Pimping the Atari 2600 - Opinions on options for a serial interface and other 'pimp my 2600' stuff

[WhyLee commotari.club]

Hello Folks!

I am just placing an order for several parts on aliexpress (memory, CPUs like 6507, 65C02, 65816, Z80,... YM sound chip) everything to pimp the atari 2600 to turn it in a complete computer system.
at the end, everything will be open source.
Regarding the serial interface: there are many different (old school) chips on the market. This is why i want to ask:

* Should I use an old school chip for the serial interface to other computers? 

* Or should I make a kind of "new" retro chip emulation with a Raspberry Pi Pico, which is cheap, accessible and has bluetooth/wifi?

* if a real old school chip, something in the line of a 65c51 (rockwell R65C51, or Wester Design Center W65C51, where there also versions from MOS?)
   ==> i have a R65C51 for 1,74€ in my shopping basket.
or do you have experience with a different one or one that has a few bytes more receive buffer?
 

 

Regarding some pimping priorities: what would you like first:
* Different CPU (on an adapter pcb)

* 256kBytes Static Memory chip (requires a different CPU)?

* Adapter to use nintendo gamepads (kind of serial to parallel converter)

* Audio chip (on an adapter pcb, YM2149 just as a generic starting point, better something customized with a microcontroller, Pi Pico or something ICE40 based)
* TIA replacement (FPGA ICE40 based) for NTSC/PAL with RGB/component out on an adapter PCB

* serial uart connection to a computer or bluetooth/wifi (access development websites?)
* boot rom (eeprom) (if using a raspberry Pi pico as a serial interface bluetooth/wifi connection, maybe there is a way to use it as programmer as well, to make easy updates for the rom)
 

all that stuff requires a new pcb as a starting point that should fit inside an old school 4/6 switcher. the old cases are beautiful and probably have enough space. the new junior cases are ugly junk - in my opinion.

other opinions, suggestions?

[M-S]

5 hours ago, WhyLee commotari.club said:

Hello Folks!

I am just placing an order for several parts on aliexpress (memory, CPUs like 6507, 65C02, 65816, Z80,... YM sound chip) everything to pimp the atari 2600 to turn it in a complete computer system.
at the end, everything will be open source.
Regarding the serial interface: there are many different (old school) chips on the market. This is why i want to ask:

* Should I use an old school chip for the serial interface to other computers? 

* Or should I make a kind of "new" retro chip emulation with a Raspberry Pi Pico, which is cheap, accessible and has bluetooth/wifi?

* if a real old school chip, something in the line of a 65c51 (rockwell R65C51, or Wester Design Center W65C51, where there also versions from MOS?)
   ==> i have a R65C51 for 1,74€ in my shopping basket.
or do you have experience with a different one or one that has a few bytes more receive buffer?

That's a nice idea, there are a few old school chips that are still being produced, like the ones from WDC. If you choose an old school chip you will need an 8-bit to Serial adapter in every device you use which I think are cheaper than Serial to 8-bit adapters, as there are many devices like flash cartridges and the Bue Retro that do it, but I haven't seen many projects to use older devices in modern computers.

5 hours ago, WhyLee commotari.club said:

Regarding some pimping priorities: what would you like first:
* Different CPU (on an adapter pcb)

There are a few projects that more or less have common objectives with what you are trying to do, I'm can think of a few right now, but if you look in the 2600, 7800 and Hardware subforums you could probably find more, as well as other websites like Hackaday. 

 

5 hours ago, WhyLee commotari.club said:

* Adapter to use nintendo gamepads (kind of serial to parallel converter)

* Audio chip (on an adapter pcb, YM2149 just as a generic starting point, better something customized with a microcontroller, Pi Pico or something ICE40 based)
* TIA replacement (FPGA ICE40 based) for NTSC/PAL with RGB/component out on an adapter PCB

A TIA replacement is something that a lot of people would want, so I think that could be your first priority.

I remember a few replacement PCBs for the Atari being worked on, maybe you could ask the developers for the files, but how would you fit the extra ports into the case without cutting it?

[WhyLee commotari.club]

On 5/23/2024 at 9:02 PM, M-S said:

That's a nice idea, there are a few old school chips that are still being produced, like the ones from WDC. If you choose an old school chip you will need an 8-bit to Serial adapter in every device you use which I think are cheaper than Serial to 8-bit adapters, as there are many devices like flash cartridges and the Bue Retro that do it, but I haven't seen many projects to use older devices in modern computers.

There are a few projects that more or less have common objectives with what you are trying to do, I'm can think of a few right now, but if you look in the 2600, 7800 and Hardware subforums you could probably find more, as well as other websites like Hackaday. 

 

A TIA replacement is something that a lot of people would want, so I think that could be your first priority.

I remember a few replacement PCBs for the Atari being worked on, maybe you could ask the developers for the files, but how would you fit the extra ports into the case without cutting it?

Thanks for the input! I will look into it.

I will design a bigger socket for the CPU (maybe a tiny bit compatible to an 68000 with reseved pins) and a similar big socket for the TIA. together with adapter PCBs for the original chips.
That is the first thing to start with.

Regarding your question about the ports: I don't have a problem with making holes in an old case. i know some people have. maybe we can get a thicker wire in the hole where the RF cable is going. RF is not needed anyway.
I don't know the situation regarding cheap RGB to HDMI converters. we will find that out step by step.
First thing is the PCB to start with. it can serve as a starting point for other developers too.

[M-S]

I was thinking that a CPU that is backwards compatible with the 6507 would be a better alternative since you could use existing software on it plus the upgraded ones, if you use other chips on it would only work with it's own software, which would be still doable if you are willing to write them of course.

I know that @ Leatherrebel5150 was making a PCB replacement, I don't know if he's still active, but you could ask him about it.

[BassGuitari]

Sort of OT but related to the subject of turning a 2600 into a computer: has anyone ever built the cassette interface for the Magicard?