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PICO9918 PRO VDP v2.0

A drop-in replacement for a classic TMS9918A VDP using a Raspberry Pi Pico2.

both VGA out or hdmi out available. Please choose the output device you prefer and add to cart.

What is it?

The PICO9918 PRO is an open-source drop-in replacement for the classic TMS9918A VDP driving the displays of many 80's computers and consoles. It is powered by the mighty RP2350 microcontroller of Raspberry Pi Pico 2 fame.

It can be used to replace the TMS9918/TMS9918A/TMS9928A/TMS9929A/TMS9118 of these machines, providing crisp VGA (and now HDMI) output and enhanced features. The PICO9918 PRO doesn't require an external crystal or VRAM, so can also be used in cases where your video crystal, video RAM or display circuitry is bad.

Compatibility

So far, the original PICO9918 has been tested on the following systems:

• ColecoVision
  • Coleco ADAM
  • AtariBits CV-NUC+
  • Bit Dina 2 in one
• Memotech MTX500
• MSX
  • Casio MX-10
  • Casio PV-7
  • Casio PV-16
  • Gradiente Expert XP-800
  • National CF-2700
  • Sharp HB-8000
  • Sony HB-75
  • Toshiba HX-10
  • Toshiba HX-21
  • Yamaha CX5M
  • Yamaha YIS-503
• NABU Personal Computer
• Powertran Cortex
• Sega SG-1000 / SC-3000
• Sega SG-1000 II
• Sord M5
• Texas Instruments TI-99/4A
  • Texas Instruments TI-99/4QI
  • Dan Werner TI-99/22
• Tomy Pyūta / Tomy Tutor
• Tomy Pyūta Jr
• VTech CreatiVision / Dick Smith Wizzard

Homebrews:

• Troy Schrapel's HBC-56
• Stuart Connor's TM990
• John Winans' Z80-Retro

I expect this list to grow as more people try it out. I can't guarantee it will work on any system not listed above, however there is a fair chance it will.

If you test it on a device not listed, please let me know and I'll add it to the list. If it doesn't work, I'll start an unsupported devices list.

PICO9918 vs PICO9918 PRO

The new version v2.0 (PICO9918 PRO) is powered by the much newer RP2350 vs the PICO9918's RP2040, allowing for greater performance and more RAM. This is the default offering going forward. Fully compatible with existing FFC VGA and HDMI dongles. I'm advancing the platform to stay current and expand development potential, but the existing PICO9918 will still be fully supported in all future firmware updates for the foreseeable future.

New Digital A/V (HDMI) dongle

The new Digital A/V dongle is compatible with PICO9918 v1.2, V1.3 and the new PICO9918 PRO. It's a drop-in replacement for the VGA dongle. It includes an audio header to accept audio from your retro computer and will encode the audio and video signals into a HDMI compatible signal. Note: Some soldering required for audio

The Digital A/V dongle can be purchased separately but is discounted when bundled with a new PICO9918 PRO.

F18A compatibility

PICO9918 firmware version 1.0 introduced F18A compatibility including the enhanced display modes and TMS9900 GPU of the F18A. The video below was captured directly from the PICO9918 VGA output running various F18A demos on a TI-99/4A.

Homebrew

The PICO9918 PRO is also a great choice for homebrew builders who would like to add retro graphics output to their homebrew builds with minimal fuss since it requires no external componentry to function.

Open source

The hardware and firmware is completely open source, allowing you to make modifications and design your own VDP features... in C.

The full source code and firmware binaries is available on GitHub: https://github.com/visrealm/pico9918

What do you get?

• Fully assembled and tested PICO9918 PRO
• VGA or HDMI connector board
• 300mm FFC cable

Options and extras

• All PICO9918 PROs are shipped with a 300mm cable and VGA or HDMI dongle. Additional cables of varying lengths are available. For some machines, a shorter cable might be better suited.
• Additional VGA or HDMI dongles (with or without cables) are available if you would like a spare.
• IC Sockets can be supplied. Some machines do not require an IC socket because they were shipped from factory with the VDP in a socket. Examples being the TI-99/4A and NABU Personal Computer. Others were soldered to the main board (ColecoVision, Adam, Creativision) and require desoldering and a socket soldered in place of the VDP for easier future replacement. I offer both dual wipe and turned pin sockets - both work well.

No-cut VGA mods

I offer a no-cut mod for the TI-99/4A which replaces the A/V DIN socket with a custom PCB with VGA and dual RCA audio outputs.