RE: Announcing the Vector World's First Fully Functional CCPU on an FPGA

Outstanding!

The timing is excellent, I was just about to put my spare Cine B&W up for
sale. Now there may be a Cine multi game in my future!

From: Mark Shostak [mailto:shostakmark@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 3:59 PM
To: vectorlist@vectorlist.org
Subject: VECTOR: Announcing the Vector World's First Fully Functional CCPU
on an FPGA

This was posted on the Cinelabs web site, and I wanted to share it with the
list...

-Mark

---
 
Cinelabs is pleased to announce the first fully working CCPU implemented on
a single chip FPGA. We have designed the new IRM in a custom IP Core. The
design includes all of the original CCPU functionality, plus many
enhancements.
 
Cinelabs has been repairing CCPU boards for people the world over, for more
than 10 years and has observed mounting issues with keeping original CCPU
boards in working order. Their components are now over 30 years old and are
failing much more frequently than even just 10 years ago. Compounding this
is the increasing rarity and rising cost of, certain components such as
bipolar PROMS and obscure static RAM.
 
With Cinelabs' advancement, collectors will no longer have to worry about
trying to keep their old boards running, as there will be a reliable
replacement available, based on modern, obtainable components. 
 
When incorporated into our new CCPU replacement board, the following
features will be available:
 
* Drop-in Replacement for All Cinematronics and Vectorbeam CPU Boards
* Cycle for Cycle Accurate (Not an emulation)
* New Conventional Analog XY Monitor Interface (with daughter board)
* Expanded RAM for QB-3
* Integrated Color Board Support
* Single EPROM Operation
* "Naked CCPU" (all registers displayed on LEDs)
* Jumper Selectable Core Configuration (JMI, Instruction PROM Revision,
etc.)
* Driver ICs in DIP Packages for Easy Repair
 
Additionally, there are many more features that will be incorporated into
later revisions, such as Multi-Game support, High-Score Save, a Dynamically
Re-Mappable Control Panel and Dual Z-80 Co-Processor configurations for
games such as Rocket Racer and Demon. Also Game Networking, 10 MHz "Turbo"
Operation, Early Frame Timeout Detection, Multi-Sound support, Monitor Input
Protection, a full Hardware Test Channel, and more.
 
The system (a.k.a. IRM) is presently running on a hand-made prototype (see
picture), and a formal PCB is currently being made.
 
[IMAGE DELETED FOR VECTORLIST POSTING; click here to view
<http://www.cinelabs.com/IRM/proto1.jpeg> ]
 
For more information and status updates, visit us at
http://www.cinelabs.com/IRM
 
Cinelabs is dedicated to vector graphics style, coin-operated video arcade
machines. We are primarily focused on the line of arcade machines based on a
design by Larry Rosenthal, and later manufactured by Cinematronics, Inc.
Although we have no affiliation with either Larry Rosenthal or
Cinematronics, Cinelabs is committed to preserving their work, enhancing it
as time permits, and assisting collectors in repairing and preserving their
own collection of Cinematronics and Vectorbeam machines.
 
Thank You,
Mark Shostak
 
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