New development: GTIA in CPLD

[TiktaaLink]

I'd like to pick up one or more of these, will there be another run? If anybody has one they'd like to sell in the meantime, please PM me.

 

Thank you.

Yeah she usually adds more availability weekly on average. Given the current demand I'm sure she will replenish stock once the first set is made and shipped. If all else fails you can send her an e-mail for a special order.

[robbievgb]

Anyone who's installed this in a 5200 - where are you tapping audio from?

I saw some older threads for AV mods suggesting tapping audio from R50 with a 1ɥf capacitor is all that's needed, can anyone confirm?

 

Today I installed the board in my 5200 (using a socket to add some clearance) and lengthened the wires on the cable. I'm going to try mounting on the side of the case opposite the expansion slot once I have the audio tapped. Hopefully it will all be ready to go once my cables get here.

[chadwyk]

I'd like to pick up one or more of these, will there be another run? If anybody has one they'd like to sell in the meantime, please PM me.

 

Thank you.

She posted more:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DB9-to-SCART-for-Atari-5200-Sophia-board-/162417265303?

[Mugo]

I believe he meant the Sophia board, not the cable (maybe both).

I'm also expecting a new batch to have one for. My A800XL as well.

[+S.D.W.]

Oh yes, I am looking for the actual board but thank you for the heads up anyway.

[Kavik]

DB9 to SCART cables are available now from Retro Console Accessories

 

These are simulated stereo like the other mono cables she provides.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/162417265303

 

I'm looking for a DB9 to Component cable. Are these being made by Retro as well?

 

Does anyone have their contact email?

Edited March 9, 2017 by Kavik

[robbievgb]

So I got my cable today, seeing some interesting things happenning with the colors.

 

My setup is:

Sophia - > rgb scart cable -> gscartsw scart switxh->Xrgb-mini - > Sony KDL46EX500

 

I confirmed it was the rgb connection was the issue and not GTIA because I had another TV hooked up through RF at the same time to compare. I also have both jumpers open. Adjustments to the color pot do not affect the rgb image (but they do affect the RF one)

 

Examples:

-Pac-Man: pac-man & the dots are light reddish pink instead of yellow

-Missile Command: level 1 looks almost brownish/orange instead of yellow

-super breakout: reds are maroon, yellows look brownish orange greens and blues are very very dark

 

Anyone else experiencing this on NTSC 5200? I can post pics tomorrow.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[chadwyk]

I just got my cable today and I was pretty impressed with the results! Thank you so much for this! Now I just have to wire up sound and mount the connector.

 

@robbievgb I have a similar setup. Sophia -> RGB scart -> gscart switch -> framemeister -> Samsung pn64d8000

 

Which profile did you have selected on the framemeister?

 

The colors don't look too bad to me, however I am not comparing them to any rf source. I just know it looks miles better than the last time I had played it via rf (years ago?). I had the FirebrandX SNES profile on the framemeister selected just because I was too lazy to mess with it for testing. See the attached pics I took on my iPhone. If you want I can grab some more accurate snapshots from my ElgatoHD60 tomorrow.

 

Maybe it is your cable?

 

[Omega-TI]

I'm saving this thread to look it over when I have more time. I'm currently using my 5200 via RF output and I *NEED* something better.

I'm also open to suggestions and information.

[+mytek]

I got mine hooked up via component and seeing yellow-green text over a blue background, whereas when simultaneously viewed from the S-Video output of the UAV I see the proper white text, with the same blue background. Other than the strange text color, the picture looks very sharp and clean. haven't had a chance to really test it other than at the Basic prompt, so don't know what the other colors will render as. I'll test it better next week and report back in.

 

BTW, this is mounted in my XEGS with a U1MB installed. interesting thing is that when the U1MB boot-up screen appears, the text is white over a black background on both video outputs.

 

- Michael

[flashjazzcat]

This device allows for separate foreground colour rather than simply luminence in hi Res mode, so that's what you're seeing. The U1MB boot logo text looks white because the foreground colour is actually set to bright white.

[TheMontezuma]

I got mine hooked up via component and seeing yellow-green text over a blue background, whereas when simultaneously viewed from the S-Video output of the UAV I see the proper white text, with the same blue background.

 

Hi Michael,

as FJC wrote, Simius has introduced this incompatibility as a feature of the SOPHIA extension (2 colors in Hi-Res).

However people started to complain and Simius re-worked the FPGA code and offers it to people interested in better compatibility rather than wanting to have one more color.

Unfortunately the update requires a programming tool (USB Blaster) and a "micro match" 10 pin connector:

 

 

The programming tool Quartus (I used version 15.1) can be downloaded (after free registration) from the Altera web page.

Please contact Simius to get the *.pof file if you are interested in the update (which covers also some other bugs).

[+mytek]

Hi Michael,

as FJC wrote, Simius has introduced this incompatibility as a feature of the SOPHIA extension (2 colors in Hi-Res).

However people started to complain and Simius re-worked the FPGA code and offers it to people interested in better compatibility rather than wanting to have one more color.

Unfortunately the update requires a programming tool (USB Blaster) and a "micro match" 10 pin connector:

 

IMG_20170307_225435.jpg

 

The programming tool Quartus (I used version 15.1) can be downloaded (after free registration) from the Altera web page.

Please contact Simius to get the *.pof file if you are interested in the update (which covers also some other bugs).

Thanks for the specifics on what I was seeing. Wow did I completely miss this incompatibility aspect being mentioned earlier in this topic? No matter, the programming tool is pretty cheap through eBay, and I need to do another parts order through Digi-Key, so I'll grab a micro match 10 connector as well. Besides asking Simius for the PDF and fpga code, has this already been posted somewhere?

 

- Michael

Edited March 11, 2017 by mytekcontrols

[robbievgb]

This is probably the best representation of the color weirdness using super breakout. The bottom two rows of bricks should be yellow and the two rows ones above that should be orange. Its blaringly obvious in pac man.

 

I'm played with the framemeister color levels, but it doesnt help much, it's gonna keep playing around with it today.

 

The clarity is fantastic however.

 

[TheMontezuma]

...

Besides asking Simius for the PDF and fpga code, has this already been posted somewhere?

 

- Michael

 

No. The only way to get it is to ask him.

[+mytek]

 

No. The only way to get it is to ask him.

 

I've got a programmer coming, so I'll contact Simius when it gets here. Got a question though... is there a way to correct for the color differences via a 'soft' switch (i.e., poking a memory location). Because it just seems strange to me that you would have to reprogram the FPGA just to have it give stock colors. Also curious as to why the alternate FPGA code was not uploaded to this thread. But to be honest I do love the clarity of the picture, the small form factor of the board, and the ease of installation. I would give it a rating of 9 out of 10 stars as it is, but it would get 10 stars if there was an easy way to switch it into stock color mode.

 

- Michael

[Brentarian]

Nir Dary explains it in his video demonstration of the Sophia. Go to 5:10 in the video.

 

[+Larry]

 

I've got a programmer coming, so I'll contact Simius when it gets here. Got a question though... is there a way to correct for the color differences via a 'soft' switch (i.e., poking a memory location). Because it just seems strange to me that you would have to reprogram the FPGA just to have it give stock colors. Also curious as to why the alternate FPGA code was not uploaded to this thread. But to be honest I do love the clarity of the picture, the small form factor of the board, and the ease of installation. I would give it a rating of 9 out of 10 stars as it is, but it would get 10 stars if there was an easy way to switch it into stock color mode.

 

- Michael

 

I don't have one (that's yet, I hope). But I also asked about the foreground/background color selection. Nir explains it quite well, but perhaps you can confirm what I believe to be true. POKE 709,xxx changes the foreground color and it is not tied to the background with a simple luminance factor. So if you wanted the conventional colors (for text), then you would pick the correct color times luminance and POKE 709. Now if the colors are somehow otherwise "off" that's a different matter. Could you check that and post the results.

 

BTW, if you have one of Bryan's UAV, could you comment on the display comparison of the two. I suspect that Sophia will edge out the UAV on sharpness, but I have a difficult time in believing it will be much better, since Bryan's device is so good.

 

Thanks,

Larry

[Brentarian]

BTW, if you have one of Bryan's UAV, could you comment on the display comparison of the two. I suspect that Sophia will edge out the UAV on sharpness, but I have a difficult time in believing it will be much better, since Bryan's device is so good.

 

Thanks,

Larry

I have both and plan to put them in the same computer as I'd also like a good comparison of the two on the same monitor. Finding time to do that is another story....but maybe by the end of the week.

[+mytek]

 

I don't have one (that's yet, I hope). But I also asked about the foreground/background color selection. Nir explains it quite well, but perhaps you can confirm what I believe to be true. POKE 709,xxx changes the foreground color and it is not tied to the background with a simple luminance factor. So if you wanted the conventional colors (for text), then you would pick the correct color times luminance and POKE 709. Now if the colors are somehow otherwise "off" that's a different matter. Could you check that and post the results.

 

BTW, if you have one of Bryan's UAV, could you comment on the display comparison of the two. I suspect that Sophia will edge out the UAV on sharpness, but I have a difficult time in believing it will be much better, since Bryan's device is so good.

 

Thanks,

Larry

 

Ok this is very subjective test on my part, since I don't have a monitor with both a component and S-Video inputs that both work. So what I am running is the UAV through an S-Video to HDMI converter, and then feeding that into a DVI input.

 

Set-up...

 

Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 730MW

Computer: XEGS w/U1MB

Component Input: From Sophia

DVI Input: From UAV S-Video up-converted to HDMI

 

 

Poke 709,14 to achieve text with maximum brightness and white color.

 

Results...

 

 

Although it is obvious that the Sophia output is crisper, personally I like the up-converted UAV result better. However as I mentioned earlier this is rather subjective since the processing circuits aren't necessarily of equal quality between the two inputs (component/DVI), and of course the up-converter adds another device in the chain between the UAV and the monitor.

 

I also tried to use the component inputs on a newer TV I purchased from Target called the 'element' and although the HDMI input worked flawlessly, the component coming from Sophia only rendered a black screen, and if I removed the interlace jumper it immediately went to a blue screen with 'No Signal' displayed. Putting the interlace jumper back once again rendered a black screen.

 

- Michael

[npturton]

Simius

 

I'd be interested in 2 of these boards when they are available again

 

Regards

 

Nige

[Brentarian]

I threw a cable together just now and hooked it up to my kitchen tv -- it was a no go - "unsupported format". On to the living room where my Insignia 42" worked with component/interlace only. I see some vertical bands in the picture though and hopefully that will improve with a better built cable. I don't have the shielding on it either -- would that make a difference?

 

Also, DK sure does seem pinker than I remember...?

[robbievgb]

I threw a cable together just now and hooked it up to my kitchen tv -- it was a no go - "unsupported format". On to the living room where my Insignia 42" worked with component/interlace only. I see some vertical bands in the picture though and hopefully that will improve with a better built cable. I don't have the shielding on it either -- would that make a difference?

 

Also, DK sure does seem pinker than I remember...?

 

The colors don't look too bad to me, however I am not comparing them to any rf source. I just know it looks miles better than the last time I had played it via rf (years ago?). I had the FirebrandX SNES profile on the framemeister selected just because I was too lazy to mess with it for testing. See the attached pics I took on my iPhone. If you want I can grab some more accurate snapshots from my ElgatoHD60 tomorrow.

 

Maybe it is your cable?

 

 

Looks like everyone else's experiences with the colors being off (in particular the yellow/oranges looking pink) are consistent with mine, so I don't think it's my cable. @chadwyk - your picture looks exactly like mine

 

Curious if reprogramming with some of the fixes resolves this, I'm going to need to wait to pick up a programmer for a while but in the meantime I would love to hear anyone else's experiences.

Edited March 15, 2017 by robbievgb

[+Larry]

Thanks, Michael! I agree -- I like the S-video a bit better. It is about what I expected. Perhaps analogous to good S-video looking better on a CRT than on an LCD (sometimes). But I can also see some advantage to the added flexibility of having a second independent hi-rez color of the Sophia, so when Simius gets this sorted out, think I'll still get one. Neat idea to have both devices in the same computer, also.

 

-Larry

[chadwyk]

 

 

Looks like everyone else's experiences with the colors being off (in particular the yellow/oranges looking pink) are consistent with mine, so I don't think it's my cable. @chadwyk - your picture looks exactly like mine

 

Curious if reprogramming with some of the fixes resolves this, I'm going to need to wait to pick up a programmer for a while but in the meantime I would love to hear anyone else's experiences.

 

Ha, yeah after looking at your pics, you are right.. The colors don't really drive me that nuts at the moment though, however if anyone comes up with a fix via reprogramming, please let us know! I might have to pick one up too!