Programming the F18A: Tiles

In the first part of this series, we learned how to program the F18A using the AmpArcade library.  We looked at loading the library, initializing the video hardware, and changing the backdrop color.  While a good first step, that’s hardly interesting.  In this part, we program the tile layer.  The tile layer is versatile and …

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Programming the F18A: Getting Started

This is the first part of my tutorial on programming the F18A installed in an Apple II.  I cover installing the card and finding software.  Future parts will cover more interesting topics, such as the tile layer, sprites, and F18A-specific features. Throughout, I’ll use VDP (Video Display Processor) to refer to the original TMS9918A, F18A …

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AppleTi and F18A at KansasFest

Years ago, I outlined interfacing the F18A, a TMS9918A Video Display Processor (VDP) clone with VGA output, to the Apple II.  I never followed through, but somebody on the AtariAge forum recently completed a design and released a PCB.  The “AppleTi” board is a functional clone of the E-Z Color Graphics Interface.  The AppleTi board …

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Play-i

Play-i is an interesting start-up using robotics to teach programming concepts to children as young as 5 years old.  From the company’s marketing material, here’s the vision: “In starting Play-i, we set out to create the product we want our children to have. Our mission to make computer programming accessible for every child is bigger …

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High-Low Tech

One of the advantages of traveling is finding the “best of the best” and not being restricted to one city.  Of course, it’s never easy finding the best stuff and having it match my travel schedule.  Yesterday, I attended the “Drawing the Electric Synth with Sam Jacoby from MIT” class at SparkFun Electronics in Boulder, …

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Alan Kay on modern computers

David Greelish recently posted an interesting interview with Alan Kay, a visionary behind the modern graphical user interface.  Interestingly, Kay argues that modern computers fall far short of the original vision and potential. For all media, the original intent was “symmetric authoring and consuming”. So much of our culture is about consumption.  In some ways, …

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MicroKIM

The KIM-1 was an early single-board computer that helped introduce the “masses” to micro-computing with the MOS 6502 processor.  MOS built and distributed the KIM-1, presumably to help sell more microprocessors.  Briel Computing has recreated the KIM-1 with the MicroKIM.  I built a MicroKIM at KansasFest last summer.  The kit was a blast to build.  …

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