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Companion Project

A project log for z80ctrl

AVR-based bootloader and IO card for RC2014 retrocomputer

jb-langstonJ.B. Langston 06/15/2018 at 00:180 Comments

I have added a companion project for the z80ctrl, a TMS9918/A-based video card for the RC2014 that I'm calling rc9918.  The TMS9918 was used in the TI-99/4A, MSX, ColecoVision, original Sega SG-1000. Enhanced derivatives were used in later MSX computers, the Sega Master System, and the Sega Genesis. It also influenced the architecture of the PPU in the Nintendo Entertainment System.

My board is based on a circuit described by Tom LeMense for interfacing the TMS9918A with SRAM. Currently, I have breadboarded the circuit and designed the PCB layout, but I haven't had a PCB manufactured yet.

I have written a few example Z80 assembly programs, including a Mandelbrot generator and a Nyan Cat.

I am also adding support for the TMS9918 to the z80ctrl.  z80ctrl will automatically initialize the TMS9918/A in text mode at startup and includes new commands tmsfill and tmsdump, which allows the TMS9918's RAM to be filled or examined, and tmslbin, which allows binary data to be loaded directly into VRAM. Although it's not ready for everyday use yet, I have also tested code that will output the monitor interface from z80ctrl on the TMS9918.

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