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Post by mountaingoat on Sept 4, 2015 18:07:14 GMT -5
I am looking at the Vectrex schematics. For example here: console5.com/techwiki/images/c/cb/Vectrex---Logic-Board.pngIt looks like that the buttons for both joysticks are connected to the IO port of the sound chip. Could we communicate OUT (as opposed to just IN) through the 2nd joystick port? I am thinking we could write some simple serial protocol and use a Pi or an Arduino and convert that to something higher level. We could network our boxes and create games you could play on the Internet even. If I am reading the AY-3-8192 description right - for example here: www.playvectrex.com/designit/chrissalo/psg1.htmWe could just set the Enable register (7) to output for Port A, write something to the highest 4 bits of register 14 (data for Port A), intercept these bits on a microcontroller and do whatever we would want with it. Similarly the microcontroller could send the responses back. For the right controller (lower 4 bits) we would set things back to normal (input) so that the BIOS routines can still get us the button status. Someone must have tried something like this before. What do you guys think? |
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Post by Mayhem on Sept 4, 2015 18:40:03 GMT -5
Yes, it's possible. Go look up the planned Berzerk Arena that Alex Herbert was working on  |
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Post by mikiex on Sept 5, 2015 15:33:30 GMT -5
Also look at the VecVox, that uses the joystick port for serial. Others have connected stuff via the cartridge port also. I had a plan to try and connect a dev board using a esp8266 to the joystick and hook the Vectrex up to the internet, but really this is beyond my skills at the moment.
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Post by kokovec on Sept 5, 2015 15:48:28 GMT -5
Yep, it's how the Vectrex talks to my 3D accelerator adapter
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Post by hcmffm on Sept 5, 2015 17:45:42 GMT -5
A game with two linked Vectrexes would be very cool. The only thing is that the potential "audience" for such a game is limited due to the lack of a second Vectrex. But I guess that doesn't matter too much unless you want to earn your living with your development but that's impossible with Retro game development, anyway.
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Post by gliptitude on Sept 5, 2015 18:00:20 GMT -5
A game with two linked Vectrexes would be very cool. The only thing is that the potential "audience" for such a game is limited due to the lack of a second Vectrex. But I guess that doesn't matter too much unless you want to earn your living with your development but that's impossible with Retro game development, anyway. I agree linking two Vectrexes would be sweet. .. Maybe it wouldn't be such a tall order if there was a function that just made one Vectrex a slave to another, only providing a second monitor with an identical and synchronized vector display, both controllers plugged into the master Vectrex. Then there would be an existing selection of compatible two player games. .. It would be even better though if there were new games that could display two different things on the two Vectrexes. Even a single player game that used multiple displays! |
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Post by mountaingoat on Sept 6, 2015 12:07:22 GMT -5
Duh, I can't believe I have not though about the VecVox. That has to take output from the Vectrex.
Will definitely look into the suggestions.
For linking the Vectrexes I do acknowledge that there are very few people with multiple systems. That's why I was thinking about making it a Vectrex / IP bridge so with some sort of a proxy we could play truly online against one another. Not just in the same room with a cable between two boxes.
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Post by mikiex on Sept 6, 2015 12:33:43 GMT -5
Duh, I can't believe I have not though about the VecVox. That has to take output from the Vectrex. Will definitely look into the suggestions. For linking the Vectrexes I do acknowledge that there are very few people with multiple systems. That's why I was thinking about making it a Vectrex / IP bridge so with some sort of a proxy we could play truly online against one another. Not just in the same room with a cable between two boxes. ---------- -------------------------------------------------------------- There is some source code examples for the VecVox floating around, it uses a basic serial protocol I think. It would be cool to do multiplayer over the internet.... that would be a great achievement to link two Vectrexs over 1000s of miles. I wanted to get some text from the internet such as twitter or something, the lack of RAM in the vectrex limits what you can put onto it in this way, so no pictures unless you can fit them into around 1kb....? |
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Post by vectrexmad on Sept 6, 2015 15:22:59 GMT -5
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Post by kokovec on Sept 6, 2015 18:38:00 GMT -5
At one point at made an adapter that allowed up to 4 Vectri to play over the internet.
It doesn't take much bandwidth but the Vectrex had to devote allot of cycles to digest the data and do something with it.
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Post by christophertumber on Sept 8, 2015 9:49:58 GMT -5
FWIW, I had a duel-Vectrex version of UTG WIP up and running using Alex's VecLink. It was demoed ages ago at that Invisible Cinema release party for Space Instigators. If you can track down the VecLink specifics it should be a big help to you.
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Post by hcmffm on Sept 8, 2015 13:31:24 GMT -5
FWIW, I had a duel-Vectrex version of UTG WIP up and running using Alex's VecLink. It was demoed ages ago at that Invisible Cinema release party for Space Instigators. If you can track down the VecLink specifics it should be a big help to you. Sounds interesting and promising to me. What's the UTG game about? What does UTG stand for? Any chance to get a binary publicibly of the available, Christopher? Or even a finished game at some stage? |
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Post by 50tbrd on Sept 8, 2015 14:42:19 GMT -5
I'd settle for a video of UTG using the VecLink.
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Post by christophertumber on Sept 8, 2015 14:55:34 GMT -5
Sounds interesting and promising to me. What's the UTG game about? What does UTG stand for? Any chance to get a binary publicibly of the available, Christopher? Or even a finished game at some stage? UTG = Untitled Tank Game. It was an attempt at a Battlezone clone. It'd dead in the water though - Onscreen objects are precalculated vector lists. Which makes for quick and smooth screen rendering. But it makes edge of screen clipping basically impossible (something I did not forsee at the time). Would require a true 3D engine which I've always something I've wanted to take a run at but... With another Battlezone clone in the works if I did do a 3D engine it would probably be an original concept rather than a clone. I'm sure Google will find whatever the last binary was I made available. Oh and this: atariage.com/forums/topic/14837-atari-2600-vectrex-video-game-release-party-in-ottawa/ |
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Post by christophertumber on Sept 8, 2015 14:56:43 GMT -5
I'd settle for a video of UTG using the VecLink. Frankly, I'm not sure if I can find the cable I hacked together back then nor Alex's schematics. |
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