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"Dragonfly" my version of the Atari 7800 SD cartridge


rj1307

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I would like to ask for a little more patience, today the test cartridge arrived at Walter :) 
I have a few cartridges ready and material for several dozen pieces, but I am waiting for the results of Dragonfly compatibility with different versions of A7800, if there are no major problems, I will start a new thread for sales only, but here will remain the "technical department".

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20 hours ago, zezba9000 said:

Maybe I'm missing something but whats the purpose of multiple POKEYs?

Advanced Multi-Core audio processing? One for music and one for sound-FX?

Well ... the purpose is NES quality music.

 

Normally each POKEY has 4 sound channels with only 255 frequency dividers.  You can use a square wave but limited range, and tuning errors.  Sawtooth wave only allows bass frequencies.  Triangle is unusable for music without tricks.

 

But:  You can combine two channels with 16-bit mode!  65,536 frequency dividers.  All waveforms can be used musically, and suddenly we get music on a par with the NES and C64 if not better.  4 16-bit channels if you like, or any number of combinations.  Add in tricks like SKCTL or hi pass filtering, and you got a monster.  :)

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4 minutes ago, Synthpopalooza said:

Well ... the purpose is NES quality music.

 

Normally each POKEY has 4 sound channels with only 255 frequency dividers.  You can use a square wave but limited range, and tuning errors.  Sawtooth wave only allows bass frequencies.  Triangle is unusable for music without tricks.

 

But:  You can combine two channels with 16-bit mode!  65,536 frequency dividers.  All waveforms can be used musically, and suddenly we get music on a par with the NES and C64 if not better.  4 16-bit channels if you like, or any number of combinations.  Add in tricks like SKCTL or hi pass filtering, and you got a monster.  :)

So am I right in assuming that the Concerto cart will only have one POKEY & the Dragonfly might have two (which is whats being tested now)? Allowing the Dragonfly to have up to 8 channels?

Also do only "some" POKEY chips support a 16-bit-rate mode while others only 8-bit? If so I'm assuming both the Concerto & Dragonfly will support these.

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16-bit mode is standard on all POKEY ... it's controled through AUDCTL (located at POKEYADDR+$08)

 

By setting bits, you can control certain features.

 

Bit 1:  Enables 15khz mode to pitch your channels into bass frequencies

Bit 2 and 3:  Enables a hi pass filter (3 on 1, or 4 on 2) which lets you have a variable pulse wave like NES, or other SID swirling effects.

Bits 4 and 5:  16-bit mode (1 and 2, or 3 and 4) ... combines two channels into a 16-bit channel, silence the first, place low and high order bytes in both channels.

Bits 6 and 7:  1.79 mhz mode on channel 1 or channel 3.  Pitches your notes up.  Used in conjunction with 16-bit mode, or with $2x and $Cx distortions

Bit 8:  9-bit polycounter enable.  Used with the $8x distortion to change from white noise to buzzy guitar tones.

 

Two POKEYs means two AUDCTL registers, with any number of setups possible.  For example, $7A (hi pass filter plus 1.79 mhz plus 16-bit mode) burns all four channels, but gives you a very nice SID type swirling variable pulse wave which can be fine tuned using 65,536 settings.  :)  I used this in my Metroid krayt demo.  And you still get 4 channels free on the second POKEY.

 

There is also SKCTLS two tone filter.  By storing $8B in SKCTLS (POKEYADDR+$0F), playing the first channel and silencing the second, play the carrier frequency in the first and the modulation in the second, it also gets you a sort of variable pulse wave, or other neat tricks.  Again, with a second POKEY, there's a second SKCTLS register to play with too. :)

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Here's an old article which discusses POKEY in regards to 16-bit audio:

 

https://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue34/112_1_16-BIT_ATARI_MUSIC.php

 

Short version:  You get better note resolution ... while standard 8-bit settings only give you from the third octave up to the 5th octave in $Ax square wave before tuning errors creep in, 16-bit covers 9 octaves without problems.

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On 11/26/2020 at 6:05 PM, rj1307 said:

I would like to ask for a little more patience, today the test cartridge arrived at Walter :) 
I have a few cartridges ready and material for several dozen pieces, but I am waiting for the results of Dragonfly compatibility with different versions of A7800, if there are no major problems, I will start a new thread for sales only, but here will remain the "technical department".

great news,

my 7800 just flies to me, and would be cool to buy the Dragonfly

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On 11/30/2020 at 12:20 AM, Synthpopalooza said:

Here's an old article which discusses POKEY in regards to 16-bit audio:

 

https://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue34/112_1_16-BIT_ATARI_MUSIC.php

 

Short version:  You get better note resolution ... while standard 8-bit settings only give you from the third octave up to the 5th octave in $Ax square wave before tuning errors creep in, 16-bit covers 9 octaves without problems.

I obviously didn't think you got this knowledgeable overnight, but I didn't realize you were an expert 37 years ago. That's pretty cool to see that date in 1983!  Good times....

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On 11/28/2020 at 11:47 PM, zezba9000 said:

Maybe I'm missing something but whats the purpose of multiple POKEYs?

Advanced Multi-Core audio processing? One for music and one for sound-FX?

In addition to what Synthapalooza said, there are various real-world examples of games using two Pokeys, thanks to Atari's arcade development.

 

Millipede on modified Centipede hardware; Most vector games such as Black Widow, Tempest, Space Duel, Major Havoc, & Gravitar; then all System I and System II games had a couple of Pokeys (often with some extra chips though, such as voice and a YM2151)

 

Star Wars used 4 Pokeys plus another chip for voice.

 

Should be interesting to see some modern examples of both working though, especially with the tools we've got now!

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Please, a little more patience, there was a small problem with the USB but I have already located it, fortunately all you need to do is change the value of a few resistors.
By the end of the week I will have a few ready and tested ones, and in a few days I am waiting for the delivery of PCBs and start assembly.
For two weeks my 3D printer has been working 12 hours a day doing casing.

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