[Coco] FPGA the future of coco?

[farna at amc-mag.com]

More than just some minor enhancements to the CoCo3 will be a completely
new generation of computers. Motorola had that problem -- how to enhance
the 6809 and retain some backwards compatibility, and be ready for future
enhancements. They realized it was next to impossible, so the the 68000
wasn't compatible. You can only do so much with an 8 bit machine and be
satisfied with the results. 1024 x 768 graphics is too much -- takes too
much memory to process a graphic screen. A text screen using a character
set in ROM (not that has to be loaded in memory) yes, but not hi-res
graphics. Some enhancements can be made, but it will never be comparable
to a much more powerful computer. So if you want a new hardware platform
that is backwards compatible to at least a CoCo3 trim down the wish list.
Access to 2GB of RAM, VGA monitor output, and a USB port or SD card that
emulates hard and/or floppy drives is doable. A real RS-232 port is
doable. Expecting it to process graphics from the internet is not.

Hardware is going to cost a lot due to the low demand. If you want to
spend $300-500 on an enhanced CoCo3 that's great, but most don't want to
spend that kind of money. The DE-1 board FPGA machine shows that -- that
is about the cheapest way hardware is going to come about.

The cheapest way to get an enhanced CoCo is with the emulators, like it or
not. Older PCs are cheap and have lots of power (even a Pentium 1) to
simulate/emulate a CoCo with many enhancements. At some point it's not
really a CoCo any more, but that's the case with a hardware solution as
well.

If you want to work on an enhanced CoCo, hardware or software, do so! If
you want to keep the original going that's great also. We are a dwindling
crowd though, so work together when you can.