[Coco] CoCo 3 FPGA?

[Joel Ewy]

jdaggett at gate.net wrote:

> Leonard

>

> What one? There are not too many that have exactly what we would need. 

>   

Here's what Gary used:  "CoCo3FPGA is built on a Digilent Inc. Spartan 3
Starter board with XC3S1000 upgrade."

JCE

> Even to design one amd layout one will still be expensive. The major cost is 

> the FPGA cost itself.   

>

> Should be able to get around 25MHz if the HDL code is written for speed. 

> Sacrifice area for speed. 

>

> james

>

> On 26 Jul 2007 at 13:27, Leonard wrote:

>

>   

>> I smell a development board in my future!  Even if it only does 12Mhz,

>> that's still a lot faster then we now have.  I hate to bring this up,

>> but does this have the markings of a coco4?  Guess if you're a purist

>> it doesn't, but it seems like good fun anyway:)!

>>

>> Leonard

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com

>> [mailto:coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com] On Behalf Of Joel Ewy Sent:

>> Thursday, July 26, 2007 9:50 AM To: CoCoList for Color Computer

>> Enthusiasts Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo 3 FPGA?

>>

>> Leonard wrote:

>>     

>>> Wow....now that's cool stuff!  A 50 Mhz coco!  The possibilities are

>>>       

>> endless

>>     

>>> it seems.

>>>

>>>   

>>>       

>> Remember, I just pulled that number out of thin air, though I don't

>> think it's wildly unrealistic that an FPGA CoCo could someday run that

>> fast.  According to Gary's web site, he has it running at 6.25 MHz

>> which, while far from 50, is still a heck of a lot faster than any

>> "real" CoCo 3.

>>

>> JCE

>>

>>     

>>> Thanks for the info and I can't wait till the website is up so I can

>>> check this thing out.

>>>

>>> Leonard

>>>

>>>

>>> -----Original Message-----

>>> From: coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com

>>> [mailto:coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com]

>>>       

>> On

>>     

>>> Behalf Of Joel Ewy

>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:16 PM

>>> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts

>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo 3 FPGA?

>>>

>>> Leonard wrote:

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> Ok...I'll admit my ignorance, but I can over come it with

>>>> questions?

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>> What's

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> an FPGA and what will that mean for the hobbyist?  I think an FPGA

>>>> is a

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>> CoCo

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> on a chip?  Does that mean its more of an emulation then actual

>>>> hardware?

>>>>   

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>> Leonard, this is sort of like emulation, but it is emulation

>>> implemented in programmable hardware, rather than emulation

>>> implemented in software running on a general purpose CPU.  So if the

>>> FPGA can be clocked at 50 MHz (to pull a number out of the air) the

>>> processor can run at 50 MHz. For all intents and purposes, this is

>>> real hardware.  But it is hardware that is programmable, and in some

>>> FPGAs, dynamically re-programmable while running.  So not only could

>>> it contain all the functionality of a CoCo 3, it could also be

>>> expanded to have Next-Generation CoCo features.  One could even

>>> leave a section of the logic free and implement all kinds of

>>> specialized algorithms in it, like encoding/decoding JPEG images in

>>> hardware, color quantization, floating point coprocessor, or

>>> whatever.

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> Would this mean a CoCo that can run SVGA?  

>>>>

>>>>   

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>> It very well could.  Just depends on what Gary has put in there.

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> Would this chip be for sale?

>>>>

>>>>   

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>> That all depends on Gary, of course!  :)  The chip itself is

>>> probably an off-the-shelf FPGA -- likely on an FPGA development

>>> board.  Those can be had for $100 - $???.  The development board

>>> would have everything you need to hook it up to a PC and program the

>>> logic array on the FPGA. Some even have goodies like VGA and

>>> keyboard ports built in.  One might need to cook up a little custom

>>> hardware to attach CoCo peripherals. The main issue is whether and

>>> on what terms Gary is willing to share his FPGA code.

>>>

>>> It's unlikely that anybody's going to sell a packaged FPGA CoCo

>>> system as a consumer product, though I'd love it if somebody proved

>>> me wrong here.  But as a do-it-yourself project where somebody

>>> supplies the FPGA code, and maybe an interface board or two, and you

>>> buy your own FPGA development board -- that is eminently possible. 

>>> And we may be closer to it than ever before...

>>>

>>> JCE

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> Leonard

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> -----Original Message-----

>>>> From: coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com

>>>> [mailto:coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com]

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>> On

>>>   

>>>       

>>>> Behalf Of Shain Klammer

>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:38 PM

>>>> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts

>>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] A semi-real CoCo topic

>>>>

>>>> Hate, being a "me too" : )   but, I look forward to learning more

>>>> about this, especially what further plans you have (if any) - such

>>>> as adding other hardware and/or extensions...

>>>>

>>>> sk

>>>>

>>>> On 25/07/07, Rogelio Perea <os9dude at gmail.com> wrote:

>>>>   

>>>>     

>>>>         

>>>>> Now you're talking!

>>>>>

>>>>> Second here in line for the website visit :-)

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> -=[ Rogelio ]=-

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> On 7/25/07, Jim Cox <jimcox at miba51.com> wrote:

>>>>>     

>>>>>       

>>>>>           

>>>>>> Gary!

>>>>>>

>>>>>> Way cool.  I am looking forward to visiting you site.

>>>>>>

>>>>>> Jim

>>>>>>

>>>>>> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:26:32 -0500

>>>>>>   "Becker, Gary" <Gary.Becker at amd.com> wrote:

>>>>>>       

>>>>>>         

>>>>>>             

>>>>>>> FYI

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>> I have almost finished the COCO3 in a FPGA. I have run

>>>>>>> several of the

>>>>>>> demo programs on Sock Master's web site. Of course, I am

>>>>>>> having issues

>>>>>>> with Boink. But I have successfully booted into

>>>>>>> NitrOS-9.

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>> I will be setting up a web site soon with pictures and

>>>>>>> details.

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>> Gary

>>>>>>>         

>>>>>>>           

>>>>>>>               

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