After my testing of the HD9800 video converter board, I wanted to experiment with reprogramming the TV5725 video conversion chip on the board.
A number of people have already done sterling work on reverse engineering it to invoke modes not supported by the supplied on-screen controller.
I hope to build on their work :-)
read more
After my initial research and designs, I started ordering components for the video converter part of my RetroMatic 2000.
It’s based around a GBS8200 board (or the HD9800 clone version), with extra circuits to modify the input (clean up the sync signal) and output (generate scanlines).
Here’s a scrapbook from my prototyping phase…
read more
I’m building what I call the “RetroMatic 2000” for the Retro Challenge 2017/04.
I’ve been planning, designing, and prototyping it for the last month or so.
Here’s a scrapbook of what I compiled during the research and development phase for the video converter aspect of the project (converting 288p RGB or mono composite from a retro computer to VGA suitable for an LCD monitor).
read more
Today is the first day of the Retro Challenge – a one month semi-formal excuse to do something cool with retro computer technology throughout April.
I only found out about this a couple of weeks ago. I’ve just spent March planning and prototyping a retro computing project, but I haven’t started the main build yet. I’d also been vaguely thinking about publishing my progress somewhere so others could appreciate what I’m doing. So this seemed the perfect excuse!
read more
When I grew up, the Commodore PET was one of my favourite ‘aspirational’ computers.
It had already been around for about 3 years by the time I got into computers in 1980, and technologically was way beyond anything else I had came across: decent keyboard, decent graphics, built-in green-screen monitor, disk interfaces, etc.
It also had an archetypal look that you associated with a monolithic computer. Indeed when the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy transitioned to TV, its Deep Thought super computer looked suspiciously like a giant Commodore PET.
read more
I recently bought a Video Genie II computer off eBay. Now to get it all running smoothly, and try out some enhancements.
read more
After my recent purchase of a Video Genie II, I also had a little look around other vintage computers on eBay.
I’d always fancied a TRS-80, being the grown-up brother of our Video Genie, and having a superb design aesthetic (a 1970s view of the future).
read more
My first foray into computer programming happened in 1980 when I was 11 years old. My dad borrowed a ZX80 from a colleague over the autumn half term, and I taught myself to program by reverse engineering the examples in the manual (a skill I still use in my career today).
My parents then decided to get the family a home computer, and after much research my dad decided to get an EACA Video Genie EG3003 (often known as the System 80 in other countries). This was a clone of the Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I Level II. If I remember correctly his main criteria were: full-sized typewriter keyboard, floating point BASIC, and quality of graphics (including a decent number of characters per line for word processing). We got it as a joint family Christmas present for Christmas 1980.
read more
I decided to resurrect my old Amstrad CPC 464 and CPC 6128 computers. As I suspected, the disk drives were no longer working. After much internet research and buying supplies, I set to work.
read more
Today is the first day of Wimbledon, so I decided to honour that and paint a picture of Andy Murray. The medium was acrylic paints: I’m very pleased with that. Will said he thought it was my best work yet :-) This was what I was working from (the front cover of the Radio Times). […]
read more