F18A

[Willsy]

To get 32 sprites, just do this:

 

REPEAT 32 [ matts-clever-sprite-code ] ;

 

 

There. Fixed it for ya. Bill is in the post

[matthew180]

Bet you have never seen something like this before (emulators not included).

 

The artifact in the upper left corner is probably because I'm not yet honoring the >D0 value in a sprite's Y position to disable further processing. At least I hope that's what it is.

 

Thus, sprites are working except for magnification, but that should not take much. It is pretty cool to finally be able to play some games on the new chip. Hopefully when I quit hacking on the thing, I'll get around to making a full journal post about the sprite implementation. Anyone going to the 2010 TI Faire in Chicago next week will get to see this first hand. Those who are not, sorry but you'll have to wait until I get them into production.

 

Matthew

[+retroclouds]

How cool is that! You rock man!

[Willsy]

HO LEE SHEEYAT!

 

Man you effin' kick ASS.

 

That is AWESOME!

 

You are really motoring with this chip! Just incredible! Is bitmap etc done, and the 'in-between' graphics modes?

 

Brilliant work. Definately buying at least two of these for my two consoles (one UK PAL, one USA NTSC).

 

Actually, that begs a question... Is there any changes required to the crystal on the mother-board for a UK machine, or should it "just work"?

[matthew180]

You are really motoring with this chip! Just incredible! Is bitmap etc done, and the 'in-between' graphics modes?

 

Yes, No. All "documented" modes have been done since May (when I went dormant on the project until last week.) After the sprites are totally done I'll go back and add support for the undocumented (in the datasheet anyway) modes.

 

Actually, that begs a question... Is there any changes required to the crystal on the mother-board for a UK machine, or should it "just work"?

 

It will "just work". I'm not using the 99/4A's oscillator, DRAM, or video output, so all the NTSC/PAL specific circuitry is no longer in the picture. The output is a standard analog VGA signal, which thankfully *is* really a standard. I have not posted this section to my journal yet, but I purchased a UK PAL MSX1 computer with a 9929A in it. I plugged in my F18A and it worked! I actually used the MSX1 to perfect the tile modes (graphics 1 and 2, Text, Multicolor) since MSX BASIC lets you switch from one to the other with a single command (it is really very nice.)

 

Here are a few pictures of my PAL MSX1 using the F18A. The "space" in case below the transformer is where a video board was that I took out (didn't need it any more.) The computer is really well laid out too.

 

The "n" in the lower right corner of the last picture was a bug in the text mode, which I had not gotten quite right when the picture was taken.

 

Matthew

[Tursi]

This is pretty fantastic, Matthew! Amazing work!

[Opry99er]

Jeez man... You're doing some incredible stuff here!!! You should cross post with the MSX and Coleco forums, they'll love this!!

[Centurion030]

Matthew,

 

I had to go back and change the original post after I saw that you have looked at Mike J's fpgaarcade site.

 

Regarding the Geneve 2 project, it's not meant to replace the 99/4A. However, I bet that once you are finished, have the features added to their code would be nice!

 

Will this be open source when complete?

 

James

Edited November 1, 2010 by Centurion030

[matthew180]

Jeez man... You're doing some incredible stuff here!!! You should cross post with the MSX and Coleco forums, they'll love this!!

 

I figured I would leave them alone until it was ready. I think there have been enough false starts with this kind of a project that no one gets excited about vapor-ware any more. However, if anyone disagrees, feel free to spread the word. Gossip and word of mouth are probably going to be the best marketing I will have for this.

 

Matthew

[matthew180]

Will this be open source when complete?

 

James

 

I'm not sure. Almost everything I do I usually publish the code, however right now I'm too embarrassed to release my code (yeah, I know it's silly, but...) I've been coding for 25+ years, but VHDL is totally new to me and I'm sure my code it not up to par. I'll probably get over it though, and release it eventually. However, if there is anyone who is seriously involved with FPGA development who wants to check out the code, drop me private message.

 

Matthew

[sometimes99er]

However, if there is anyone who is seriously involved with FPGA development who wants to check out the code, drop me private message.

Now you didn't miss this one from the man, Paul Urbanus, Mr. Parsec himself !?

 

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ti99-4a/message/74406

[matthew180]

Actually, I did miss that!! I just don't read the Y! groups any more... I guess I better reply.

 

Matthew

[matthew180]

Hmm, the Pitfall title screen is still messed up with my F18A chip. Retroclouds, what are you doing on title screen?? The "Activision" text scrolls in but is kind of weird (the 'A' is green, and the text messes up half way on to the screen), and the "David Crane's", "PITFALL!", and "Remake by Retroclouds" does not even appear. Harry shows up and swings though, and the game seems to play correctly.

 

Are you perhaps using one of the undocumented half-bitmap modes on the title screen?

 

Also, it does not appear that you used the early clock bit with the logs, since they abruptly disappear from the left side of the screen, which is how it looks on the real 9918A. Just wanting to confirm.

 

Matthew

[Opry99er]

Hey Matthew, how does Popeye look on your chip? Is it doing the things you had hoped?

[matthew180]

Popeye looks great. I just played it about 30 minutes ago after testing Pitfall. I have never actually played it, but I managed to get to the 3rd level (Pirate Ship), and then did the same on my unmodified 99/4A. Looks the same, old hag throwing bottles and all. I was going to return Popeye to you at the Faire, but I guess now I'll just have to mail it.

 

I'm looking for a game that for sure uses the early clock bit so I can test that part too. Anyone know of one off hand?

 

Matthew

[sometimes99er]

I'm looking for a game that for sure uses the early clock bit so I can test that part too. Anyone know of one off hand?

You can use the attached demo.

[Opry99er]

No rush at all on Popeye... I know you're good for it. . And as for Parsec, you're welcome to keep that if you'd like. I have an extra copy.

 

Wait... I DID send you Parsec, didn't I? I can't remember for sure now.

Edited November 1, 2010 by Opry99er

[matthew180]

Yes, you sent me Parsec as well, thanks. I think you told me to keep it when you sent it, which is probably why you forgot.

[matthew180]

Well, I added support of the Graphics Mode II "masking" which solved most of the title screen problems on Pitfall!. I still have a problem with the "Activision" sprite though, so I'm not sure what it going wrong with that.

 

Also, I have BigFoot for testing, and if you let the demo play, after the first "round" when it goes back to the title screen, there are two vertical bars down the screen. Very strange. If anyone would care to help me figure out what that code is doing at that time, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

Aside from that, all that is left now is sprite magnification and the "partially negative" vertical coordinates, which I have been dreading.

 

Matthew

[+acadiel]

Wow. I'm blown away, Matt. Awesome work!

[matthew180]

Okay, here are some screen shots of the problems. Now that I have a still picture of the Pitfall! title screen, it looks like the problem is a sprite coordinate issue, or possibly the early clock bit. In the first picture you can see the Activision coming in ok, but about half way in it messes up, as seen in the second picture.

 

The Bigfoot problem is a little different. The first time we see the title screen it is fine. The game play demo runs if you don't touch a key, then back to the title screen, but this time there are two yellow bars running from top to bottom. The game play demo starts again and the screen looks fine.

 

If anyone has any ideas as to what might be happening, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, the screen and colors looks better in real life.

 

Matthew

[Opry99er]

Damn.... That looks great man!!! The anomalies are quite perplexing though.... I wonder what would cause the lines on Bigfoot?? Perhaps Urbite could lend his opinion.... If I wanted to know about how HDL and the TI architecture worked together, he is one guy I would be interested in speaking with.

 

I'm still blown away that this project is off the ground.... Seems like a fairy tale or something.

[matthew180]

Well, the lines on the Bigfoot title screen are actually sprites (I disabled the sprite subsystem and they went away)! Which is a good thing because that isolates the problem to the new sprite code. I still think it has to do with the early clock bit, so I'll start there.

 

Matthew

[Opry99er]

Happy Hunting, Matthew. Strange that the SPRITEs would line up like that-- or take on the shape of those lines. But--- I have seen some very minute bugs in assembly do the most whacked out stuff imaginable.... Mostly it's like an offset being one or two positions to the right or left or a misuse of a register... I shouldn't be surprised by much anymore.

[matthew180]

Well, Pitfall is fixed!! It was the early clock, which of course ended up being a major change to other sprite related stuff. However, the problem wit Bigfoot still exists and it is exactly the same! I was hoping fixing one would correct the other, but apparently not. But Bigfoot will have to wait until tomorrow.

 

Matthew