[Coco] World's most expensive Coco RGB -> VGA adapter?

[gene heskett]

On Tuesday, July 19, 2011 07:18:28 AM Mark McDougall did opine:

> Hi all,
> 
> The background:
> 
> Our last job entailed designing a custom video mixer board for a client.
> It mixes analogue/digital video with another off-board video stream and
> outputs both analogue and digital. As well as mixing it also scales in
> hardware, all under (internal) software control.
> 
>  From the start, my colleague & I realised this board - with appropriate
> extensions - would make the ultimate video converter for all manner of
> retro computers and consoles. To this end, we even convinced the client
> to let us add s-video and component connectors to the 'developer build'
> of the PCB.
> 
> Status:
> 
> After a very long and stressful development cycle, we've finally had
> time to sit back and start to play with it in earnest. We grabbed a
> handful of 'development' boards and set to the task of converting it
> into our ultimate video converter.
> 
> VGA was already there, as the client's project already required it. Next
> step was the Amiga RGB (non-interlaced only atm) output, and that works
> a treat, and looks damn nice on a large DVI monitor.
> 
> Getting back on-topic, today I wired up the Coco's RGB output to a VGA
> socket, plugged it in and switched it on. Nice! :)
> <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug/vcb/coco%20basic.jpg>
> 
> I haven't bothered to set the correct sampling rate for the Coco yet;
> it's running with the Amiga timing (28MHz dot clock) so generously
> oversampled. It's connected to an (analogue) 1280x1024 monitor so it's
> subsequently scaled in hardware to that. But still looks very nice and
> sharp.
> 
> The next photo is the complete setup; my EEPROM multi-cart (w/LED)
> barely sticking outside the Coco case, supported by some scrap
> cardboard, running Steve's Arkanoid. The PCB on the right is the board
> in question.
> <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug/vcb/coco%20arkanoid.jpg>
> 
> My colleague is currently working on composite/s-video. Next I'll tackle
> TTL video as I have a restored Sord M23 here which I've never seen
> running.
> 
> My colleague & I have talked about spinning our own cut-down version of
> the board to sell specifically as a video converter product. Even then,
> I fear it will be quite expensive and well outside the budget of most
> retro enthusiasts. The selling point is that it would work on *any*
> retro computer/console, and enable connection to *any* analogue/digital
> monitor, up to 1920x1200, with user-specified scaling on both axes and
> offering, say, 32 custom pre-sets for maximum convenience. Since I
> collect retro micros and consoles, it's a very, very handy gadget to
> have! ;)
> 
> I've thrown in a last photo of my brand new 'museum' at work. Last week
> I bought some shelving and it now houses about half my retro micro
> collection, including the coco. It's my 'reward' to myself for finally
> finishing this job!
> <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug/vcb/computer%20museum.jpg>
> 
> Regards,

That's great Mark, obviously your coco3's gime is much healthier than mine, 
that video is much cleaner.

That said, I did get the game converter board I ordered about 3 days back, 
but haven't had time to collect the parts & make a cable to feed it yet.  
Too many irons in the fire.

Cheers, gene
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