VBXE 2

[AtariNerd]

Some silly questions to ask now, forgive me, but just so that I am sure. The description of this item is as 'solder-free'. So, this device generates it's own (rather nice by the way!) display as an RGB out, rather than passing the signal through the Atari's video circuitry (but obviously getting the synch signals from the Atari), I take it? So you need something like an old RGB monitor to take best advantage of it? I have a couple of old Amiga monitors...would those work?

 

:::goes back to lurk mode:::

[candle]

allas this can be arranged

currently you can read back info about installed cores and active one (boot core), but adding serial number is possible if needed

 

software collection dedicated for vbxe is verry modest one, but i hope it will change soon

[candle]

sorry for double post :/

 

anyway commodore 1084 or philips 83something-ii are perfectly capable of displaying vbxe signals, but i'm using lcd tv with scart cable

Edited April 11, 2009 by candle

[zaxon]

I use philips CM8833-II, (easy to find and cheap to buy ), VBXE is connected in RGB DB9 slot. Picture is sharp and clean. Now i try connect myide internal, spartax(version for myide) and VBXE in one Atari.

[candle]

this is the output from one atari - it has super video enhancment installed and vbxe

 

title screen, s-video output:

 

title screen, vbxe RGB output:

 

in game, s-video output:

 

in game, vbxe RGB output:

 

you may notice that height of the picture from s-video source is diffrent than rgb - this is because diffrent ARC setting of my lcd tv - sorry

no other changes made, picture on that particular atari is really darker on s-video

[drac030]

Candle, maybe tell electron about it and show the photos. I already had impression that the VBXE palette is too bright and maybe this will convince him to correct it.

[candle]

Drac030 - tryed turning the VR1 a bit?

Electron is off line till the thuesday

[AtariNerd]

Thanks guys.

 

I'd think, just being a rather good solution for use on modern TV's (ie LCD) (generates signals that modern digital displays can interpret easily) ,through various cable adapters/converters: VGA, Component, SCART, HDMI, etc, this would get some people excited enough to get one, even if they never used it other features. There, I did my little part in help selling this thing.

Edited April 11, 2009 by AtariNerd

[drac030]

Drac030 - tryed turning the VR1 a bit?

 

This is not a question of turning anything, I am judging from the actual RGB values assigned to the palette 0.

[candle]

have tryed it myself, it only is there for contrast, not for brightness

 

but as You said - its all about default palette, and can be changed anytime

[candle]

this is Elfi by Powrooz/la_resistance winner picture from last forever party

left part of the screen is vbxe, right - s-video

this should convice him

 

[IndusGT]

this is Elfi by Powrooz/la_resistance winner picture from last forever party

left part of the screen is vbxe, right - s-video

this should convice him

 

 

Ok pics have convinced me, put me down for one maybe two if the price is right... What would the price be anyway?

[Rybags]

Candle: Can you verify for me if the "Scanline 240" bug works.

 

Set your TV aspect so it shows maximal vertical overscan area (and horizontal too if possible).

 

Then, can you get me pics after (with BASIC enabled):

 

POKE 560,8 Quickest way to invoke the bug. Moves text area so that last line of display is 40/320 mode.

 

POKE 560,8:POKE 559,35 This causes many TVs to roll, since the VSync signal is almost totally suppressed.

 

 

To do interlace, we'd need an Asm program that can switch between 2 VBXE images, as well as producing the interlace.

I've been working towards getting a minimal program to do interlace... hoping to have something ready this week.

[zaxon]

I do this test and:

 

Atari normal mode : http://picasaweb.google.com/zaxoniec/Vbxe#...758234330085314

Atari VBXE mode: http://picasaweb.google.com/zaxoniec/Vbxe#...758242121366338

 

Atari vbxe mode interlaced: http://picasaweb.google.com/zaxoniec/Vbxe#...758233558599970 and

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/zaxoniec/Vbxe#...758233558599970

Edited April 12, 2009 by zaxon

[candle]

on mine lcd tv it doesn't work, but since SYNC is generated by normal gtia and antic it shouldn't matter

most probably timing requirements for valid RGB signal on my lcd tv are more restricted than on analog display

will fiddle with setting later on...

[Rybags]

Cool. Looks like VBXE has it's GTIA emulation right in that regard.

 

Interlacing VBXE screens should be a piece of cake then.

 

Don't go bothering with that old crappy codebase though... I've just gotta get this newest one minimised.

 

Current working version is about 800 bytes worth of mostly NOPs, and doing stuff to generate equalisation pulses over 9 scanlines.

The minimal solution should only need to modify pulses for one scanline (hopefully) so should end up a lot slimmer.

[zaxon]

Next short movie, VBXE in action , display BMP on Philips cm 8833-II

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gUsB36LBtQ

[Foster]

If the VBXE works with NTSC then please put me on the "want" list as well. Very cool product!

 

Thanks,

.. Steve

[+Allan]

Next short movie, VBXE in action , display BMP on Philips cm 8833-II

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gUsB36LBtQ

Wow! I can't believe those pictures are on an Atari 8-bit computer.

 

Allan

[candle]

please read the spec

vbxe is capable of displaying up to 1024 colors from 2097152 possible ones (21 bit pallette) - 256 diffrent colors in single line

[drac030]

... in 320x192.

[+Allan]

please read the spec

vbxe is capable of displaying up to 1024 colors from 2097152 possible ones (21 bit pallette) - 256 diffrent colors in single line

I was just expressing how great it is. I do believe it, of course. I can't wait to get one. It will be even better if you can make version you don't have to solder for the people who can't solder. It will motivate more people to buy one.

 

Allan

[Goochman]

Just curious - does this basically just add another Antic/GTIA chip into the machine? If so - its unbelievable the pictures this can generate - It really shows how far ahead this design was for the time. VGA graphics were not the far away from this 1979 graphics chip.

[candle]

no, its interpretes antic codes sent to gtia, and emulates its output (real gtia still intact on motherboard) and adds so called "overlay mode" where you have up to 1024 colors in 320x200 resolution, and up to 64 colors in 640x200, or 640x400 using Rybags intrelace

It has its own display list called XDL, and Blitter (like Atari STE), but more powerfull, that operate on its internal RAM, so any number of sprites can be drawn at any size (for example 256 pixels wide, and 200 pixels tall giant sprite)

 

The Antic You can see on pictures of VBXE is the only one in this Atari

 

The heart of VBXE card is Altera ACEX FPGA chip, which can be reprogrammed in realtime by programmer to enable this card to render textured triangles if You want, or have bitplanes like Atari ST or Amiga

currently, there is only FX core available (still can't spell that word correctly) and fufll specification for it You can find in my post at the beggining of this thread

 

possibilities of utilising its powers are infinite, just use Your imagination

[ataridano]

Sorry if these questions have been covered already...

 

Does the VBXE still use the Atari's composit video circuitry if we don't want to use RGB? Does this mean I can now use an Atari SC1224 with my XE? Does the VBXE get along with all PBI devices? I'd love to learn more about the 80 col mode too, is there a built in handler or ??