7800 System Specs (VHDL Project Proposal)

[caffeine43]

Is there any place I can get complete or nearly complete system specifications for the Atari 7800? I would need documentation on the processor, interrupt methods, etc...

 

I recently learned VHDL (Hardware Description Language) and I'd like to put my new knowledge to use by writing code for the Atari 7800....possibly with USB controller support. I have a Xilinx Spartan2 100,000 gate FPGA at my disposal. It has 256k flash memory, 16mb RAM, VGA out, and a prototyping board for whatever other I/O I need. It also has a chip to handle low-level USB connections, along with some other gadgets and gizmos...

 

The ultimate goal for this project is to build a 7800 replica with all ROMs built in, USB support, VGA and/or RCA out, and have it fit in the palm of your hand. Perhaps with the use of the display/buttons off of a gameboy color it could even be made into a hand held module.

 

Oh yeah...Are the ROMs public domain?

 

If you are interested in helping me out with this project, please let me know.

 

Take care,

Tom Lutz

Comp. Eng. Major @ Stevens Institute of Technology

 

p.s. If you would like to see the FPGA board, it's the XSA-100 and XST-2 boards found at www.xess.com.