μP TV games

Chips`, in the electronic sense, used to be transistors. Then came the Integrated Circuit, quickly fol-lowed by `MSI ICs` (Medium Scale Integration Integrated Circuits) -quad opamps, for instance. Inevi-tably, these were followed by `LSI I Cs` ( Large Scale Integration): complete alarm clocks, TV games and microprocessors. It`s amazing how much circuitry manufacturers can squeeze onto a `chip` now-adays! However, microprocessors have posed an unexpected problem. We`ve got them, but very few ama-teur electronics enthusiasts seem to know what to do with them! The best approach would appear to be to simply use them as `com-plicated integrated circuits`, build something interesting around them, and quickly proceed to forget what particular component makes the unit tick. That particular approach is what we have in mind with the circuit described here. Once com-pleted, ·it is a box with a keyboard and joystick controls; after play-ing some `space sounds` off a tape or disc into it, it becomes a sophis-ticated TV games machine -with full colour, all sorts of `object shapes`, score-on-screen and sound. At a later date, it should also create an irresistible urge to `program` ones own games. This will prove to be relatively easy: the unit just happens to contain what microprocessor `freaks` call `comfortable monitor software` .....