VDP programmer guide

By PingPong

Prophet (4093)

Аватар пользователя PingPong

13-12-2008, 21:56

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=130508

at this link there is a reference to a texas instrument vdp programmer guide, by texas itself.

It's a newer document compared to the usual tms vdp datasheet, because:

1) do a mention of the mixed undocumented mode.
2) explain that with (1) only the first 8 sprites on screen could be used. if not they will duplicate.
3) about the multicolor mode the doc outline that is not supported in the phantomatic AVDP chip. (I guess will be a successor of VDP).

So, stops with undocumented or unsupported modes, basically texas instrument recognized this mode as legal, with some limitations.

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By PingPong

Prophet (4093)

Аватар пользователя PingPong

13-12-2008, 22:08

there is also a scanned ocr--ed-- .pdf. Useful to search text in

By ARTRAG

Enlighted (6923)

Аватар пользователя ARTRAG

13-12-2008, 23:18

GREAT DOCUMENT!!!!
THANKS!!!

By PingPong

Prophet (4093)

Аватар пользователя PingPong

14-12-2008, 00:42

OT: anyone knows that there were two expansion cards called SuperSprite or ArcadeBoard for apple that were based on tms vdp?

By ARTRAG

Enlighted (6923)

Аватар пользователя ARTRAG

14-12-2008, 11:03

By MäSäXi

Paragon (1884)

Аватар пользователя MäSäXi

15-12-2008, 11:40

Does anyone know, how much (or less) supersprite and arcade board sprite graphics and sound capabilities differ from MSX?

I read they have 35 sprites and AY3-8912 for sound. Don´t know how much 8912 differs from our 8910... was there more sprite features than "just" 3 more sprites?

Anyone knows did either supersprite or arcade board survive? I mean were there any commercial games made for them? It was a bad thing as they were incompatible, if you bought supersprite, your games may not run on arcade board and vice versa....

By PingPong

Prophet (4093)

Аватар пользователя PingPong

15-12-2008, 20:05

@MasaxiBig smileoes not differ at all the chip is the same. they say 35 planes because they count 32 sprite plane+foregroun image+backdrop color+external vdp plane.....

By PingPong

Prophet (4093)

Аватар пользователя PingPong

15-12-2008, 20:06

the 8912 differ from 8910 bacause on one general purpose port, that in msx is used for joystick. sound wise they are the same.

By MäSäXi

Paragon (1884)

Аватар пользователя MäSäXi

16-12-2008, 09:42

they say 35 planes because they count 32 sprite plane+foregroun image+backdrop color+external vdp plane.....

Oh, Apple humor... Tongue

Thanks PingPong! Smile

By MäSäXi

Paragon (1884)

Аватар пользователя MäSäXi

16-12-2008, 09:54

Hmmm.... that´s nice, "our" vdp was marketed as ARCADE like hardware and Apple owners surely loved it and some of them payed a lot to get it and we MSX´ers don´t like it even we get it for FREE with the price of MSX! Tongue

Sorry... Wink I still like "our" MSX-1 vdp. Smile even sometimes I still dare to wish a bit more... Wink And I know that it is not the same thing to compare early eighties things with 2008 8-bit freak things.... Wink

by the way, I never knew that Apple was soundwise that "bad"! So it was something like Spectrum, so both can play music only in static title or whatever screen. Or play music like it was done in Spectrum´s Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy. It is understandable thought as if Apples were marketed as business micros, there was no need to make it play sinfonies during business work. Wink