New development: GTIA in CPLD

[lemiel]

Michael - which one mode is used by your Dell monitor - is it possible to get this info from OSD messages?

[+mytek]

Michael - which one mode is used by your Dell monitor - is it possible to get this info from OSD messages?

 

 

1088XEL running as a PAL machine.

 

- Michael

[Simius]

Have you tried the board with 800XL? I'm after two days of tests a few boards with a few computers and without any result. If do not count a such knowledge as how FREDDIE introduces a jitter of the system clock.

[+mytek]

Have you tried the board with 800XL? I'm after two days of tests a few boards with a few computers and without any result. If do not count a such knowledge as how FREDDIE introduces a jitter of the system clock.

 

No I haven't tested on an 800XL, but I did test both board sets you sent me with an XEGS (NTSC) and the 1088XEL (PAL & NTSC). In all cases I got the exact same results. Since the 1088XEL doesn't use a FREDDIE chip or DRAM, I think we can safely rule that one out.

 

I should probably also send you pics and the model number of my ViewSonic HD widescreen that has a similar, but slightly different issue. I'll do that later today.

 

- Michael

[redhawk668]

I’ve fitted my Sophia RGB in my 600XL. I had to remove a chip, desolder the socket and solder the chip straight to the PCB. My Sophia RGB now fits perfectly. Snugly in the socket. Didn’t have to desolder it. I can’t test it right now, because I first need to make a D-Sub to SCART cable.

 

I have a Rev. A, which has 3 ground pins, how do I connect ground on my cable?

[Level42]

Can somebody please modify the thread title....I keep overlooking this because of the lack of the name of the product: SOPHIA.

(I also searched for SOFIA which of course never worked.....)

[Simius]

I have a Rev. A, which has 3 ground pins, how do I connect ground on my cable?

 

Connect them together.

[redhawk668]

Do you have wiring schematics?

[Simius]

Only for rev.B: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/258702-new-development-gtia-in-cpld/page-10

Do it similarly.

[+mytek]

New Core under test for Sophia RevC DVI board. And it looks good, working on both of my monitors, horizontal tearing issue is gone (Testing in PAL Mode).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_fivPm6hGc

 

Not to be greedy, but I was wondering if the over scan area on the left and right can be eliminated (chopped off, like what the V-gate chip does for standard analog video)? This would also be a good feature for the original Sophia RGB board as well.

 

Anyway I really do appreciate how quickly you came up with this fix .

 

Edit: I do still see a very tiny bit of something happening on the Near Demo when it gets to that rotating column section (time 1:20 and 5:20). Just double checked on real hardware to see if it was just the video recording doing that, but yes I do still see it. However it's very minor, and thus far the only aberration I see.

 

Also the Color Chart screen appears to be fixed.

 

 

Thank you Simius

[Simius]

Not to be greedy, but I was wondering if the over scan area on the left and right can be eliminated (chopped off, like what the V-gate chip does for standard analog video)? This would also be a good feature for the original Sophia RGB board as well.

 

First it need to define what is the overscan area. Wide screen (384 hi-res pixels) is legal and factory documented. If there are some stairs or flickering in this area, it is a bungle of a coder. For instance, often found stairs on the right edge of image is a result of a following instructions:

 

STA WSYNC

STA COLPFx

 

It is enough to put a two NOPs between these instructions and there is no stairs.

Of course, I can eliminate this in the CPLD, but it unnecessarily limits the available capabilities. I think it should be eliminate software-wise.

[+mytek]

I've been working with Simius on testing a couple of his beta builds for the new RevC DVI board, and in this latest one there is now a new built-in V-Gate function. So in other words it limits the monitor display to a window size of 336 pixels. (8 pixels each side of normal width image). This is pretty close to what the V-Gate chip in the 1088XEL does for analog video, only now thanks to Simus we have this in digital video as well.

As far as the mechanism to turn this new feature ON and Off, I'll refer you to Simius's description below...

Any change of bit 5 is possible only when bit 3 is set. You don't need to know, what is the current state. You need to know, what state do you want to set up. You have to execute either

LDA #$08
STA $D01D
LDA #$20
STA $D01D - to turn-on the V-gate, or:

LDA #$08
STA $D01D
LDA #$00
STA $D01D - to turn off the V-gate.

In my testing I discovered that it is indeed done as two independent writes to the $D01D (53277) register, to either turn V-Gate function ON, or to turn it OFF. This mechanism protects the setting from spurious writes and/or a system reset. However due to not having any non-volatile writable memory, the setting will not survive a power-down and power-up. But other than that, it's very solid .

 

So here's a demonstration of the new V-Gate function in Sophia.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsFeQVvSAeA

 

Notice that I perform several system resets, including each time I access the U1MB Loader menu. Only when I perform a complete power down and back up do we see that it has defaulted to the V-Gate function being OFF.

 

Flashjazzcat and I have been discussing writing a plug-in for the U1MB that will allow for enabling and disabling Sophia's V-Gate function along with the V-Gate chip on the 1088XEL. This would be done from within the U1MB Setup Menu, and be retained following a power-down, and then restored the next time the system is powered back up.

 

- Michael

[Level42]

Would that require one of the U1MB ports to switch ?

 

We're going to need a demux board for those 4 ports soon to control all the stuff from U1MB :D

 

Never mind...should have read better....

 

I am strictly CRT when it comes to running vintage hardware but it's still nice to know that one of the drawbacks of using LCDs is fixed.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Level42

[+mytek]

Would that require one of the ports to switch ?

 

We're going to need a demux board for those 4 ports soon to control all the stuff from U1MB :D

 

Nope completely done by accessing register location $D01D (53277) which is in the GTIA memory map. Just a software switch.

 

- Michael

[Level42]

Yep....I read your post again a bit more carefully sorry 'bout that

[+KylJoy]

DELETED

[redhawk668]

Ive fitted the Sophia board in my 600XL, I had to desolder a small socket and solder the chip straight to the PCB. All went well and the board fits snugly in the socket. Wired up the 9 pin d-sub to SCART cable and I am really impressed. The picture quality is amazing, very clear and crisp. I had to mod the case of the 600XL to fit the d-sub connector. Placed it above the on/off switch. This little board really breathes life into the 8 bit Atari. I might do this mod also to my Atari 130XE.

Edited November 23, 2017 by redhawk668

[redhawk668]

As I have the Sophia RGB working in my 600XL, I would like to order a second one for my 130XE.

[haightc]

Ive fitted the Sophia board in my 600XL, I had to desolder a small socket and solder the chip straight to the PCB. All went well and the board fits snugly in the socket. Wired up the 9 pin d-sub to SCART cable and I am really impressed. The picture quality is amazing, very clear and crisp. I had to mod the case of the 600XL to fit the d-sub connector. Placed it above the on/off switch. This little board really breathes life into the 8 bit Atari. I might do this mod also to my Atari 130XE.

nice, I put mine right about the channel selector and made a db9 to VGA cable. I didn't have to remove any chips as mine fit perfectly, there is one IC that almost touches on the upper right corner though.

[redhawk668]

nice, I put mine right about the channel selector and made a db9 to VGA cable. I didn't have to remove any chips as mine fit perfectly, there is one IC that almost touches on the upper right corner though.

I have a PAL 600XL, which has a monitor port. Only composite, though. It is the same 5 pin DIN connector, but only wired for composite and audio.

[redhawk668]

Just tried my 600 XL on a SCART to HDMI adapter, the picture quality is absolutely gorgeous!

[+kheller2]

I’m assuming the new Sophia is dvi-a and not dvi-d ?

[Simius]

The new Sophia is DVI-D.

[+mytek]

The new Sophia RevC-DVI board renders bit-mapped 80 column text very nicely.

 

Un-retouched photo of 'The Last Word' in 80 Column Mode on 1088XEL-PAL/DELL 2007FP Monitor

 

 

- Michael

[+kheller2]

I have yet to install my previous Sophia board, nor update the core. Is there a summary of the differences between the B and C boards so that I can figure out what system of mine I can use the B in and how many C's I want to purchase?