[Coco] Re: Coco Repack

[farna at att.net]

Mark, I do realize the programming the GIME in an FPGA is a big task. Hopefully that FPGA cna be wired in if someon blows a GIME, though from what I remember failures of the GIME are few and far between. 

I guess having a two or three FPGA, with a few support chips, CoCo compatible computer is a pipe dream. But to have it all on a small board as a hobby machine with a DECB ROM option would be quite an experimenter/project machine! I think it would be financially viable if development costs could be kept down. There would be some compatibility with the old CoCo in DECB for really simple things (buy an old CoCo to have a legal ROM, same as with the emulators, though we all know the ROM code is out there...), and NitroS-9 for more complicated tasks. It would bridge the gap between simple controllers like a PIC or Stamp and working with a "real" computer. PC compatibles are just to complicated and delicate for any real experimental work. There used to be bread board cards and such for the old XT and AT, but I can't see anyone doing something like that with a modern machine, especially when you throw in Windows. Maybe with an older version of DOS, but then you're wasting money on power you don't need. Buying an older computer used to be an option, but there aren't many good XT/AT machines out there anymore, and they are so damned big! I wish I did have the knowledge and skill to do more than offer suggestions, I would!! Maybe you less technically challenged guys could work something up one of these days. Development could even be done directly on the controller board, what a concept!  I really do think there is a market for a simple hobby machine out there, though small. 


--
Frank Swygert 
Publisher, "American Independent 
Magazine" (AIM) 
*Elite* publication for those 
interested in all 
aspects of AMC 
history,performance,restoration,etc 
. 
(AMC,Rambler,Nash,Hudson,Jeep,etc.) 
http:farna.home.att.net/AIM.html 
(free download available!) 



-------------- Original message from coco-request at maltedmedia.com: -------------- 

> Message: 7 
> Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 18:27:21 -0500 
> From: Mark Marlette 
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Re: Coco Repack 
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts 
> Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20040806180807.02c911b0 at pop.cpinternet.com> 
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed 
> 
> At 10:45 PM 8/6/2004 +0000, you wrote: 
> 
> The 63B09 = 2MHZ, 63C09=3MHZ and 63D09=4MHZ. 
> 
> James has quite a project just to do the GIME in a FPGA. Lets not overwhelm 
> the project and make it not happen. The paragraph below is a HUGE task! 
> Remember this is a hobby for most. To do the software, hardware and test 
> takes quite some time. Better yet how many people would step forward and 
> help out on it? How about put up the $$$ to buy one????? I have over $5k 
> out on the SuperBoard project, that doesn't include my time. Love of the 
> machine or stupidity...... :) 
> 
> It is quite a simple task to make the memory map for the GIME, it is ALOT 
> harder to perform all of the functions that is behind each bit. The MMU is 
> simple as well. Interrupt and timer functions are a bit more complex and 
> not documented the best. The video with all the compatibility modes is 
> something else as well. No doubt something to be proud of, the GIME is the 
> machine. I have been in direct contact with the creators of this beast and 
> it is AMAZING to me that nobody has an internal document of it. I also do 
> believe if they had it, I would have it as our conversations went. 
> 
> Mark 
> Cloud-9