810 replies to this topic

[matthew180]

Well, I don't like to spam forums, so I made my posts where it seemed appropriate and that's about it as of now.  I only know of one MSX forum (msx.org), but it does not look like much is going on over there.  The list of "places" has been:

AA forums (99/4A, CV, and Marketplace)
MSX forum (marketplace)
Y! 99/4A lists (both of them)
EE-times article I wrong on the F18A last year

Any other suggestions?  I think the best advertising is word of mouth, so please tell everyone you know.

Edited by matthew180, Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:45 PM.

[GroovyBee]

To get it on AA's front page just do a news item about it and submit it to Albert.

[Ikrananka]

matthew180, on Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:44 PM, said:

Well, I don't like to spam forums, so I made my posts where it seemed appropriate and that's about it as of now. I only know of one MSX forum (msx.org), but it does not look like much is going on over there. The list of "places" has been:

AA forums (99/4A, CV, and Marketplace)
MSX forum (marketplace)
Y! 99/4A lists (both of them)
EE-times article I wrong on the F18A last year

Any other suggestions? I think the best advertising is word of mouth, so please tell everyone you know.

I'd suggest trying the forums over at http://www.digitpress.com

[retroclouds]

GroovyBee, on Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:46 PM, said:

To get it on AA's front page just do a news item about it and submit it to Albert.

Yes, I would also like to see the F18A on the Atariage front page

[Ksarul]

I put a notice under Vintage Computer Hardware on the Vintage Computer Forum, since they touch just about every computer system that ever used the 99xx series of VDP chips. . .

[Tempest]

Just send something to Al and he'll put it up.  If not, send it to me and I'll get it to him.

[rocky007]

Preordered   i'm so impatient

[matthew180]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I'll look in to those sites for sure.  Also, I just got a call from a friend who said "you just made the front page of slashdot!"  I was like, "WHAT??"  So I looked, and there it is!  Heh, I hope my server does not go down.   I also recognize the name of the person who submitted the post.  A big thanks to Jon for the post!!

[OLD CS1]

Congrats!  /. is big time.  And ignore the fekken trolls.  Well, not that I have to tell you that.  There are stupid twits (not the word I wanted to use, but this IS a family-friendly forum, yeah?) everywhere.

[Tempest]

Quote

classic computer systems such as the ColecoVision, TI-99/4A, SpectraVision, MSX1, SpectraVision 128, and Tomy Tutor Home computers.

I think they mean Spectavision 318/328.  I'm not sure what the Spectavision 128 is.  They should also point out it works with the Coleco ADAM.

Would it work with the MSX2 and 2+ or do they have a different video chip?

Wow 243 people reading this page.  Amazing!

[5-11under]

Wow indeed. I advertised on cgcc, and that might be 0.5% of the number.

[matthew180]

The MSX2 systems use the 9938 or 9958, so no, no MSX2 support.  I'm sure a lot of people would like a 9938 version though, but it is just a ton of work to make a full-blown product.

[acadiel]

I spammed slashdot for you. :-) :-)

http://hardware.slas...ga-with-vga-out

[krypton85]

front page of slashdot, nice!

[potatohead]

It's on Parallax now too.

BTW:  GREAT Project.  I've followed it from your early posts.  Not personally into these systems, but I really enjoyed the info you shared along the way.

[matthew180]

potatohead: I actually started the implementation using a propeller chip!  I have a handful of them sitting on my bench right now.  I bought them at the same time as my FPGA devboard and I guess I started messing with the FPGA first.  Right now I am very interested in the hardware side, and rather disenchanted with software for the first time since 1983...  I appreciate the propeller guys mentioning the project though, and if the guy doing the 9918A in a cog (or two) wants to discuss anything about the VDP, just let me know.  I don't think I could do the design in 1 cog though, or even 2, but I have not messed with the propeller enough to speak intelligently about it.

[potatohead]

Well, it's a very cool implementation.  Pin compatable!  Very nicely done.

Hey, after this finishes up, you've still got that pile...  

From what we've learned so far, implementing the video display itself, without regard to interfacing, is probably 2 cogs, maybe three.  Operating as your FPGA does will take more.  Personally, I'm kind of on a split.  I still enjoy software, but doing retro style things more than serious retro.  Hardware is just beginning for me.  Been doing board layouts and am seriously contemplating stuffing a Prop into an Apple on a card, LOL!!

[kl99]

I updated my ti-99 blog with F18A preorder information:
http://ti99blog.webs.com/

And I will share the preorder news and demo my f18a beta unit on our next austrian ti-99 meeting, that will be held in 2 days.
Around 10 people are attending these meetings.

[jokker]

Actually another group that might be interested are people who own VIDIOT board based arcade/pinball hybrids such Granny & The Gators and Baby Pacman. These use the 9928 as the arcade portion display. I am one of these people and I think I might have to pick one of these up to test it out as an alternative option for those boards!

Thanks for bringing this to life all those involved in making it happen!

[matthew180]

jokker: I would love to know how the F18A works in those systems.  Since I designed it for pin-replacement, this would be more proof that the F18A is successful in its goals.  Please let me know if you do pick one up and try it in a coin-op system.

[acadiel]

Matthew, you should try one in this homebuilt system...

[matthew180]

That is pretty cool.  I'd like to contact him, but I don't *do* twitter, and he does not give any other means to contact him...

He makes a comment in the video that he is getting color banding on the video output and that the cause is most likely the breadboard (and that it should clear up once he has it soldered up).  Apparently he has never seen the 99/4A's output.

[potatohead]

The color banding is due to the pixel clock rate in relation to the colorburst NTSC.  Too short for one thing.  That's the banding you see.  For another, the color phase isn't alternated per line, like other machines with shorter pixel clocks do.  That's the other.

S-video would fix it.  Can the chip do that?

Edited by potatohead, Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:11 PM.

[OLD CS1]

acadiel, on Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:31 AM, said:

Matthew, you should try one in this homebuilt system...

That is interesting.  How does he get 32K VRAM on the 9918A?  I thought it was 16K max.

[matthew180]

The VDP would only use 16K of the 32K.  You can always have *more* memory than a system can address.  What is interesting is how he is using an SRAM in place of DRAM.