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dgrubb

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  1. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Justin in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Thanks for the warm welcome, guys!
     
     
    Yes, I'd like to go beyond Rb+ but that's probably a good place to start.
  2. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Justin in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Sure! It was a kind of research project, really. The schematics for the 2600 are very simple looking (three ICs!) so I figured it would be possible for somebody to understand it top-to-bottom. If you can write a good emulator of a system then you can reasonably claim to have a good knowledge of it. I'm also interested in uCs and the idea of fitting an entire console into the computational power of a single IC or two tickled me a bit.
     
    Having said that, embedded stuff is usually more I/O bound so raw processing power is less of an issue than some other architecture characteristics (see below).
     
    There are a few related and experimental projects on my GitHub:
     
    HiFive-2600: https://github.com/dgrubb/HiFive1-2600
     
    My first attempt. This is based around a new RISC-V uC which is very performant and can be clocked at a massive 300MHz+ so I thought it would be a great platform. Unfortunately, it only has 16kb of scratch memory, supplemented by an external SPI flash chip. The SPI flash is memory mapped, but the access time is comparatively slow and causes a cache flush. The result is that a lot of the massive processing power is wasted unless you can fit the whole program in 16kb, which isn't going to be the case here. Still, on this version you can load a cartridge and step through each processor tick, while printing the 6507 state on a console.
     
    STM32-RIOT-6502: https://github.com/dgrubb/STM32-RIOT-6502
     
    Similar to the above on a slower uC, but one with enough RAM to fit the whole program and run at full-speed. I can just about get the 6507/memory/cartridge state emulation to execute within a 1.19MHz period, enough to run those parts at the the same speed as a real 2600. The TIA is out of the question though, as it uses an NTSC colour clock of 3.58MHz. As with the other project you can step through the emulation state, or run it at full-speed. The TIA has a very simple state machine, but the timing requirements are quite strict. To finish this project off and get some actual video out going I'm planning on implementing the TIA in a separate uC. That's a work-in-progress for the time being.
     
    I was pretty chuffed just to get the 6507 emulation (mostly ) working, probably quite a few bugs and mistakes which will need correcting which I'll find as I flesh out the unit tests. It got the point where I was seeing 6502 op-codes in the license plates of other cars during my commute!
  3. Like
    dgrubb reacted to RickR in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Welcome!  We'd love to know more about your 2600 emulation project.  Was that for a commercial product?  Pretty cool stuff.
  4. Like
    dgrubb reacted to Clint Thompson in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Cool, hopefully you try your hand at some Jaguar programming even if it's using the Rb+, that thing is actually quite powerful for what it is.
  5. Like
    dgrubb reacted to Justin in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Welcome to Atari I/O Dave! We're happy to have you here! Shinto's podcasts are wonderful, we need to send him a big thank you for leading you here! Hope you enjoy your time in the forums   
  6. Like
    dgrubb reacted to nosweargamer in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Greetings!
     
    I assume you have, but if you started in the middle, be sure to check out Shinto's first ep. It has a ton of tech stuff in it.
  7. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Shinto in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Hello, Atari IO!
     
    I'm a long-time fan of retro computing, but pretty new to Atari. I don't have very much in the way of personal experiences with Atari or arcades, as many here do, in fact I suck at playing video games, but came to it through another route. I'm an embedded software developer so I enjoy learning about different platforms, CPU architectures and clever electronics.
     
    I got started on a project to emulate a 2600 in a micro-controller (currently lacking a TIA, but the 6507 mostly works ) and came to really appreciate the elegance of it considering the cost restrictions in place, along with the creativity of the developers tasked with creating engaging games.
     
    I'm also very interested in the Jaguar. Despite its Hindenburg-esque history it remains a fascinating console: custom ASICs, weird co-processor architecture, love it. I hope to learn a lot more about it (I decided to sign up after coming across the thread with the JagDuo PCB and listening to a few of Shinto's game-by-game podcasts) and maybe even enough to be able to try my hand at a bit of homebrew hardware and software.
     
    Cheers,
    Dave.
  8. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from RickR in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Hello, Atari IO!
     
    I'm a long-time fan of retro computing, but pretty new to Atari. I don't have very much in the way of personal experiences with Atari or arcades, as many here do, in fact I suck at playing video games, but came to it through another route. I'm an embedded software developer so I enjoy learning about different platforms, CPU architectures and clever electronics.
     
    I got started on a project to emulate a 2600 in a micro-controller (currently lacking a TIA, but the 6507 mostly works ) and came to really appreciate the elegance of it considering the cost restrictions in place, along with the creativity of the developers tasked with creating engaging games.
     
    I'm also very interested in the Jaguar. Despite its Hindenburg-esque history it remains a fascinating console: custom ASICs, weird co-processor architecture, love it. I hope to learn a lot more about it (I decided to sign up after coming across the thread with the JagDuo PCB and listening to a few of Shinto's game-by-game podcasts) and maybe even enough to be able to try my hand at a bit of homebrew hardware and software.
     
    Cheers,
    Dave.
  9. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from nosweargamer in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Hello, Atari IO!
     
    I'm a long-time fan of retro computing, but pretty new to Atari. I don't have very much in the way of personal experiences with Atari or arcades, as many here do, in fact I suck at playing video games, but came to it through another route. I'm an embedded software developer so I enjoy learning about different platforms, CPU architectures and clever electronics.
     
    I got started on a project to emulate a 2600 in a micro-controller (currently lacking a TIA, but the 6507 mostly works ) and came to really appreciate the elegance of it considering the cost restrictions in place, along with the creativity of the developers tasked with creating engaging games.
     
    I'm also very interested in the Jaguar. Despite its Hindenburg-esque history it remains a fascinating console: custom ASICs, weird co-processor architecture, love it. I hope to learn a lot more about it (I decided to sign up after coming across the thread with the JagDuo PCB and listening to a few of Shinto's game-by-game podcasts) and maybe even enough to be able to try my hand at a bit of homebrew hardware and software.
     
    Cheers,
    Dave.
  10. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Justin in I did the math(s). It checked out.   
    Hello, Atari IO!
     
    I'm a long-time fan of retro computing, but pretty new to Atari. I don't have very much in the way of personal experiences with Atari or arcades, as many here do, in fact I suck at playing video games, but came to it through another route. I'm an embedded software developer so I enjoy learning about different platforms, CPU architectures and clever electronics.
     
    I got started on a project to emulate a 2600 in a micro-controller (currently lacking a TIA, but the 6507 mostly works ) and came to really appreciate the elegance of it considering the cost restrictions in place, along with the creativity of the developers tasked with creating engaging games.
     
    I'm also very interested in the Jaguar. Despite its Hindenburg-esque history it remains a fascinating console: custom ASICs, weird co-processor architecture, love it. I hope to learn a lot more about it (I decided to sign up after coming across the thread with the JagDuo PCB and listening to a few of Shinto's game-by-game podcasts) and maybe even enough to be able to try my hand at a bit of homebrew hardware and software.
     
    Cheers,
    Dave.
  11. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from The Professor in Jaguar Pro Controller additional button encoding?   
    Cheers!
  12. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from The Professor in Jaguar Pro Controller additional button encoding?   
    Pardon the newbie question: I found the pinout and encoding scheme for the regular controller, but I can't seem to find a definitive statement about how the Pro controller encodes the additional buttons?
  13. Like
    dgrubb reacted to Clint Thompson in Jaguar ProController Reproductions Announced   
    That's awesome dgrubb! Looking forward to seeing how it works out for you =)
  14. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from DegasElite in Jaguar ProController Reproductions Announced   
    I found one last night, but decided it'd be a fun project so got a start on making my own.
     

  15. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from TrekMD in Jaguar ProController Reproductions Announced   
    I found one last night, but decided it'd be a fun project so got a start on making my own.
     

  16. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Sabertooth in Jaguar Pro Controller additional button encoding?   
    Cheers!
  17. Like
    dgrubb reacted to Clint Thompson in Jaguar ProController Reproductions Announced   
    Currently a little over 150 users expressing interest. Still a long ways to go at this rate but there still seems to be a decent trickle of interest via e-mail coming in, though I'm unsure it'll reach the roughly 140-150 needed.
     
    As far as adapters, there are USB adapters currently available for purchase that allow you to connect a Jaguar controller to your PC for emulation use.
  18. Like
    dgrubb reacted to Sabertooth in Jaguar Pro Controller additional button encoding?   
    IIRC - the Z,Y and X buttons map to keypad 7, 8 and 9 on the keypad. L & R map to 4 & 6.
  19. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Clint Thompson in Jaguar ProController Reproductions Announced   
    It's an awesome project, I hope they pull it off. I wonder if there's any possibility of a USB-based variant (or a Jag-to-USB adapter) for emulators?
  20. Like
    dgrubb reacted to jerryd in Steve Jobs comes to Atari   
    Atari forum,
     One time Al Alcorn came into the lab and introduced a new engineer dressed in
     a toga and sandals named Steve Jobs.  He must have been about 19.  Like me he
     didn't seem to have a specific job for the first few weeks and just hung
     around the lab.  Then he started working on "Breakout".  Sometimes he would
     take his pad and go down to the local park for hours.  I think he came out to
     lunch with us a few times but he wasn't very social.  His bench was right next
     to mine but he was different and a tough person to get to know and get along
     with.
     
     Nolan Bushnell would often talk to us about his plan to get video games into
     people's homes using their televisions which eventually happened with the 2600.
     This could have sparked some of Steve's ideas.  I know he asked Nolan to back
     him financially with his plan to start a company and build a computer but
     Nolan wasn't interested.

     I went to see Steve years later when he was trying to get "Next" computer up
     and going.  As soon as I walked in he said "I don't have any jobs available".
     I told him I wasn't looking for a job and started to talk about the old days
     at Atari but he just wanted to talk about what he was into now and where he
     thought it was going. He was always marketing his new ideas.

     Many years later I was working for a company that was supplying some test
     equipment to Apple and I was loaned out to them for over a year.  I worked
     in Apple's Milpitas building.  I ran into Steve a couple of times but we
     didn't have much in common.  I was working there during the big earthquake
     that stopped the world series in 1989.  It was an "earthquake proof" building
     so is rocked and rolled the whole time with almost no damage.
     
    Steve ultimately proved to be one of the best marketers ever.  I'm glad
    to have known him.

    Jerryd
     
  21. Like
    dgrubb reacted to Clint Thompson in Crumbs! in development for the Jaguar!   
    Check out what Rik has been working on now for the Jag after AstroStorm! A 3D-mazed looking Pac-Man styled game:
     

  22. Like
    dgrubb reacted to RickR in Installing Linux on an old laptop   
    I agree with your point on Chromebooks.  It's really nice to get a brand new computer sometimes -- everything is new and works, and the battery is fresh.  $200 is a great price to pay.  I had no  idea they could be hacked, so that's good to know for future reference.  At the same time, it's just really cool to re-purpose something old and useless.  A computer for $3???  Why not.  Makes a fun project.
     
    The little tiny laptop a few posts above was $150 from Staples.  They (and office depot) usually have something similar still for $200-$250.  I'd say they are totally worth it, but only if it comes with a good CPU.  Avoid the AMD E1, or any single-core processor.  Heck, the Windows 10 license alone is $125 or so by itself! 
     
    Your push back on installing on linux is fine by me...it's just different.  Once you get the hang of it, no big deal at all.  And as MaximumRD mentioned, most of the stuff you need is available via the Software Manager app, and that's super easy to use. 
  23. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from RickR in Installing Linux on an old laptop   
    Good attitude, glad you got something useful out of that machine. I usually buy Chromebooks because they're extremely cheap (~$200), the battery life is amazing and the hardware is well-supported on Linux (naturally). Then I remove the firmware protection screw and install https://galliumos.org/ or Debian.
     
     
     
    I'm going to gently push back on this point. You're on Mint so installing multiple large suites of software (simultaneously!) becomes a simple one-liner:
    $ sudo apt-get install <prog1> <prog2> <prog3> especially when contrasted to Windows with its ad-hoc installers, reboots and registry-rot if you remove/reinstall software?
     
    I'll grant there's a learning curve attached to the terminal, but its one which allows for far easier interaction in the long term.
  24. Like
    dgrubb reacted to RickR in Installing Linux on an old laptop   
    This all started when MaximumRD found a really nice old netbook at the recycling bin.  He started looking into replacing Windows XP with something different.  I was curious about why.  I have a really old laptop myself with XP that works ok.  A few other nice folks pointed out how unsafe XP is since it's no longer patched or supported.  Let's Do This!  Linux Mint, here I come. 
     
    My laptop specs:
    Dell Latitude D410 - 12" laptop (early 2000's vintage) Intel Pentium M "Centrino" single core CPU at 2.0 GHz 2 GB DDR2 memory 40 GB physical hard drive
     
    I got this laptop for $3 from Goodwill.  I found a power adapter for $0.87 (sold by weight) at the same Goodwill.  It came with a cracked battery (that still worked) and no hard drive.  I had an extra IDE drive in my junk box.  The battery got fixed with some black duct tape.  I also found an external optical drive on ebay for $5. 
     
    What I use it for:  I love it because it's so small.  I use it a lot in the kitchen.  To look up recipes and surf the web while I cook.  And sometimes to do Atari.io chats when they were during dinner time!
     
    What I upgraded to:  Linux Mint, xfce version (which has low system requirements...perfect for an old PC).  I chose the 32 bit version.
     
    How I upgraded:
    I first backed up the hard drive so I could revert to XP if this didn't work out.  I used Clonezilla.  But there are many other options. I installed the Linux live disk on a USB stick using Rufus. I booted to the Linux live disk.  It gives you the opportunity to try out the OS without actually installing it.  With no hard drive, it's a little slow, but you get a good idea of compatibility.  In my case, the wifi worked, the touchpad and display worked.  Everything looked good. A full install took about 30 minutes.  What do I think:
    It works well!  I didn't have to fuss with any driver installs.  Everything worked fine right out the box.  I probably will have some trouble installing a printer driver though. Speed is hugely improved.  Youtube videos play without any glitching (not true on XP).  Firefox worked very quickly....even with Facebook (not true with XP).  Speed wise, it gave new life to this old computer. A lot of great software comes pre-installed.  Firefox, a movie viewer, LibreOffice, music software, image viewer/editor.  I can't think of anything I need to add. On the downside, there is a learning curve.  Installing programs is not so easy on Linux.  Typing in terminal prompts?  Oh brother.  My wife said it looked like a Mac.  That's true.  It does.  I was able to access my Windows share (where I store recipes) pretty easily.  I'm keeping it!
     

     
  25. Like
    dgrubb got a reaction from Sabertooth in Jaguar ProController Reproductions Announced   
    It's an awesome project, I hope they pull it off. I wonder if there's any possibility of a USB-based variant (or a Jag-to-USB adapter) for emulators?
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