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Forum 6502 Video Out
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  • State Verified Answer
  • Replies 26 replies
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  • composite
  • mos
  • 6502
  • video out
Related

6502 Video Out

nick123
nick123 over 9 years ago

Hello,

I've been working on a 6502 SBC recently, and I wanted it to output to a composite video signal. I looked around the internet and didn't find much of anything. Anyone know a way I can do this?

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  • bwelsby
    bwelsby over 9 years ago in reply to nick123 +5 suggested
    Some info of what used to be here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_display_controller The video subsystems of these oldies used to make up the bulk of the electronics in those machines and the display…
  • DAB
    DAB over 9 years ago +4 suggested
    Hi Nick, As I recall, the Commodore PET that I have used a batch of memory to hold the video data. All you need is a couple of counter chips to run through the addresses of the RAM chips. You take the…
  • michaelkellett
    michaelkellett over 9 years ago +4 suggested
    If you want to remain "classic" you would need to use a video controller MC6845 or perhaps 6569: MOS 6569R3 C64 VIC-II PAL chip, Mutant Caterpillar Games Ltd Retro Store Google for the 6845 data sheet…
Parents
  • technos
    0 technos over 8 years ago

    Even though this has been answered, I wanted to add a better answer that will lead the parent (or others) in the right direction.

     

    The definitive must read books on how to generate a composite video out from a 6502 (or any microprocessor from that era or since) are "The TV Typewriter cookbook", "The Cheap Video Cookbook", and "The Son of Cheap Video Cookbook".

    They are all written by the hacker emeritus before there were hackers Don Lancaster. I am sure by understanding the methods there that they can be transposed to modern day designs (if you search for implementing a composite video output).

     

    Where other posters in this thread have said "it can't be done" "because timings" the fact is that Don Lancaster showed that it could indeed be done with a few amazing and simple hacks.

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  • technos
    0 technos over 8 years ago

    Even though this has been answered, I wanted to add a better answer that will lead the parent (or others) in the right direction.

     

    The definitive must read books on how to generate a composite video out from a 6502 (or any microprocessor from that era or since) are "The TV Typewriter cookbook", "The Cheap Video Cookbook", and "The Son of Cheap Video Cookbook".

    They are all written by the hacker emeritus before there were hackers Don Lancaster. I am sure by understanding the methods there that they can be transposed to modern day designs (if you search for implementing a composite video output).

     

    Where other posters in this thread have said "it can't be done" "because timings" the fact is that Don Lancaster showed that it could indeed be done with a few amazing and simple hacks.

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  • dougw
    0 dougw over 8 years ago in reply to technos

    Good point Phil - I am sure I still have "The Cheap Video Cookbook".....somewhere.

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  • lagip
    0 lagip over 5 years ago in reply to dougw

    I have all Don’s books in dead trees format from my youth .. I cut my teeth on the Apple 2 ...

    Don is giving them away free here in pdf format

     

    https://tinaja.com/ebksamp1.shtml

     

    Enjoy

     

    Lagi

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  • michaelkellett
    0 michaelkellett over 5 years ago in reply to lagip

    Good link Lagi !

    Thanks.

     

    MK

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  • jameslhorn
    0 jameslhorn over 5 years ago in reply to technos

    I also recommend Lancaster's books. They will give you a good understanding on how video output was created in the '70s and '80s. I used his "cheap video" on a KIM-1 before moving on to a SSM (Solid State Music) S-100 board for simple alphanumeric display, then later, a Hal Chamberlain 32k graphics S-100 board for the then-boosted KIM-1 (48k RAM, text and graphics video, a dozen S-100 slots, 400+ watt power supply, etc.).

    Be aware that Lancaster's Cheap Video uses CPU timing to generate the video, which means that while doing so, the CPU doesn't have any cycles to run other software. The Sinclair ZX80 used the same trick. The result was a display that would flicker when typing and blank momentarily when running a program, but would reappear once the program paused or finished. All of which allowed video generation with only a few cheap DIP ICs. Not bad at all!


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  • dougw
    0 dougw over 5 years ago in reply to lagip

    Great link.

    I also have a couple of Don's books from way back before the Internet when I was trying to build a low cost display....

    image

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  • clem57
    0 clem57 over 5 years ago in reply to dougw

    cat looks bored...

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  • gdstew
    0 gdstew over 5 years ago in reply to jameslhorn

    Actually there is time to do processing during vertical blanking, around 2.86 milliseconds at the end of each 30 millisecond frame for 525 line NTSC video.

    You might be able to squeeze in a few cycles during horizontal blanking also but there are only about 10 microseconds at the end of each of the 525 lines

    for two 30 milisecond frames. NTSC is interlaced so it takes two 30 millisecond frames for 525 lines.

     

    Don Lancaster was one of the greats in early hobbyist electronics. I was a big fan of his during late 60's and 70's when he wrote many articles for

    Radio Electronics and Popular Electronics magazines.

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  • shabaz
    0 shabaz over 5 years ago in reply to gdstew

    I'd not heard much of Don Lancaster in the UK unfortunately, the magazines available here were more locally produced, but I remember seeing his Guru's Lair website at uni and finding it intriguing! I didn't really understand it at the time though. Perhaps it was amongst the first electronics sites on the WWW, at least it was the only one that stood out with substantial content when 'surfing the net'.

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