HDTV1080P
-
Content Count
1,084 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by HDTV1080P
-
-
My first videogame system was the August 1982 ColecoVision and in October 1983 my first computer was the Expansion Module #3 ADAM computer. In its time the ADAM computer offered the best videogames of any other computer system up until when it was discontinued in January of 1985. The ADAM computer was more powerful then the ATARI 130XE computer.
However, after further research I just realized that around June of 1985 ATARI released the 520ST computer which was much more powerful than the Coleco ADAM computer. The ATARI 520ST with color monitor had a 16 bit Motorola CPU at 8Mhz. The Coleco ADAM only had a 8 bit Z80A CPU at 3.58Mhz. Both the Atari ST and Amiga computers that were released around mid 1985 were more powerful than the Coleco ADAM computer. The Amiga was similar to the ATARI ST with its 16 bit Motorola CPU, however the first Amiga was only 7Mhz which means the ATARI 520ST with its 8Mhz CPU was a little bit faster than even the Amiga. Both the ATARI ST and Amiga have a mouse with an interface that is similar to Windows 3.0 in some ways.
One neat feature of the ATARI 520ST and the other ST series computers is that they have a 13 pin DIN plug with both legacy composite video and RGB output. The ATARI ST series is the only ATARI computers with native RGB output. The ATARI 800 in 1979 had Y/C output. Commodore Amiga also had RGB output but over a 23 pin D-SUB connector.
Does anyone know how many Atari ST computers were sold? I see 4 million Atari 800 were sold. Around 500,000 ADAM computers were sold and maybe the Atari ST computers was less then 500,000? I cannot find good information on how many ATARI ST computers were sold. It was a more expensive computer so it most likely was less popular, plus one had to own a high-end RGB monitor to get the best picture quality and in the mid 80’s people were still using RF and starting to get more involved with composite video and Y/C.
-
I forgot to mention that the limited run of 26 Apollo 400 Watt Power Supplies with the custom Coleco ADAM wire harness installed were wired to the ATX power supplies Green Power Supply On wire to create an automatic detection feature. For example if this ADAM Power Supply power switch is turned on and the Coleco DB9 power cord is not connected to the Memory Console, then Power Supply remains off. As soon as the Coleco DB9 power cord is plugged into the ADAM Memory Console the power supply well turn on with the two fans spinning. As soon as one unplugs the Coleco DB9 power cord from the ADAM Memory Console the ADAM Power Supply immediately turns off. The best setup is to leave the Apollo 400 Watt ADAM Power Supply plugged into the Memory Console 24 x 7 and then when one wants to turn off the ADAM computer they just flip the power switch to the off position on the power supply.
If one chooses to convert their own ATX style power supply to work with the ADAM computer or ColecoVision, there are a couple of pieces of test equipment that can save one several hours. I have found that sometimes one can run into 2 defective power supplies out of a batch of 25 new ones. Before removing a wire harness and installing a ADAM or ColecoVision wire harness, you can save time by testing the ATX power supply to make sure it works properly. For several years I have owned a Thermaltake DR. Power II tester that currently sales for around $32.80 (There might be better quality and cheaper testers on the market now).
However, I have ran into two defective -5 volts DC power supplies (two different brands and model numbers) that caused video interference issues when using composite video output on the ADAM and most likely would have had some RF video interference issues on the ColecoVision. In addition, there are some ATX power supplies on the market that claim to output -5 volts DC but in reality they do not offer that feature at all. Before a Coleco ADAM wire harness was installed I used the following device to make sure every power supply was in perfect working condition. This very high quality ATX breakout board from China for $6.95 plus free shipping is an awesome must have device that well instantly let one know if there is going to be any electrical problems or quality problems when the power supply is connected to the ColecoVision or ADAM computer. One just plugs the 20 pin or 24 pin ATX power supply into this breakout board and wires the black ColecoVision power cord or gray Coleco ADAM power cord to the breakout board. Then instantly one can verify the ATX power supply is going work with the ADAM computer or ColecoVision. If the power supply is bad, then one returns it for a refund, however if the power supply is good, then one can then open up the power supply and remove the wire harness and install the official Coleco ADAM wire harness or a official ColecoVision wire harness. Yes it costs an additional $6.95 for this hardware device that can take a few weeks or several weeks to arrive from China with free shipping option, however it’s a big time saver in case there is something wrong with the ATX power supply.
-
I should have clarified that certain categories on Amazon the fees can be between 20%-25% for selling a new unique listing that is not in Amazon's regular catalog (That includes the credit card fees). However sometimes for mainstream high price items items like TV's and Blu-ray players that is sold by dozen of different dealers the fees are around 10% under ideal conditions (but then one loses money on the set shipping price which makes the fees more like 15%).
When it comes to EBAY in prior posts I have said months ago around 15% fee for EBAY and around a 5.25% PAYPAL fee which equals around 20% total (I should have clarified that instead of saying 20%).
Also the fees might be cheaper for some high volume sellers.
However forget about small individuals and companies selling on EBAY for a moment. In the ideal world if this CollectorVision system was popular enough the creators of the system might be able to make a big contract with Amazon directly or Walmart directly. The more resellers of the video game system the more systems that could be sold.
-
When it comes right down to it, Else's SD Drive was a break thru and showed everyone that it could be done. His use of disk pairs (32 x 2 for 64 total disk images available) was limiting and the MicroFox Virtual Disk Drive (SD Drive) that is available for purchase through Adamcon is a huge improvement. The one advantage of Else's SD Drive solution is that it can emulate two disk drives at the same time compared to only one for the MicroFox unit.
Checkout the MicroFox unit at: www.annhollowdreams.com
So it sounds like the advantage of Else's unreleased full size SD drive is that one drive could be assigned disk drive #1 and #2 and then with one SD drive one could use two virtual disk drive images at the exact same time as long as those images were on the same SD card. I am also guessing that since the drive was a full size SD card that the lock switch acted like a virtual write protect switch that is found on 1.44MB 3.5 inch disks. Maybe Else's drive might also work like a virtual hard drive by being able to use the full 32GB of space on the SDHC card.
-
Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply for the ColecoVision
(Requires a ColecoVision wire harness to be installed)
This Apollo 400 Watt Power supply is 100% compatible with the ColecoVision system, however since I have no spare black UL listed ColecoVision 4 prong power cords that is something that I would not be able to offer for sale. However, if anyone has a broken ColecoVision power supply from the 80’s they could remove the power cord and install it on the AP-MP4ATX40 power supply. In fact the installation would be easier since a DB9 printer cord is not needed and the ColecoVision uses only 4 connections. It would also be a little bit cheaper to convert the power supply to work with a ColecoVision system.
If 25+ people wanted to make their own ColecoVision power adapter, I could get a custom ColecoVision waterproof sticker made up for around $5 each including shipping that people could stick on top of the Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply.
A Universal modular power supply should be developed for classic 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s computer systems
In the ideal world, some company should develop a fully modular power supply that outputs many different voltages. Then a person could purchase one modular power supply for around $100+ and then have a special ADAM power cord, ColecoVision power cord, TI-99/4a power cord, Commodore 128 power cord, ATARI 130XE power cord, and a modular power cord for around 10 different classic 70’s,80’s, and 90’s systems. Then one would only need to purchase one power supply and use the modular cord with special connector that works with the system.
A high-end Chinese company could make around 500+ fully modular power supplies that work with several different classic computers and videogame systems. Also if the power supply supports 10+ different systems there would be a demand for 500 power supplies. In the desktop PC world fully modular ATX power supplies with no -5 volts DC feature range in price from $45-$700. A high-end Chinese company could make something special in the $100+ price range that could work with several dozens of classic systems. It would be a universal modular power supply that would work with just about any system made. The power supply could be made cheaper if people were able to purchase the Commodore modular cord, ATARI modulator cord, and Coleco ADAM modular cord separately. Just purchase the modular cord that is needed.
-
Since the original Coleco DB9 power cords can not be purchased anymore. Here is one possible alternative:
While 18 gauge cable is better and the Coleco original cable is ideal. I did find a supplier online that is selling Gold plated 20 gauge shielded DB9 cables that are high quality. The problem is the price is $39.07 for 10 feet and $34.38 each when purchased in QTY’s of 25 or more. A person could cut the male end off the cable and wire it directly to the power supply and the female end would connect to the ADAM Memory Consoles male DB9 connector (but the Coleco one is unique and would fit better).
http://www.l-com.com/d-sub-heavy-duty-d-sub-cable-db9-male-female-100-ft#
Also read the following post for possible other alternatives for a DB9 power cable substitute for the Coleco ADAM computer.
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/282941-coleco-adam-printer-cables-wanted/?p=4113748
-
Yes ECOLECO is where I got 25 around 10 years ago. However, I believe they are now out of stock.
While 18 gauge cable is better and the Coleco original cable is ideal. I did find a supplier online that is selling Gold plated 20 gauge shielded DB9 cables that are high quality. The problem is the price is $39.07 for 10 feet and $34.38 each when purchased in QTY’s of 25 or more. You could cut the male end off the cable and wire it directly to the power supply and the female end would connect to the ADAM Memory Consoles male DB9 connector (but the Coleco one is unique and would fit better).
http://www.l-com.com/d-sub-heavy-duty-d-sub-cable-db9-male-female-100-ft#
You mentioned that you did not want to do any soldering. For $1.74 and free shipping from China you can purchase a DB9 female solderless terminal board that accepts around 19 gauge wire (remove the two screw terminals when used on the ADAM computer). You then buy 18 gauge wire and make your own cable using UL approved material.
The following 9 conductor 18 gauge speaker wire is similar to what you need, but you need something that is rated for power.
Also the other day I noticed that EBAY now accepts classified ads. You would most likely find more success listing a classified ad on EBAY asking for Coleco ADAM printer cables.
I hope you find what you are looking for. Another option would be to contact a cable supplier like Cables Online or other computer cable company to see if they could make a compatible Coleco ADAM memory console power cable that does not violate any copywrites. If a minimum of 100 cables needs to be made, then I might be interested in splitting the order with you. You buy 50 cables and then I might purchase 50 cables. Might take 3 or more years before the cables and power supplies are sold.
-
Thats ugly
Milli
I agree your plastic power supply case looks better when compared to the metal case used for the Apollo 400 watt power supply (but I like metal cases better when 120-220 volts input is involved). Your power supply project also has the neat feature of two ADAMNET ports being built into the plastic power supply case. When I did the wire harness I decided to only make the ADAMNET printer connection part of the power supply and the bonus ADAMNET hub is a separate device that plugs into the side or front ADAM Memory Console ADAMNET jack.
When you release your power supply in September 2018 or later this year I might purchase one for $99. Its good to have a spare power supply to keep the ADAM computer working a few more decades.
-
1
-
-
It's nice to see a source for Adam Power Supplies, but the price for a converted PC Power Supply is exorbitant. There have been others in the past that have sold such units for considerably less... ArcadeCollecting was one such person. Yes, I know, he didn't use a repurposed Adam power/Adamnet cord or include a printer hookup... but still.
The Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply for the ADAM Computer Memory Console is a top of the line power supply using the best quality material, which is one reason that the price is higher (It’s also the only 400 Watt Power Supply on the market for the ADAM Computer).
Yes, the Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply for $129.99 costs $30 more when compared to the $99 ADAM Power Supply that Milli Vee plans on releasing sometime in September 2018. In addition, the advantage of Milli Vee’s power supply is that it has a built in ADAMNET ports on the power supply itself plus a neat looking plastic case (some people prefer metal cases over plastic when it comes to high voltage power supplies). However, that Mean Well RT-50 watt power supply that Milli Vee is using has an online price of around $15. The Mean Well RT-50 Watt power supply that Milli Vee is using needs additional parts and labor to get it to work on the Coleco ADAM computer system and that is why the list price is $99 for his power supply design. Athena Powers Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply AP-MP4ATX40 can be found for around $35 which is more then double the price of the $15 Mean Well RT-50 power supply. In addition the Apollo 400 Watt power supply needs a Coleco ADAM wire harness to be purchased along with other high quality parts, plus a few hours labor removing the ATX wire harness and installing the official Coleco wire harness (plus the purchase of special tools to get the job done right).
Some might say that 400 Watts of power is over kill for the ADAM computer, however many brands and models of power supplies on the market when they get to be over 10 years old, sometimes start losing their full output capacity. If one starts at 400 watts and in 20 or 30 years later if the power supply is still working, maybe the power supply is only capable of putting out 200 watts. However, even 200 watts is plenty of power for just about anything connected to the ADAM computer.
The EBAY and Amazon fees raise the price on this power supply 20% to 25%. I do not have an official website to sale products on. However, if one were to contact me by private message, I would consider offering a 20% discount off the Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply for the ADAM Computer Memory Console if one were to pay with a money order. Or instead a 15% discount if one pays by PAYPAL directly. If contacted directly on the Amazon or EBAY interface, there would be no discount since the Amazon and EBAY rules require the sale to occur over their website interface.
Some information for those that want to install their own Coleco ADAM wire harness on their own Apollo 400 watt power supply
The 26 original 1983 Coleco ADAM DB9 power cords made this project a reality for the limited run. Now a Coleco ADAM compatible DB9 power cord needs to be developed. In the ideal world one should be able to order a 400 Watt ADAM Computer Power Supply directly from Athena Power with a custom Coleco ADAM compatible DB9 wire harness already pre-installed. Maybe that might be an option in the future. However it looks like a minimum order of 500 power supplies might be required if a Coleco ADAM compatible DB9 wire harness is developed by Athena Power’s Chinese engineers (Even though 500,000+ ADAM’s were made between 1983-1985, possible only around 5,000 people still use their ADAM computer for games, etc). So 500 ADAM power supplies might be way too many to meet exiting demands. If Athena Powers USA offices are able to install the Coleco ADAM compatible wire harness instead of the Chinese factory then maybe 50 official power supplies could be made, but the 300-500 number is a more realistic number to develop a full functional Coleco ADAM compatible DB9 power cable that matches or beats the existing quality.
Some parts that need to be ordered for those with the electronic skills to work on high voltage power supplies
This project would be a lot more easier if a fully modular ATX power supply existed with the -5 volts DC feature (If such a power supply existed, then the Coleco ADAM DB9 power cord could be plugged directly into a 24 pin ATX style module connector on the power supply without needing to open up the power supply). However the reality is no -5 volts DC fully modular ATX power supply was every released on the market. Also all or most ATX power supply companies have removed the -5 volts DC feature from all ATX power supplies being developed in 2018.
At one point in my email conversation with Athena Power, if I purchased a certain model of power supply they offered to install the 1983 Coleco ADAM DB9 power cord directly on their power supply if I shipped the original Coleco cords to them. When removing and installing a different wire harness one has the option to either solder the wires directly on the power supply or instead to use UL listed or UL approved crimp on connectors. Even though Athena Power and I have the skills to repair and modify things at the component level, a decision was made to not touch the original circuit board soldered components. The Apollo AP-MP4ATX40’s power supply was assembled using high quality robotic automation on the circuit board. Therefore, when the wire harness was installed, the original circuit board solder is exactly untouched and unmodified so that it would maintain all its safety certifications for the power supply section. The power supply uses both 18 gauge and 20 gauge wire for the actual power section of the wire harness. The quality electronic components used to install the Coleco ADAM DB9 wire harness to the power supply have amp and voltage ratings that far exceeding the quality of what is needed or required. Since there is many ways to modify or install a wire harness to a power supply I will not go into all the details of the components that were used for this project. Everyone might choose to connect the Coleco ADAM wire harness in a different way. Some people might spend 6+ hours de-soldering the wire harness from the circuit board and soldering the Coleco ADAM wire harness directly to the circuit board. On the other hand, some people might spend around 2.5 hours using high quality UL approved crimp on connectors and removing a massive amount of wires from the old wire harness without using any type of soldering iron. This Apollo Micro SFX power supply is very small compared to a full size ATX power supply (Nice cosmetic size but also harder to work on when the cover is removed). Some people might be twice as fast at converting a power supply to work with the ADAM since that type of work they do every day of their life. This project is for people that have the certifications and degrees to work on high voltage equipment. The power supply should be unplugged from the AC outlet before removing the power supply cover to prevent the possibility of being accidently electrocuted by touching the high voltage section of the power supply.
Some parts one might want to use
(The main part that is needed is the power supply with -5 volts DC). The best top of the line Desktop PC power supply on the market that has the -5 volts DC feature is the Athena Power Apollo 400 watt Power Supply model number AP-MP4ATX40. Amazon sales the retail box version of the AP-MP4ATX40 for $47.10 plus free shipping however a brand new AP-MP4ATX40 can be purchased in a OEM box for $34.98 plus free shipping from Outlet PC. And that $34.98 price is almost the same price that wholesale dealers purchase the AP-MPATX40 directly from Athena Power.
(The second most important part is to obtain the original Coleco ADAM DB9 power cords). Around 10 years ago I purchased around 25 Coleco ADAM DB9 Memory Console power cords from a ADAM dealer. That dealer no longer has the cords in stock and well most likely not be getting anymore. I believe I paid around $20 each for the original Coleco ADAM DB9 Memory Console cords. If one has an old Coleco ADAM printer or a Coleco ADAM printer power supply that no longer works, then one could remove the high quality Coleco DB9 UL listed power cord so that the cord can be installed on the Apollo 400 watt power supply. It is my understanding that in the year 2018 that no one makes a heavy duty Coleco ADAM DB9 compatible power cord anymore. So one needs to hunt for a broken Coleco ADAM Printer or Coleco ADAM printer power supply to make this project a reality.
(The third main component of this project is optional and is only required if one wants to still connect and use the original ADAM printer). A Gold plated DB9 28 gauge fully shielded cable can be purchased for $5.45 plus free shipping from Cables Online. One just cuts the female end off and wires the cable directly to the ADAMNET connection that is created inside the Power Supply. Some people for a few dollars cheaper might want to instead install a DB9 male connector on the outside of the power supply case. However, there are two issues with this. First issue is one needs to be skilled in drilling a hole through a metal case to install and mount the DB9 connector on the outside of the power supply. The second issue is with some testing I found that cosmetically plugging the Coleco ADAM printer cable directly into the side of the power supply case does not look good cosmetically. The better solution was to use the Cables Online $5.45 fully shielded gold plated cable that I mentioned above. It looks better cosmetically plus no need to spend time making a hole in a metal case to mount a DB9 jack. This cable is for very low voltage/current ADAMNET communication, the power supply built in the ADAM printer is still used to power the printer. The printer runs cooler since only the printer is being powered and the printer power supply no longer powers the ADAM computer.
(The fourth main component of this project is to either solder the Coleco ADAM wire harness to the circuit board or to use high quality UL approved and/or UL listed crimp on connectors). When I had the wire harness connected I decided to use parts that are above and beyond the needed voltage and amp rating that is required. So one can easily calculate around $10+ for supplies for each power supply depending on how one decides to attach the wire harness. Also purchasing some type of rubber feet for the Apollo 400 Watt power supply is ideal to prevent the surface counter and bottom of the power supply from being scratched. Remember normally these power supplies are installed internally in a PC instead of being installed externally.
Therefore, one is looking at a minimum of $70.45 including power supply and supplies to outfit this Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply so that it works with the ADAM computer. That is assuming that one has paid around $20 for the Coleco ADAM DB9 power cord. However, that price does not include the research and develop cost. Sometimes one runs into quality issues with supplies and materials and needs to switch to a different brand or style of connector (and purchase several samples of products to test their quality level). Another issue is I needed to purchase the proper tools to work on this project (some people might already own the proper tools). The wires that were stripped needed to be perfect quality with no missing strands, therefore a $74.45 Xcelite SAS3210 automatic 32 to 10 gauge wire stripper was used. This is the nicest automatic wire stripper that I have every used. In addition, I needed a SG Tool Aid SGT18980 crimping tool for around $100 for some of the UL listed connectors used in the project. This tool makes a perfect crimp every time that it is used.
Here is some important wiring information that one needs to know for this project
Here is the pinout information for the Coleco ADAM DB9 power cord.
Pin 1 = +12V brown
Pin 2 = +12V red
Pin 3 = +5V orange
Pin 4 = -5V yellow
Pin 5 = ground green
Pin 6, 7, 8 are used for ADAMNET communication with the printer, etc = serial data clock, serial data, signal ground.
Pin 9 = no connection
If my memory is correct only wire pins 5 and 7 on the DB9 male connector if using the ADAM Printer (not in front of my ADAM to verify and would have to take the power supply apart to check the wiring). When wiring the ADAMNET data connection correctly a bug that use to cause the ADAM printer to advance the carriage return one line space after pulling the memory console computer reset well no longer occur anymore.
Here is a link to the DB9 Male and DB9 Female pin out assignments. They are different pin outs depending if the connector is male or female.
I hope this information is useful for those that are interested in converting a rare hard to find ATX power supply with the legacy -5 volts DC feature to work on their Coleco ADAM computer system.
-
How much for just the 'ADAM Computer Memory Console Power Supply' sticker?
I never thought about making these ADAM Memory Console Power Supply stickers available to anyone else except Athena Power (However if you wanted to make your own power supply and wanted to use this sticker I could sale just the sticker). These are high quality top of the line stickers that use a Full Color, 4 color process made out of waterproof Vinyl and require a minimum order of 25 from the company that prints the stickers. I currently have 6 spare stickers in stock. If anyone wants to purchase this sticker for their custom made ATX style power supply, then send me a private message requesting a PAYPAL invoice for $5.25 which would include shipping and handling.
-
TPR,
I was thinking about all resellers like ATARIAGE, ECOLECO, and other websites might be interested in reselling the CollectorVision game system just like ATARIAGE resells the OPCODE Super Game Module.
Actually, I paid full price for the SGM’s I purchased. Another issue is that people that sale on EBAY and Amazon get hit with 20%-25% in fees where as people that have their own website only get charged around a 5% PAYPAL fee.
If some homebrew developers want to develop a reseller program then in the dealer agreement they could price lock the maximum price one can charge for a product. However, that price needs to be an extra 20%-25% higher for people that list items on Amazon and EBAY.
-
If a authorized licensed version of BAGMAN was included, most likely many people would purchase this system.
Also you might want to consider offering some type of wholesale discount for resellers that want to purchase 10+ systems for resale. Once this system is in the hands of professional reviewers and if the system gets a fair and positive review many more system would be sold.
-
Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply for the ADAM Computer Memory Console
*** Limited run of only 26 power supplies outfitted with a custom Coleco ADAM wiring harness ***
Athena Power has created the Apollo 400 Watt Switching Power Supply model number AP-MP4ATX40 which has the rare -5 volts DC feature (-5 volts DC feature has been discontinued from all or most ATX power supplies on the market). This Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply model AP-MP4ATX40 has been outfitted with a custom wiring harness that is for use with the Coleco ADAM Computer Memory Console and the Coleco ADAM Printer. This high-end 400 Watt Coleco ADAM Memory Console Power Supply has plenty of power to power just about anything that is released in the future for the ADAM computer.
In the 80’s and early 90’s I use to use the original Coleco ADAM power supply to power my ADAM computer 24 x 7 for several years, until I switched to a third party power supply for the ADAM computer.
It is recommended that the Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply be connected to a UPS system (Uninterruptable Power Supply) or a high quality surge protector to increase the lifespan of your ADAM computer and Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply. This power supply is designed to run 24 x 7 for several years on the Coleco ADAM computer system. Computers last longer when turned on and ran 24 x 7 at a constant temperature. The MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) rating on this power supply is 100,000 hours. Which means this power supply when connected to a good quality UPS or surge protector has the potential to last over 10 years. The Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply has a 1 year repair or replacement warranty.
This Apollo 400 Watt ADAM Computer Memory Console Power Supply is designed to operate anywhere in the world between 88-264 volts and between 47-63Hz (somewhere between 100-240 volts at 50/60Hz is common). One just connects the style of power cord they need and flips the input voltage switch on the Apollo power supply to either 115 volts or 230 volts. There is also an on/off power switch on the power supply that makes it easy for ADAM owners to turn their computer system on and off. When the power supply is on and running there are two very low noise fans that run to keep the power supply cool (the fans are automatic variable speed based on the internal temperature of the power supply). There is one fan in the front and one fan on the rear of the power supply.
This Apollo 400 Watt Power Supply for the ADAM computer was designed to operate in room temperatures between 0 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius (between 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit). Power supply storage and shipping temperature is between -20 degrees Celsius and +80 degrees Celsius (between -4 degrees Fahrenheit to +176 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Apollo AP-MP4ATX40 has received several safety certifications and/or approvals: FCC certified for Home and Office, cUL, UL, TUV, CB, and CE.
*** Disclaimer *** This Power Supply uses a high quality original Coleco UL listed 5.5 feet DB9 power cable and other high quality UL approved material to interface the Coleco ADAM wire harness to the Power Supply. However, this Coleco ADAM Power Supply wire harness was only UL listed and UL tested on the original 1983 Coleco ADAM power supply and has not been UL listed and UL tested when connected to the Apollo AP-MP4ATX40 power supply.
More information about the limited run of 26 Apollo Power Supplies with a Coleco ADAM wire harness installed
The reason why there was only 26 of these high-end ADAM computer power supplies made, is because I was only able to purchase a maximum of 26 original Coleco ADAM UL listed DB9 power cords. These high-end Coleco power cords are no longer made. In my communications with Athena Power in the future it might be possible for them to make a Coleco ADAM compatible power cable that matches or beats the original 1983 Coleco ADAM power cord quality. However, there is a strong possibility that any future custom power supply with an ADAM wire harness pre-installed well require a minimum order of 300 or possible 500 power supplies directly from Athena Powers Chinese factory. I am looking into the possibility of a custom Coleco ADAM compatible wire harness being installed at Athena Powers USA offices at a much lower QTY then 500. Therefore, there is a possibility that these 26 Apollo Power Supplies might end up being the last official third party power supplies made for the Coleco ADAM computer since no one makes a DB9 power cord anymore, and to get UL quality Coleco ADAM compatible DB9 power cords made up it might mean a minimum order of 500. Also like all other prior ATX power supplies on the market with -5 volts DC, the Apollo AP-MP4ATX40 might soon be going out of production (or might possible already be out of production once inventory is depleted).
This ADAM Memory Console Power Supply also allows one to connect their original Coleco ADAM Printer over an ADAMNET DB9 connection. Connected to the ADAM Power Supply is a high quality 100% foil shielded 28 gauge DB9 cable that is labeled “PRINTER”. This DB9 printer cable has 9 Gold Plated pins (cord length around 2.5 feet). This Apollo Power Supply for the ADAM computer only powers the ADAM Memory Console and well not power the ADAM printer. Before using the ADAM printer one needs to turn the power on the printer and then pull the Memory Console reset so that ADAMNET sees the Coleco ADAM printer attached. One very nice feature of this ADAM Memory Console Power Supply is that it removes the bug where the ADAM printer carriage return advances one space when the computer Memory Console reset is pulled. Normally what would happen is that when the ADAM printer was powering the ADAM computer, the paper in the printer would advance one line each time the computer Memory Console was reset. This resulted in the paper being ejected from the ADAM printer after several Memory Console resets. This bug is fixed with the ADAM printer no longer advancing the paper in the printer one line when the ADAM Memory Console is reset. In addition, the ADAM printer runs cooler since now the printer power supply only powers the actual printer and not the entire ADAM Memory Console. The power to the printer only needs to be turned on when one actually plans on printing.
As a bonus a 2 Port ADAMNET HUB with 7 feet connection cable is included when one purchase this 400 Watt ADAM Power Supply. Suggested retail list price on this custom 400 Watt ADAM Power Supply is $129.99 plus shipping.
-
1
-
-
So what you are saying is the BETA version might only have BETA firmware and the hardware for the BETA version including the case should be the same as the final release version. So the advatage of paying $300 now instead of $200 later is that one gets the system sooner. Something I well need to think about.
-
That was a great video demoing the system. I really like that the PS/2 keyboard can be used to play ColecoVision games. I currently use a PS/2 keyboard on my X99 motherboard with a ColecoVision emulator and really like it.
-
If the CollectorVision system outputs native 480P, then the only scaling involved is the one used in the display (which could be a DLP projector or flat panel). However if the CollectorVision system is scaling 480P to 720P then anyone that owns a 1080P, 4K Ultra HD, or 8K display well be using two scalers (one scaler in the CollectorVision and one in the display). Its better to only use one scaler since two scalers has the potential to add more digital artifacts. And for people that claim scalers add lag time then two scalers in theory would add more lag time when compared to one scaler.
-
It might be a case where adding more display features would slow down deployment of additional consoles being added. Given the choice of meddling with their existing feature timeline and fancier graphics.. well, I'd rather develop SMS, MSX and other games using this console
Good point. And that is why the system could launch with 640 x 480P resolution and later on with a firmware update other resolutions like simulated 720P or higher could be supported.
-
TVs and monitors (and blu-ray players) are optimized to scale video sources for things like TV and movie content. Scaling videogames is a bit more difficult, because you generally wish to retrain the pixel edges. Passing sharp edge pixels through a typical scaler will fuzz them out. I can see a big difference in how my various monitors and TVs scale 480p vs. 720p or 1080p on pixel art.
This is why scaling the output in an FPGA will beat any scaler on a typical TV or monitor- they simply are not designed to scale this content. Also, when upscaling to non-integer ratios, you need to keep a tight leash on the interpolation to prevent it getting fuzzy. Most people seem to like the sharp edge pixels. Also, the scalers on FPGAs can be more flexible in another way a TV/monitor/blu-ray player typically cannot- they can give you very fine control over the width (and sometimes height) so you can tweak it to suit your tastes and monitor.
I learned a lot of people are sensitive to aspect ratio issues, and really like having the fine X width control to tweak it 'just so'. Just my 2 bits (1/4 byte).
There are several millions of people using XBOX and PS3, and PS4 systems and are happy with the TV sets scalers for videogames.
If the high end TV set and external scalers are such a problem then this would be more reason to include a 4K scaler in the Collectorvision system. However I have been happy with the picture quality of my ColecoVision ADAM computer when scaled from 192 interlaced composite video to 1080i, 1080P, and 4K Ultra HD.
-
Why would you want to even do that? That is optimized for Blu-ray movies, not video game consoles. I'm pretty sure its going to add input lag vs just having it upscale via the system itself.
The CollectorVision system should not have any HDMI lag since the HDMI chip well be in sync with the ColecoVision core. Once in HDMI format one should be able to connect to a HDMI A/V receiver or any HDMI scaler without input lag. If your theory about input lag was true then any 720P, 1080i, 1080P or 4K display could not be able to be used since they would all scale the native 480P CollectorVision video image to the sets native resolution. But we know that people with XBOX and Playstation 3,4 systems use HDMI just fine with external and internal HDMI scalers since the signal is always kept in the HDMI chain. Its when one uses a analog to HDMI scaler is when lag can occur.
-
These are the resolution modes that would be ideal on the CollectorVision system over HDMI to offer the widest compatibility with equipment if a full functional built in 4K scaler was going to be included. (There are some old tube TV's that do 480i and 1080i, plus some first generation flat panels that do 480P and some older 720P flat panels).
So the ideal menu selection would be source direct native resolution mode, plus the following menu options would be ideal 480i, 480P, 576i pal, 576p pal, 720P, 1080i, 1080P, and 2160P with both 60Hz and 50Hz supported.
Of course I could just use the HDMI input on my OPPO UDP-203 and the Blu-ray player well up-scale or down-scale the native CollectorVision video to any of the above resolutions I select in the menu and 24Hz, 50Hz, and 60Hz is supported in the OPPO UDP-203. I am guessing that the HDMI output for the CollectorVision system well do 60Hz and maybe also 50Hz for international HDTV's. 24Hz is not needed since we are not dealing with film based material.
-
Technically the internal 480p mode would be an upscale too for standard Coleco games since they were programmed in 192 resolution. Only newer games designed with 480p in mind would technically be a true native res from the source, but even then they'd still benefit from the FPGA doing the upscaling over your TV. We can go back and forth and never agreeing, but I can show evidence of this being the case, can you?
Yes new games could be created to take full advantage of 640 x 480P that the F18a offers but then the games might not be backward compatible with existing ColecoVisions. It is totally false that the FPGA has better upscaling from 480P to 720P when compared to high end TV sets or Blu-ray players. Once the signal is 480P a high end external scaler well offer much better quality then FPGA. This can be proved by setting up two identical displays and using test patterns.
-
Because its not the same type of upscaling between the two devices. I don't think you understand why doing it within the FPGA itself will do a better job. Also, 720p and 1080p is a muliple of 4K so your 4K will add less blurring to the image. Its really that simple. What you want is for your TV to do as little scaling as possible. Again, we have the Analogue Mini and Super NT to prove this. 1080p will look noticeablly sharper than having your TV upscale a 480p image.
If the TV set is a very low cost and poor quality TV set, then yes I agree the CollectorVision system should offer better quality upscaling from 480 to 720P. However if the TV is several thousands of dollars and uses state of the art upscaling chips then it well do a much better job upscaling FPGA 480 signals to 720P, 1080P, 4K, 8K, and 10K.
All I am suggesting is that along with 720P and 1080P upscaling in the CollectorVision, that a native 480 mode be included in the setup menu for those consumers that choose to use some type of external upscaling device.
-
An FPGA scaling to a higher resolution is going to do a better job than your HDTV, that I can guarantee. Why you'd want your HDTV to scale the image over the FPGA system makes zero sense. All one needs to do is use the 480p or 720p modes on a Super NT on their 1080p/4K sets and see how much softer it is vs enabling 1080p mode on the SNT. Lastly, you definitely don't want a native 480i signal unless you were hooking up to a CRT, but given this is HDMI only that would look horrible on a 4K display. Most HDTVs can't properly deinterlace images without ugly artifacts being introduced.
There are some really nice 4K Ultra HD OLED displays and some 4K Ultra HD desktop computer monitors that have high quality upscaling chips that make 480i and 480P signals over HDMI look really good.
Its better quality to have one upscale device involved instead of two upscale devices. Why use 720P or 1080p upscaling in the CollectorVision system if one is going to have their 4K display also do the upscaling. Better upscaling quality can occur if the native 480 signal is upscaled to 4K by one device (either the TV or the videogame system). Some TV's well have better upscaling chips when compared to some videogame systems. Which every system has the better upscaling technology should be used.
4K Ultra HD upscaling chips are very inexpensive, and perhaps the CollectorVision system might want to use 4K Ultra HD upscaling. I well be happy if a native source direct feature is offered for all the game cores. Which would be 640 x 480 for the ColecoVision core. I would be really surprised if this CollectorVision system was to launch without at least 720P or higher upscaling to make people happy.
-
I am for the highest native resolution possible. At this time the CollectorVision game system for the ColecoVision part of the project well have a 640 X 480i or 640 x 480P resolution with a screen ratio of 4:3. That is based on the F18a technology that is a little lower then true 720 x 480i and 720 x 480P.
The original unmodified NTSC ColecoVision/ADAM only has a 256 x 192 interfaced resolution. Many people well be happy if they get native 640 x 480i/p from the new ColecoVision section of the CollectorVision.
Now if someone wants to create a ColecoVision II BIOS with native 10K or native 8K (7680 x 4320) resolution over HDMI 2.1 then I am all for that. There is a big difference between native resolution and simulated upscale resolution quality. For example 100% of all store purchased DVD’s have a native resolution of 720 x 480 interfaced. If one goes and purchases one of the new 8K flat panel TV’s with a native resolution of 7680 x 4320, what is going to happen is the 480i DVD source material is going to be upscaled to simulated 7680 x 4320 quality by the TV’s upscale chips. In fact there is evidence that a native 720 x 480i TV well offer a better picture quality when playing 480i DVD discs since there are digital artifacts created when upscaling. Now playing a native 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with 3840 x 2160P well look a lot better on a 4K and 8K display versus a 480i DVD disc.
My point is native resolution is a lot more important when compared to simulated upscale resolution. One can take a 240i VHS tape and upscale it to 8K, but the VHS tape still going to look worse when compared to a DVD.
What is more important is what the native graphics chip in the CollectorVision system is capable of. In the future it would be neat for a software engineer to make a ColecoVision II BIOS that outputted true 1920 x 1080P or 1280 x 720P with 16:9 screen ratio for special new native 720P or 1080P games.
What I really want in this CollectorVision system is to have a native 640 x 480i/p mode for ColecoVision games since that is what I would use when connected to my 4K Ultra HD Desktop computer monitor. I well let the display do the upscaling to the displays native resolution. Therefore, if the CollectorVision system does offer upscaling to 720P or 1080P, I hope there is a way to disable the upscaling for those consumers that well be using external upscaling in their display or A/V receiver.
The marketing department for the CollectorVision system could label the system as 720P upscaling if none of the game cores offer native 720P.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
CollectorVision Phoenix Game Console
in CollectorVision
Posted · Edited by HDTV1080P
If sometime in the future we get a ATARI 2600 cartridge adapter, then the CollectorVision Game System would do everything that Expansion Module #1 ATARI 2600 adapter does in addition to being able to use HDMI for Atari 2600 games. Some Atari 2600 fans would purchase the CollectorVision just for the ability to play their existing ATARI 2600 cartridges over HDMI.
Then if one day a ADAM core is created in software, people that own Expansion Module #3 ADAM computer well be very happy (Use the PS/2 keyboard and SD drive for virtual floppy drive storage). At a certain point the advantages of the CollectorVision system would be so great that there would not be a pratical reason to use ones old 1982 ColecoVision anymore. People would just keep the old ColecoVision around for collectable reasons.