Using SymbOS with the GFX9000 (MSX grapics card)

[Singaja]

I'm also interested when it's available ( +1 )

[NiNxPe]

+1 

[Skunkfish]

I'm definitely interested, if  although I won't commit just yet. This is just the adapter, and we'll need to source our on Gfx 9000? Or will they be sold together?

[CraigsBar]

I am hoping together ☺️

[Edoz(MSX)]

Thank you all for your positive reactions.

Just to inform you about the status:

Yesterday i bought myself a CPC (as i didn't own one)
I need to test this CPC and send it together with the MotherX4 to brazil as test unit for techobytes.

After this techonobytes will try to make a prototype adapter. I think the best way is that we make an adapter for the MotherX4.
Because you want to connect multiple devices to the CPC (this seems the best and only way to do it).

Of course i ask him also if it could be sold as a package (V9990 with the adapter) as you need both.

[CraigsBar]

Awesome 😉

[Edoz(MSX)]

Update on this:
It took some time to get a good working CPC with all the needed devices for testing.
Currently I'm preparing the package with all the equipment, and to send to brazil, so they have the machine for testing.

Let's see if it will work out! So we will have this voodoo card

[ASiC]

Count me in too 

[Joseman]

Update on this:
It took some time to get a good working CPC with all the needed devices for testing.
Currently I'm preparing the package with all the equipment, and to send to brazil, so they have the machine for testing.

Let's see if it will work out! So we will have this voodoo card

Maybe snake will be faster then?

[zhulien]

add me to the list if it can be used with the MX4...

[Gryzor]

That's exciting Of course it won't do anything unless people support it, but nobody will if it's not made, so count me in!


I don't know if it'd make any sense to not produce a bundle...

[Dubliner]

I would also be interested in a pack with both the adapter and the card

[tjohnson]

This looks an interesting concept, the way I've read this is it effectively a self contained computer with the interface allowing instructions to be downloaded from an external machine like the CPC to the add-on.   Does anything actually run on the Amstrad once the code download is done?

[ASiC]

This looks an interesting concept, the way I've read this is it effectively a self contained computer with the interface allowing instructions to be downloaded from an external machine like the CPC to the add-on.   Does anything actually run on the Amstrad once the code download is done?

My understanding is that it off loads the video processing to the video chip (drawing, scrolling, sprites etc) but the z80 is the main man behind telling it where to/from scroll, draw etc.


Also gameplay logic is still done one the z80

[Gryzor]

On that front, we have to realise of course that it's not a 'pure' CPC anymore. We have discussed this a few times in the past, but I'd like to see what would be possible

[tjohnson]

My understanding is that it off loads the video processing to the video chip (drawing, scrolling, sprites etc) but the z80 is the main man behind telling it where to/from scroll, draw etc.


Also gameplay logic is still done one the z80

That makes sense if all it did was effectively download stuff from CPC to addon then seems no point using the CPC, but if the main game code is running on the CPC then that sounds interesting to effectively have an upgraded graphics capability.

[VincentGR]

It is a SNES case here with the Z80 trying to catch up things but hey, this is the best news I've ever heard for my cpc.

[ASiC]

It is a SNES case here with the Z80 trying to catch up things but hey, this is the best news I've ever heard for my cpc.

It's like using the internal gfx chip of the cpc. But instead, the data is routed to the vdp.

* ASiC is dreaming of a cpc with dual monitor support 

Also, ports from msx might be possible...?

[Edoz(MSX)]

Hi! I received some news from technobytes about he v9990 video chip. Some months ago i send them a complete CPC for testing.
Currently they are working hard to make a prototype for the CPC. It is still in development, but here some pictures, from the prototype board!
The developed board is plugged in on the MotherX4, and some first communication with the hardware is possible So good news!

[GUNHED]

Oh, an interesting project. So this is an external GFX card for the CPC? What are the advantages? Isn't it quite slow to send all GFX data to the card via OUT commands instead to write into V-RAM?

[keith56]

Oh, an interesting project. So this is an external GFX card for the CPC? What are the advantages? Isn't it quite slow to send all GFX data to the card via OUT commands instead to write into V-RAM?

From my limited MSX2 coding...
Yes,just writing data to the GPU is slower, but even in bitmap mode it allows you to copy all your 'sprite' data to spare gpu ram before the game loop, then send commands like 'copy this memory to this position' and it's effectively like multithreading, the GPU just gets on with it, and you can do other stuff.

I believe the 9990 has some pretty decent tiling and sprite code too, so it will be more like coding a console than the bitmapped system we're used to.

As the MSX2 has the same sound chip and 64k base ram like the CPC, this should encourage ports of the newer MSX games to the CPC... unfortunately, however, as the MSX3 that this was intended for was never completed, it's my understanding that the 9990 is not backwards compatible with the MSX2/+ GPU... so it will not enable easy porting of MSX2 games...

please correct me if I'm wrong!

[zhulien]

nice, do you have an MSX to Mother X4 adapter?

[GUNHED]

That looks like the CPC will be the first MSX 3 then!?! @Keith56: Thank you for the information

[Bryce]

A nice idea and proof of concept, but as long as it's external it will never get even close to being useful. An internal solution that reads the same RAM as the 6845 is the only way it's going to be fast enough for gaming.

Bryce.

[Prodatron]

A nice idea and proof of concept, but as long as it's external it will never get even close to being useful. An internal solution that reads the same RAM as the 6845 is the only way it's going to be fast enough for gaming.

The VDP9990 is a dedicated graphic card which supports both bitmap and pattern mode (2 layers + sprites; paralax scrolling), games implemented with it will be much faster at a higher resolution and more colours. But that was already discussed and described in this thread some pages ago. Writing bitmap data from the CPU into the VRAM of the graphic card can be done at about the same speed, you define a rectangle and then just OUT all bytes to its port without the need to do a "next line" after x bytes. OUTI:INC B is 1 nop slower than LDI, but you don't have the "next line" thing. But escpecial in games you will hardly copy bitmap data to the VRAM anyway during the normal gameplay, as you have 512KB of dedicated video ram. Moving/copying stuff inside the 9990 video ram is unbelieveable fast and doesn't require any relevant Z80 time anyway.