PokeyONE

[+DrVenkman]

I designed and wrote code for a pass through device, years ago, but I can't get my hands on new ports (Brad would only sell me one brand new one), so I never ran the PCB (which is also done).

That’s incredibly disappointing.

 

Is it the cart edge connectors he won’t sell, or the ABS plastic surrounds? It seems to me a Chinese clone fab wouldn’t have a problem replicating the cart connector if someone with contacts over there like MacRorie tried to get it done. The plastics are probably 3-D print-able with the right resins by now too, though that’s rather expensive.

[CPUWIZ]

That’s incredibly disappointing.

 

Is it the cart edge connectors he won’t sell, or the ABS plastic surrounds? It seems to me a Chinese clone fab wouldn’t have a problem replicating the cart connector if someone with contacts over there like MacRorie tried to get it done. The plastics are probably 3-D print-able with the right resins by now too, though that’s rather expensive.

 

I wasn't even going as far as the guide, just a little dongle, you plug into the bottom of the cart. It is the edge connector, made out of unobtainium. I am sure Curt has a manufacturer for them, unless he got lucky and ended up with shitloads of them.

[ongikong]

but I can't get my hands on new ports

 

Wouldn't it be possible to use a standard 36pin card edge connector, like this?:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/5530843-3/A31716-ND/770542

[CPUWIZ]

 

Wouldn't it be possible to use a standard 36pin card edge connector, like this?:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/5530843-3/A31716-ND/770542

 

Ich glaube Die sind zu Kurtz fuer eine Platine, wo mann das seitwerding anloeten muss.

[ZylonBane]

Gesundheit.

Edited June 1, 2019 by ZylonBane

[+DrVenkman]

Ich glaube Die sind zu Kurtz fuer eine Platine, wo mann das seitwerding anloeten muss.

Per the engineering drawing it’s 0.61” tall. How big does it need to be?

[+Mitch]

I got my PokeyOne today. I didn't have much time to test but I dropped it in my CC2 and ran Ballblazer and Commando and didn't notice any issues. The audio sounded great on both of them.

 

Mitch

[CPUWIZ]

Gesundheit.

 

Learn, fool.

[SoundGammon]

The PokeyONE does have the (pseudo) random number generator in it, and it behaves identically to the one in an original POKEY.

 

Unfortunately, it does not have the keyboard-scanning functionality, which, I'm informed, the 5200 uses to read the controller keypads. But for 5200 games that don't use the keypads, my guess is the PokeyONE would work fine.

Guess it won't work then as the 5200 needs to at least read the start button. Can't think of a game that starts with just the bottom fire button. The upper fire button's is scanned as part of the keypad input! Great that it has random generator in it because I believe arcade games like Tempest & Centipede use it!

[doctorclu]

I'll be interested in trying this when the 800/5200 functions are added.

[shupac]

Guess it won't work then as the 5200 needs to at least read the start button. Can't think of a game that starts with just the bottom fire button. The upper fire button's is scanned as part of the keypad input! Great that it has random generator in it because I believe arcade games like Tempest & Centipede use it!

I was afraid of that. I really did want to build keyboard-scanning into the chip, because the code to implement it is trivial. But my FPGA simply doesn't have enough pins. Bummer.

 

Tempest and Centipede sure do use the random number generator. Tempest, in fact, has a copy-protection routine that checks to confirm that the pseudo-random numbers provided by the POKEY conform to a certain pattern that results from the precise configuration of the 17-bit LFSR. If this test fails, the game assumes the POKEY is counterfeit and plants a little time bomb in program RAM that will crash the CPU after level 13 if not before.

[+DrVenkman]

If you revise the board to add the necessary pins, my offer to help test 5200 and/or A8 compatibility still stands.

[+Mitch]

I notice that the package for the PokeyOne is slightly larger than a regular Pokey. I am unable to close the shell of the CC2 with the PokeyOne installed.

 

Mitch

[CPUWIZ]

I notice that the package for the PokeyOne is slightly larger than a regular Pokey. I am unable to close the shell of the CC2 with the PokeyOne installed.

 

Mitch

 

Probably won't work in my boards either then, unless you skip the socket.

[+Mitch]

I'll try it out and see.

 

Mitch

[+Mitch]

I tested with Bentley Bear on a versa board. It is too tall to fit in a cart shell with a socket, probably be OK if it was soldered in or maybe with a low profile socket like the CC2 uses.

 

Mitch

[CPUWIZ]

I tested with Bentley Bear on a versa board. It is too tall to fit in a cart shell with a socket, probably be OK if it was soldered in or maybe with a low profile socket like the CC2 uses.

 

Mitch

 

Woot? It works in the low address range? That's cool.

[Lynxpro]

Anyone have an XBoard and a PokeyONE to test it with?

 

[ducks!]

[82-T/A]

For some ungodly reason, I have 5 BallBlazers, brand new in the box and shrinkwrapped. I'm saving them for posterity because they've all disappeared in the open market!

[Jeffrey Worley]

I just 'repaired' a dead Pokey yesterday evening.  I heated it with the barrel of my soldering iron til' it was hot enough that saliva took about 1 second to evaporate from the surface.  After the heating, the 'dead' pokey is working beautifully.  I suspect that internally these old chips, New Old Stock or used ones, are oxidizing.  Heating them restores them to life.  Give it a try, it worked for me both times I tried it.

 

RSVP

YHOSvt.

 

** TNM **

[Synthpopalooza]

Just found this thread ...

 

A question:  Is the SKCTLS 2-tone mode supported here?  That is, storing $8B in SKCTLS and having the first channel's sound modulated by the second?  I have been doing some POKEY sound experiments using this setting and I was curious. 

 

Also how well does it handle the other AUDCTL settings ... 16-bit, hi-pass, 15khz and 1.79 mhz clocks, and the 9-bit polycounter.  Been playing around with these too 

[shupac]

PokeyONE was designed with the minimum feature set to necessary to support the Atari arcade titles, so, unfortunately, it does not support two-tone mode.

All AUDCTL settings are fully supported and function exactly as in the original POKEY.

[Synthpopalooza]

That's too bad.  Hopefully a future version of the chip will add this functionality.   But in the meantime, this sounds like a good alternative.

[shupac]

Thanks -- it's a great alternative if you have a collection of Atari arcade games you need to keep running. ? For the Atari home computers, I expect it's only useful as a second, audio-only POKEY.

I've made a prototype PCB that has additional hardware to read/write from/to all of the POKEY pins, not just the ones used by the arcade games. With this PCB I at least have a platform for developing the additional code needed for the IRQ, keyboard scan, and serial I/O functions.

[Synthpopalooza]

If it's of any help:

 

I started this thread, because I have been doing experimental POKEY music using AUDCTL and SKCTLS settings.  The thread was for purposes of improving A7800 emulation, but may also serve useful should you need any extreme test cases for your project.  Many of the POKEY settings I am experimenting with are mostly undocumented.