[Coco] [OT] Atari 8-bit video card

[Matthew Stock]

Bill,

I think the main challenge is that the GIME is such a monolithic chip.  It
does video, but it also handles the DRAM, generates the clocks, and does
peripheral decoding.  You'd need to be able to have your cartridge be able
to take over those portions of the graphics memory and registers, but you
wouldn't be able to shove the GIME out of the way to do it.  Even an
software-incompatible option would have a lot of challenges, but I suppose
could be possible.  For example, the Gameduino is a VGA output sprite
graphics system that is FPGA-based, and it interacts with the main CPU via
a simple serial interface.  It gets away with that because there isn't a
significant amount of graphics storage.

That's my quick take.
  -Matt



On Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 12:07 PM, <billg999 at cs.uofs.edu> wrote:

> > Hi all,
> >
> > A little OT but for those dreaming about an enhanced GIME chip for the
> > Coco,
> > or alternatively an enhanced Coco-4/X project, you may take heart or be
> > inspired by the VBXE graphics 'card' for the Atari 8-bit computers!
> >
> > To be honest I'm still unsure whether it complements or replaces the
> Atari
> > graphics chips (ANTIC/GTIA) as the "Installation Manual" appears to be
> > nothing more than a single JPEG, but impressive work none-the-less.
>
> An interesting concept.  Which bring up another question for some
> of the people here more knowledgeable in this stuff than I am.
>
> What is the possibility of making a "Video Cartridge"?  A cartridge with
> a modern video controller that could drive current monitors and be driven
> itself by the COCO?  Possible?  Too difficult?  Easy?  Too expensive?
>
> Inquiring minds want to know.
>
> bill
>
>
>
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