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New MCE2VGA firmware OSD
- Thread starter Retro Canada
- Start date
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
next time but it will be probably a progress bar
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
Done. Now you have a nice progress bar.
keropi
Experienced Member
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
Weird. But to be honest I don't have a CRT monitor to use as reference, so everything was played in the field of color theory
But looking at your screens it does not make much sense. Could it be the LCD monitor ? Do you have another one ? Older TVs accept VGA signals or you could have a wrong resistor or flipped resistor array that could be shortcutting some color bits.
Did you assembled it yourself ? Did you notice the longer resistors have pin 1 down and the shorter one up ?
https://9e352c4c-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites...E-O5UbERcI9QP72ZER9RaEymUljA==&attredirects=0
keropi
Experienced Member
Thanks for the reply, I am using a board from dreamblaster - he assembled it and with a visual inspection it looks fine - it's all smd as you'll see when you get yours.
I also tested a different EGA card and a different lcd monitor , still the same results. It almost seems to me that something is going on with the intensity pins?
I also tested a different EGA card and a different lcd monitor , still the same results. It almost seems to me that something is going on with the intensity pins?
ibmapc
Veteran Member
OK, cool. I loaded the new firmware. I like it, for the most part. I'd like to see a longer timeout on the display of the current parameter. Also a number value instead of or along with the progress bar would be nice. It's difficult to remember the position of the progress bar, making it hard to repeat results. I wish the adjustments could be saved so that when the power is turned off, it would remember its last settings. Maybe the firmware could be reprogrammed once one finds the ideal settings for a particular setup so that the device defaults to those settings.
Thanks Again
Greg
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
printing numbers would be much more complicated and I am not planning it soon...
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
Ah, that's not my hardware. I cannot respond for it. When I get one I can test it.
Do we have any testing app that show all 64 EGA colors on screen ? ALso the ability to change the pallete and see how each bit influences the color.
ibmapc
Veteran Member
OK, understood. What about my other suggestions?
1. I'd like to see a longer timeout on the display of the current parameter.
2. I wish the adjustments could be saved so that when the power is turned off, it would remember its last settings.
3. If number 2 is not feasible, Maybe the firmware could be reprogrammed once one finds the ideal settings for a particular setup so that the device defaults to those
settings. Could you give some pointers here. I'm not much of a programmer, but I think I could make the adjustments needed if pointed in the correct direction.
Best Regards,
Greg
Which USB blaster did you use to program ? As I recall the USB Blaster included in the kit will not work , right ?
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
2 is impossible. It would require some flash ram or eeprom chip added to the design.
For 1: in the Quartus II code there is a module callled ctrl_params.vhd there is a
peak: integer range 0 to 128*1024*1024 := 0;
make it to 256*1024*1024 in both lines (it sets the value after)
3: once you find the parameters you can edit the schematic.bdf for each CGA,EGA,MDA and HGC you can set the properties in the box that contains values for: c_phase, c_samples, c_top_border (vpos) and c_left_border (hpos). Again you change in the .BDF file (instance) not in the ctrl_params.vhd, the values there are there only for the time you instance it. Hpos and Vpos are reversed: 0 means all to the right/down and forward. Good luck and have fun. And a very fast multicore computer to compile the FPGA code...
ibmapc
Veteran Member
I'm a little confused here. I can only find one line in cntrl_params.vhd with the exact string "peak: integer range 0 to 128*1024*1024 := 0;"
you say to change "in both lines". Where is the other line?
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
it resets the peak value to 128*1024*1024 few lines below
Retro Canada
Experienced Member
the first line defines the range (or how many bits the variable will be) and the second actually sets it.
ibmapc
Veteran Member
I can't get Quartus to generate a new .jic file. It does generate a .soc file though. Is this a limitation of the "Lite" version? Or is there another step to perform after compiling.
pbirkel@gmail.com
Veteran Member
What are the characteristics of those "USB Blaster" that are evidently bad?
I won't be assembling my kit until the summer and I'd prefer to avoid surprises when I get there.
Mine looks very "plain vanilla", e.g., no helpful pin-out diagram printed on the cover -- like the one that you highlighted.
ibmapc
Veteran Member
The main characteristic is the size. The ones that don't seem to work completely, or not at all in my case, are very small (About the size of my thumb). The one that works for me is about the size of a pack of cigarettes and has the name ALTERA printed on it in bold letters. The most difficult thing for me was learning to use the Quartus software. It took forever to download and install. Then I spent two very late evenings to learn enough to update the firmware on my unit!!