5200/A8 DSP equivalent

[+darryl1970]

I was just checking out the 2600 version of Super Cobra. I am amazed with how the 2600 can be pushed beyond previous limitation, with the use of the DSP chip.

 

I am not knowledgeable enough in HOW the DSP works, but it appears that ONE thing the DSP does is manages the placement (reuse-ability) of the 2 Players.

Is this possible, because the VCS is so simple? What I mean is, would Antic and GTIA get in the way of any possibility of on-board enhancement chips for the A8/5200?

 

Given the sloppy introduction of the 5200, the controller reliability issues, and the inexcusable, original, pack-in game, the 5200 never got to a point to require add-on chips.

From what I understand, the 5200 was just starting to overtake the ColecoVision when they pulled the plug. Sad that it had its life cut short.

 

Could an add-on chip handle calculations, to allow even more on-screen 5200 Players, like the 2600. I realize this can be done in code, since the 5200 has more memory than the VCS, but would an add-on chip offload the burden?

Are there limitations to the 5200 cartridge slot/rear bus, which would make this an obstacle? Even a "SGM" type add-on would have been cool.

 

My gut tells me that it may only work on the VCS, because programmers are already "racing the beam." Just curious.

I wish the 5200 would get some love with a Harmony-like upgrade.

[Keatah]

I'm not "programmer" enough to say if you could increase the amount of onscreen objects like Melody/Harmony does for the VCS. Or if custom chips would get in the way. It's common knowledge, though, that machines with more complex custom chips don't accept H/M style upgrades as easily as ones without custom chips.

 

In looking at the Vampire accelerator for the Amiga, it is essentially a replacement computer, and the Amiga motherboard and peripherals play host to this new computer. It doesn't integrate into or extend the existing architecture, it replaces. And I suspect the same situation would arise in the 400/800/5200.

 

But a co-processor could certainly be used to do other things like increase AI complexity or other calculations in a game. Or you could have custom chip replacements that do have extended capabilities.

 

Ironically the complexity of custom chips at the time, while providing a practical performance increase, also made it more difficult to designers to upgrade an existing platform while maintaining compatibility and containing cost.

 

I believe it to be the main reason why Macs and PCs became dominant, because they had minimal or no custom chips. Anyone and everyone could design upgrades that didn't break the bank, or the machine!

[TemplarXB]

Check out GTIABlast and the Bad Apple Demo running on the Atarimax for the 5200. Not quite the co-processor you are describing, but the Atarimax does have its own CPU and is essentially enabling huge ROM sizes. Pretty impressive stuff.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Check out GTIABlast and the Bad Apple Demo running on the Atarimax for the 5200. Not quite the co-processor you are describing, but the Atarimax does have its own CPU and is essentially enabling huge ROM sizes. Pretty impressive stuff.

Yeap..was going to suggest that at least in upgrading game rom capacity, the Atarimax Ultimate SD for the 5200 does this. I think up to 512k rom is possible with this cart? I know that it is basically bank switching internally to the 5200 and that is why in a video I demonstrated that with the Bad Apple Demo, you need a faster SD card than what comes with the flash cart initially. That is because the data is literally being streamed off the CD card to the 5200 in real time. Slower SD card results in slow or choppy playback of that demo.

 

Bad Apple on original SD card that came with my Atarimax Ultimate...

 

https://youtu.be/isrA8nEiw5I?list=PLypzYHeVZt9mMq41Mp_vt3qlyf1RjI2o2

 

 

 

And here it is with a faster SD card....

 

https://youtu.be/a_XuHRBVYOA?list=PLypzYHeVZt9mMq41Mp_vt3qlyf1RjI2o2

[Bryan]

A CPU in the cart could certainly be done, although in the 5200 or A8 I imagine you'd use it more like a co-processor to move more stuff around the screen or calculate 3D points.