[Coco] New CoCo3FPGA version...

[Frank Pittel]

While I haven't had a chance to try the new release (my mother came into
town friday for a visit) I'll have my DE1 board and the new release with
me at the fest!!

With the release notes there was mention of support for joysticks via an
additional IO board. Alas, I don't have one of the boards so we can't try
it out. I have the feeling a number of people are going to be spending a lot
of time hacking (in the best possible definition of the word) on the coco3fpga
boards at the fest. I'll be sure to have mine with me for general hacking.

It looks like the much talked about coco4 is being designed and built!!!


The Other Frank


On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 11:26:01AM -0500, Joel Ewy wrote:
> I haven't seen it mentioned on this list yet, but Gary Becker
> announced a new version of CoCo3FPGA over the weekend that includes
> new graphics modes:  256-colors (essentially a fixed palette) at 1/2
> horizontal resolution (160 pixels wide), 12-bit (4096 color)
> palettes for the regular CoCo 3 modes, and double vertical
> resolution (450 pixels high instead of 225).  This is for the DE-1.
> I've got a Spartan 3 board, so I'll have to wait for the forthcoming
> Spartan version (and further modify my board for 12-bit color).
> 
> Spatially, the 256x192/200/225 8-bit mode matches the 8-bit artifact
> color mode, though the color palettes aren't likely to be the same.
> Still, it means that a game employing 8-bit color could use the same
> sized pictures and graphical elements and run on an unmodified CoCo
> 3 with a composite monitor or TV, and an FPGA CoCo 3 with a VGA
> monitor.  You would just have to map the images to two different
> palettes, and set up the video modes a little differently.  But
> moving chunks of video memory around would be just the same.  One
> byte = one pixel.  Timing issues are still different between the
> CoCo 3's 6x09 and the FPGA's CPU.  But if it wasn't an action game
> with critical timing constraints -- say a graphical adventure game,
> or a sim-type game, or a puzzle game -- that need not be an issue.
> 
> So.  Which of the DE-1 owners will be able to demo a picture viewer
> in 160x450x256 at the CoCoFest.
> 
> Allen, have your video camera ready!
> 
> JCE
> 
> 
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