Since I've got a non-running Farfalla here, been working overtime trying to get the MPU to boot I've been wondering about a reboot for Zacs. Homepin made an MPU a couple years back but it was mainly based on the original design. With applejuice (Jim) making the Bally 'reboot' boards, Janin and Ni-Wumpf doing the Gottlieb stuff, I'm wondering how possible it would be to design an MPU replacement for Zaccaria games. Any thoughts from the serious circuit designers?

While this is mostly Greek to me, I do understand that basically an FPGA can be coded to work like connected logic bits though with the ability to create custom designs. I doubt, given the rare usage of the 2650A, that a core code would exist for it though that would be great, I'd have no idea how to do it. Homepin did a version of the Gen 2 board, but don't offer it and apparently they weren't very easy, or affordable, to get running reliably.

Thinking on Pascal has done for Gottliebs, replacing the programming on a completely different cpu/processor core, seems like it might be the best idea, perhaps especially if the game cade was still left to eproms. I'd have zero idea where to begin as FPGAs aren't anywhere in my knowledge horizon. I know the US audience would be small but as these boards age and the games still look great because of Zac's clearcoating, it would be a shame to have a slew of unusable games because the control system was gone. If I had the knowledge and experience, I'd just design it myself. As it is, I can't figure out how to do a simple voltage regulator in Eagle so that's another holdup for me.

Very glad to see response here though and would like to keep the discussion going possibly leading to some real usable ideas. FPGAs could be a solution, but there might be others. It seems like it should be possible to use some other CPU to control the components in a zac game but that the rulesets might have to be written for that cpu since the 2650A worked seemingly much differently than say a 6800. Love to hear more ideas.

What would be the single biggest challenge to redesigning this? Would it be replacing the 2650A and programming aspects since the architecture is so different from Bally? Why didn't Zac just pull a Stern and this would have all been moot? Of course, then I probably wouldn't have a Zac sitting here because it would likely be working and still in someone else's collection.

Unfortunately David doesn't currently have any spare MPUs. Still working on figuring out mine. Might even be a dead CPU, though it does give signals occasionally. Finally pulled out the Tektronix 453 a friend gave me a couple years ago and started the first use/calibration steps with it. Time to learn how to use an o-scope, something I've always wanted to do. Got traces and several steps of calibration done last night. Felt like a kid in a candy store.

I've done lots of Bally board work now and I really appreciate the blinking diagnostic feature, simple but also very helpful.

I'm glad to see this thread still active and hoping something might actually come out of it - board wise. I would love to see an alternate MPU of course Farfalla might be the only Zac I ever find (though I hope to find a Robot).

Shucks I was hoping someone got this done and had boards ready to populate

PLEASE!!!

I did PM you immediately and it looks like others would like info on this so waiting patiently to hear back, the sooner the better

I'd love to start playing my Farfalla, so hit me up with info on how to get this PPoB

So got me all excited and PMd but never heard anything back... Still curious about this and would like to hear more.

Will this one work:
http://www.technologicalarts.ca/shop/store/details/602/35/microcontrollers/9s12/adapt9s12d/adapt9s12dg128sm0-with-serial-monitor,-min.-config..html

???

Sent you a PM berrisaj. Curious about how different your Farfalla rules are from the original but also thought perhaps you just put those rules in already.

Anxious to get it and try it out.

Hoping I'll get this by the weekend. Will post info on how it worked when I do.