COSMAC VIP

<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>

Notes

<ul><li>The December 1978 <a href="/facts/BYTE_magazine/xWovF95Q">BYTE magazine</a> featured an article on CHIP-8 ("An Easy Programming System") as well as an advertisement for the VIP system.</li>
<li>The May 1977 <a href="/facts/Dr._Dobb%2527s_Journal/6Qov1hUK">Dr. Dobb's Journal</a> reprinted an article by Joseph Weisbecker ("A Practical, Low-cost, Home/School Microprocessor System") describing the design philosophies and economies that went into designing the VIP—which was at the time called FRED ("Flexible Recreational and Educational Device"). That article originally appeared in the August 1974 <a href="/facts/IEEE/UddC4pUW">IEEE</a> "Computer" magazine.</li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033309/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/doc.asp?c=543">old-computers.com article: Cosmac VIP</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.vintagecomputermusic.com/">Recordings of Cosmac VIP playing music</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.today/20130209173133/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rcacosmac">RCA COSMAC Yahoo! Group</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.revival-studios.com">Revival Studios</a> Developer of new Chip-8/SuperChip/MegaChip8 games.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.emma02.hobby-site.com/">Emma 02</a> including Cosmac VIP Emulator</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>The clock speed of many early microcomputers was derived from the base NTSC colorburst frequency of 3.5795 MHz (315M/88), using a common TV crystal at that frequency or a simple multiple, obtaining e.g. the 1.79 MHz used in many 6502-based machines, reducing costs and simplifying production of colour graphics. The VIP is somewhat unique in not using a standard NTSC crystal, but a slight deviation to 1.76064 MHz, in order to match the even simpler-than-usual timing of the extremely cheap, but also extremely rudimentary "Pixie" video generator chip with the TV signal (as per its contemporaries, a single synchronised clock ran the entire system). It also, for reasons best known to the COSMAC designers, prefers a strict adherence to the 60.00 Hz field timing of interlaced, monochrome 525-line televisions and monitors, even though the system's progressive frame-scan thus enforced a line rate of 15.72 kHz, somewhat lower than both the monochrome and color TV standards. Possibly they mistook the nominal rates of the standard as being maxima - a mistake exposed by most other early computers producing eminently TV-compatible signals of approximately, and often somewhat higher than the nominal color 59.94 Hz and 15.734 kHz, using standard NTSC crystals and not much more complex circuitry. <a href="/wiki/NTSC" target="_blank">/wiki/NTSC</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Edwards, Benj (2017-10-27). "Rediscovering History's Lost First Female Video Game Designer". Fast Company. Retrieved 2017-10-27. <a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/90147592/rediscovering-historys-lost-first-female-video-game-designer" target="_blank">https://www.fastcodesign.com/90147592/rediscovering-historys-lost-first-female-video-game-designer</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Dolce, Larry (April 1980). "RCA's VIP Tiny BASIC". Kilobaud. p. 111. Retrieved 23 June 2014. <a href="https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1980-04/Kilobaud_Microcomputing_1980_April#page/n111/mode/2up" target="_blank">https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1980-04/Kilobaud_Microcomputing_1980_April#page/n111/mode/2up</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

COSMAC VIP open-in-new

COSMAC VIP