🚀 go-pugleaf

> From: texsun!tools!ef (Edgar Fuss)

> Regarding a graphic card for the pc532, what about the ARM/VIDC/MEMC/IOC
> (Acorn Risc Machine, Video, Memory, I/O controller) set used in Acorn's
> Archimedes computers? The set is quite powerful (both CPU and VIDC),
> and semms to have been designed to be useful as a add-on graphic system.

I'm not sure I like this combination... the VIDC chip only has 4bit DACs
and a 4bit palette.  This gets you a whopping 16 colors out of 4096.  I
seem to remember hearing that the MEMC chip had some limit of only managing
4MB of RAM, the rest being allocated to video, IO, etc.  I don't have my
data book here, so I am not sure about the MEMC, but I am sure about the
VIDC chip.

I would rather see a VGA chip with 8bit DACs and a 256x24 bit palette.
I saw that AMD has a chip (it was the nearest databook when I was curious)
that will provide 256 colors for an Application, and another 15 as overlays,
these extra 15 could be used for window borders, backgrounds, etc. giving
the app a full palette.  As for processor, I would like either a NS32K
(no need for new tools) or a Moto 88K (Looks like a fun chip to play with,
except for exceptions 8-(  (I don't think I want to use an i860, looks way
to hard to write code for, let alone use compilers with...)

Of course then maybe I'm just spoiled, I have a Mac II with a video setup
close to what I described for the VGA video chip.  (Now if only the VGA
chip had a 24 bit input to bypass the palette, and we had hundreds of MB
of cheap 10nS VRAM... 8-)  (I would like 1280x1024x24, but I doubt I will
EVER be able to afford it, I can't even afford a hard disk for my pc532 at
the moment...)

With all this though, maybe a couple of serial ports would be a good idea,
and an 8051.  Use them as a diagnostic port, a mouse port, and a keyboard
controller.  Then, you can have a stand-alone system with a hard-disk, or
a pc532 with a screaming video system.
-- 
Jon Buller       jonb@vector.dallas.tx.us       ..!texsun!vector!jonb
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