Consoles-on-a-chip

Do you have a technical question that doesn't really fit a specific console? Want some general info on electronics, hacking, making cookies, etc? Here's the place to ask! Go nuts.

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omegabullit
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Consoles-on-a-chip

Post by omegabullit » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:34 pm

This seemed like it could go in the NES forum, but I figured it would be better here. Just a quick question about things like the NES-on-a-chip. What are they exactly? From what I gather it is just everything that's on the NES board throw onto one chip which that little black blob over it out, and every pinout available for said console (controllers, video, power, etc.). How does one go about producing one? I'm not planning anything drastic here, just curious is all.
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Post by timmeh87 » Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:44 pm

producing a NES on a chip? with a couple electrical engineers, some comptuer software, a big machine of some sort and some silicon ingots.

producing a NOAC portable? same as always, but much smaller.
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Post by Triton » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:14 pm

you could duplicate the system on a fpga but its really complicated and stuff, a guy did an amiga on a fpga and he might get it made into a real product! i would buy one in a second (can you say amiga 500 laptop! wewt!)

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Post by yuppicide » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:03 pm

I'd like a Commodore 64 laptop.

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Post by MM007 » Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:08 pm

Then you should look into the C64 on a chip, or look for the old first-party Commodore SX-64(http://oldcomputers.net/sx64.html).
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Post by Adeptus » Sun Jul 23, 2006 10:46 pm

MM007 wrote:Then you should look into the C64 on a chip, or look for the old first-party Commodore SX-64(http://oldcomputers.net/sx64.html).
SX-64 = laptop?!?!?!
Jeez you must have a big lap :lol:

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Post by johnnyC » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:13 am

MM007 wrote:Then you should look into the C64 on a chip, or look for the old first-party Commodore SX-64(http://oldcomputers.net/sx64.html).
(doing my best impersonation of Quinn Morgendorffer from Daria)Ewwwwwwww!

But seriously. WTF??? If that's a laptop, I'm surprised.

If I still had that old C64, the one I got from my old technology teacher, I could see what I could do. But then again, I could never get it working. I'd plug it in, but the picture was so screwy. I still wish my mom didn't tell me to throw it out.

Personally, I'd rather see an Amiga laptop. About the size of a reqular laptop. Not those ugly behemoths from the 80s. They're pretty sad to look at. :lol:

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Post by Sparkfist » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:45 pm

Keep in mind that back in the '80s they didn't have the ablitity to condence several chips in to one or have millions/billions of transistors per chip. Also if you think the SX-64 is bad, check out Osborne. They claimed to be laptops or at least portable, not really either when they weight over 25 lbs. and need an AC outlet.

I'm wondering when someone will be able to have a DTV or Hummber made into a laptop. Something like Ben's Atari 800 laptop, only smaller and more power efficient. I already know it requires a major investment to get the system to work, namely a disk drive or hard drive for storing programs or files.
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Post by atari2600a » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:58 pm

I doubt you'd be able to go beyond S-Video or RGB...

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Post by marshallh » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:27 pm

The v3 Hummer DTV supports Luma/Chroma (S-video) as well as composite video. It takes a bit of soldering (swapping SMT resistors) to get the image to look decent.
It comes with a 2MB flash chip built in, if you build yourself a XE1541 cable you can run files on it off your PC and flash the kernel, etc.

I've done all this myself, in preparation for a C64-laptop. I even have the case designed, the keyboard and screen purchased.
The only hold-up is the MMieC circuit board. It's a small PIC-based device that emulates a 1541 floppy drive, instead loading files off a MMC memory card. I'm waiting for a PCB and parts for that. So, in the meantime, I'm working on a SNESp.

The Hummer DTV is a very cool piece of hardware, you could even use it as a portable SID player, just by flashing SIDs and the player into the flash memory. But, the music wouldn't sound perfect because it lacks analog filters.
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Post by bioniclebert » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:40 pm

I thought about this for a while, and I didnt because I didn't have a 1541 drive. And now that I have it, I dont really feel like opening it up! :P Mabye one of these days... (still got other things in progress anyway.)
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Post by joevennix » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:42 pm

That's awesome marshall!
Once I heard about those C64 DTV's at the shack, I went looking around, couldn't get my hands on any. I'm glad someone finally is going to portablize one.
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Post by Adeptus » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:42 pm

marshallh wrote:The v3 Hummer DTV supports Luma/Chroma (S-video) as well as composite video. It takes a bit of soldering (swapping SMT resistors) to get the image to look decent.
It comes with a 2MB flash chip built in, if you build yourself a XE1541 cable you can run files on it off your PC and flash the kernel, etc.

I've done all this myself, in preparation for a C64-laptop. I even have the case designed, the keyboard and screen purchased.
The only hold-up is the MMieC circuit board. It's a small PIC-based device that emulates a 1541 floppy drive, instead loading files off a MMC memory card.
Cool!
From what I've read the PAL C64DTV has the same hardware as the (NTSC) Hummer...
Where did you find your info on modding it?

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Post by Sparkfist » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:52 pm

Really I'm a fan of Compactflash, and would prefer something like this. If I were able to get something like this I could throw together a prototype with my DTV (1.0), a PS/2 keyboard, that storage device and my PSone screen. But now that I've released all the plans for it someone will take a hint and make the damn thing before I have a chance.
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