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Gate Array

344 bytes added, Yesterday at 22:07
/* External links */
[[File:Amstrad 40007 Gate Array.png|right|thumb|Amstrad 40007 Gate Array]]
[[File:Amstrad 40010 Gate Array.png|right|thumb|Amstrad 40010 Gate Array]]
 
Also designated as Video Gate Array (VGA, not to be confused with the IBM PC compatible graphic card spec).
*If the interrupts were authorized at the time of the request, then bit5 of R52 is cleared (but R52 was reset to 0 anyway) and the interrupt takes place
*If interrupts are not authorized, then the R52 counter continues to increment and the interrupt remains armed (the Gate Array then maintains its INT signal). When interrupts are enabled (using the EI instruction), bit5 of R52 is cleared and the interrupt takes place. This happens only '''after the instruction that follows EI''' as this Z80 instruction has a 1-instruction delay.
 
[https://shaker.logonsystem.eu/ACCC1.8-EN.pdf Source]
Note: On Amstrad Plus, the interrupt management system is seriously beefed up. See the [[ASIC]] wiki page.
On a CPC monitor, the CSYNC is rendered in "absolute black". It is darker than the palette colour black output by the Gate Array. The electron beam is basically turned off. Turning up the brightness level won't make it any brighter.
[https://shaker.logonsystem.eu/ACCC1.8-EN.pdf Source]
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=== Green Screen Colours ===
On a green screen, where all colours are shades of unsaturated green, the firmware colours (in BASIC colours) are in order of increasing intensity. Black is darkest green, bright white is brightest green, and firmware colour 13 is a medium green. The luminance (Y) is not exactly correlated to the actual luminance of colour images broadcast in RGB. We have other values.
The luminance (Y) is not exactly correlated to the actual luminance of colour images broadcast in RGB. Amstrad preferred to propose a completely different image system, not comparable to a conversion to monochrome, which would have limited the number of brightness levels to 21 (for example, colours 9 and 6 would have had the same luminance).
They opted for a table of 27 linear brightness steps. They assigned values of 1 (1kΩ) for blue, 3 (3.3kΩ) for red, and 9 (10kΩ) for green.
== External links ==
*[https://bread80.com/2021/06/03/understanding-the-amstrad-cpc-video-ram-and-gate-array-subsystem/ Electronic signals analysis of the Gate Array by Bread80]
* [https://shaker.logonsystem.eu/ACCC1.8-EN.pdf Gate Array documentation in Amstrad CRTC Compendium]
* [https://www.grimware.org/doku.php/documentations/devices/gatearray Gate Array documentation from Grimware]
* [http://quasar.cpcscene.net/doku.php?id=assem:gate_array Quasar Gate Array documentation (in french)]
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