Someone having installed VBXL on an Atari 800 XL (SECAM, i.e as Rose) ?

[Remy13]

Dear fellows,

 

Can someone share her/his experience in having installed VBXL into a SECAM atari 800 XL ?

 

Does it work?

Is it simple?

 

I know the SECAM board and some ICs are different with the PAL version.

 

So not sure if VBXL will fit or not?

 

Thanks

 

[Beeblebrox]

Hv you checked the manual (under the files tab) here to see as you might be able to hook up connections via other routes to ic's/required signals if they aren't present/the same on your pcb. 

 

https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=54

 

The fact you are hooking up the VBXE to a new output as its rgb should be good. Nit sure about the secam reduced colour pallette and how that is factored in though. Don't know nearly enough about secam A8's to comment. 

 

Edit also, and obviously not directly related, but there is secam related discussion here regarding getting Sophia 2 to work on a secam a8

 

Might be interesting 

 

Heh, no sooner did I paste this I realised it was yourself who started that thread, ha!! That'll teach me to do this on my phone in the sunshine whilst walking to work.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Peri Noid]

The SECAM GTIA Chip has a pinout that is different to PAL and NTSC ones, therefore it's not possible to mount Sophia directly in such board. You'd need an adapter board - @Simiusproposed one in the main Sophia thread and is waiting for preorders (at least 5 needed). Look there. 

[Rybags]

I should think VBXE would work just fine in a SECAM machine.

The procedure for install doesn't involve any modifications to GTIA or the video circuit other than taking a feed from CSYNC (or alternatively using Composite Video out)

Some people disconnect the RF mod or otherwise modify things but it's not a requirement.

 

Potentially there might be differences in the system clock circuit - on XL we remove the main crystal and instead feed in a divided output from VBXE that is derived from the 14 MHz replacement crystal that you solder to the VBXE board  (note of course for the later 800XLF with Freddie the procedure is different again)

 

* Actually, don't the modern VBXE variants already include the needed crystal installed for you?

Edited May 23, 2023 by Rybags

[Peri Noid]

Let me repeat: the VBXE chip for a SECAM system has a different pinout, therefore Sophia cannot be used as a drop-in replacement without a proper adapter. Period.

[flashjazzcat]

Sophia ≠ VBXE, as GTIA ≠ ANTIC.

Edited May 23, 2023 by flashjazzcat

[mimo]

11 minutes ago, Peri Noid said:

Let me repeat: the VBXE chip for a SECAM system has a different pinout, therefore Sophia cannot be used as a drop-in replacement without a proper adapter. Period.

He's not asking about Sophia

[Beeblebrox]

@Peri Noid not to take this away from the original question about secam and vbxl, but read the other thread I linked to above as Simius is talking about a secam adapter for Sophia 2.

 

[Rybags]

VBXE pinout?  It's not really relevant.

The main interface to the computer is by the Antic socket, which is unchanged regardless of the computer model.

The other interfaces are the header pins providing clock signals, pickoffs of the required inputs from the motherboard and the video output.

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by Rybags

[Peri Noid]

2 hours ago, mimo said:

He's not asking about Sophia

Right... Oh, gosh... I need a lot of rest... 

 

Sorry, guys.

[mimo]

33 minutes ago, Peri Noid said:

Right... Oh, gosh... I need a lot of rest... 

 

Sorry, guys.

no problem, it's so easy to do. Have a good rest !

[Remy13]

yep, correct, I was not asking for Sophia... as I know there is a solution with Sophia for SECAM.

 

But here, for this machine, the request is VBXL.

 

Thanks