[Coco] An FPGA GIME project, and CoCo FPGA Experimenter's Board

[K. Pruitt]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Zippster" <zippster278 at gmail.com>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 6:28 PM
Subject: [Coco] An FPGA GIME project, and CoCo FPGA Experimenter's Board


> Hi guys, these are a couple of cross posts from the Facebook group for 
> people on the mailing list that don’t use Facebook.
> I’m planning another project to follow the MC6847 FPG VGA boards, and 
> there’s been a little discussion over there.
>
>
> FPGA GIME PROJECT
>
> I've started doing some of the prep work for an FPGA GIME chip replacement 
> project. This is a stepping stone toward a CoCo4 project.
>
> What I'm planning on is to develop a drop in board for the CoCo3 that will 
> implement a GIME in FPGA, with 2MB of static RAM, and direct VGA out.
>
> I'll be using an Altera Cyclone IV FPGA for the project. Since more I/O 
> pins will be needed than are available on Cyclone IV QFP packages, this is 
> going to require me to use a BGA256 packaged FPGA and a four layer PCB. 
> Toward this end I have a reflow oven on the way, and I'm entering the 
> needed parts into Eagle. This will give us quite a few pins to work with 
> in implementing new features later.
>
> This is going to be a very interesting and challenging project in several 
> ways, but it's the big missing part of the puzzle hardware-wise to a fully 
> CoCo3 compatible CoCo4, so hopefully it will be worth the effort.  :)
>
>
> COCO FPGA EXPERIMENTER’S BOARD
>
> As I've been entering parts preparing for the FPGA GIME project, I had an 
> idea. With the work I'm having to do for that project, it would be 
> relatively easy to develop an "FPGA Experimenter's Board" that would plug 
> into the CoCo cartridge port along the way.
>
> Kind of an FPGA development board that could be used for interfacing 
> projects. With an Altera device, some bi-directional level shifters, maybe 
> an ADC chip, a couple of resistor DACs, and some other support circuitry, 
> we could have a pretty cool board for people interested in CoCo/FPGA 
> projects. Maybe help get some more hardware developed.  :)
>
> Is there enough interest in something like this for me to pursue it on the 
> way to doing the GIME replacement?
>
> What do you guys think?
>
>
> - Ed
>
>
>
> -- 

Very, very interested here Ed.