Wow, thanks for the shoutout! I'm humbled. I somehow missed your last several videos. I love the progress you have made and props for sharing with everyone! I now have the pleasure of binge watching your progress! Lucky me! Please keep it up, can't wait to see the final PCB version and what can be done with it!
I just found your channel. So cool what you have made. I grew up on these 8 bit machines so they will hold a place in my heart forever. Also built a lot of custom hardware back then. One thing was a display. I designed one that was pretty neat. It had two frame buffers and a simple switch to flip between. No need for dual port RAM. Well anyway, your stuff is much better. Anyway, very cool. Respect 👍🎉
Thanks! I’m not using dual port RAM either. Too expensive. Instead using Woz technique of time division multiplexing. By far the most complex and tricky part of the design. I’m curious about your design, are you able to read back from video RAM with the switching design?
@@thecodesorcerer Woz was definitely full of tricks. I don't know if you have looked at his disk controller lol. It was back in the 80s so not current, but you could read/write the off-screen buffer, but not when it was being displayed. 6845 was doing the video on the back. This was for an Ohio Scientific Superboard II that I had at the time.
no plans to do so as of now, that said - there is a github project - a remastered ultima IV for the commodore 64. I have to imagine it's not a huge lift.
Thank you! Makes me wonder if there is some Z-80 equivalent of bringing up a chunk of the Apple II software library on an original homebrew SBC design.
Freaking Wizard! Well Done Sir, this is a Crazy Life Achievement if you ask me. I would implement the NES controller IC, Piggyback for the SNES, that way if you further Expand the system you will already have a controller setup that can handle future possibilities..
Thank you, you are very kind. As an 80's kid and a software engineer by trade, It's been very rewarding. I'm really looking forward to building an ASIC now. How cool will it be to design a custom chip?
@@thecodesorcerer Poor 80's kid over here,. I had an uncle in Tennessee who was only about 12 years older than I, so when his TSR-80s, 286,386 PCs all were Upgraded over the years, I got the Old stuff to figure out. I was always a Hardware kid, I couldn't get my ADHD brain to wrap around Programming, My extent was QBasic Menus for my Games. My Pinnacle was IT Admin & CAD/CAM Engineer in Tennessee 2k3-2k7. That was a fun challenge trying to learn. Now my kiddos & I turn Discarded PCs into Retro Game Boxes
Hmm, thanks for the suggestion. I know the SNES controller is a popular one to support. Sega Genesis controller is very close to the Atari joystick (of which I'm most familiar)
The X16 is far advanced of a typical 8-bit machine. The FPGA based Vera is probably closer to a 16-bit system's capabilities, and really does kinda break the spirit of being an 8-bit retro system. Yes, it's technically 8-bit, but it feels very cheaty in it's implementation, like tacking a 6502 onto a 16 bit board to call it 8-bit... I know that's not an accurate way to put it, but what It really feels like, is the 8-bit guy wanted to make an 8-bit machine, but really didn't wanna let go of the capabilities of a 16-bit machine, and created something that doesn't feel like it commits to either. I still bought one... But now that my money is already spent, I feel like I'd rather have grabbed a Foenix instead.
Wow, thanks for the shoutout! I'm humbled. I somehow missed your last several videos. I love the progress you have made and props for sharing with everyone!
I now have the pleasure of binge watching your progress!
Lucky me!
Please keep it up, can't wait to see the final PCB version and what can be done with it!
Looks awesome! Would love to see this at VCF Southwest here in Dallas.
In Dallas now. Will be at VCF spectating Friday and Saturday.
So awesome! To get those breadboards right must have been a labor of love. Great work!!!
You're doing some awesome work Eric! I'm excited to see you get this to PCB.
What. a breadboard! Looking forward to seeing Colossal Cave. Many fun problems to solve along the way.
I've been going by the handle Xyzzy for years now - it really just has to be done
I just found your channel. So cool what you have made. I grew up on these 8 bit machines so they will hold a place in my heart forever. Also built a lot of custom hardware back then. One thing was a display. I designed one that was pretty neat. It had two frame buffers and a simple switch to flip between. No need for dual port RAM. Well anyway, your stuff is much better. Anyway, very cool. Respect 👍🎉
Thanks! I’m not using dual port RAM either. Too expensive. Instead using Woz technique of time division multiplexing. By far the most complex and tricky part of the design. I’m curious about your design, are you able to read back from video RAM with the switching design?
@@thecodesorcerer Woz was definitely full of tricks. I don't know if you have looked at his disk controller lol. It was back in the 80s so not current, but you could read/write the off-screen buffer, but not when it was being displayed. 6845 was doing the video on the back. This was for an Ohio Scientific Superboard II that I had at the time.
Please say you'll be porting Ultima to the X16
no plans to do so as of now, that said - there is a github project - a remastered ultima IV for the commodore 64. I have to imagine it's not a huge lift.
That is really awesome! Great work.
Thank you! Makes me wonder if there is some Z-80 equivalent of bringing up a chunk of the Apple II software library on an original homebrew SBC design.
Wow! That breadboard is a piece of art. Encase it all in a block of epoxy to preserve it!
Han Solo comes to mind :)
Love it!
Thank you. I see you have DOS running - very cool! So much x86 software out there!
Super cool!
Freaking Wizard!
Well Done Sir, this is a Crazy Life Achievement if you ask me.
I would implement the NES controller IC, Piggyback for the SNES, that way if you further Expand the system you will already have a controller setup that can handle future possibilities..
Thank you, you are very kind. As an 80's kid and a software engineer by trade, It's been very rewarding.
I'm really looking forward to building an ASIC now. How cool will it be to design a custom chip?
@@thecodesorcerer Poor 80's kid over here,. I had an uncle in Tennessee who was only about 12 years older than I, so when his TSR-80s, 286,386 PCs all were Upgraded over the years, I got the Old stuff to figure out.
I was always a Hardware kid, I couldn't get my ADHD brain to wrap around Programming, My extent was QBasic Menus for my Games.
My Pinnacle was IT Admin & CAD/CAM Engineer in Tennessee 2k3-2k7. That was a fun challenge trying to learn.
Now my kiddos & I turn Discarded PCs into Retro Game Boxes
so... and where can I bay this X16 killer?
right now, only in my dreams
Awesome work! If you are going to support joysticks, please consider support for more than one fire button.
Hmm, thanks for the suggestion. I know the SNES controller is a popular one to support. Sega Genesis controller is very close to the Atari joystick (of which I'm most familiar)
Nice video! Was torn on even watching it due to the Clicky title tho
yeah, still experimenting with communication
X16 is way beyond this. Maybe buy one first & try it before titling it that way.
Watch the video if you want my take.
The X16 is far advanced of a typical 8-bit machine. The FPGA based Vera is probably closer to a 16-bit system's capabilities, and really does kinda break the spirit of being an 8-bit retro system. Yes, it's technically 8-bit, but it feels very cheaty in it's implementation, like tacking a 6502 onto a 16 bit board to call it 8-bit... I know that's not an accurate way to put it, but what It really feels like, is the 8-bit guy wanted to make an 8-bit machine, but really didn't wanna let go of the capabilities of a 16-bit machine, and created something that doesn't feel like it commits to either. I still bought one... But now that my money is already spent, I feel like I'd rather have grabbed a Foenix instead.
@@richfiles yeah I do see what you're saying.