[Coco] CoCo Use Poll

[Bill Pierce]

Both of the previous assumptions of the FPGA machines are wrong. BOTH FPGA units, Coco3FPGA (Gary Becker) & CocoOnAChip (Roger Taylor), offer many enhancements. In fact, they are very similar in their enhancements, albeit, each has a different approach. Each also has things that the other does not.

Both have have extended graphics modes (higher resolutions & more colors).
Both have DIRECT access to memory out of the 64 workspace (no bank switching).
Both have "high speed" modes.
Both have built in SD card access.
Both have WiFi units.
Both have add-on boards which extend their capabilities.
Both have extended built-in sound.
Both support PS/2 Keyboards.
Both support VGA monitors.
Ext, etc, etc...

I, for one, would love to see these two projects to at least cooperate in design and share addressing modes of various functions (beyond "normal" Coco functions), making software design a little easier to be compatible on both machines, but I do not foresee this happening... ever...

Though I will say, Gary's design source is available to the users, who are encouraged to enhance and to be a part of the design process.

I currently own & run a Coco3FPGA and I hope to eventually get the CocoOnAChip as I like both designs. They are both amazing machines!!

Coco3FPGA Info:
http://www.davebiz.com/wiki/CoCo3FPGA

CocoOnAChip Info:
http://www.cococommunity.net/how-to-build-your-own-coco-4/


 

 

Bill Pierce
"Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull

My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark McDougall <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au>
To: coco <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Sun, Feb 25, 2018 4:19 pm
Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo Use Poll

On 26/02/2018 1:57 AM, Francis Swygert wrote:IIRC the DE-1 based model has some enhanced graphics, but I am under the impression that the other (forget what it's based on) is strictly CoCo3 compatible, no enhancements, just mods to use the board hardware.IIUC it's the other way around. Roger Taylor's Coco-On-A-Chip (DE-Nano boards) has a lot of enhancements including graphics modes, where-as Gary's Coco3FPGA (DE1) has little in the way of enhancements that add new features to the original capabilities (aside from connectivity, secondary storage etc).Regards,-- Mark McDougall<http://retroports.blogspot.com.au>-- Coco mailing listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco