YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

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abysmal
 
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YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

Post by abysmal »

I have my YBOX2 on order, and want to mod it to add a SD card reader, so I have been on all of the usual propeller sites doing research and it has only brought me more questions, namely are all of the pins used for the network interface.

Scouring the net the developer(s) of the NIC interface and code seem to use almost the same usage either 5 or 4 pins on the propeller, where 5 pins seems to be the most used interface.

The YBOX2 uses 8, one of these being used as a software clock signal (p7 on the propeller instead of a 25 mhz crystal ) which I understand but looking through the code on Robert's (DeepDarc / Darco's ) code repository, I can't find where ( P0 - RESET ) and (P6 - WOL ) are being used.

I would like to recover the use of these pins but still use Robert's code, because his driver has PING and DHCP where the other examples don't.

All this being said, I am worried that re-using these pins will cause the drivers not to work.. I have e-mailed Robert directly over the past few weeks, but I get no response back from him so I am posting here in hopes of some help..

Thanks

Abysmal

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Re: YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

Post by adafruit »

did you look on the schematic?

abysmal
 
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Re: YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

Post by abysmal »

Yes, and I found a post here aftereards.. google can be you friend if you talk nice to it..

http://www.ladyada.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=6103 Pins - Used and Unused.

I got a hold of the person the wrote the network drivers and he said the following:

Code: Select all

The ENC28J60 RESET and WOL pins are not used by either of the drivers. It's a good idea to cut those traces on the ybox2 PCB if you plan on using them. In fact, the WOL pin is actually a reserved pin in recent silicon versions of the chip, and therefore should be left unconnected.
And if I add a 25 mhz crystal I ca free up pin 7 as well.. ( This is the clock for the ethernet chip simulated in software ).

Hope this helps someone else in the future..

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Re: YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

Post by adafruit »

good luck, let us know if you make it work :) (or even if it totally doesnt work)

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darco
 
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Re: YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

Post by darco »

I believe that the bootloader uses the reset pin when starting up just to make sure that the ethernet chip is reset. You may want to remove that code before using that I/O pin for something else.

abysmal
 
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Re: YBOX2 Nework Interface unused pins?

Post by abysmal »

darco wrote:I believe that the bootloader uses the reset pin when starting up just to make sure that the ethernet chip is reset. You may want to remove that code before using that I/O pin for something else.

OK.. I'll try looking for that as well.. I havent finished building my unit yet so no mods done yet..

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