5200xm design thread

[kensu]

So as more than a thought experiment than anything else, I was thinking of what would go on a wishlist for a 5200 expansion module.

The AtariMax cartridge has the three things which first pop to mind:

1. Port for an alternate game format (SD Card)

2. More RAM

3. Non-volatile RAM for saving high scores and games.

 

So now things which the AtariMax doesn't have...

4. A passthrough for 5200 cartridges.

 

So I started thinking what programmer would want to aid development. There are some really powerful (and cheap) Microcontrollers out there (even if restricted to 8-bits), which could be used to emulate any kind of chip we could want.

A better sound chip seems tempting, but the POKEY is pretty decent, and the expansion port seems to have been designed for audio expansions, so that would be a seperate project. (Stereo expansion kit, anyone?)

 

A graphics chip is also tempting, but I don't think we can end run ANTIC (unless we added a composite port directly to the cartridge, sort of like how graphic cards connect directly to monitors.)

So I think a sort of coprocessor for the system would work. One of the Toshiba Microcontrollers I looked at had a clock speed of around 16Mhz, therefore we could program a bunch of stored procedures for things which would be very difficult to do using the 6502.

 

The first procedure I would add would be for graphics scaling. This would allow for making first-person and Space Harrier like games.

So....

5. Scaling Algorithm

 

Trig functions could also be useful, they're used in anti-aliasing, among other things:

 

6. Trig functions.

and let's just add the anti-aliasing function while we're at it:

7. Anti-alias function.

 

Okay, that's enough for this post. So all your homebrewers, actual or potential, what would you like in a 5200 coprocessor chip?

[8bit-guy]

Are you theorizing or actually planning one ??

[kensu]

Theorizing, I'm hoping this discussion will inspire others.

[+Allan]

How about settling for just writing some games for the 5200? If you want to contribute something, learn to program 6502 assembler.

 

The stuff your talking about is never going to happen. Sorry.

 

Allan

[slampam]

Assault Force 3D (uses chip for math functions)

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-assault-force-3-d_348.html

 

Nosty's Tomek-8 Cartridge (still waiting on this)

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/202347-nostys-tomek-cartridge-for-8-bit-atari-great/

 

All the 5200 really needed was a sprite multiplexer chip.

The Tomek-8 cart above explains how it could've been done by shoving it down Antic's throat.

[ToddUGA]

VBXE plus some extra RAM would do the trick maybe?

[candle]

vbxe is available in 5200 flavour

[8bit-guy]

vbxe is available in 5200 flavour

 

really?

vbxe 2 from lotharek will support the 5200?

is there any game that can take advantage of it?

[+wood_jl]

5200 XM is available already in form of 400/800/XL/XE computer. Or rather, non-reductionist form of the same.

[kensu]

Ugh, another A8 troll. Can't we put up flypaper or something?

[AtariBrian]

Ugh, another A8 troll. Can't we put up flypaper or something?

:rolling:

[+wood_jl]

Ugh, another A8 troll. Can't we put up flypaper or something?

 

Another 5200 denier.....can't we put up flypaper, or start providing free common sense (and an explanation of the obvious) to the oblivious?

:-D :-D

[Greg2600]

Rather see more XL games converted to 5200, or original games.

[kenfused]

Rather see more XL games converted to 5200, or original games.

Needs more RAM or a way to add RAM to the cart (where the read/write addresses are the same). The 5200's cartridge slot is lacking signals to do so easily.

[robertski]

Kensu .. dont listen to them.. I think they are just teasing you.. I would like to suggest this for thought.

There is an Atari 7800 XM almost done.. And even I thought of one for the

A5200. Impossible.. I think they designed the A7800 in a way in which

they knew they were adding it. GCC had it pretty much done already. That XM unit will only have so many made..

and it looks like any improvements will be marginal.. I looked at

the sample games videos on youtube. I am trying to learn how to program the 5200 so I

can make a great game.. But it takes time. We should learn to program this unit.. What do you think?

[candle]

8bit-guy: yes, vbxe 2.1 from lotharek will support 5200

[robertski]

Hey

if were gonna fantasize, lets wire up an atari 5200 to a modern video card, and somehow wire in a 1Gig ram stick.

 

cool awesome extreme expert spiffy and rad.

[8bit-guy]

8bit-guy: yes, vbxe 2.1 from lotharek will support 5200

 

will it be used only to get vga or some memory expansion /storage will be included on this "flavour" ?

[Lynxpro]

You should be able to override the ANTIC via the cartridge port because Atari Inc. had planned to cut out development for the 5200 once the 7800 was released and the piecemeal approach to the existing 5200 owners was that Atari was going to release a 7800 adapter - similar to the 2600 adapter - so that 5200 owners wouldn't be left out in the cold.

 

A 5200 XM would need more RAM. Why stop at 128K like the 7800XM; you'd want 256K - 1MB/2MB for full conversion of all 8-bit titles. Maybe a secondary POKEY or the ability to add 3 POKEYs so you could have QUAD POKEY audio like some arcade games had. If you went crazy with it and added the MARIA chip you'd have heating issues to deal with in such a compact environment so I don't know if that would be viable. You'd want HSC capabilities but you'd need homebrew and ROM hacks to support it; or if the cart/adapter had an SIO port, you could save to disk/tape/SD. Voltrax speech synthesizer chip?

 

Speaking of multiple POKEYs, has anyone done a dual POKEY - or more - adapter for the 5200 like the A8s have had?

 

 

 

EDIT: Woah...that VBXE is impressive! Okay, let's see a 5200 with one of those installed in it. Anyone want to throw in a 65816 CPU as well for kicks?

Edited October 14, 2013 by Lynxpro