|
Drawing schematics again, this time the graphics hardware. I need a graphics chip (or a modern FPGA based replacement). It should be obtainable and of course offer as many features (HW sprites, resolution, colors, fonts...) as possible, while not requiring too much from the little 8 bit CPU that's going to use it.
Really great chips from the 8 bit age, like the Atari ANTIC, are almost completely unavailable, at least if you don't want to rip apart perfectly working old computers. They also often were designed to work together with a chipset and can get a little complicated when used standalone.
Up to now I have two candidates:
Motorola 6847[^]
Texas Instruments TMS9918[^]
I have a MC6847 in my parts box, but it requires a good load of external logic and offers only a limited alphanumeric mode, but decent monochrome graphics modes (vector graphics on 8 bit computers!)
The TMS9918 needs only two DRAMs and not very much more logic. It managess this video memory itself and allows no direct access from the CPU. That makes things simple. No bus drivers or potential bus collisions. It even has some simple hardware sprites and the alphanumeric modes are better than the modes of the MC6847. Nice and well, but the 'graphics' suck. Big time. Complicated addressing, complicated color restrictions...
Do you know any alternatives? Modern FPGA replacements that produce VGA output instead of composite video?
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
I have used a Texas part (might be the TMS9918 ?) that just needed RAM a clock line and go, a friend of mine was doing the programming a he said it was the hardest part and that was CGA good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
That sounds very much like the TMS9918 or one of its successors. The hardware part is really simple, addressing the nonlinear graphics memory in the graphics modes on the other hand...
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
Piggyback an rPi and write a service to implement your graphics through its HDMI chip? 
|
|
|
|
|
A Space Shuttle on a 747 already looked funny. This would be more like carrying an elephant on the back of a donkey. The Pi would be just as fine without the old computer. To have that, I would not need to build very much.
And this reminds me to look for that picture I took of Shuttle Enterprise on the 747. I must still have it somewhere...
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
That. Was. Painful.
Wrapping calls into the Matlab app for a .Net Dll.
It creates a class, woo-hoo, or twos.
There are methods on the classes to be balled and all that OO jazz.
Hairy sphericals it does!
The 'class' is the runtime & bloody expensive to instantiate.
The 'methods' are function calls. No, not methods on underlying classes but frigging functions.
Oh and you can't pass Matlab classes out of the API so everything needs to be managed [statelessly] within the functions.
F.
M.
L.
veni bibi saltavi
|
|
|
|
|
POW!
BOFF!
KAPOW!
BONK!
(You can't have a Batman thread without the right visual sound effects!)
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
Did you fall into a tank of bubbling chemicals? Is your hair now green?
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
IF I had hair, I would not give a flying sidekick what colour it was! 
veni bibi saltavi
|
|
|
|
|
Ok. Nobody actually ever said that it was his real hair after taking the bath in the tank...
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
MATLAB integration is a sure way to lose your faith, if you ever had any. Our guys had to use MATLAB for something, and the best way to integrate it with our application was using files and hot folders  . Our app writes files to a hot folder, spins up the MATLAB application, waits for it to exit, and then reads the results out of the created files.
Fugly? Yes. Sounds inept? Yes.
Still infinitely preferable to hosting the MATLAB runtime in our process.
Software Zen: delete this;
|
|
|
|
|
This, allegedly, doesn't screw things up too much.
Also it wasn't my preferred route; but who cares.
veni bibi saltavi
|
|
|
|
|
Desensitised by drug taken in blind alleyway (8)
98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.
modified 26-Apr-18 4:56am.
|
|
|
|
|
Deadened ?
e in dead end or something like that 
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
modified 26-Apr-18 4:54am.
|
|
|
|
|
One letter out ... or two letters out, your choice ...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
Oh yes I can see it now - yours I think
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Nope! I had yesterdays, and it was your answer that gave it away - you should get the prize I think.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
Ok I'll put one up tomorrow - I know you like to win Fridays
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
|
|
|
|
|
You'll have to correct your answer, or post the actual one!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
That would be a "7b" in the old game - probably a unique achievement!
98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.
|
|
|
|
|
He's put it right now!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
Yes couldn't see the wood for the trees 
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Hi All,
I have been given a new work PC, Windows 10, Orfice 365 etc. The worst thing is now remembering pass words to everything so I can set it up and get too work...
|
|
|
|
|
As long as you can remember your CP password, you can ask in QA for all the others. (It's about the only stupid question I don't remember seeing there yet.  )
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
