ORIC NEXT

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This includes generic Oric talkings and things that are totaly unrelated but want to share with people here :)
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Magoric
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ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

Hello:

I want to start to work in a project that expand the Oric making a new Oric with retro compability and expanding the posibilities of the original hardware and software machine.

It is just for fun and will not time to end. Will be ready, when it be ready.

My first idea is to start definning the specifications and later choose to make the the real hardware or make a recreation ussing raspberry pi (or similar).

I want to define a 16 bits (or maybe 32) bits machine, that can use the original software and hardware via emulation.

If any one want to help, please, post here.
Last edited by Magoric on Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Magoric
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

"ORIC NEXT" is just a develop name.
Last edited by Magoric on Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Magoric
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

By now, I'm more or less sure to use a personal implementation of an expanded 6502 processor to 16 or 32 bits defining new characteristics. First implementing it by software and if the decision of real hardware win, ussing a fpga or an arduino like implementation.

This decision is for to have retro compatibility. Other option is to use ARM, and force compatibility using emulation, but I don't like this option, because I prefer to make a machine as closer to the spirit of the original hardware as I/we can.
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ibisum
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by ibisum »

This is a project for which you will find many like-minded peers, and in that regard you should have a look at some of the other threads that have brought this subject up, by some of the other prolific Oric hackers.

The idea of multi-Oric's is cute and appealing:

https://forum.defence-force.org/viewtop ... =21&t=1880

The twilighte board is a step in the right direction for compatibility and expansion:

https://orix.oric.org

Check out Godzils' comments here;

https://forum.defence-force.org/viewtop ... ric#p10757


I'd quite like to see something based around an FPGA, maybe incorporating some of the OricExos ideas. ..
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Magoric
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

Thanks!, I didn't knew that projects. All are very interesting.

I'm working, as a personal project, in a cheaper multi interface for 1 and Atmos that will have tap reader with multi load, dsk loader, joystick interface, mouse interface, multi rom, and maybe conection with PC via http. But all is in progress. Nothing at the momment.
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Dbug
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Dbug »

There's also the active MiSTer FPGA device, which has some active Oric implementation (in addition to Atari ST, etc...):
https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Oric_MiSTer

I guess technically that could be a decent base to get the compatibility layer, and then extend that to have some Oric+ model, which could be for example
- Upgrade 6502 @ 1mhz to a 65816 a 16mhz
- Upgrade the 64K of Ram to 1 megabyte of ram
- Upgrade the ULA to add registers allowing to move the "display window"
- Upgrade the ULA to add registers to redefine the 8 colors by remapping them with a custom palette that can be changed by the user

Just that would catapult the Oric into a next gen machine :)
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Magoric
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

Thank you. Your proposition sound very good.

I'm gonna think about this micro. But I would like more Mhzs. I'm going to study about this micro.
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by mikeb »

Dbug wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:03 am - Upgrade the ULA to add registers allowing to move the "display window"
- Upgrade the ULA to add registers to redefine the 8 colors by remapping them with a custom palette that can be changed by the user
While you're in there tinkering with the ULA :-

A parallel attributes mode! That will stop the "colour clash" stigma from the serial attributes and open up other clever graphics options!

There are some unused attributes within the 32 possible that could be leveraged to switch to an expanded mode (details in the back end of the big ULA document
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Chema
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Chema »

I would have killed for a two color full 320x200 mode, which sounds something that would've been easy to add.

Yeah, a hardware double buffer (way to change the starting address of video memory) would also have made a difference.

And access to the upper 16k of ram without a disk system... The list is long :)
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by ibisum »

The Oric core on ZX-UNO runs pretty darn nice, I have to say. There have been times when I've thought .. this is all I really need, after all .. but then I use a real Atmos and .. nah ..

Expansion for the Atmos would be interesting .. I could imagine this could be a matter of wiring up an rPi to get a co-processor or 20, and/or glomming Oricutron onto the dataports for Exos-style shenanigans..

EDIT: thought about it a bit, and what I mean is .. the rPi reads the screen RAM off a real Oric, and renders it, merged perhaps with an Oricutron/OricuMegaTron++ instance or so .. so the 'real Oric' ends up being a terminal for a cluster in the rPi, with perhaps bonus points for a new ROM (dflat) to boot ..
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Magoric
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

Chema wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 8:01 pm I would have killed for a two color full 320x200 mode, which sounds something that would've been easy to add.

Yeah, a hardware double buffer (way to change the starting address of video memory) would also have made a difference.

And access to the upper 16k of ram without a disk system... The list is long :)
Well I have thinked two ways:
- The first, the video use the memory directly.
- The second, I make a custom chip that make the graphics tasks, with his own memory.

In any way I'm very sure about:
- The video will have Sprites.
- The video will have diferent colour modes.

But by now, I'm centred in the basic things like the kind of processor. The kind of hardware (emulated using a PI (bare metal) or real hardware). My own CPU using FPGA or an actual CPU accesible in the market, the language will be Basic with numbers, or better a structured Basic, or better a Python, Lua, or any other ... there are many questions to resolve before video.
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ibisum
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by ibisum »

Sounds like a great plan, Magoric.

You should check out the dflat project if you haven't already, it was built by 6502Nerd, who designed his own 6502-based computer and will, I believe, form the basis of his new machine - which itself may end up having a lot more in common with an "Oric Next" than we might think, given that dflat runs already. on Oric:

https://github.com/6502Nerd/dflat

Further details:

https://github.com/6502Nerd/dflat
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by jbperin »

Just saw this video on YouTube where the guy starts building a new 8 bits computer



Dunno if it can help for your project.
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Dbug
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Dbug »

jbperin wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:58 am Just saw this video on YouTube where the guy starts building a new 8 bits computer
The problem with David Murray Comander X16's project is that it's an inconsistent mess.
https://www.commanderx16.com/forum/inde ... about-faq/

Originally he wanted something made from real components, for the retro-oldschool feel, then he realized it would be difficult so they decided to use some FPGA stuff for the video display, it was supposed to be a 65816 but then it was too complicated, so instead used memory banked 6502, they were thinking of putting two YM chips but found out it was difficult with a fast cpu bus (was apparently not a problem for the Atari ST in 1985), etc...

So basically it's a kind of bastard C64 which is not really a C64 but can display sprites but don't really have bitmap memory but you can emulate bitmap using sprites, ...

Meh, I don't like it, I was following at the beginning but I quickly lost interest, it's a typical case of "too many cooks in the kitchen" combined with an unrealistic price range for what they wanted to do.
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Magoric
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Re: ORIC NEXT

Post by Magoric »

ibisum wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:35 am Sounds like a great plan, Magoric.

You should check out the dflat project if you haven't already, it was built by 6502Nerd, who designed his own 6502-based computer and will, I believe, form the basis of his new machine - which itself may end up having a lot more in common with an "Oric Next" than we might think, given that dflat runs already. on Oric:

https://github.com/6502Nerd/dflat

Further details:

https://github.com/6502Nerd/dflat
Thank you for your aport.
Yes. This is the kind of language I had in mind. It's simple, clear and is "structered Basic". It have all I was looking for.

I have to talk with the author. But not now. Many things to do before that.
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