2026-02-09 01:46:31 <tpbsd       > yesterday I asked my AI (Moonshot/Kimi-K2) "is there a forth for the esp32-c6 ?"
2026-02-09 01:47:00 <tpbsd       >  it answered "yes it's made by Matthias Koch" and gave me a non existent URL
2026-02-09 01:47:53 <tpbsd       > now as I have known Matthias since 2014, I know that he didnt write one for ESP* as Ive asked him personally about it before he dropped Mecrisp-Stellaris
2026-02-09 01:48:34 <tpbsd       >  I asked it again today and the answer was different, slightly better but still contained a non existent URL
2026-02-09 01:49:43 <tpbsd       > it gave https://github.com/ulno/mecrisp-stellaris-esp32
2026-02-09 01:49:51 <tpbsd       > bit thats a 404
2026-02-09 01:51:30 <tpbsd       > now the large LLM kimi-K2 AI is a great on-line Google replacement, and I use it from the CLI with 'Fabric" so it's mega convenient, but like all AI's it still halucinates
2026-02-09 01:53:35 <tpbsd       > a part picture of my workshop, it shows about half of the electronics area: https://sourceforge.net/projects/mecrisp-stellaris-folkdoc/files/workshop.jpg/download
2026-02-09 01:55:39 <tpbsd       > and a picture of my shed (where I live and work) https://sourceforge.net/projects/mecrisp-stellaris-folkdoc/files/building.jpg/download
2026-02-09 01:56:33 <tpbsd       > oops, Ive shared these here before, wrong ch!
2026-02-09 02:32:55 <KipIngram   > Ok, according to the ESP3-C6 technical reference manual, only the main cpu has "address space access" by default.  The other possible masters (including that low-power cpu) have to be enabled to become active.  You have to set up what mode (of four different security  modes) they will run in in each of 16 address space ranges.
2026-02-09 02:33:37 <tpbsd       > KipIngram, do you plan to use a Forth on it ?
2026-02-09 02:33:55 <KipIngram   > This thing is very nice - it supports up to 16 MB of SPI flash or other types of bulk storage, and has a cache that sits in between and hardware to make the actually SPI/whatever operation transparent.  From the progam you just access the memory.  Of course you have to configure things in advance to tell it what kind of storage it is, how big it is, etc.
2026-02-09 02:34:28 <KipIngram   > Yes - I do plan to put a Forth on it.  I'm currently just "getting my bearings - I have NO  knowledge at all on RISCV, so I have to  learn everything.
2026-02-09 02:34:32 <tpbsd       > does it have internal flash ?
2026-02-09 02:35:06 <tpbsd       > KipIngram, Im told that RISC-V is very similar to MIPS
2026-02-09 02:35:30 <KipIngram   > The processor doesn't, but the "ESP32-C6 is a multi-chip module that does have a flash chip in it.  That's what gets "flashed" with esptool.
2026-02-09 02:35:47 <tpbsd       > in fact Mecrisp-Quintus which does RISCV also does MIPS
2026-02-09 02:35:59 <tpbsd       > ahh
2026-02-09 02:36:29 <KipIngram   > The actual cpu chip has a mask ROM which can't be changed at all.
2026-02-09 02:36:36 <KipIngram   > That's where the boot loader is.
2026-02-09 02:36:45 <tpbsd       > so that means slow power up in the order of 200 ms, vs 5 us for internal flash
2026-02-09 02:37:32 <tpbsd       > at least it has the flash in the module and I guess no one buys the chips in the module and makes their own ?
2026-02-09 02:37:36 <KipIngram   > Possibly.  That's fine for all my applications.
2026-02-09 02:38:12 <KipIngram   > I may add a larger external spi flash for some applications.
2026-02-09 02:38:37 <KipIngram   > The thing is, though, 16 MB isn't a whole lot.
2026-02-09 02:38:55 <tpbsd       > it is for embedded
2026-02-09 02:39:12 <KipIngram   > Well, consider I wanted to make a looper pedal for my electric guitar.
2026-02-09 02:39:21 <KipIngram   > That requires GB of buffer space.
2026-02-09 02:39:46 <tpbsd       > it pays to bear in mind that with internal flash one can build projects like this that run Mecrisp-Stellaris via a SWDCOM terminal: https://mecrisp-stellaris-folkdoc.sourceforge.io/_images/pcb-round-pins-mcu2.jpg
2026-02-09 02:40:09 <tpbsd       > only 4 wires are needed for everything, no external components
2026-02-09 02:40:27 <KipIngram   > Well, I'm not really motivated by "there's no good way to do it out there" - more by "I want to do it all myself."
2026-02-09 02:40:31 <tpbsd       > and it runs fom a $2 swd/usb dongle power
2026-02-09 02:40:51 <KipIngram   > Which I will claim is closely akin to your self-made wire.  :-)
2026-02-09 02:41:42 <tpbsd       > this being australia I had no choice, plus material costs a kings ransom nowadays
2026-02-09 02:42:38 <tpbsd       > I'm as lazy as the best of us, especially as I get older, if I can buy affordable quality I always will
2026-02-09 02:43:11 <tpbsd       > the problem is that quality no longr exists, it's mostly junk
2026-02-09 02:44:05 <tpbsd       > it took me probably a hour to make that board from scrap teflon pcb
2026-02-09 02:44:27 <tpbsd       > and a week to make the tools to fit and expand the turret pins
2026-02-09 02:45:15 <tpbsd       > I'll be making another for a STM32G030 soon as I release my neovim FURS popup app
2026-02-09 02:49:35 <KipIngram   > Forth language architecture is just sort of a hobby of mine.  It's not just about "having a tool to use."  There's a pleasure in building the system that's entirely separate from using it.
2026-02-09 02:49:46 <KipIngram   > Seeing my thoughts come to life.
2026-02-09 02:50:30 <KipIngram   > That said, it's not lost on me how easy it would be to whip out some little simple project just using the Python the way it is right now, almost right out of the box.
2026-02-09 02:50:43 <tpbsd       > of course, I have a similar pleasure creating hardware, and these days to a lesser extent, software
2026-02-09 02:50:50 <KipIngram   > That MIDI stomp box I was talking about a week or two ago for instance - MicroPython could probably handle that just fine.
2026-02-09 02:51:15 <KipIngram   > And I could always re-flash the firmware later when my Forth was working.
2026-02-09 02:51:18 <tpbsd       > at least youd hear it if it couldnt :)
2026-02-09 02:51:47 <KipIngram   > That's for sure.
2026-02-09 02:52:24 <tpbsd       > just remember 'real time' is when youre measuring the temperature 1 meter from a atom bomb ;-)
2026-02-09 02:53:22 <tpbsd       > or flywheel teeth on a enfine at 18,000 rpm
2026-02-09 02:53:28 <tpbsd       > engine
2026-02-09 02:54:09 <tpbsd       > in my tests I found micropython to be 30x slower than Mecrisp-Stellaris on the same hardware
2026-02-09 02:54:49 <tpbsd       > in this case a STm32F407 with 1MB of internal flash
2026-02-09 02:55:42 <tpbsd       > and Mecrisp-Stellaris is about 3x slower than a image generated by C
2026-02-09 02:56:33 <tpbsd       > so I pay a 3x speed penality over C for a REPL, which is fine by me
2026-02-09 03:02:38 <tpbsd       > KipIngram, apologies if I seem pushy on embedded, but after 50 years of doing it, Ive grown allergic to some devices made just to sell to hobbyists. So just ignore me :)
2026-02-09 03:04:06 <KipIngram   > No worries, man - I've grown a pretty thick skin over the years.  It doesn't bother me when someone just has a strong opinion - I've got plenty of my own.
2026-02-09 03:04:46 <KipIngram   > And I think you're entirely right, actually - if my goal were to get a product out the door as fast and effectively as possible, then making good use of existing systems already available would absolutely be the way to go.
2026-02-09 03:05:18 <tpbsd       > KipIngram, plus Forthers are generally the politest, most intelligent, most opinionated (and not afraid to show it) people Ive met on the Internet
2026-02-09 03:05:31 <KipIngram   > :-)  That sounds about right.
2026-02-09 03:06:03 <tpbsd       > they have very 'hard' opinions formed by the Forth life based on 'what works'
2026-02-09 03:06:35 <KipIngram   > And I rather think based on NOT "just swallowing the standard Kool Aid."
2026-02-09 03:06:42 <tpbsd       > exactly!
2026-02-09 03:07:22 <tpbsd       > it's a pleasure to debate with a Forther because theyre 'real' people
2026-02-09 03:07:57 <tpbsd       > what you see is what you get
2026-02-09 03:09:55 <tpbsd       > KipIngram, in a way, AI isnt destroying skill that wasnt already killed in its infancy by Micropython and Arduino etc
2026-02-09 03:11:00 <tpbsd       > KipIngram, for instance, before AI, it took years just to learn how to design a embedd system that used C. One had to learn about the loader etc, and thats not trivial
2026-02-09 03:11:20 <tpbsd       > before python I mean
2026-02-09 03:11:24 <tpbsd       > not AI
2026-02-09 03:12:35 <tpbsd       > before Arduino, one rarely met embedded people online
2026-02-09 03:13:34 <tpbsd       > now I suspect that even the little that arduino taught people about embedded will be swept away by AI slop
2026-02-09 03:19:25 <KipIngram   > It just boggles my mind that "vibe coding" even gets talked about seriously.  It's clearly a terrible idea, and the limited runs I've made about letting AI really help me code have been miserable failures.  And I wasn't even really trying to get it to WRITE IT FOR ME - more just "get me pointed in the right direction on something unfamiliar."  But it proved unable to do even that very effectively.
2026-02-09 03:19:27 <KipIngram   > So the whole idea seems to me like disasters waiting to happen.
2026-02-09 03:20:32 <tpbsd       > yeah, I think there is a tidal wave of idiocity coming in all industries where AI has taken over
2026-02-09 03:20:46 <tpbsd       > we wont see it for 5 years or so
2026-02-09 03:21:53 <tpbsd       > it's good for people like veltas, experts in their fields. They will soon be headhunted by everyone!
2026-02-09 03:22:14 <tpbsd       > (if theyre not already)
2026-02-09 03:29:16 <KipIngram   > The tech ref for the ESP3 is quite good.  Nicely organized.
2026-02-09 03:29:50 <tpbsd       > esp32-C6 ?
2026-02-09 03:30:00 <tpbsd       > I have all the older ones
2026-02-09 03:30:07 <KipIngram   > From what I can tell RISCV instructions are uniformly 32-bits, though some designs support a compressed 16-bit format.  The gadget I've got does, but I don't  know if I'll use it.  There will be so little actual code in the design to begin with.
2026-02-09 03:30:17 <KipIngram   > Yes, c6.
2026-02-09 03:30:48 <KipIngram   > It'll get more compact once I shift to Forth; it'll all be byte-coded.
2026-02-09 03:31:36 <KipIngram   > And I've bent over backward to arrange "compactness features" that aren't too expensive.  For example, any "recent" definition that's defined with in 32-64 cells of the current IP I'll be able to call with one byte.
2026-02-09 03:31:51 <KipIngram   > And I'm setting it up so that when I return I can return into the middle of a cell.
2026-02-09 03:32:54 <KipIngram   > I don't know for sure yet, and won't until I write some code, but I'm  hoping that given my coding style I'll manage 90% or more of my code being one-byte instructions.
2026-02-09 03:33:11 <tpbsd       > C6 being unique as it's RISC-V with zigbee etc, which I like
2026-02-09 03:35:08 <tpbsd       > I have a RISC-V with on-die SPI flash here, which Ive loaded Mecrisp-Quintus on and tried, it's the GD32VF103
2026-02-09 03:36:03 <KipIngram   > Yes - the huge appeal to me is the capabilities it offers.  WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, already there.  It pretty much eliminated the need for me to design hardware for that "core" I mentioned the other day.  It almost IS the core.
2026-02-09 03:36:16 <tpbsd       > sadly the dos was terrible, basically  a partially updated copy of the GD32F103 which is a STM32F103 clone with on die SPI flash
2026-02-09 03:36:27 <KipIngram   > Kind of limited on amount of I/O, so I might need to expand that for some apps.  But it's still quite cool, and a nice bargain at $5-$6.
2026-02-09 03:36:30 <tpbsd       > dos = doc
2026-02-09 03:37:38 <tpbsd       > I suspect that you'll be entering a world of hell with that chip and Forth when you want to use the peripherals, but please do show me Im wrong when you get there
2026-02-09 03:38:07 <tpbsd       > if anyone can smash thru the problems, it will be you
2026-02-09 03:39:14 <tpbsd       > this is the basic problem, ... Forth is so unpopular that no one considers it in embedded. Its C all the way and a tiny bit of python
2026-02-09 03:39:34 <KipIngram   > From what I can tell the digital I/O and other such simple things (UART, perhaps) look pretty straightforward.  I will be faced with writing my own WiFi stack, which would be a real undertaking.  But what I'd probably do is design a custom point-to-point "more or less good path only" link between my notebook and the gadget.  No attempt at all to do a  "full featured" stack.
2026-02-09 03:40:03 <tpbsd       > take my fav chip, the STM32F051, it's a low cost 32 pin QFN with 64kb on board flash
2026-02-09 03:42:04 <tpbsd       > it is a low wnd M0 arch but still has 37 peripherals with 413registers and 3044 fields
2026-02-09 03:42:24 <tpbsd       > are you ging to type all yours in by hand ?
2026-02-09 03:42:29 <tpbsd       > gping
2026-02-09 03:42:33 <tpbsd       > erk
2026-02-09 03:42:36 <tpbsd       > going
2026-02-09 03:43:22 <tpbsd       > I tried to run a ESP32-C6 SVD thru my FURS system yesterday, but it's mostly FUBAR
2026-02-09 03:43:58 <tpbsd       > I'd hoped to make a Forth 'headers' type file available for you to use
2026-02-09 03:44:53 <tpbsd       > so I imagine youll be off writing a similar process to Forth to do it for you, probably in python
2026-02-09 03:45:17 <tpbsd       > so I imagine youll be off writing a similar process to FURS to do it for you, probably in python
2026-02-09 03:46:25 <tpbsd       > thats generally what people do with newish chips I have observed, and none of them end up staying with Forth, they just dissapear at some point
2026-02-09 03:46:51 <tpbsd       > at least youre already a Forth old timer, so Im betting you see it thru
2026-02-09 06:19:14 <tpbsd       > veltas, which pics did your wife find interesting ?
2026-02-09 08:34:17 <MrMobius    > tp, glad to see your shed is house sized. I was afraid it was something else :P
2026-02-09 08:55:24 <tpbsd       > MrMobius, it's pretty big for a house size in Australia
2026-02-09 08:55:46 <tpbsd       > (a non millionaire/billionaire)
2026-02-09 08:56:40 <tpbsd       > MrMobius, I needed the size of this place when I had my biz, Im downscaling heaps soon
2026-02-09 08:56:54 <tpbsd       > I could live in a closet nowadays
2026-02-09 09:50:45 <KipIngram   > tpbsd: What I'm trying to plan right now is a "design for meta-compilation right from the start."  I want a single meta-source file, that will eventually be something that the Forth system itself can take and compile directly to produce a new version of itself.  Obviously I don't have the Forth system yet, so this file will have to be processed by something else, which I want to be a Python program
2026-02-09 09:50:47 <KipIngram   > on my notebook.  So, meta-source --> notebook python --> flashable image, and then meta-source --> running image --> new image in Forth system RAM.  With no change to the meta-source required in between.
2026-02-09 09:52:15 <tpbsd       > it sounds very advanced to me
2026-02-09 09:52:40 <KipIngram   > I want to organize that meta-source carefully into three sections: a) virtual machine, b) platform hardware details, and c) "the Forth system."  When porting to a new platform (c) should never need to be touched at all - obviously (a) will have to produce a new machine code vm implementation suitable to the new platform, and (b) will have to handle whatever hardware is offered on the new platform
2026-02-09 09:52:42 <KipIngram   > (but will be written in Forth, not machine code).
2026-02-09 09:52:51 <KipIngram   > Yes, it's an aggressive target and I've been circling it for YEARS.
2026-02-09 09:53:08 <KipIngram   > Not really  "working on it," but pondering it, which has produced progress.
2026-02-09 09:53:27 <tpbsd       > sure, the foundation is everything imho
2026-02-09 09:54:07 <KipIngram   > But I'm convinced that just "writing a Forth" in the conventional way and then trying to get it to meta-compile later is a poorer approach.  I could very easily just dive in and "make things work" - I've done that several times.  But it won't give me everything I want.
2026-02-09 09:54:24 <tpbsd       > thinking about something is the one action that makes it all possible, everything begins in the brain
2026-02-09 09:54:44 <KipIngram   > Steven Covey said it nicely - "All things are created twice."
2026-02-09 09:54:51 <tpbsd       > haha
2026-02-09 09:54:52 <KipIngram   > The first creation being in the mind.
2026-02-09 09:55:15 <tpbsd       > and hes right
2026-02-09 09:55:16 <KipIngram   > (that one has always been easier for me)  :-)
2026-02-09 09:55:33 <KipIngram   > I can dream grand dreams - making them real is a lot harder for me.
2026-02-09 09:55:37 <tpbsd       > the actual build is just the legwork that follows the thinking
2026-02-09 09:56:03 <KipIngram   > Right - and I'm naturally lazy.  Or, maybe it's not lazy - the real problem is usually getting interested in something else before I'm done.
2026-02-09 09:56:13 <KipIngram   > The THINKING is FUN for me.
2026-02-09 09:56:35 <KipIngram   > But the implementation isn't as much fun until the end when it all starts to "work" - that stage is extremely gratifying.
2026-02-09 09:56:56 <tpbsd       > Ive been looking at xslt code I wrote about 5 years ago and trying to refactor it, but I havent fully understood it yet, Im waiting for 'understanding to come to me' now
2026-02-09 09:57:07 <KipIngram   > It's that big hump in the middle - the long hours of unrewarded work - that's difficult.
2026-02-09 09:58:03 <KipIngram   > But I'm encouraged on this ESP32-C6; I look through this technical reference and it all looks "comfortable" to me.  Involved, lots of details, but "familiar territory" so to speak.
2026-02-09 09:58:05 <tpbsd       > I'm like a bulldog with a bone on my projects
2026-02-09 09:58:21 <KipIngram   > That's a good way to be.  I can be like that for "bursty periods."
2026-02-09 09:58:41 <KipIngram   > I'm just interested in so damn many things, though.
2026-02-09 09:58:56 <KipIngram   > And those other things are perpetually threatening to take over at any given time.
2026-02-09 09:59:00 <tpbsd       > Ive learnt to just let 'understanding come' and not rush, I think my subconscious is smarter than I am
2026-02-09 09:59:48 <KipIngram   > Oh yes - that's how I've approached math and physics over the years.  I don't usually write much down or take notes etc.  I just have watched videos on stuff.  And for a time it feels baffling, but ever so gradually it just starts to "sink in."
2026-02-09 10:00:10 <tpbsd       > Im hoping I will understand it better when I wake up in the morning, or at least develop a method to help me understand it
2026-02-09 10:00:21 <KipIngram   > My guess would be that my state of knowledge on that front these days would fully qualify me for a physics degree of some sort - at least undergraduate - but I've spent decades getting there.
2026-02-09 10:00:26 <tpbsd       > yeah! thats how it is for me
2026-02-09 10:00:44 <KipIngram   > I'm never content with a "superficial" understanding.  I want it all - all the way down to the lowest foundations.
2026-02-09 10:01:37 <tpbsd       > I realise now that I relied on raw mental power when I wrote the XSLT transforms back then (pre AI) and lacked a decent design methodology
2026-02-09 10:01:39 <KipIngram   > In my opinion that's what makes it possible to hold so much of the higher level stuff in my head; knowing exactly how it all stitches together at the bottom.
2026-02-09 10:01:51 <tpbsd       > exactly!
2026-02-09 10:01:55 <KipIngram   > Physics is good for that, because at the bottom it's ultimately remarkably simple.
2026-02-09 10:02:17 <tpbsd       > if we cant explain it to a six year old, we don't understand it ourselves
2026-02-09 10:02:29 <KipIngram   > Right - that's how Feynman felt about things.
2026-02-09 10:02:55 <tpbsd       > I think I'll just trash all the source and start again, at the beginning
2026-02-09 10:03:05 <KipIngram   > BTW, I saw the other day that Feynman's IQ (for whatever IQs are worth) was only about 125.  It was a lot more "what he did with it" than "raw horsepower" for him.
2026-02-09 10:03:42 <KipIngram   > I mean, 125 is quite nice, but lots of people are that bright.  it's pretty common.
2026-02-09 10:03:59 <tpbsd       > it not only transforms, it also outputs Sqlite data to build a database, it's just too 'busy' for me after such a long break since I designed it
2026-02-09 10:04:00 <KipIngram   > It's only 1.6 standard deviations from the mean.
2026-02-09 10:04:58 <KipIngram   > "Trashing and starting over" is something I know well.  :-)
2026-02-09 10:05:08 <KipIngram   > And almost always the new attempt is a lot better.
2026-02-09 10:05:13 <tpbsd       > it cant hurt unless it's too high, a really hi IQ has sent people crazy
2026-02-09 10:05:39 <KipIngram   > Yes, very true.  Those people are remarkable, but they can have problems relating to the people around them.
2026-02-09 10:05:42 <tpbsd       > yeah, Its how I made it in the first place
2026-02-09 10:06:36 <KipIngram   > Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book on that called Outliers.
2026-02-09 10:06:52 <tpbsd       > yeah, Ive known one, top student in university, scholarship to the USA ... then developed issues, been under mental care ever since
2026-02-09 10:07:08 <KipIngram   > And he picked that number too - 125 - as "really all you need."  Above that the data doesn't show as much correlation between "more smarts" and "more life success."
2026-02-09 10:07:48 <KipIngram   > According to Jordan Peterson, it's the combination of general IQ and "conscientiousness factor" that together predict life success most reliably.
2026-02-09 10:08:05 <KipIngram   > They can measure that also (conscientiousness) it seems.
2026-02-09 10:08:15 <tpbsd       > I was dating his sister, who was asked by the psychs looking after her brother to meet them, where they told her that they couldnt help them as he was always several steps ahead of them, anticipating them well in advance
2026-02-09 10:08:39 <KipIngram   > Hahaha - for a brief moment there I thought you meant Jordan Peterson's sister.  :-)
2026-02-09 10:08:47 <tpbsd       > he was a pleasure to chat with, so smart
2026-02-09 10:09:19 <tpbsd       > hahha, no, shed have to be a stunner to compete with my old girlfriend
2026-02-09 10:09:35 <KipIngram   > Right - I think I've seen her, and she's not.
2026-02-09 10:09:43 <tpbsd       > she was a one off, ran 5 miles every day of her life
2026-02-09 10:10:04 <tpbsd       > blonde,blue eyed, body of a goddess
2026-02-09 10:10:34 <KipIngram   > Yeah - I've had a couple of stand-outs on that front too.  I've been married twice, and was single for a couple of years in between.  During the first of those two years I dated a LOT.
2026-02-09 10:10:35 <tpbsd       > Ive no idea why she made a beeline for me, I just thanked my lucky stars
2026-02-09 10:11:04 <KipIngram   > I was 32, which I regard as pretty much the perfect age for a guy to be playing that game.  The deck is highly stacked in the guy's favor at that time of life.
2026-02-09 10:11:23 <tpbsd       > I was 35
2026-02-09 10:11:27 <KipIngram   > When we're in our 20's, especially early 20's, the ladies hold all of the power.  But that turns around a decade later.
2026-02-09 10:11:33 <KipIngram   > That's right in there too.  Very good age for it.
2026-02-09 10:11:40 <tpbsd       > ans super fit, living dangerously
2026-02-09 10:11:54 <tpbsd       > youre so right
2026-02-09 10:12:12 <tpbsd       > at 20 I was invisible to the ladies
2026-02-09 10:12:51 <KipIngram   > Yeah - I was a bad boy.  I developed a reputation around my place of work.  It was a university research lab, and I met my current wife there.  She was a graduating senior when we met.  One of my coworkers, a lady engineer, knew her and just had a fit when she found out I was chasing her.
2026-02-09 10:13:00 <KipIngram   > She tried to talk to my wife and warn her off.
2026-02-09 10:13:07 <tpbsd       > tho I once tried to waylay Robin Davidson on her kwacka 900 in the outback near port Hedland, on my kwasaki 900
2026-02-09 10:13:13 <KipIngram   > On the grounds that I was just a woman chaser (which was true).
2026-02-09 10:13:28 <KipIngram   > She showed up in my office and subjected me to a tirade about it too.
2026-02-09 10:13:46 <KipIngram   > But by then I already knew "this one was different."  Up until then I'd been all about just having fun and offered NO commitments.
2026-02-09 10:13:58 <tpbsd       > but she had left for Alice springs only a few days before to buy her camels for her cross australia trip (alone) so we never met
2026-02-09 10:14:03 <KipIngram   > But I wanted this one, permanently, and already knew it.
2026-02-09 10:14:26 <tpbsd       > heh
2026-02-09 10:14:34 <KipIngram   > And here we are decades later - yesterday was our 29th wedding anniversary.
2026-02-09 10:14:35 <tpbsd       > the women love the bad boys!
2026-02-09 10:14:38 <tpbsd       > wow
2026-02-09 10:14:43 <tpbsd       > well done!
2026-02-09 10:15:24 <tpbsd       > I've been single since 1997, had a few girlfriends but never remarried
2026-02-09 10:15:30 <KipIngram   > They do, it's true.  But this is exactly why the 30's is such a good time.  The YOUNG girls want the bad boys, and you're not too old to fish there.  The older more settled women appreciate your stability, career, and so on.  And have their ticking clock driving them nuts.
2026-02-09 10:15:37 <tpbsd       > inc miss blonde blue eyes
2026-02-09 10:15:39 <KipIngram   > It's almost like taking candy from a baby.
2026-02-09 10:15:56 <tpbsd       > heheh, so it is
2026-02-09 10:16:24 <KipIngram   > Fun times.  But second go round I chose well - no regrets about putting that time behind me.  I enjoyed it long enough.
2026-02-09 10:16:47 <tpbsd       > Robin Davidson wen on to write a best seller of her solo camel trip across australia, and a film was also made
2026-02-09 10:17:00 <KipIngram   > First go round was a disaster - mistake of a stupid boy.
2026-02-09 10:17:21 <tpbsd       > she remained single, I had no idea how stunning she was as id never seen her
2026-02-09 10:17:44 <KipIngram   > But I got two great daughters out of it, and added three more the second go.  All girls - I have five daughters.
2026-02-09 10:17:46 <tpbsd       > yeah, same here, I was the wrong lad for the wrong girl
2026-02-09 10:17:51 <tpbsd       > wow!
2026-02-09 10:17:53 <KipIngram   > All grown now, though one has a year or so of college to go.
2026-02-09 10:18:04 <tpbsd       > I have 6 kids, but only 2 daughters
2026-02-09 10:18:19 <KipIngram   > Wow - you beat me!   :-)
2026-02-09 10:18:24 <tpbsd       > same here. Ive got 12 grandkids
2026-02-09 10:18:31 <KipIngram   > Fourth grandchild arriving in June for me.
2026-02-09 10:18:37 <KipIngram   > Sorry - July.
2026-02-09 10:18:57 <KipIngram   > Twelve grandkids - that's awesome, man!
2026-02-09 10:19:10 <KipIngram   > They're so much fun.  All the fun, none of the responsibility.  :-)
2026-02-09 10:19:16 <KipIngram   > Or at least not much of it.
2026-02-09 10:19:19 <tpbsd       > it's inevitable with so ,amy kids I think
2026-02-09 10:19:29 <KipIngram   > Yes - nature will be nature.
2026-02-09 10:19:35 <tpbsd       > indeed
2026-02-09 10:20:03 <tpbsd       > I have a brilliant grandson, he plays music and is very serious at 4 years old
2026-02-09 10:20:35 <veltas      > tpbsd: I think all of the pics were interesting to my wife, the concept was interesting in general and also the drone shot
2026-02-09 10:20:44 <tpbsd       > his mother is my youngest daughter, she was dux every tear, top student at high school and uni (architecture)
2026-02-09 10:20:55 <veltas      > She didn't realise you were in Australia until I said, she though it was US
2026-02-09 10:21:18 <veltas      > Nothing like the English countryside either way lol
2026-02-09 10:21:25 <tpbsd       > veltas, excellent, that shot does show some of the beauty of this area
2026-02-09 10:22:39 <tpbsd       > I have thousands of awesome images of the area etched in my brain from motorcycling
2026-02-09 10:26:34 <tpbsd       > specifically this motorcycle, which I still have: https://sourceforge.net/projects/mecrisp-stellaris-folkdoc/files/guzzi-polished.jpg/download
2026-02-09 10:26:47 <tpbsd       > I bet you guys have never seen one ?
2026-02-09 10:27:27 <tpbsd       > theyre quite rare, especially since their 2018 discontinuation by Moto Guzz
2026-02-09 10:27:30 <tpbsd       > i
2026-02-09 10:28:49 <tpbsd       > it's a transverse 1200 cc vtwin, overhead cam, 110 HP, 140 mph top speed
2026-02-09 10:29:22 <tpbsd       > unlike a harley, this one is a 90 degree V twin
2026-02-09 10:47:08 <veltas      > I'll have to look tonight if I remember
2026-02-09 10:48:08 <tpbsd       > air cooled amd shaft drive
2026-02-09 10:49:29 <tpbsd       > veltas, yeah, it's nothing like England here, thats why they exported Englands convicts here for life
2026-02-09 10:50:01 <tpbsd       > but if one is born here, it all seems perfectly fine and normal
2026-02-09 10:56:39 <KipIngram   > I rode a bike that year I was single.  Shortly after meeting my wife I laid it down one morning on the way to work, turning onto an icy highway.  You should have seen me boogie - I was all too aware of the wall of cars I'd seen coming down the highway a few hundred yards off.  I jumped up, hauled the bike up, and hustled over to the shoulder.  :-)
2026-02-09 10:57:01 <KipIngram   > Dusted myself off and stopped shaking, and then got back on and went to work with a big rip in the shoulder of my leather jacket.
2026-02-09 10:57:30 <KipIngram   > We had a meeting that morning with a guy from the Navy about a project - he seemed impressed that I'd ridden on into work after that.
2026-02-09 10:57:33 <tpbsd       > heh, yeah Ice is a killer
2026-02-09 10:57:44 <KipIngram   > And that evening my wife fretted over me something fierce when she found out about it.
2026-02-09 10:57:58 <tpbsd       > luckily almost no icy roads in australia
2026-02-09 10:58:00 <KipIngram   > "wife"... girlfriend at the time of course.
2026-02-09 10:58:08 <tpbsd       > as they do!
2026-02-09 10:58:11 <KipIngram   > Not even fiance yet.
2026-02-09 10:58:31 <KipIngram   > That was really early - I'd only known her a week or two at that point.
2026-02-09 10:58:40 <KipIngram   > The bike gradually wore out and I just never replaced it.
2026-02-09 10:58:52 <tpbsd       > good luck was on your side that day!
2026-02-09 10:59:06 <KipIngram   > I get my jollies these days in an after-market turbocharged Porsche Cayman S.  Man, I love that car.   :-)
2026-02-09 10:59:14 <tpbsd       > wow!
2026-02-09 10:59:27 <KipIngram   > And I'm unlikely to be able to afford another one, so I intend to milk it for every mile it's worth.
2026-02-09 10:59:35 <tpbsd       > I also have a old 1994 Audi Quatro :)
2026-02-09 11:00:21 <KipIngram   > I don't rip around at ridiculously high speeds, but I really do enjoy the way it can just leap through almost any opening in traffic.  The acceleration.
2026-02-09 11:00:22 <tpbsd       > it's only a normally aspirated 2.8L V6, but they have double wishbones etc
2026-02-09 11:00:53 <tpbsd       > I hate turbo lag, but love HP !
2026-02-09 11:01:29 <tpbsd       > this being a Quatro, it has Torsen differentials and a lockable centre difference
2026-02-09 11:01:44 <tpbsd       > differential
2026-02-09 11:01:45 <KipIngram   > Yeah, it does take a second for the turbo to engage.  But the fun thing is no one really expects it - the stock Cayman is a deliberately more docile car - they didn't want to make it too peppy lest it threaten their flagship 911 line.  But with the turbo on it the thing is a beast.
2026-02-09 11:02:02 <tpbsd       > oh yeah
2026-02-09 11:02:07 <tpbsd       > WTG!
2026-02-09 11:02:31 <KipIngram   > The neat thing is that it's mid-engine, which the 911 is not.  Great handling.
2026-02-09 11:02:49 <tpbsd       > occasionally something like that overtakes me on a winding mountain road, mid corner with me flat out on the Griso
2026-02-09 11:03:30 <KipIngram   > This isn't literally my car, but it is the right model, year, and color:
2026-02-09 11:03:32 <KipIngram   > https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.squarespace-cdn.com%2Fcontent%2Fv1%2F5b15e914365f0269cc85dda3%2F1630332206315-3LNMF3EXKP4A24WSK1T2%2F2014-Porsche-Cayman-S-Guard-Red-Flynn-Automotive-39.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=bebd8a9256ee5232aca2970223651e80a368feb581586a6fad47a26f17e4493c
2026-02-09 11:03:37 <tpbsd       > last time it was a twin turbo Audi quatro SUV
2026-02-09 11:04:05 <tpbsd       > Bad request.
2026-02-09 11:04:35 <KipIngram   > Ooops.
2026-02-09 11:06:18 <KipIngram   > Does this one work?
2026-02-09 11:06:20 <KipIngram   > https://mrsportscars.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Porsche-Cayman-S-987.2-Gen-2-Guards-Red-3.4-Manual-PSE-Extended-Black-Leather-For-Sale-UK-Specialist-1-940x600.jpg
2026-02-09 11:06:38 <KipIngram   > Looks like DuckDuckGo wrappered the first one.  :-(
2026-02-09 11:06:46 <KipIngram   > So much for them being "privacy oriented."
2026-02-09 11:06:48 <tpbsd       > it sure does! wow!
2026-02-09 11:07:44 <KipIngram   > I added the turbo when that acquisition of the little company I was at by IBM dropped some $$$ in my lap.
2026-02-09 11:08:17 <tpbsd       > awesome, theyre so hard to beat!
2026-02-09 11:08:34 <KipIngram   > Sunk most of it into something more sensible - a house we can sell if we need to - but let myself have a small indulgence on the car.  :-)
2026-02-09 11:08:52 <tpbsd       > I used to have a Nissan ET turbo, handled like a pig tho, but oh the acceleration!
2026-02-09 11:09:12 <tpbsd       > thats such a great idea I think
2026-02-09 11:09:27 <KipIngram   > Yeah, it's like God just puts his hand on the back of your car and throws you forward.  Like it's going to jump out from under you.
2026-02-09 11:10:01 <tpbsd       > Ive ridden around australia once in 3 weeks on one of my bikes, life is made of such things
2026-02-09 11:10:31 <KipIngram   > It is - it's damn sure not made of "the daily routine."  It's those adventures that make it special.
2026-02-09 11:10:40 <tpbsd       > for someone addicted to speed, a motorcycle is the cheapest acceleration one can get
2026-02-09 11:11:25 <tpbsd       > here is my old audi quattro on a local farm: https://sourceforge.net/projects/mecrisp-stellaris-folkdoc/files/tp-audi-quattro.jpg/download
2026-02-09 11:11:26 <KipIngram   > Yes for sure.  My bike wasn't even that special; it was a Yamaha around 700 cc.  But even that could compete in acceleration with most cars, even high end ones, at least for a few seconds.
2026-02-09 11:11:42 <tpbsd       > only ordinary cars tho
2026-02-09 11:11:57 <KipIngram   > Well,  yeah - not "particularly juiced ones."
2026-02-09 11:12:18 <KipIngram   > "High end" == "high end normal."
2026-02-09 11:12:22 <tpbsd       > I also have two other bikes, one is a out and out speed machine, the other is a v4 shaftie for riding around australia
2026-02-09 11:13:12 <tpbsd       > the speed machine weighs 168 kg and is 125 HP, which was a lot in 1994, but pretty slow now
2026-02-09 11:13:41 <tpbsd       > it smokes the rear wheel from throttle id you can avoid wheelstanding
2026-02-09 11:14:03 <tpbsd       > it's a Honda CBR900RR
2026-02-09 11:14:40 <tpbsd       > but I prefer the Guzzi now over all the bikes, as Im old and slow thesedays
2026-02-09 11:14:56 <tpbsd       > and a Vtwin suits me
2026-02-09 11:15:55 <tpbsd       > the Audi is all leather and woodgrain, not high enough to stick your head underneath without a Peter Jakacki
2026-02-09 11:15:59 <tpbsd       > lol
2026-02-09 11:16:08 <tpbsd       > 'jack'
2026-02-09 11:17:27 <tpbsd       > but your cayman rules, no doubt in my mind!
2026-02-09 11:18:44 <tpbsd       > well ok, Ive started a new program from scratch, and this time I'll make sure to design it properly and take my time
2026-02-09 11:19:02 <tpbsd       > it's all XSLT, so more work than fun
2026-02-09 11:51:18 <tpbsd       > it's looking much simpler already! the rewrite from new has changed everything :)
2026-02-09 12:03:24 <veltas      > New program to do what?
2026-02-09 12:05:14 <tpbsd       > it's a XSLT transform to generate a sqlite database for my Neovim FURS 'CMSIS-SVD' popup
2026-02-09 12:06:20 <tpbsd       > I dont know the correct name to call it, it allows easy searching thru all peripherals,registers and fields of any MCU with a SVD file
2026-02-09 12:06:58 <tpbsd       > Im tempted to call it a API search tool
2026-02-09 12:07:27 <tpbsd       > but I suspect thats too expansive a name ?
2026-02-09 12:11:50 <veltas      > The database vi (and I suspect other programs) use for this sort of thing is called a tags file
2026-02-09 12:13:05 <veltas      > Maybe a CMSIS 'index'?
2026-02-09 12:14:31 <tpbsd       > hmm, problem is the syntax is critical as FURS will replace the name (correct syntax only) with the absolute address, but only for the upload to the MCU
2026-02-09 12:15:28 <tpbsd       > this allows the programmer to use the correct CMSIS-SVD name in his source, but doesnt need a CONSTANT declared for it as well
2026-02-09 12:15:58 <tpbsd       > as FURS does that part, only on the upload, it doesnt touch the source
2026-02-09 12:18:17 <tpbsd       > the popup also displays the BitWidth, BitOffset, Address, Access Rights and description, but selecting that name only pastes the CMSIS name into the source
2026-02-09 12:18:52 <tpbsd       > so it's more like a Technical manual for the programmer
2026-02-09 16:48:46 <KipIngram   > So just FYI for anyone interested, it looks like the ESP32-C6 runs that main.py program, if it's there, when it starts up, and only offers the REPL over serial after it finishes.  So if it never finishes, no REPL, which I guess makes sense.  To get your REPL back you have to use mpremote to rm main.py, and then do some esptool command which finishes off with a reset (most of them do).  Then you can
2026-02-09 16:48:47 <KipIngram   > get at the REPL.
2026-02-09 16:49:53 <tpbsd       > sounds a bit messy
2026-02-09 16:50:54 <tpbsd       > in fact it sounds a bit barbaric to this Mecrisp-Stellaris user
2026-02-09 16:53:42 <tpbsd       > for instance, I only have 4 wires connected to the bare stm32F051, 2 are power 2 are SWD. I flash the Mecrisp-Stellaris image over them, then connect the terminal over them, all at 1mb/s and it's all working. to flash my source or run it from ram, I just click on the make icon, or type 'make' at the pc
2026-02-09 16:54:29 <tpbsd       > if there is a easier method it's only because I havent developed it yet ;-)
2026-02-09 18:00:18 <KipIngram   > :-)  Well, my interest in the esptool / MicroPython toolchain is  only "very oblique" in the first place.  It's not the long term use case I have in mind at all.
2026-02-09 18:00:46 <tpbsd       > understand :)
2026-02-09 18:01:16 <tpbsd       > Im sure you can build a much better system
2026-02-09 18:01:18 <KipIngram   > See, I did say this was a hobby.  Back when Chuck did his chip design system, he did that with no fancy tools at all.  He started with a DOS computer and used DEBUG to bootstrap his Forth, and did all the rest using that.  That's the kind of experience I'm seeking.
2026-02-09 18:01:56 <tpbsd       > yeah, chuck had the right stuff
2026-02-09 18:02:26 <KipIngram   > I am using esptool and mpremote, but I lump mpremote in with MicroPython, and so mostly that "oblique curiosity."  I'd like to get there solely with esptool and Python running on my notebook to "generate stuff."
2026-02-09 18:02:50 <tpbsd       > I think he kinda slid sideways with the GA144, but I admit I don't really understand it's advantages
2026-02-09 18:03:16 <KipIngram   > So not quite "poking bytes," but not too far from it.
2026-02-09 18:03:42 <tpbsd       > pioneer!
2026-02-09 18:04:28 <KipIngram   > I find the GA144 architecture appealing - I haven't done any real work with it, but I've imagined it, after reading about how it all works.  Given the small address space of each core, you have to network them together to get serious applications, and that makes it feel more like digital circuit design to me than normal programming.  But I grok digital design, so for me that feels fine.
2026-02-09 18:04:49 <KipIngram   > I think what he was really hoping for there was military applications involving DSP and so on.
2026-02-09 18:06:23 <KipIngram   > The communication between cores is a whole lot like signals on wires.
2026-02-09 18:07:02 <KipIngram   > But it really is vastly different from "standard" embedded programming - I agree with that.
2026-02-09 18:09:04 <tpbsd       > I'm just a simple electronics tech, the project device is what motivates me, not the mcu or the programming language, tho I can't imagine using anything else than Forth now
2026-02-09 18:09:39 <tpbsd       > i dont want to use anything else but Forth either, now all my tooling is set up for it
2026-02-09 18:10:24 <tpbsd       > Ive designed and sold gear that used machine code, then assembly, then C, now Forth
2026-02-09 18:11:31 <tpbsd       > tho I havent sold anything with Forth, but I did design a mobility scooter controller using Mecrisp-Stellaris
2026-02-09 18:13:20 <tpbsd       > it turns a 270 degree potentiometer into a proprietary 90 degree pot with some strange resistance value (custom carbon track)
2026-02-09 18:13:57 <tpbsd       > theyre very expensive and hard to get
2026-02-09 18:14:41 <tpbsd       > so I designed around a 270 degree 10K $5 pot