[Coco] First MC-10 game cart ever?

Wed Aug 10 14:53:08 EDT 2016

Ed,
https://www.altera.com/content/dam/altera-www/global/en_US/pdfs/literature/ds/m3000a.pdf 

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/altera/EPM3032ATC44-10N/544-1968-ND/763830

Usually I get an end of life email from Digikey and the datasheet will reflect not recommended for new designs when production stops.  

For the CoCo, it is not a problem due to the production runs are small. I still can get the MAX CPLD that I used on the TC^3 which was released back in 1998, IIRC. Cost effective solution, no way, but you have to weigh that out with making a new PCB.

Typically Altera moves the price point to force you to move. All I would have to do is recompile and move to the current chip, new board layout. I am sure the same is true with Xilinx. 
 Regards,
Mark Marlette http://www.cloud9tech.com
mark at cloud9tech.com

      From: Zippster <zippster278 at gmail.com>
 To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com> 
 Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2016 1:40 PM
 Subject: Re: [Coco] First MC-10 game cart ever?

Nice, still in production?  For some reason I thought Altera had discontinued
all their 5v tolerant devices.  That’s good news.

I’ll have to check out the available packages.  

Thanks Mark.

- Ed

> On Aug 10, 2016, at 1:34 PM, Mark Marlette <mmarlette at frontiernet.net> wrote:
> 
> Ed / Brendan,
> Altera's MAX 3000 series CPLDs do the same. No level shift needed.
> 
> MultiVolt I/O interface enabling the device core to run at 3.3 V, 
> while I/O pins are compatible with 5.0–V, 3.3–V, and 2.5–V logic 
> levels
> Preference thing, we use Xilinx at work, I use Altera at home. I like the Altera software much better.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mark Marlette
> http://www.cloud9tech.com
> mark at cloud9tech.com
> 
> 
> 
>      From: Zippster <zippster278 at gmail.com>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com> 
> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2016 1:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [Coco] First MC-10 game cart ever?
> 
> Hi Brendan,
> 
> I just love the  XC9500XL family of CPLDS.
> 
> They have 5v tolerant IO, so they can take in 5v logic without issue,
> and using 3.3V to supply the IO banks makes them 5v TTL compatible
> for output, exceeding the 2.4v OHL by almost a volt.
> 
> Perfect for interfacing 5v to 3.3v parts, although the other parts are all
> 5v capable in this case.
> 
> I think they’re the only 5v tolerant CPLDs still in production.  All SMT at this point.
> 
> - Ed
> 
> 
>> On Aug 10, 2016, at 12:56 PM, Brendan Donahe <brendan at polylith.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Ed,
>> 
>> With that particular Xilinx part, are level shifters unnecessary?  (I don't
>> see any between the FPGA and the expansion port connector.)
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Brendan
>> 
>> On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 12:48 PM, Zippster <zippster278 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> It’s using these boards - <https://drive.google.com/open?id=
>>> 0B1sgl615FlGndzRDQUNzTlJMRms <https://drive.google.com/open?id=
>>> 0B1sgl615FlGndzRDQUNzTlJMRms>>
>>> 
>>> Although I realize now the jumpers aren’t needed at all, so they’ll be
>>> removed.  This board adds
>>> 16K ROM and 32K of RAM to the system.
>>> 
>>> The folder “MC10 SUPERCART” has the layout for the next version, with 512K
>>> each of RAM and FLASH,
>>> YM2149, and game controller ports.
>>> 
>>> - Ed
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Aug 10, 2016, at 12:40 PM, Jayeson Lee-Steere <cocolistemail@
>>> titaniumstudios.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Ed, very cool. What does it look like on the inside?
>>>> 
>>>> On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 3:07 AM, Zippster <zippster278 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hi guys, this turned out pretty neat, so I thought I'd share this...
>>>>> 
>>>>> Darren was kind enough to send me binaries of his two ML games, Flagon
>>> Bird
>>>>> and Space Assault, so I decided to use one of these boards to make a
>>> game
>>>>> cart.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thank you Darren.  :)
>>>>> 
>>>>> A little 6803 assembly for a loader, and one of John Strong's MCX cases,
>>>>> and there
>>>>> it is.  The binaries are stored in ROM and are copied to RAM and
>>> executed
>>>>> on selection.
>>>>> A third option lets you exit to BASIC, where the additional RAM on the
>>>>> board is available
>>>>> for other uses.  16K for BASIC programs, 32K in all.
>>>>> 
>>>>> There's a couple of links below if you want to check it out.
>>>>> 
>>>>> - Ed
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> <https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1sgl615FlGnRUhrZzR4WTBNcDA>
>>>>> <https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1sgl615FlGnX1JOX1VwYjdnTEk>
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Coco mailing list
>>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>>>>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>>>>> 
>>>> 
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