Fit Options |
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Option
Name |
Description |
Parts Affected |
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ID |
Silicon ID chip provides unique ID for each Balloon board. |
U28 R59 |
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Colour_LCD Panel |
1.25mm Sockets for 8-16bit LCD. |
J6 J2 |
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CF_Card |
Buffers and socket for Compact FLASH. |
U21 C85 R52 C5 C79 C84 C6 C8 U13 RP25 RP24 C9 C7 C86 C17 D22 C20 D23 D21 C91 D17 C4 C93 R6 C82 J14 R54 U12 U10 C88 |
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|
Extra_USB |
Host USB Controller. |
R22 J21 U30 D20 RP28
RP27 J20 R30 U29 R71 R72 R32 C99 P73 X4 RP26 J16 C143 C144 C45 J19 J15 C51 |
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RTC |
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C44 RP30 U6 C50 X5 D19 D13 J17 |
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car_power |
Switching regulator for 5V generation. Allows Balloon to be operated from an unregulated DC supply (approx 9-12v) |
C105 JP1 P9 C112 C127 F18 R21 U5 D11 L9 D12 D10 R43 R7 R45 |
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LCD_Power |
Negative volts generator for LCD. For use with LCD panels that do not have built in Vneg generators. |
C135 U23 C137 L11 C134
R57 R58 C136 J13 R56 C107 C138 C133 D14 D15 R55 |
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backplane |
The 200 way Samtec bus expansion connector allows the Balloon board to be plugged into other boards. |
C21 U16 U11
U12 C4 C20 C1 R6 J4 C91 D16 C88 C86 C84 C5 C79 C9 U10 C8 C85 C93 C7 C82 U13
C6 C17 |
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Debug_Connectors |
JTAG connectors for StrongARM and CPLD. Essential if you are using JTAG to program the CPLD or on-board NOR Flash memory. |
J9 J1 |
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4bit_LCD_Panel |
Connectors for 4bit LCD. A subset of the LCD connectors for 4 bit displays (typically monochrome). |
J6 |
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Boot_NOR |
Boot NOR FLASH |
U4 |
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Extra_NAND |
NAND chips under Smart Media Socket. This option is mutually exclusive to the fitting of the smart media socket. If the SM socket is not fitted you can optionally fit these two extra NAND chips. (Note it would be possible to split this option if only one chip were needed). |
U26 U25 C104 C102 C101 C100 C103 |
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Smart Media |
Smart Media Socket allowing use of SM card. Note mutually exclusive to “Extra_NAND” option. |
J8 |
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3V Reg |
3v3 linear regulator from 5V. Normally Balloon is fed from a regulated 5v supply and hence this option is selected. However if you do not require audio or USB then Balloon can run from 3v3 alone. By *not* selecting this option this 3v3 could be supplied externally. For example if balloon is always used with the backplane. |
U22 |
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Audio |
Core Audio: Codec and clock generator. |
R29 R28 R20 R19 L4 L3 U18 U20 C52 C54 C53 C55 C56 C42 C47 C64 C66 C63 C46 C65 C48 C57 P84 C73 X3 |
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PINKO |
Micro match connector. |
J12 |
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Audio Mic |
Audio mic input socket. |
J10 R17 C108 C109 R18 |
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Audio Out |
Audio Line out connectors and filters. |
R23 R24 C111 C110 J11 |
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5V Power Switch |
5V Power switch for Audio and LCD. Note this is mutually exclusive with “No 5V Power Switch” as there are mutually exclusive components that must be fitted in each case. |
R47 U7 R49 |
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No 5V Power Switch |
No 5V Power switch is fitted (see Note on “5V Power Switch”) |
R12 R36 |
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Audio In |
Audio In from Micromatch connector or backplane mixes mono. Fits the audio channel mixing resistors on input. |
R26 R27 |
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No_232 |
No RS-232 Level shifter is fitted. You are strongly discouraged from using this option. |
R13 R14 |
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Audio PA |
Audio Power Amplifier. |
C58 U19 C60 C61 C69 L6 C59 C62 R16 C43 C71 C70 L7 C72 L5 L2 L1 C77 C68 L8 C67 C49 C76 |
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Reset Switch |
Push button Reset Switch. |
SW1 |
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Bottom Caps |
Bottom Side Smoothing Caps. Only needed if bottom side options are fitted e.g. RTC and CF, LCD Vneg etc. |
C120 C122 |
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Available Balloon Variants
Notes below describe some of the relationships between options.
| TCL | Aleph 2.05 | 2.05g | Hydra | |
| Core Audio, (Codec, Clock) | y | y | y | |
| Audio In (Mono) | y | y | ||
| Audio Mic In | y | y | ||
| Audio Power amp | y | y | ||
| Audio Out to speakers | y | y | ||
| Pinko audio I/O connector J12 | y | y | ||
| CF Card buffers and socket [1] | y | y | y | |
| Expansion bus, 200-way [1] | y | y | y | |
| Associated smoothing capacitors | y | y | y | |
| ID chip (unique) | y | y | y | y |
| JTAG connectors for CPLD & CPU | y | y | y | y |
| MEMORY: | ||||
| Boot Flash - 8MB NOR | y | y | y | y |
| RAM - 64MB | y | y | y | y |
| NAND Flash, MB | 64 | 192 [3] | 192 | |
| Smart Media Socket | y [3] | y | ||
| RS232 level shifter | y | y | y | |
| Real Time Clock | y | y | y | |
| Regulator, 3.3V from 5V | y | y | ||
| Switches for 5V power [2] | y | y | ||
| Reset pushbutton | y | y | y | |
| USB Host controller | y | y | y |
Some provision for driving LCD screens is made in the design: pads are present for connectors for the screens, and for fitting components to provide power to bias a screen. The connectors and components are not fitted, except on the Hydra variant, but can be fitted using a soldering iron.
Notes
- [1]
- Using the 200-way Expansion Bus to an accessory board AND the CF
socket requires the Samtec sockets to be higher than if there is no CF
socket, so that the accessory board will clear the CF socket. Where the
standard Samtec part number is QTE-100-01-L-D-A-K, the higher part is
QTE-100-03-L-D-A-K.
- [2]
Power supply options are complicated. The simplest power supply is regulated 3.3V When LCD, USB or Audio is required 5V must be provided from a separate regulated supply and the Linear Regulator used to get 3.3V from it. Switch ICs can be fitteded to select what devices will be powered; see the Schematics.
As linear regulators are not very efficient, it may we worth generating 5V from 3.3V OFF the board and supplying both where efficiency is important, for instance in battery operation.0 If there is no need for 5V then 3.3V supply alone is enough.
For higher supply voltages up to 42V it is possible to add components to generate 5V and 3.3V to drive the board. Consult us, specifying the voltage available to you.
CPU power at 1.8V is always generated from 3.3V on the board.
- [3]
- The Smart Media socket can only be fitted if NAND Flash is limited to one chip (Max 64MB), because of interference.
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