----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Slocum <paul-stella@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Well, I'm getting away from Atari 2600 programming for a while and I'm
> having a hard time keeping up with the e-mails, so I'm going to
unsubscribe
> in the next few days. I do want to keep up with everyone's 2600 projects,
> but I'm always on Atariage and they tend to provides a lite version of
most
> Stella-list goings ons.
>
> And I will be doing the 2600 music projects I've discussed. I'm still
> doing some 2600 programming, but it has become secondary to my newer
projects.
>
> My new stuff still involves programming vintage systems, but I'm going
back
> to doing projects like the Synthcart but for other platforms. Right now
> I'm rewriting the firmware for an Epson LQ-500 (1989) dot matrix printer
to
> turn it into a musical instrument. It's a NEC 7810 processor which is
> *really* different from 6502. It has a huge instruction set and a ton of
> onboard stuff.
Wow, that's an interesting project. I guess you're looking to take advantage
of all the I/O on that chip. The 7800 series is very different from the 6500
series, the 78's are definitely "eighters" as opposed to the "sixers", as we
used to draw the lines in the bad old days. Note--the I/O instructions tend
to be relatively slow. I routinely used memory-mapping of I/O in my old
"eighter"-based designs to speed things up, I don't know how the I/O is
implemented in the LQ-500 (I still have one of the wide carriage versions of
that model kicking around. If I wasn't busy with the 2600 stuff now I'd bust
it open and take an o-scope to it.) Good luck!
> After this project, I'm going to be moving on to some C64
> work. I'll be posting some updates on my projects in the "Classic Gaming
> General" section of Atariage and documenting my progress on my website if
> anyone's interested.
I'd definitely be interested. I program my C-64's, Vic-20's and Plus-Fours
as well as (now) my Atari 2600. I'll be starting in on the old Atari 400
again once I get a mass storage device for it.
>
> This list has been so much help to me and I'm really glad it's here. I'll
> be back as soon as I get another 2600 project going!
>
> -Paul
> http://www.mindspring.com/~paul-slocum/
I bookmarked the page, and I'll keep an eye on AtariAge. I'll look forward
to what you have going.
-Mark G.
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