foft Posted December 27, 2017 Author Share Posted December 27, 2017 Interesting. Mostly out of curiosity, are you planning "true" replacements with Pokey analog output and GTIA color oscillator? Or with sound and video only digital (which would require then a custom output)? Both I guess, but so far not much actual planning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 The analog portion of Pokey probably is not a big problem. Just a DAC, I guess. But GTIA might be challenging. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share Posted December 28, 2017 The analog portion of Pokey probably is not a big problem. Just a DAC, I guess. But GTIA might be challenging.Do you mean because of the higher frequencies? I thought gtia output digital luma (4 bits on 4 pins) and digital chroma (phase shifted square wave on 1 pin). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level42 Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) AFAIK GTIA is fully digital. IMHO going with one type of POKEY replacement that would 100% compatible would be most practical. Remember that these are also used in arcade games and there's a market there too. Edited December 28, 2017 by Level42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) AFAIK GTIA is fully digital. GTIA is not fully digital. The delay line (pin 17) is analog. But that's just the easy part that an ADC should solve. Do you mean because of the higher frequencies? I thought gtia output digital luma (4 bits on 4 pins) and digital chroma (phase shifted square wave on 1 pin). Yes, I mean the higher frequencies on the chroma output. While it is not analog in the sense of the voltage level, it's a VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) output. Of course, the VCO output can be implemented digitally if the device works with a clock at a frequency high enough. But considering that the exact frequencies need to be adjusted at runtime depending on the calibration input, the working frequency required might be too high for a low cost device. Edited December 28, 2017 by ijor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seastalker Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Thank you for the clarification on the Eclair and MIst comparisons! Also, I am grateful for the new form factor A8 projects and they are well worth doing. I hope inspires others to run with it for OTHER projects. Enjoying my MIst FPGA computer and with a limited budget for WHICH new toys to get, the features I'm looking for would have to justify redundancy. A C64 Reloaded / Speccy Next type of A8 project would be that justification for me. No aging capacitors to worry about, Svideo and audio out port to replace RF and channel selector, low power consumption to replace an aging brick, dual POKEY support, and #1 or course: styled to fit an 800xl case/keyboard. IF I didn't have a Mist, this would greatly tempt me. It looks wonderful and I'm thrilled others can get interested in FPGAs. I will be looking out for the later MIst core updates, and support any FPGA chip replacement projects. Big thanks for this project!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share Posted December 28, 2017 Re gtia colour: Shame there are no fractional plls on the max10. I think it will be good enough, though might have to forget the dynamic colour adjustment via the variable resistor. I think 400MHz clock should be possible and with ddr outputs that gives 800MHz resolution. So ~200 different delays per colour clock. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Perhaps we can get this High School Student Who’s Building His Own Integrated Circuits to build some new Atari VSLI chips for us. I believe Curt had the manufacturing data for the various chips. Sorry for sliding farther off topic . 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Re gtia colour: Shame there are no fractional plls on the max10. I think it will be good enough, though might have to forget the dynamic colour adjustment via the variable resistor. I think 400MHz clock should be possible and with ddr outputs that gives 800MHz resolution. So ~200 different delays per colour clock. On a second thought, the analog calibration input might not be needed. If I'm not mistaken its purpose is to compensate for manufacturing variations on the analog delays inside GTIA. Not for board level variations. That shouldn't be a problem in this case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seastalker Posted January 13, 2018 Share Posted January 13, 2018 Has the naming origin of Éclaire ever been addressed? A creator can name it what they like and I like it fine, yet it does seem random. Numerically, Atari had 400/800/600xl/800xl/1200 etc and then the console naming with Lynx and Jaguar. How did a wonderfully delicious French pastry win the title? Yes I do know Atari anything can be deemed 'delicious.' LOL Also, as this is an FPGA project, is it possible to run other system's cores in theory if ported? That would be cool to see. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 (edited) Has the naming origin of Éclaire ever been addressed? A creator can name it what they like and I like it fine, yet it does seem random. Numerically, Atari had 400/800/600xl/800xl/1200 etc and then the console naming with Lynx and Jaguar. How did a wonderfully delicious French pastry win the title? Yes I do know Atari anything can be deemed 'delicious.' LOL Also, as this is an FPGA project, is it possible to run other system's cores in theory if ported? That would be cool to see. . Éclaire is French for enlightened. so possibly not such a random name, after all? Edited January 14, 2018 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted January 14, 2018 Author Share Posted January 14, 2018 (edited) I had recently moved to French speaking Switzerland and was (and still am!) learning French. It was meant to be lightening XL, though due to my poor spelling it has an extra e on the end! éclair: https://www.google.ch/search?q=éclair&tbm=isch éclaire: Which according to larousse is: http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/éclaire/27547?q=éclaire#27401 "Ouverture pratiquée dans le pont d'un bateau de pêche, pour permettre de jeter le poisson dans la cale." "Opening in the deck of a fishing boat to allow the fish to be thrown into the hold." Which wasn't really my intention! Though as you say it could read as light/enlightened - I'll have to ask a native speaker! http://www.wordreference.com/fren/éclairer edit: Still shows lightening, so perhaps its a common spelling error? Or just google luck! https://www.google.ch/search?q=%C3%A9claire&tbm=isch Edited January 14, 2018 by foft 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seastalker Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 I love how one letter can make a whole new meaning out of a word. I still like the idea of an atari that is named after a legendary dessert. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+S.D.W. Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 This project is ridiculously cool but to be honest I think the name is a little weird and kind of confusing. Named as it is, it I do not think it is obvious to people that this is an implementation of an Atari computer. Personally I'd like to see it assigned a proper number but perhaps with an LT on the end for LighTning. But that is just my opinion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Well we could rename/number it, any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilejoni Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 When we will have another production run of this wonderful machine? I am dying to put my hands on it! And big thanks for the developers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Well we could rename/number it, any suggestions? Yes I suggest to call it eclaireXL. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+S.D.W. Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Yes I suggest to call it eclaireXL Wow, 6 thumbs down... may I ask why you like this name so much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I never said I like it or not. For me it is a pure matter of respect for the inventor! I personally would never dare to ask him to change the name with which he had painted his creation. For me it's like asking from da Vinci to rename his Mona Lisa. Of course this is my point of view. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 (edited) I never said I like it or not. For me it is a pure matter of respect for the inventor! I personally would never dare to ask him to change the name with which he had painted his creation. For me it's like asking from da Vinci to rename his Mona Lisa. Of course this is my point of view. 'cept that it was re-named - the original title being the formal title of Francesco del Giocondo's wife, ie "La Giocondo" it was later renamed to exchange the form of address and surname for Christian name, hence "Mona Lisa" (ma donna Lisa) Edited January 25, 2018 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilejoni Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Hey, let this naming thing apart, we just want to know when this will be available again to buy... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 I posted a status update on another thread: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/274756-eclairexl-annual-update/ Mentioning it here because the run of boards mentioned got basically no interest, and thought it may have more visibility in this thread. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 I have on the list: VladR: 1 917k: 1 (Did you really want another, its basically the same?) foft (me): 1 I'll probably get a few more since I get the odd message expressing interest every few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KlasO Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 I have on the list: VladR: 1 917k: 1 (Did you really want another, its basically the same?) foft (me): 1 I'll probably get a few more since I get the odd message expressing interest every few months. Hi, Would this be something that I’d need to assemble myself, or is it put together? Not that electronics-savvy, hence my question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 All the chips are soldered on. There are some ribbon cables to connect and some screws to put in. Also might want to put it in a case. If you want to update the core its a bit fiddly (needs a jtag) but it will be shipped with a working one. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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