FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Hi
Yes there are totally useless pins and one nc pin I think, so if one wishes he could use them, also the wires are not needed for issue 6 and 7 boards.
I like it protruding but maybe a bit less, I make pcb's fast because as you have noticed I change the specs and features constantly ( I hope for the best)
"The ever changing card"
Yes there are totally useless pins and one nc pin I think, so if one wishes he could use them, also the wires are not needed for issue 6 and 7 boards.
I like it protruding but maybe a bit less, I make pcb's fast because as you have noticed I change the specs and features constantly ( I hope for the best)
"The ever changing card"
Leon
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
But this I think it is the final version maybe with only minor changes.
Leon
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Ilint, Brilliant!!lliont wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 4:35 pm As Peter and one's complement suggested an expansion card board is ready and it solves many problems.
It also needs two wires and a small board over zx8301 socket but it is so much easier to install and no need for 3d printed plate for the ports.
I also changed fpga to the newer cyclone 10 LP that I finally found in stock.
Now that the installation is simpler, will there be (at some point) a public batch available for enthusiasts?
Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Yes and this with an 8-bit bus vs 16 bit of Gold card but speed is not everything.
I'll try to make a batch after more testing to every QL I can find.
I'll try to make a batch after more testing to every QL I can find.
Leon
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
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Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Yes, the specialty is that you are doing it with a 68008, which gives it a nice retro flavour.
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Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Oh I hadn't noticed the 68HC001FN16, so in the 8 bit data bus mode it provides the all important A0 for the QL (IIRC Gold card ingot has to deal with that).
Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
These are the final specs of my hobby project fpga ZX8301 replacement and QL upgrade Card.
There is a small board that replaces the zx8301 and connects to the card with a 2-wire cable.
It uses a relatively new and cheap Intel Cyclone 10 LP fpga.
CPU
For cpu it uses the MC68HC001 in the 68008 compatible 8-bit mode @16Mhz, together with the dedicated vram it performs about X4 the speed of standard QL.
Memory
2048K of RAM, 512K of flash memory where more than one combination of OS and support roms can be selected to boot from.
I use Minerva plus the QLSD driver plus the TK2 to boot with
Storage
QLSD card with the familiar driver that I converted for my hardware (not bit banging).
Display
The classic QL modes but with 16colors for mode 8 and a few palette options for both modes.
90 hardware sprites 16x16 pixels, 15+1 colors. This is what I always liked in home computers as we called them so I added it to the QL.
Hardware scrolling but only of the whole screen not part of it.
VGA output (up scaled to 1024x768).
Mouse
PS/2 Mouse with driver that works with the Pointer Environment.
Sound
I added 2 extra sound channels with volume control (using pwm at a high non audible frequency), the output has a bit of digital noise when not playing (this is now fixed).
Also each channel has a few modes of sound shaping and an option of mixing with noise generator output although the noise produced is terrible.
Communication
I implemented a fast serial port that I tested at 115200bps but can reach much higher speed, speed is programmable,
TTL level output, 1K+1K RX/TX buffers in hardware.
Various
RTC real time clock with battery (battery not included )
Fast programmable counter
Reading of the current display line and of Vertical Sync status
Reading of card identification byte
All other QL devices as the microdrives, serial ports, joysticks will work as they did before.
FSLOW command reduces the QL speed to play the games.
And here again the a bit outdated demo video : https://youtu.be/PXaGN5iNngw
I'm considering publishing the files needed for building this project (not the fpga sources) to the projects site.
There is a small board that replaces the zx8301 and connects to the card with a 2-wire cable.
It uses a relatively new and cheap Intel Cyclone 10 LP fpga.
CPU
For cpu it uses the MC68HC001 in the 68008 compatible 8-bit mode @16Mhz, together with the dedicated vram it performs about X4 the speed of standard QL.
Memory
2048K of RAM, 512K of flash memory where more than one combination of OS and support roms can be selected to boot from.
I use Minerva plus the QLSD driver plus the TK2 to boot with
Storage
QLSD card with the familiar driver that I converted for my hardware (not bit banging).
Display
The classic QL modes but with 16colors for mode 8 and a few palette options for both modes.
90 hardware sprites 16x16 pixels, 15+1 colors. This is what I always liked in home computers as we called them so I added it to the QL.
Hardware scrolling but only of the whole screen not part of it.
VGA output (up scaled to 1024x768).
Mouse
PS/2 Mouse with driver that works with the Pointer Environment.
Sound
I added 2 extra sound channels with volume control (using pwm at a high non audible frequency), the output has a bit of digital noise when not playing (this is now fixed).
Also each channel has a few modes of sound shaping and an option of mixing with noise generator output although the noise produced is terrible.
Communication
I implemented a fast serial port that I tested at 115200bps but can reach much higher speed, speed is programmable,
TTL level output, 1K+1K RX/TX buffers in hardware.
Various
RTC real time clock with battery (battery not included )
Fast programmable counter
Reading of the current display line and of Vertical Sync status
Reading of card identification byte
All other QL devices as the microdrives, serial ports, joysticks will work as they did before.
FSLOW command reduces the QL speed to play the games.
And here again the a bit outdated demo video : https://youtu.be/PXaGN5iNngw
I'm considering publishing the files needed for building this project (not the fpga sources) to the projects site.
Last edited by lliont on Tue May 28, 2024 8:46 pm, edited 6 times in total.
Leon
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Projects: https://hackaday.io/projects/hacker/357657
Re: FPGA replacment for the ZX8301 ULA and more
Hi Leon,
Absolutely amazing work, you have a lot of interesting designs!
/Chris
Absolutely amazing work, you have a lot of interesting designs!
/Chris