Atari compatible hardware eclaireXL, in mini form.

[IndusGT]

2 questions

1) has anyone plugged a black box or mio to one of the bigger versions?

2) any estimate of price so far, or too early?

Thanks

Edited August 14, 2018 by IndusGT

[foft]

1) has anyone plugged a black box or mio to one of the bigger versions?

I personally have a Turbo Freezer and a Sys Check II. They are both working.

 

Other tested devices:

IDE 2+ testing working by Nir

MIO: On the first board there wasn't room for the connector (3.7mm vs 4.7mm...). Stephen filed it and then tried his. Select + reset brought up the config menu and it was navigable.

 

Did anyone test anything else?

[tane]

10-pin header is for printer port (or)?

It is pure general purpose IO, for future expansion. So ... nothing yet. For now just handy for debugging. Could use it for connecting an Atari keyboard etc.

 

Is there a way to plug an old XE keyboard with a converter?

[santosp]

 

Is there a way to plug an old XE keyboard with a converter?

 

Not as is. It need to implement a small PCB with a simple digital switch from IDT, and to plug it to the expansion connector.

[+Larry]

Nir asked a really good question that I'm also very interested in... would this fit in a 600XL case? I saw your pic with the scale, so it really looks like it would fit. The back of the case is going to need some serious surgery one way or another. I also saw the reply about the XE keyboard, but if this could be put in a 600XL (or even 800XL) case, I would want to attach the Atari keyboard. IMO, a PC keyboard is good, but a real Atari keyboard would be much better. Plenty of room inside a 600XL case for a hard drive adapter. Joysticks and SIO cables would have to "snake" out the back, and the only remaining issue I see is the cartridge port. Maybe a flexible cable adapter could be used for the cartridge port (as on the Rev e IDE+2).

 

So, how about attaching an Atari keyboard? Can you make a workable adapter? And what is the status of an S-video adapter? Alternatively, does anyone have any experience with one of these adapters (or similar)?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1080P-HDMI-To-3-RCA-AV-CVBS-Composite-S-Video-Audio-Video-Converter-Adapter/183277270807?hash=item2aac2d3717%3Am%3AmnetthEhKMKbb9mcGphCbSQ&var=690569781666&_sacat=0&_nkw=HDMI+to+s-video+adapter&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.XHDMI+to+s-video+adapter.TRS0

 

-Larry

[santosp]

I not responded in the question of Nir, mainly because I don't have a Atari 600XL available to check it.
Now to fit on a original Atari 8-bit case, it need enough work I think. Anyway, I can provide the exact dimensions if someone want to
check it.

When I started to design it before a year now, my basic idea was to do it on the smallest possible scale, as to fit in a modern small
3d printed box. So the original Atari enclosures was out of my plans.

Now about the s-video adapter who is referred here, and if the possibility to become the hardware for the original Atari naked keyboard in XL series,
the most appropriate to answer is foft.

[foft]

For the svideo I think we can either output gtia style and use a circuit like the Atari one (or UAV). Or we could use a dedicated ic such as the adv7179 https://www.mouser.co.uk/datasheet/2/609/ADV7174_7179-586748.pdf.

 

As for connecting an Atari keyboard. So far I only generated pokey keyboard scan signals and used an xegs keyboard. I guess we could skip the 4051 and just connect the fpga to the matrix directly via the gpio. Ive never tried it but it should work I guess. Will just need a little glue logic in the fpga to do what the 4051 does.

 

As for plugging it into the 600XL. So take a dead 600XL pcb and wire the existing ports onto the board? Guess that would work, though might need to remove some components. Or wire/glue the ports into their locations?

[Frankie]

Who's Eclaire?

[foft]

Who's Eclaire?

Do you mean like Candy and Colleen?

[santosp]

 

1. 5 Volt power input
2. Power switch
3. HDMI/DVI video out
4. VGA 31kHz, CGA/SCART 15KHz, Composite B/W video out. (Optional with the use of add-on board, in place No13 on picture.)
5. Stereo audio out
6. 2x USB ports for joysticks, keypads etc.
7. SD card
8. Parallel Board Interface - P.B.I
9. Cartridge port
10. 4x Atari 9pin D-Sub ports
11. Serial I/O - SIO port
12. JTAG port for firmware updates. Initially needed during the production. Later only if board bricked up with some way.
13. Expansion for optional add-on video DAC board, as indicated in row No4.
14. Expansion general purpose for future add-ons.
15. Intel "Cyclone" FPGA, 5CEBA2 or 5CEBA4 model.
16. 1MB SDRAM which support all the known memory expansions for Atari 8-bit.

Edited August 18, 2018 by santosp

[+mytek]

Very impressive! What an amazingly efficient layout to cover all the bases, while making for a very small footprint. And such a reduction in the number of components to recreate an A8 with all the bells and whistles to bring it into the modern age.

 

Now if only someone had a time machine to take a couple of million of these back to 1980 and dump them on the market (FU Commodore and Apple) .

 

Edit: Although that would predate VGA or HDMI monitors, or USB keyboards, or for that matter... SD cards. Might have to get a much bigger time machine.

[Wrathchild]

Would the FGPA have the ability to incorporate a VBXE core or would that be the purpose of Expansion A and newly purposed expansion board?

[santosp]

Would the FGPA have the ability to incorporate a VBXE core or would that be the purpose of Expansion A and newly purposed expansion board?

Before Mark answer on this, I must say that the original VBXE developers not interested for something like this.

Edited August 18, 2018 by santosp

[lemiel]

Core could be recreated or copyright prevents?

[AtariNerd]

I dunno, the 2X, 4X graphic clock modes seem potentially pretty usable and being somewhat familiar, something programmers might be more willing to implement into their code, partly because it has the feel of something possible in the day, both the added capabilities and limitations. I have no idea how that effects player missles, etc, but 16-shade 320 mode sounds nice, though, or even a 9-color 320. Or 320(or 640) 5=color, etc. A lot of games/apps from other platforms become more-easily portable, even a passable CGA/EGA mode from the PC world (with obvious limits, but also enhanced, where possible.)

[geoanas]

Amazing project! Well Done Panos!

[+Larry]

What are the known functioning issues at this point? Surely there are some...

 

-Larry

[IndusGT]

Any news? Realize this is not a pre-order thread, but can't wait till they are available!!

[foft]

Any news? Realize this is not a pre-order thread, but can't wait till they are available!!

Sure Panos will reply with his news. On my side I'm integrating atx support from Farb, several bugs still to squash but getting there.

[santosp]

Any news? Realize this is not a pre-order thread, but can't wait till they are available!!

 

Indeed isn't a pre-order thread, because my spare time required for this construction is limited, so the supply of units the same.

For now I am thinking to construct two more devices from this, upgraded with the bigger 5CEBA4 fpga. Using this, I want to follow Mark's line with the previous "two board design" devices. Have been constructed 30 till now if I remember correctly.

If one more member existed to be interested to buy it except the IndusGT, let me know here so I can get in touch with both with details via p.m.

 

Thanks Panos.

Edited August 23, 2018 by santosp

[killersquirel]

This looks awesome. I know this isn't a pre-order thread, but I'm definitely interested in getting one.

[_The Doctor__]

recreating chips in fully programmable arrays are not and is not exactly copyright or copyright-able territory... specifically when recreating copyrighted chips and related technologies. You are basically laying out the circuits and devices from the original copyrighted and/or trademarked package. In the world of reverse engineering that intermediary and step afforded some protections. If anyone were to try and enforce such a thing, the original IP owner might do something about it in that case... since someone would be trying to take over that IP by enforcing copyright on something they took in the first place. So long as no one is making such legal claims and not raking in the dough... normally no one cares. Going beyond that gets the big boys all over you.

Edited August 23, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[santosp]

If one more member existed to be interested to buy it except the IndusGT, let me know here so I can get in touch with both with details via p.m.

Thanks Panos.

 

As an info, 1 device will prepared for IndusGT!

[santosp]

 

As an info, 1 device will prepared for IndusGT!

 

And a second goes for the Sven.

 

Thank you Guys.

Edited August 26, 2018 by santosp

[ndary]

i am also interested