[Coco] Any news on the so called CoCo4 or Next CoCo project that Bjork was heading?

[Aaron Wolfe]

On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 3:23 PM, Bob Devries <devries.bob at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Aaron,

>

> you said:

>>

>> Why use a general purpose PC, with all the extra overhead and

>> configuration needed for even the simplest emulator only

>> configuration, when FPGA hardware can be put together more cheaply and

>> can provide a better CoCo experience.

>

> The only reason I would have is "lack of desk space"

>

> If I could build a DE1 into a laptop (eeePC?) style case, I'd be happy, cos

> then I could take it anywhere. But then drivers for an LCD would need to be

> done.

>

> Hmmmm

>

> Regards, Bob Devries

> Dalby, QLD, Australia

>


The current DE1 board is much smaller than even a small PC, but a
little too large to fit inside a Coco case I think.  And of course as
you mentioned there would need to be a screen.  As they technology
gets smaller, cheaper, faster perhaps it could be done so that the
FPGA board was in a coco case and the standard coco connectors were
used, even the keyboard if desired.


> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aaron Wolfe" <aawolfe at gmail.com>

> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>

> Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 4:55 AM

> Subject: Re: [Coco] Any news on the so called CoCo4 or Next CoCo project

> that Bjork was heading?

>

>

>> Personally, I see the FPGA solution the Gary Becker has created as the

>> best "CoCo 4" experience available.

>> It's hard to describe how amazing it is to use.  I am not one to buy

>> into the "user experience" hype normally, but using the CoCo3FPGA on

>> and Altera DE1 feels "real".  It feels like a real CoCo in a way that

>> no emulator ever has to me.

>> It turns on and offers the OK prompt instantly, just like a real CoCo.

>> It resets instantly with the push of a button, just like a real CoCo.

>> And.. there is more to it than just that... hard to put into words.

>> One example I can offer is that although I've had emulators running on

>> my PC for some years, I never bothered to mess around in BASIC like I

>> did as a kid.  The very first time (and several times since) I turned

>> on the CoCo3FPGA, I was just draw to it.. started writing little BASIC

>> programs and experimenting, remembering the stuff I'd done as a kid.

>>

>>

>> Why use a general purpose PC, with all the extra overhead and

>> configuration needed for even the simplest emulator only

>> configuration, when FPGA hardware can be put together more cheaply and

>> can provide a better CoCo experience.  I am not a hardware guy, but it

>> would seem creating adapters for connecting real coco peripherals to

>> an FPGA board would be simpler than some PCI or USB solution as well.

>>

>> -Aaron

>>

>>

>> On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Frank Swygert <farna at att.net> wrote:

>>>

>>> The point of emulating a mythical machine in software is that it can be

>>> done

>>> quickly and cheaply. Ideally the emulation would be pared down into a

>>> total

>>> OS/emulator merged together. Just boot it straight into the emulator

>>> without

>>> all the extra things the OS needs to run other programs. With Linux that

>>> should be easy, but something like VCC or the DOS emulator would be

>>> needed.

>>> A port of either to Linux would be fantastic! Of course it might be just

>>> as

>>> easy to pare down MESS into just a CoCo emulator, then customize

>>> something

>>> like DSL or Puppy to run just that.

>>>

>>> Ideally I'd think the best solution for the hardware would be to optimize

>>> the system for a particular small board computer. One of the ITC boards,

>>> for

>>> instance. Something readily available and low cost, and small. I've seen

>>> a

>>> VIA ITC board mounted in a Commodore 64 case, "upgrading" the Commie.

>>> Some

>>> have mentioned keeping the CoCo keyboard, but we've had adapters to get

>>> away

>>> from that for a long time! Mount a mini USB keyboard on the CoCo case if

>>> you

>>> must have the keyboard on the case.

>>>

>>> The second step might be a card to allow legacy hardware to be attached,

>>> but

>>> I think that's a moot point (this was "step two" of Bjork's project -- a

>>> card with cartridge, joystick, and I think another legacy port or two).

>>> Much

>>> of the old hardware is on its last leg or unobtainable. It's way to easy

>>> to

>>> emulate it in such a way that it can even be improved on. I can almost

>>> see a

>>> use for 5.25" floppy connectivity, but almost everything ever on floppies

>>> is

>>> now available in DSK files or some other downloadable file format. Plus

>>> the

>>> RS drives can be connected to a standard floppy controller already on the

>>> MB... at least some will still work with 360K drives, but that might be

>>> hard

>>> to come by. 1.2MB drives will generally read 160-360K disks, but the

>>> controller might not work with the smaller capacity drives... I don't

>>> think

>>> they do anymore. Making 3.5" drives work should be easy enough though.

>>> The

>>> lack of a 5.25" drive shouldn't be more than a nuisance for a few people.

>>> USB thumb drive or SD card support would be more important.

>>>

>>> What would REALLY be needed is a way to connect the machine to the real

>>> world. The CoCo has always been a good experimenter's machine because it

>>> could be connected to various things through the joystick and cartridge

>>> ports. I don't see a real need for connecting to legacy devices of that

>>> type, but I CAN see a need for easy to program I/O. Something simpler

>>> than

>>> the PCI card slot. Maybe a card with a cable and legacy CoCo connector on

>>> it, but even those are hard to find. I still think that reprogramming the

>>> parallel printer port to be accessible as a PIA or something similar

>>> (maybe

>>> just add some special commands to "DECB4" or whatever, and a driver for

>>> OS-9). I looked at it before, and don't think there are enough lines to

>>> reprogram the PP to emulate a legacy cartridge port. The PP IS

>>> programmable

>>> on a PC though, and it has been used for different I/O in the past.

>>>

>>>

>>> -----------------

>>> From: Mark McDougall <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au>

>>> Sent: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:38:51 -0000 (UTC)

>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] Any news on the so called CoCo4 or NextCoCo

>>> projectthatBjork was heading?

>>>

>>>> > But I also have a netbook thanks to my job, and that works just fine

>>>> > as an emulator box, and weighs a lot less than a CoCo. So I would

>>>> > agree that 'coco 4' hardware might be kind of silly.

>>>>

>>> On the contrary, my view is that 'Coco 4 Software' is kind of silly.

>>> Personally, I really don't see the point; either faithfully emulate the

>>> Coco

>>> in software, or use a modern PC. What's the point of 'emulating' a

>>> mythical

>>> machine in software?

>>>

>>> OTOH, having 'Coco 4 Hardware' makes a lot more sense. And what I mean by

>>> that, is fully-compatible hardware that integrates not only with legacy

>>> peripherals (cartridges, floppies etc) but also with more modern

>>> peripherals, like SD card, USB joysticks, etc. You get the *full* legacy

>>> experience (ideally it would be a Coco mobo replacement), with the

>>> benefit

>>> of modern convenience where desired. A bit like "pimping" your Coco with

>>> an

>>> unlimited credit account at Cloud9!

>>>

>>> There's also the opportunity to enhance the hardware as well, say, more

>>> colours, custom palette etc. But this is not the primary point of the

>>> exercise, just stuff that is done "because you can". And because

>>> programmable logic makes it that much easier.

>>>

>>> --

>>> Frank Swygert

>>> Publisher, "American Motors Cars"

>>> Magazine (AMC)

>>> For all AMC enthusiasts

>>> http://www.amc-mag.com

>>> (free download available!)

>>>

>>>

>>> --

>>> Coco mailing list

>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com

>>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco

>>>

>>

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