Re: [stella] my "pot" runneth over

Subject: Re: [stella] my "pot" runneth over
From: emooney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Erik Mooney)
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 03:26:18 GMT
>a few more questions about the 2600...
>
>1. does anyone know how many machine cycles
>or scanlines it would take for the capacitors
>for input ports 0-3 to be recharged based on
>if the paddle was turned all the way clockwise
>or counter-clockwise?  in other words, if i read
>INPT# every scanline, and hypothetically, i had
>a paddle turned all the way clockwise, how long
>would it take in machine cycles for bit 7 to be
>set 1?

All the way counterclockwise should be very low resistance and therefore
the capacitors would recharge immediately.  All the way clockwise, it's
actually quite long.  I tested this a while back, don't remember the exact
number but it was on the order of 1.5 frames (400-something scanlines.)

>2. if you had to write a routine that took a lot
>of space in bytes, but total execution time fit
>within one scanline (branches taken or not) and
>could read the positions of two missiles and a ball
>while reading two paddles and reinitializing, would
>it be worth the extra bytes?

Definitely.  It's almost always worth extra bytes to get more screen
action going on the 2600.

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