VideoNuLA boards

[RobC]

I've made another batch of VideoNuLA boards. For anyone who has not heard of it yet, it replaces the original video ULA IC in the Beeb, Master, B+ or Compact to improve the graphics capabilities. It provides an analogue palette of 4096 colours, gives 16 proper colours in modes 2, adds new attribute modes and hardware support for smooth horizontal scrolling.

The development thread (including manual and support disk image) can be found here:
http://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12150&start=420#p176865

Some demos (courtesy of simonm) showing off its capabilities can be seen here:
http://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13545#p177181

The price is £52.50 including UK P&P. Overseas posting is usually £5 or so more. The package includes the board, fly lead, support ROM and 28-pin socket.

PM me or leave a reply in this thread if you are interested in buying some. I'll make another batch if there's enough demand

Cheers,

Rob

[aotta]

I'd like one! i can't PM you (it seems i've not enough posts to use private message )
I need shipping to Italy, hoping the cost will be around 5 pounds... please write you to me by PM for confirming availability, costs and payments mode
Thank you and again my compliments for your project!

[RobC]

please write you to me by PM

PM sent.

[benj]

I'm definitely interested in one if you do another batch Rob.

Ben.

[RobC]

I still have some left (all boxed up and ready to ship). I'll PM you.

[RobC]

I've made another small batch of VideoNuLA boards and have 5 available if anyone is interested.

If not, I may put them up on eBay over the weekend.

Cheers,

Rob

[1024MAK]

Hi Rob

If you have some VideoNuLA boards left, and don't have any new first time customers interested, then I would like another one please.

Mark

[RobC]

Thanks - posted this morning

[danielj]

Rob, are you happy for me to point the Facebook group at this thread?

d.

[RobC]

Rob, are you happy for me to point the Facebook group at this thread?

Yes - sure. I'm not on Facebook though so can't reply to questions etc.

[danielj]

That's fine, they'll invariably register and ask here

[RobC]

Cheers

[atcurtis]

I'm definitely interested in a board for my BBC Master. It'll need intl shipping to the USA.

[RobC]

I'm definitely interested in a board for my BBC Master. It'll need intl shipping to the USA.

PM sent.

[PitfallJones]

Hi,

I just installed my one

Worked perfectly first time (and the Retrocentre amazing didn't get in the way so the lid came back down OK)

The first time I powered it up I got a blank screen and panicked until I realized the Scart cable was still unattached - ha! ha!

I was very lucky to have an issue 7 board with the original video chip socketted with a heat sink on top - it came out very easily in fact (easier than some ROMs I've tried to pull out in the past).

Being hardware challenged I found the instructions not explicit enough but found a layout of the motherboard with the chips numbered on 8BS:

http://www.8bs.com/inbbc.htm

The found the Instructions and photo in the pdf confusing as they didn't show the address line attachment to IC3 clearly (In fact the picture in the pdf showed what looked like a small chip - but in fact it was one of the largest - and you could have named it as the 6522 for confirmation...)
Anyway I wired it all up and held my breath and then plugged it in and power it up - and it worked!

Looks fantastic!

Here's some photos:

Original chip:

Old chip Removed:

New board installed (with Datacentre on roof):

Result!

PJ

[Arcadian]

Hi Rob, could I take one please? (assuming there are still some left!)

[RobC]

Still have a couple left - I'll PM you.

[Arcadian]

Thanks. Can I take em both?

[RobC]

Yes - PM sent.

I've have still kept some back for those who expressed an interest earlier but have yet to respond to my PMs. So, if you contacted me previously and are still interested, please let me know.

Thanks,

Rob

[dwarfmage]

Hi Rob. If you make any more up, I'd be interested in a couple of them. Cheers

[RobC]

Hi Rob. If you make any more up, I'd be interested in a couple of them. Cheers

PM sent.

[bakoulis]

Hi Rob
I like your new hardware, but I prefer a portable (external) VNuLA for use for all of my BBCs.
I use already portable Matchbox Co and DataCentre for all of my BBCs and I can exchange the hardware between them.
I don't know if will be possible a portable version to the future.

[RobC]

I like your new hardware, but I prefer a portable (external) VNuLA for use for all of my BBCs.

The same board works in all of the models (B, B+, Master & Compact) and I often swap the boards between machines when I'm testing them.

It's also possible that it'll work on the end of a ribbon cable - I keep meaning to try this out but haven't got around to making up the cable yet.

Unfortunately though, there isn't an existing socket on the Beeb that it could plug into as the required signals aren't brought out to any of the existing connectors. So, even if it does work, it would mean having a ribbon cable running from inside the machine to the outside world (a bit like the Master AIV SCSI cable).

If you wanted to swap the board between machines, you'd need a ribbon cable coming out of each machine or would be opening them up to swap the cable over (in which case you might as well just swap the board over).

[bakoulis]

Because of lack suitable port, the ribbon cable from ULA to outside of BBC is somehow a solution.
But with the rest modification at BBC, I am afraid this will can't works if the VNuLA isn't attached.

[RobC]

If the ribbon cable approach were to work, I guess you could always plug the old ULA in while the VideoNuLA is being used by another machine.

However, you'd want it to be a robust solution if the ULAs were being changed regularly.

(I'm in the fortunate position of having a VideoNuLA fitted in each of the machines I use regularly so have tended to leave them in place.)

[1024MAK]

ZIF (zero insertion force) socket?


Mark

[RobC]

Yes - that's what I was thinking about.

Something built around a PCB mounted ZIF socket and a 28-way ribbon cable. Although I guess there comes a point where another NULA is more cost effective!

I'll have a look at building a ribbon cable to see if it works when mounted away from the motherboard.

[crj]

Looks like the overhang would interfere with the ZIF lever?

[danielj]

Given the price for a 28pin one of these, I think you're best off just getting some more NuLAs.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172803690952

d.

[RobC]

Looks like the overhang would interfere with the ZIF lever?

Not ideal but it might be okay if used upside down - I'll try to dig out a ZIF socket to try it later.

Given the price for a 28pin one of these, I think you're best off just getting some more NuLAs.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172803690952

Wow! I have a couple of those that I bought years ago but I don't remember paying anything like that for them