[Coco] MC-10 Questions...

[Robert Emery]

--- farna at att.net wrote:

> You know, as I was thinking about that digital dash again,
Sounds like someone's been bitten by the bug again... :-)

> The numbers displayed will have
> to be on a graphics screen to be big enough to easily see. I'd probably use a
> mechanical hour meter under the hood and forget mileage, unless I can find a
> stand alone odometer instead of an hour meter.

There may be legal implications involved with replacing the odometer.
I was working on a digital dash (all LED's) for my 74 Super Beetle and planned
to just relocate the speedo/odometer up into the trunk. Unforch, the car got
totalled not long before I finished the project.
 
<snip>
> avg. mpg and estimated distance on remaining fuel).  I doubt the MC-10 could
> do the analog gauges, I'd be happy with a big digit speed and smaller digit
> gauges placed around the central speed readout. That would have to be a
> graphics screen too. 

Since either way it's graphics... the analog gauge would probably be a lot less
work than drawing numeric characters. Does the MC-10 support semigraphics
modes? What about the high speed poke?

Back when you first posted about your desire to do this but thought the CoCo
was too big, I was going to say a VIC-20 would be a good choice (but you said
you'd lost the desire)... I have one (VIC-20) that I'd considered using for
everything but the speedo/tach. Those were handled by dedicated circuits found
in Radio-Electronics from the early or mid 80's. Still have 'em if you're
interested and I know of a ~$35 kit (locally available) which is almost the
exact same circuit, designed to drive LED's.


> I have to re-learn BASIC anyway, might as well be MC-10.
> Any doubts that the MC-10 could accomplish all this??

I don't doubt it... as far as calculations go, you may need ML to count the
joystick button inputs and convert that to MPH and RPM, but reading the analog
inputs and converting it to graphics coordinates should be fast enough even
with Basic, with the right algorithms.

Hmm... I wonder if an MC-10 could be retrofitted with a 6809 and Extended
Basic.
 
> A 5"-6" LCD screen is what I intend to use,
> can find them for under $200 with NTSC inputs. 
> 
I'm using a composite 5.6" LCD on my CoCo3 portable and it's quite legible with
the right color selections. I can even read the tiny text on my buttons in
Color FOG, a hand drawn 5x3 pixel font, which is technically not enough to be
legible on any monitor. If possible, test any LCD monitor on a CoCo before you
buy it so you know what you'll be seeing.

good luck,
Bob Emery
http://www.geocities.com/theother_bob/coco.html



		
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