Oric ATMOS 48K

[Baggey]

Hi,

Does anyone have a similair interest or fond Memories of the Oric Atmos 48k?

When ive finished my Zx Emulator "BlitzMax". Im thinking of starting to write an Emulator for the Oric Atmos moving onto the C64.
The main reason is to venture into the 6502 world. Im intersted into wether other people would be interested in doing this also?

Im thinking of trying the Oric first as it seems closest to the ZX Spectrum which im familiar with. But the C64 has one of my favourite retro chip's the SID. So once ive done the Oric. I'll Move onto the C64 which will then be eaisier i think 

Emulator's take a long time to write from scratch! So id be interested in hooking up with people with a similair interest. If there are any    interested in writing an Emulator for one of the following preferably the ATMOS first.

This project could be upto 6 month's off from start of post. But the main things that need to be re-searched are :-

1 : Memory map
2 : 6502 Instruction's. UN-DOCUMENTED are a must!
3 : Video resoloution and it's modes
4 : Ay sound chip

Main critia is any code must be written in BlitzMax 1.5 ONLY! NO ADDITION'S OR FRILL's
Preferably written in Functions

So im, interested in thought's Idea's and usefull Link's I think no more than 5 people as it get's complicated to co-ordinate! It's a great way of learning to code and at a basic level to learn how to code in 6502.

It might only be me LOL's 

Kind Regards Baggey

[Dabz]

Seen them, but never used one... Having a scan though the manual, I spied a BASIC command called SCRN(X,Y), suffice to say, I think that would of been one heavily used command for BASIC games!

Makes me want to buy one to try it! lol

Dabz

[Baggey]

Seen them, but never used one... Having a scan though the manual, I spied a BASIC command called SCRN(X,Y), suffice to say, I think that would of been one heavily used command for BASIC games!

Makes me want to buy one to try it! lol

Dabz

Ive got two needed a ULA for one and a 6502 input output chip for the other. Ive got the manual as well 

[Baggey]

Im Looking at Z80 Code and then Looking at 6502 Code and i cant't begin to fathum what the F**K 6502 engineerer's were thinking! And why it was introduced and written in the way it is!

In the 60's and 70's there were a lot of "psychedelic drugs"  I think the people who wrote the manual for the 6502 were on them! BIG TIME

The first quest to write a 6502 emulator is to Keep It Stupid Simple! And rewrite the 6502 index so it's understandable WTF!  No wonder the 6502 lost out to the Z80.

An Americain phrase i like is the KISS rule!

Kind Regards Baggey

[Dabz]

Youve got me eyeing them up on eBay now! lol

Dabz

[Baggey]

I keep looking for a SAM Coupe But there stupid money!

Kind Regards Baggey

[Pingus]

My first published game was a Oric Atmos game.
Yes, I'm *that* old... and still spending most of my days behind a screen. That's more addictive than psychedelics used in the 60's 
But I don't remember anything about the 6502 althougth I wrote pages and pages of assembler (in that time coding was on paper first).

[peteswansen]

I've got a VZ-200 with the 16K Ram pack....it works well, this version was kinda like a Sam Coupe but for US market..

[Steve Elliott]

Did you purchase Dabz? I bought a ZX Spectrum, a Commodore 64 and a BBC B Micro from that Ebay place lol.

[dawlane]

I've got a VZ-200 with the 16K Ram pack....it works well, this version was kinda like a Sam Coupe but for US market..

Wasn't the VZ-200 produced by  by Dick Smith's and an Australian clone of the VTech-200?

Well I've got an Oric-1 and two Atmos in the collection, as well as a Sam Coupe, all in original boxes.
The first time I saw an Oric-1 was in Dixion's around 83, running Manic Miner (I think but that could have been on the Atmos) and the Atmos a few years later.
If anyone is thinking of buying one of these machines (or any old computer).
Make sure that you know how to use a multi-meter and have some idea of how to test for faults before even connecting the power supply. The last thing you want is to spend a few 100 quid to only fry the thing because of a faulty capacitor (which should be one of the first things to replace along with any voltage regulator).

[Steve Elliott]

...how to test for faults before even connecting the power supply. The last thing you want is to spend a few 100 quid to only fry the thing.

Or buy modern alternative power supplies.

[dawlane]

Or buy modern alternative power supplies.

It would still fry it if you've not checked out the computer first. A lot of old PSU's produced unregulated voltage and a lot of the power circuitry was on the computer. Any component failure in that circuitry will destroy the hard to source components. And these are getting rarer, more expensive, with many fakes being peddled. You can get in most cases a modern replacement, but sometimes they're just not as good.

[Steve Elliott]

Just do your research first.  I would never trust an old power supply from the 80's.

[Dabz]

@Steve

No matey, was only looking, I say looking, probably teasing myself with the prospect!

I've been away for a week now, home today, so... Probably rinse and repeat! hehehe

Dabz

[Baggey]

Ive got 2 oric Atmos's. I Re-capped both of them.

One needed a new ULA. Bought from Bulgaria. And the other i think was a new parallel input output chip Bought from the same place. Which is next to the 6502 Cpu.

I think parts were no more than £20 quid ish. Both work like new.

Another thing i needed to do is some of the keys wern't working a good contact cleaner should do the trick as the ends Oxidise. Not sure about the Oric-1 thou as different keyboard.

Anyone got any desent info on the 6502 or links they've come accross. Were the instructions have been broken down like the Z80 is?

Kind Regards Baggey