[Coco] World's most expensive Coco RGB -> VGA adapter?

[Sean]

Any guess on how much "quite expensive" would be?  If you consider all
the other retro computing/gaming enthusiasts besides just us CoCoers,
you might be surprised as to how much interest you will end up
getting.


On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 2:00 AM, Mark McDougall <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> The background:
>
> Our last job entailed designing a custom video mixer board for a client. It
> mixes analogue/digital video with another off-board video stream and outputs
> both analogue and digital. As well as mixing it also scales in hardware, all
> under (internal) software control.
>
> From the start, my colleague & I realised this board - with appropriate
> extensions - would make the ultimate video converter for all manner of retro
> computers and consoles. To this end, we even convinced the client to let us
> add s-video and component connectors to the 'developer build' of the PCB.
>
> Status:
>
> After a very long and stressful development cycle, we've finally had time to
> sit back and start to play with it in earnest. We grabbed a handful of
> 'development' boards and set to the task of converting it into our ultimate
> video converter.
>
> VGA was already there, as the client's project already required it. Next
> step was the Amiga RGB (non-interlaced only atm) output, and that works a
> treat, and looks damn nice on a large DVI monitor.
>
> Getting back on-topic, today I wired up the Coco's RGB output to a VGA
> socket, plugged it in and switched it on. Nice! :)
> <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug/vcb/coco%20basic.jpg>
>
> I haven't bothered to set the correct sampling rate for the Coco yet; it's
> running with the Amiga timing (28MHz dot clock) so generously oversampled.
> It's connected to an (analogue) 1280x1024 monitor so it's subsequently
> scaled in hardware to that. But still looks very nice and sharp.
>
> The next photo is the complete setup; my EEPROM multi-cart (w/LED) barely
> sticking outside the Coco case, supported by some scrap cardboard, running
> Steve's Arkanoid. The PCB on the right is the board in question.
> <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug/vcb/coco%20arkanoid.jpg>
>
> My colleague is currently working on composite/s-video. Next I'll tackle TTL
> video as I have a restored Sord M23 here which I've never seen running.
>
> My colleague & I have talked about spinning our own cut-down version of the
> board to sell specifically as a video converter product. Even then, I fear
> it will be quite expensive and well outside the budget of most retro
> enthusiasts. The selling point is that it would work on *any* retro
> computer/console, and enable connection to *any* analogue/digital monitor,
> up to 1920x1200, with user-specified scaling on both axes and offering, say,
> 32 custom pre-sets for maximum convenience. Since I collect retro micros and
> consoles, it's a very, very handy gadget to have! ;)
>
> I've thrown in a last photo of my brand new 'museum' at work. Last week I
> bought some shelving and it now houses about half my retro micro collection,
> including the coco. It's my 'reward' to myself for finally finishing this
> job!
> <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug/vcb/computer%20museum.jpg>
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> |              Mark McDougall                | "Electrical Engineers do it
> |  <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug>   |   with less resistance!"
>
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