garyp Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 I am starting a hardware / software project to build all the features of the Atari 2600's TIA (or Stella) chip into a PIC. It will not be pin for pin compatable but as the 6507 and 6532 chips are readily available, this project (if succesful) would enable ANYONE to build themselves an Atari 2600 system from scratch. Just want to know if anyone out there is interested or would like to contribute. My email address is gazp@facehugger.com, Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 I am interested...as this sounds like the perfect way of being able to build your own Portable 2600. My question is what contributions are you needing...since you stated that both the Tia and Riot chips were readily avail to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 11, 2001 Author Share Posted June 11, 2001 Basically, I'm writing the code in PIC C. But anyone who has any info on the TIA or can program for the PIC in assembly or C should get in touch. I have all the original Atari docs on the TIA. I was initially gonna build the thing from logic chips but after thinking about it, it would be massive! A PIC 16f77 seemed a better option. Ant input would be appriciated! [ 06-11-2001: Message edited by: GazP ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 That sounds like a pretty cool project and I'm sure you'd find many people interested in it when you've finished. Not being a hardware guy myself, what does this mean in terms of the reduction in complexity it'll mean for someone trying to build a 2600-compatible board? ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 11, 2001 Author Share Posted June 11, 2001 The only custom chip in the 2600 is the TIA, which to the best of my knowledge is not available (being designed in '76 an all!) So if this project works anyone could build the core of a 2600 system for next to nothing! As the PIC can be bought as a surface mount (i.e. tiny) component, it would be ideal for a portable and cheap 2600 system! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khryssun Posted June 11, 2001 Share Posted June 11, 2001 I'am interested too.... I'm programming in C++ and machine langage (6502, 68000, 80x86) if this may help.... let me know. I've never programmed pics so far... maybe it's time to learn maybe, it would be usefull that you create a web page with all the infos related to the project ? just an idea.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 12, 2001 Author Share Posted June 12, 2001 I'm gonna try and get a bit of interest first, and if anyone would like to help then I'll start up a web page as soon as pos! If anyone would like the PIC source code so far, or any of the info about the TIA then let me know! Looking at it so far, it will take me ages to do it on my own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khryssun Posted June 12, 2001 Share Posted June 12, 2001 quote: If anyone would like the PIC source code... Yes, i'm curious to look at this khryssun@aol.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 12, 2001 Author Share Posted June 12, 2001 I'm in university at the moment, got loads of end of year electronics stuff to be doing but I'll mail it to you as soon as I can. Will either be tomorrow or the next day. Do you want any of the TIA files I've got (such as register info) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khryssun Posted June 12, 2001 Share Posted June 12, 2001 Ok, I've received your email too... For the TIA files I've got the Stella manual and the TIA 1A manual. If you have any other documentation, it would be kind to send them to me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 13, 2001 Author Share Posted June 13, 2001 I've mailed the code to you today. Wouldn't do a lot if it was put into a PIC know, but would draw the players, missles and balls in black and white. It's a start! Anybody else interested in helping out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 quoteThe only custom chip in the 2600 is the TIA, which to the best of my knowledge is not available (being designed in '76 an all!) So if this project works anyone could build the core of a 2600 system for next to nothing! As the PIC can be bought as a surface mount (i.e. tiny) component, it would be ideal for a portable and cheap 2600 system! Ahhh, that makes great sense. It never dawned on me that one would have to steal the TIA from existing 2600 units in order to create portables or other 2600-derivatives. What would be cool is to see someone create a single-chip Atari 2600 solution. But I doubt that'll happen anytime soon as you'd have to include the 6507 and 6532 logic, which I'm sure Motorola wouldn't be too pleased with (assuming those were both designed by Motorola, I don't have an open 2600 handy.. ) ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khryssun Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 Thanks Gazp, I'll look at the code this weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 14, 2001 Author Share Posted June 14, 2001 I've updated the code now, as the last version had errors. I'll mail it to you as soon as pos. I've also started work on some html pages for the project. At the moment, there are a few sites around of people ripping 2600's to bits (ouch, destroy a piece of history why don't ya!) but I'd rather not have to do that to build a completely new system. The one chip solution would most likely be the next step for this project, don't know. See how this goes first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 14, 2001 Author Share Posted June 14, 2001 Oh yeah, the chips are made by Motorola, but can be got from Rockwell and other suppliers too. I don't think they'd mind too much If you could get a PIC with a fast enough clock and enough RAM you could program it with a sort of Atari 2600 emulator! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyp Posted June 20, 2001 Author Share Posted June 20, 2001 If anyones interested with the help of Khryssun, the project now has a bit more info and some files to download! The URL is http://khryssun.cjb.net/pictia.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channel 2 Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 In case you haven't seen it, here's something relevant from the May archive of the Stella mailing list ( http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archives/ ): quote: On Thu, 17 May 2001, Joe Grand wrote: > At 04:25 PM 5/17/2001 -0400, Chris wrote: > > >Thesis: I have bare TIA dice (silicon chips) in hand, both with and > >without the top metal layer. Will hopefully get complete photographs > >and video next week. > > Very cool.. What is your thesis topic? Reverse engineering the TIA and reproducing it, probably in a FPGA. I hope to make the thing cheap and low power (NMOS sucks a lot of power). And maybe faster, but that is a story for another time. The other main goal is to get complete SCHEMATICS so we'll finally know how all the software tricks work...exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 27, 2001 Share Posted June 27, 2001 I have to say, Channel 2, that's the most clever name/Avatar that I've seen. I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSmirk Posted June 27, 2001 Share Posted June 27, 2001 quote: Originally posted by GazP: The URL is http://khryssun.cjb.net/pictia.html Couldn't get the page to load up, I'd be interested in helping out anyway I can..sounds like a cool project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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