[Coco] CoCo 3 FPGA?

Joel Ewy jcewy at swbell.net
Thu Jul 26 14:15:55 EDT 2007 

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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