Making a NEW ZX Spectrum ULA ???

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lezanderson
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 1:03 pm

Making a NEW ZX Spectrum ULA ???

Post by lezanderson »

Why Not Design & Make a ‘New’ ZX Spectrum Super ULA ??

I was recently discussing the pros-and-cons of making a ASIC (application specific Integrated Circuit) and being told that it is an expensive thing..costing around $200,000 , and a minimum production run of tens of thousands of units being needed. But not long after I saw another ZX Spectrum Crowd-funding Project..you know the type ! This one has reputedly raised more than £500,000 !! Then I thought , wouldn’t it be better to spend this sort of money on a new Super Spectrum ULA..with lots and lots of new features, rather than making yet another crowd-funded FGPA board ?? As £500,000 is significantly more than $200,000 it’s not like they haven’t got the Money !!

Super Spectrum ULA (PAL/NTSC/VGA output switchable)

Plane 0 (background plane )
ZX Spectrum Modes
plus:
512x192 4 Colours
256x192 16 Colours
512x192 (64x24 Colour Grid)
85x24 Colour Text Mode
64x24 Graphics/Text

Plane 1(Tile or Text/Graphics)
64x24 Text/Graphics
32x24 Text/Graphics
40x24 Text
85x24 Colour Text
128x48 Tile Mode (Tile 4x4)

Plane 2 (Sprite)
64 x (16x16) Multicoloured Sprites
8 x (32x32) Multicoloured Sprites

Plane 3
TMS9918 modes to give MSX and ColecoVision compatibility

AY-3-8910 & SN76489 Sound Chips built in
Joystick & PS/2 KBD Connectivity

Though this sounds like 'Dream-Land' and in many respects it is... the fact that so much money has been raised recently through Crown-funding for ZX spectrum Clones proves it could be done !
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Andy Rea
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Re: Making a NEW ZX Spectrum ULA ???

Post by Andy Rea »

And where would all these super duper things plug into a rubber key 48k spectrum with its super duper ula? Better keep the original with realistic add one, not some pipe dream, let the clones gibwhere the developer has more freedom and is not hard wired....
what's that Smell.... smells like fresh flux and solder fumes...
lezanderson
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 1:03 pm

Why not just design a New ZX spectrum ULA instead of .....

Post by lezanderson »

Why Not Design & Make a ‘New’ ZX Spectrum Super ULA ??

I was recently discussing the pros-and-cons of making a ASIC (application specific Integrated Circuit) and being told that it is an expensive thing..costing around $200,000 , and a minimum production run of tens of thousands of units being needed. But not long after I saw another ZX Spectrum Crowd-funding Project..you know the type ! This one has reputedly raised more than £500,000 !! Then I thought , wouldn’t it be better to spend this sort of money on a new Super Spectrum ULA..with lots and lots of new features, rather than making yet another crowd-funded FGPA board ?? As £500,000 is significantly more than $200,000 it’s not like they haven’t got the Money !!

Super Spectrum ULA (PAL/NTSC/VGA output switchable)

Plane 0 (background plane )
ZX Spectrum Modes
plus:
512x192 4 Colours
256x192 16 Colours
512x192 (64x24 Colour Grid)
85x24 Colour Text Mode
64x24 Graphics/Text

Plane 1(Tile or Text/Graphics)
64x24 Text/Graphics
32x24 Text/Graphics
40x24 Text
85x24 Colour Text
128x48 Tile Mode (Tile 4x4)

Plane 2 (Sprite)
64 x (16x16) Multicoloured Sprites
8 x (32x32) Multicoloured Sprites

Plane 3
TMS9918 modes to give MSX and ColecoVision compatibility

AY-3-8910 & SN76489 Sound Chips built in
Joystick & PS/2 KBD Connectivity

*************************************
Surely this has to be better than the recent FPGA type clones that we've seen , trying to exploit Old ZX Spectrum Nostalgia !!

Moderators note: this post is being reviewed and may be edited or deleted. Mark
Last edited by 1024MAK on Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Moderators note: this post is being reviewed and may be edited or deleted.
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