BlingBox™ keyboard

[admin]

Thanks for the link!

[Marcio D.]

Aside from the USB-C port for connecting the BlingBox to host machines like PC, would it also be possible to include a USB-A port for data transfer, possibly as a campaign perk to be unlocked?

On the campaign page, you wrote, "The CPU core is so powerful on this control board that it is possible to emulate many retro computer systems, such as IBM PC/XT, VIC-20, Apple ][, etc and it could even run various arcade game emulations, and even DOOM (hence the display option)."

To complete the emulation experience, wouldn't we need some way to attach a USB stick filled with emulators, disk images, and ROMs ?

[admin]

You will need to provide you own USB-C cable.  That will have whatever end you might need (USB-C or Type A).  The USB interface is USB 2.0 spec.

You can currently download the data wirelessly or via USB.  I am looking at making another add-on board (much like the joystick adapter) that would give you a SD card.  I am actually changing the case slightly to provide an internal mounting point for this board, which is just a micro-SD card socket.  The emulations are specific to the BlingBox™ so you can't download just any emulator, it would only be what I provide.  Once the keyboard becomes some other function, like an emulator, it no longer functions as anything else.  So, you are basically re-flashing the CPU with its function when you want to change functions.

[Marcio D.]

You will need to provide you own USB-C cable.  That will have whatever end you might need (USB-C or Type A).  The USB interface is USB 2.0 spec.

You can currently download the data wirelessly or via USB.  I am looking at making another add-on board (much like the joystick adapter) that would give you a SD card.  I am actually changing the case slightly to provide an internal mounting point for this board, which is just a micro-SD card socket.  The emulations are specific to the BlingBox™ so you can't download just any emulator, it would only be what I provide.  Once the keyboard becomes some other function, like an emulator, it no longer functions as anything else.  So, you are basically re-flashing the CPU with its function when you want to change functions.

Oh, I see.  And there's no way to incorporate dual functions?  For example, using the BlingBox attached to a PC running VICE at one moment, and then detaching the BlingBox from the PC to use as a standalone C64 emulator the next moment?

[admin]

No, you need to switch the firmware.  It takes a few seconds to do that.  I could have multiple different firmware versions that are simply swapped (either from internal storage or SD card, if you had that option) using just a key-combo.

[Marcio D.]

No, you need to switch the firmware.  It takes a few seconds to do that.  I could have multiple different firmware versions that are simply swapped (either from internal storage or SD card, if you had that option) using just a key-combo.

Since there's nothing yet established for Stretch Goal #12 ($120,000), maybe that could be the Stretch Goal #12 - the ability to quickly swap different BlingBox firmware versions using a key-combo.

At the time I write this, the campaign has just surpassed that $120,000 threshold.  Congrats!

[admin]

That's already a planned feature, so no stretch goal is needed. 

[MorrisTheCat]

Is there still a way to get an order in for a keyboard if we missed the campaign?

[admin]

Yes, I will have a few hundred available after everyone has been shipped.