[Coco] CoCo3FPGA, FPGA Development, and GIME replacement

[Stephen H. Fischer]

Hi,

In any case, I got my money back.

It has been OH so long.

SHF


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Marlette" <mmarlette at frontiernet.net>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 3:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo3FPGA, FPGA Development, and GIME replacement


>
> Not sure if there were two Rocket boards or not. The one I am thinking of 
> was from Chris Burke of Burke & Burke fame, 68008.
>
> ??
>
> Mark
> Cloud-9
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stephen H. Fischer" <SFischer1 at Mindspring.com>
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 4:37:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo3FPGA, FPGA Development, and GIME replacement
>
> Hi,
>
> Does the DICTATOR sound any better now?
>
> I thought last night about breaking the 64K limit and hit a very thick 
> steel
> wall.
>
> Adding colors, a larger screen size and other features will run up against
> the 64K limit in several ways.
>
> With a 6x09 processor it may not be possible to bypass it.
>
> D.P. Johnsons's "Rocket", a 68000 added to the CoCo sounds like the idea
> that we missed out on because the number of people that signed up for was
> too little.
>
> Software for a 6x09 based machine may already be at the limit of what we 
> can
> do.
>
> New hardware, Great, new software to support it, questionable.
>
> SHF
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Nick Marentes" <nickma at optusnet.com.au>
> To: "CoCoList" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 1:21 PM
> Subject: [Coco] CoCo3FPGA, FPGA Development, and GIME replacement
>
>
>> > I don't think there will ever be a mass-produced,
>> > shrink-wrapped Next Generation CoCo. But if there's enough interest, we
>> > could very well see hobbyist-produced kits that make it pretty easy to
>> > plug in one of the FPGA development boards, upload the CoCo3FPGA bit
>> > file, and go.
>>
>> I guess this what I'm afraid of. If there is no "shrink-wrapped next
>> generation CoCo" but hobby-produced kits, will there be a "mish-mash" of
>> different boards, each customized to a handful of user's specifications?
>> Writing software will be a case of software that supports the feature of
>> one board versus the other. Software may not utilize all the features of
>> one board, instead supporting the most common set of functions.
>>
>> This is not so bad, it's fun for the hardware hackers (the old definition
>> of the term!) but it doesn't create a standard product that everyone else
>> can use fully. And considering that such a product would probably be sold
>> in small numbers ($200?), it may be something only for the few. It may 
>> not
>> attract the software developer type, not that there are many left for the
>> CoCo.   :(
>>
>> In the end, I guess it's just a fun project for those few who are
>> interested in FPGA/CPLD designs.
>>
>> --
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Nick Marentes" <nickma at optusnet.com.au>
> To: "CoCoList" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 12:20 AM
> Subject: [Coco] CoCo3FPGA, FPGA Development, and GIME replacement
>
>
>> > The "WANTers" need to keep SILENT and let the "DOers" produce what
>> > they can, if they can.
>>
>> Can't see anything wrong with this statement.   :)
>>
>> Too many organizations start a project by listing all the things they 
>> WANT
>> to achieve and try and go from there.
>>
>> This is a very messy way to start because everyone talks about things 
>> that
>> don't even exist and in cases is out of the budget range and out of 
>> scope.
>> I've seen it happen so often.
>>
>> Work out your budget, define the project's needed specs and *then* dream
>> if there's more time/money/energy to move.
>>
>> This method allows projects to finish neatly and on time.
>>
>> There's always a version 2!!   :)