[stella] The Atari 2600 Puma, where did you get those skills?

Subject: [stella] The Atari 2600 Puma, where did you get those skills?
From: "Kennehan, Richard" <Richard_Kennehan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 11:55:49 -0600
> Just thought everyone would like to see my latest hardware Atari 2600
> developments. :-)
>
> http://tripoint.org/kevtris/Projects/puma/puma.html

This is very impressive.  How did you learn how to do this?  Do you have a
background in Electrical Engineering?  

I would LOVE to be able to do something like this, but my main problem is:
How do you know when to use a capacitor, and how do you know what size to
use?  How do you estimate how much voltage and current you will need?
Doesn't cutting out the excess 2600 parts in your "Puma" design alter the
voltage, line noise, and timing requirements, and how do you take that into
consideration?

For example...on your web page, you had a great schematic of the audio
output from a NES.  It seems they are reducing the output voltage, inverting
it, and then amplifying it again...with occasional grounding connections and
a seemingly random sprinkling of capacitors.  Why go through all this...why
not just sprinkle a couple of caps to filter out line noise and then tie it
directly to the audio jack?

How do you learn all of the "analog glue" that holds the digital design
together?

Another interesting tidbit is that on your Bankzilla page, you mention that
it would cost $100,000 in order to have a custom-made plastic case designed
and built.  Where did you get that info from?  I have been kicking around
the idea of trying to melt some old plastic and re-forming it...but I hear
that melted plastic gives off hazardous fumes...or is it burning plastic?

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