From: Oliver Achten (achten_at_gmx.de)
Date: 2003-08-19 20:17:33
Hi Todd!
> Try for a simple and compatible design. I mean, you're talking about
> replacing the DRAM's with faster SRAM's. MagerValp just pointed out that
> you'd have to physically replace the PLA with a new one that will redirect
> the VIC chip to the faster SRAM. And what's all this talk about 8 virtual
> C64's? Just try to design a cartridge unit that has a 65816 running from
> 8-20 MHz, 4-16Mb of RAM, some fast SRAM for the local RAM and ROM's,
> rudimentary mirroring, etc.
Actually making a cartridge is harder because the cartridge port has not all
neccesary control lines to simply integrate a faster CPU into the system.
Thats why the SuperCPU uses complex caching techniques for itīs on board ram
access. I have currently no possibilities to design such a complex device. And
the VIC doesnt need to be directed to the SRAM via the PLA, because the
circuit implements emulation of the DRAM circuit. And those 8 C64s are actually
really easy to implement (just connect the address lines to the ram and the
rom, and you have it, thanks to the banking scheme of the 65816).
> > Whoa, never thought recieving so much response for this project...
> >
> People would love to have an accellerator for their c64 hobbyist
> endeavors,
> but don't want to spend the $$$ for the SuperCPU. I suspect there'd be a
> lot
> of interest for that reason alone. Unfortunately, it sounds like a simple
> design really isn't feasible and that the resulting product will just be
> as
> expensive as a SuperCPU.
My design is definatively cheaper, but thatīs no big surprise because my
board will be wire wrapped by hand, and doesnt have expensive logic chips.
Without considering the 65816 it will cost less than $60.
But as i said, itīs not intended to be a mass-product, since it requires
opening the machine and modifying the mainboard a little bit.
> I did like Nicholas Coplin's c64 accellerator ideas; He talked about using
> a
> Pentium-class computer running a 6502 (65816?) clone via software based
> emulation and piping the input/output streams to the c64. Conceivably, the
> faster the Pentium computer is, the faster the accellerator could run,
> etc.
Technically seen, its really fascinating, but ideologically seen, i donīt
like the idea needing a second computer to turn on my C64...
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