Bally Astrocade on FPGA

[Macro]

I've been thinking about the IO board, and so far I think it will need ->

Arduino Micro Pro for input (directly compatible with mister, supports 16 inputs - gorf cocktail needs 13 (I think) - leaves 3 for Menu etc. (looks like it fits into a 24 pin socket as well)

resistor ladder for video output (as per IO board)

RC filters for audio output (left / right + speech one possibly) - fortunately don't need amplifier for Gorf since it has one (would if I do a Jamma version - which also needs more inputs!)

74138 to decode 3 IO lines into 8 driver lines to drive the ranking lights

single IO line to drive the light in the joystick (does cocktail have 2 of these? - not seen one)

so, it should be able to use the USB for the controls, normal pins for video & left and right sound, then the 6 user IO pins for lights, joystick lights and centre speaker!

need to scribble these up into proper schematics and buy some bits in to make a prototype (probably on vero board) to see if it works

 

[favouredson]

......single IO line to drive the light in the joystick (does cocktail have 2 of these? - not seen one)

The cocktail uses normal joysticks rather than the flight sticks so doesn't need any.

 

[Macro]

Well, DE10-Nano, memory and fan ordered - it should not need an IO card since the adapter I need to make will remove the need for it! (he says hopefully ...) and the electronic parts have arrived, so better crank up the PCB software (and finish off the samples for Gorf speech)

 

[bonehead]

Please keep us posted Mike. The most exciting thing this year.

Thanks

 

[Hurray Banana]

Looking forward to your progress Mike

 

[Macro]

Question time again

can someone do me a short video close up of the flashing red on Gorf, trying to get this to be more like the real thing and have a feeling that mame's implementation is wrong.

(mame uses 16 levels of luminosity, but from the schematics I don't think it can go below the original colour - i.e. it cannot be darker that that, only brighter), so need something to compare against!

cheers

 

[bonehead]

I can for you tomorrow. Is it the red flashing at the start screen on the word GORF?

 

[Macro]

I don't think the GORF word flashes

what would be good is the shield on space invaders and the shield and core of flagship on the flagship screen.

mine is definitely not correct, but as said, not convinced mame is either (but probably closer!)

 

[Hurray Banana]

To me it looks like the colour is either on or off, no translucency

[tube]GedxImera8U[/tube]

[tube]5Q54gKxaXR8[/tube]

[tube]j1fovPTYCNI[/tube]

 

[Macro]

on the shield, the colour to be sparkled is full white, so it looks like it's either on or off (in which case you get background colour - but need to work out how it knows the background colour!)

The red is doing different intensity, but that has some room to do so as original colour is full red with a hint of green and blue (so you get orange sparkles) and it looks like background again.

so, apart from background, it looks like it cannot be darker than the original sparkled colour

(Astrcocade works in component colour space so it can directly vary the luminance which is not quite so easy when everything is coded in RGB - plus I can't see how it gets the background colour in that Gorf screen!)

 

[Macro]

Thanks for pics - I've hand coded some sparkle colours to better match what it looks like in the videos

because of the way it works in it's own colourspace it can do a few things that are not easily possible in RGB plus the dreaded RGB board seems to contribute to the fact that colours are not as pure as they should be either.

anyway, here are the (hopefully) more realistic versions (as static pictures of course - looks better running!)

 

[Hurray Banana]

Mike you are a F**king legend. Maybe I won't be so scared to turn my machine on now.

Is this gonna plug directly to the monitor, bypassing the rgb board?

 

[Macro]

That is the plan

about half of the components have arrived, just waiting on the rest, and it basically splits into 4 independent circuits (RGB, sound, lights and controls)

2 of those I can take directly from the IO board circuit, the other 2 need experimenting with a bit. (ranking is going to use the 3 LED lines, the joystick may abuse the SPDIF output (and hope it's not also used for HDMI sound) and the controls will be USB (since I want it to be totally compatible with the normal mister build)

of these, 2 will be identical for JAMMA, one needs a different controller chip (well - same chip, but more pins wired up) and of course JAMMA needs no output capability, so is actually easier in that respect.

just testing Gorf with samples for Votrax speech but once happy with that will update repository so anyone with the right kit can have a play.

 

[Macro]

Updated version now on MiSTer github (and via update script)

 

[Pinge]

Amy news on the development?

 

[Macro]

I have all the bits, just need to find the time to make up a prototype and sort the PCB out.

if only I didn't work for an 'essential' service, I could have had loads of time to sort it out!

 

[Digimon]

have you thought about using the BitKit Hardware?
maybe you should contact Aron?

 

[Bishop]

I'm confused, I thought Bally Astrocade was an old home console?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Astrocade

 

[ataridude74]

I'm confused, I thought Bally Astrocade was an old home console?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Astrocade

It was, and several arcade games, notably Gorf and Wizard of Wor used some of the same hardware, including the infamous custom chip whose failure has caused the death of countless Gorfs.

If Mike can make a FPGA replacement board he would deserve a medal, at least he would have the eternal gratitude of every Gorf owner who could look forward to switching their game on without fear of it dying.

 

[Bishop]

I'm confused, I thought Bally Astrocade was an old home console?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Astrocade

It was, and several arcade games, notably Gorf and Wizard of Wor used some of the same hardware, including the infamous custom chip whose failure has caused the death of countless Gorfs.

If Mike can make a FPGA replacement board he would deserve a medal, at least he would have the eternal gratitude of every Gorf owner who could look forward to switching their game on without fear of it dying.

So would the FPGA replacement board be used instead of the arcade PCB?
I have a Golf Cabaret, the only think missing is the PCB.