Please watch the video and tell me you still want your C-64:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2084212109/gameduino-an-arduino-game-adapter

I was reading about the Gameduino and thought that this Arduino / FPGA could make a good GPU / co-processor for the 6502 or 65C816S.  I keep seeing many projects that could work well in re-establishing the 65XXX series.  If people aren't interested, I'll probably stop posting but if you are interested, I could imagine a new generation of 8 and 16 bit computers.

http://dangerousprototypes.com/2011/02/28/gameduino-a-game-adapter-for-microcontrollers/

Quote•video output is 400x300 pixels in 512 colors
•all color processed internally at 15-bit precision
•compatible with any standard VGA monitor (800x600 @ 72Hz)
•background graphics
â—¦512x512 pixel character background
â—¦256 characters, each with independent 4 color palette
â—¦pixel-smooth X-Y wraparound scroll
•foreground graphics
â—¦each sprite is 16x16 pixels with per-pixel transparency
â—¦each sprite can use 256, 16 or 4 colors
â—¦four-way rotate and flip
â—¦96 sprites per scan-line, 1536 texels per line
â—¦pixel-perfect sprite collision detection
•audio output is a stereo 12-bit frequency synthesizer
•16 independent voices 10-4000 Hz
•per-voice sine wave or white noise

http://excamera.com/sphinx/gameduino/

http://excamera.com/sphinx/gameduino/making.html

I received an email today. I had taken pictures at the request of users (from Amiga.org and Amigaworld.org) for getting in contact with the owners of the MOS building because it was scheduled to be demolished. Some of the users were under the impression that no stone was to be left unturned in their quest for leftover Amiga technology in the building. I can't guarantee that this email is legitimate but I think they got my email from my trying to contact the owners. It is your responsibility for vetting or background checking the individual or individuals offering a sale as I take no responsibility in your transactions. The information is as and I'm quite happy not owning a part of Commodore history.

Here is the email:

"I am working on estimating costs for demolishing the former Commodore/MOS Technologies factory In Pennsylvania. One aspect to consider in our cost estimate is the value of the building materials. Currently we are looking at scrap values."

"I believe that you have some interest in Commodore computers and the history of their manufacture. My question to you is whether there may be an interest within the Commodore Amiga community at large for purchasing bricks and/or other structural materials from the factory. Perhaps a web-based purchasing and shipping methodology could be arranged. Any input would be appreciated."

I happened to see this on one of the forums I'm a member on:

http://www.xcore.com/projects/open1541

"open1541 is a compatible replacement for a Commodore 1541 disk drive. It uses SD cards as storage media and runs on an inexpensive hardware."

It is always nice to have new hardware, isn't it?

I'll probably have a quote on processors by Monday from WDC.

I have some experience with the C-64.  I took different languages in college and I have Jim Butterfield's books on programming the Commodore 64 in ML.  I have two books on the 6502 but I've never programmed much in ML.

I could try making a computer with a 16 bit W65C816S processor but then I think I could get an intel chip and program on it instead.  A friend suggested I should go to a Maker Faire.  I already have some beginner kits for microcontrollers but it is like starting from scratch for me with the W65C816S.

What would the Commodore 64 or 128 have been in a 16 bit version today?  It would have been more powerful, faster, have just about as much memory or more.  It would have had Basic 7.0 or greater, more character sets, maybe more colors, a hard drive and an SD card (or compact flash).  I could see a more modern one using Wii remotes.  Having a ML monitor built in would be great.  I could see using a second sid chip.  I can't buy that stuff new today so I'll have to settle on a microcontroller.  I'll probably have to buy two or three components as I expect to burn some of these components up in experimentation.

Quote from: BigDumbDinosaur on September 17, 2010, 12:33 PM

Quote from: Chuckt on September 17, 2010, 12:08 PM
That board looks good.  Please, let me know if it becomes available for sale.

Take a look at this.

It looks very in depth and more than I can do right now.  It is wonderful.


If you would like to look at what kind of computer I have in mind, please email me privately and I will show you in confidentiality what I have in mind.  There seems to be little interest, it is an expense for me and I know people aren't going to do it for me but with the help I haven't received, I may go with a more younger processor.

This is a link to my gallery on Amiga.org

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/index.php?u=5445

That board looks good.  Please, let me know if it becomes available for sale.

Quote from: Hydrophilic on September 17, 2010, 10:48 AM
So has it been demolished yet?  Before and after photos would be nice.  Actually any photos you care to share would be welcome!

I haven't been there since I took my pictures.  It was supposed to become a velodrome.  I contacted the people who were buying the land and they put me in contact with the owner and he asked me to talk to his real estate representative.  It was because some of the Amiga users thought there would still be masks in the building and they wanted no stone left unturned.  According to some of the users there was a flood in the building and the old equipment was kept in the basement.  The last owner considered everything trash.  The whole building inside was gutted so you couldn't even tell what went on there which is why they didn't see a need to show me around.

I had put a lot of the pictures online but some of the comments and behavior struck a nerve with me so I took them down except for these:

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/index.php?n=2488

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/index.php?n=2487

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/index.php?n=2509

I have a lot more pictures but they took a long time to upload to these picture sharing sites.  I have pictures that show what appears to be (I'm guessing) ovens on the back of the building because of the ventilation.  Someone would have to identify it to me.

When you order chips in 100's or 1,000's, the price goes way down so you really are paying for freight, labor, support, returns, development, etc., because it shouldn't cost $200.

Quote from: commodorejohn on September 16, 2010, 01:30 AM
I'd be open to buying some kind of newly-developed computer system if it were A. inexpensive ($100-300) and B. an interesting design (i.e. something besides the various "let's make a microcontroller act like an old computer" projects.)

It would use a 65C816 16 bit processor and only use microprocessors for video and sound because you can't get stuff like that made unless you do FPGA or buy something relaly expensive.

Is everyone content with their computers or do you have room for one more?  Is the Minimig enough?  What is after our Commodore computers stop working?

I heard about Apatco's NCS-EB50 Complete Kit w/W65C816S CPU but I don't want to stop there. 

I submitted a proof of concept of a new computer to a computer company to see if they would like it.  If it falls through, I would be stressed to build such a machine because it is something that companies do: writing Basic or other languages, writing a kernal, developing the hardware with the operating system.  I think it would take me a couple of years.

I have some ideas but if they don't think my computer idea is viable then will the users here help me in terms of putting one out?

I was one of the two people who took pictures and posted them online for Amiga.org and they had to be resized to fit the board's size requirements for pictures.

I had contacted the current owner before the scheduled demolition and he gave me permission to take a few pictures although anyone on the street can photograph anything.

I'm willing to share with the board here.

There has been some new work on the Minimig with the Arm board.  I just wish that there was a team on making more hardware and software revisions.  I think it needs more expansion.  I'm thankful that the docs were released for it.

I'm concerned the Natami may cost more than I can afford although no price has been worked out and users keep coming up with more ideas that could add to the delay of its release.  The attractive part about the Natami is there is a team that can give updates if they want to.

I realised some years ago that few people were going to do anything with Commodore's intellectual property and there is a lack of new hardware so I've become interested in microcontrollers because I am less than satisfied with Windows machines.  I have this belief there needs to be new hardware because companies aren't providing me with the machines I want.  And I've studied what kind of components are available out there for several years because I want to decide what to build with independently.

I'm not here to take sides but only to try to advance other people's happiness in their endeavors and their hardware.

There are some Amiga users who are building a new version of the Amiga using FPGA and their project is called Natami and their website is called natami.net and they are looking for datasheets on the following chips:

4510 and the 4502 and the 6511

I have a hunch that some of you know where to find them. Thank you.

I know I may be posting this in the wrong forum but people in the Amiga community are trying to build an emulator and I need this message to be seen.  I'm told the Natami means Native Amiga for those of you who want to know.