Difference between revisions of "Canadian NABU retro computer conversion to VGA out and 220V 50Hz"

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The problem in getting a NABU to work in the netherlands
 
The problem in getting a NABU to work in the netherlands
  
The NABU is a canadian system, and that means it is powered with 110 Volt 60 Hz, and has an NTSC composite video output, and neither of these two facts is ideal. Fans and me decided we would need to adapt the NABU for it to work, firstly we wanted to replace the NABU's power supply and FAN to a 220V compatible equivalent.
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The NABU is a canadian system, and that means it is powered with 110 Volt 60 Hz, and has an NTSC composite video output, and neither of these two facts is ideal. Frans and me decided we would need to adapt the NABU for it to work, firstly we wanted to replace the NABU's power supply and FAN to a 220V compatible equivalent.
  
The NUBU is a Z80 based system that uses a TMS9918A for video, and a AY-3-8910 PSG for sound, and so it has lots of similarities with the MSX computer standard, and several other early home computers and consoles. The fact the it uses a TMS9918A for the VDP means that just as MSX it could be converted to PAL (and RGB output) by replacing the TMS9918A with a TMS9929A that generated PAL and could also support RGB by using its Y, R-Y and B-Y luminance and color difference signals to convert to RGB signals.
+
The NUBU is a Z80 based system that uses a TMS9918A for video, and a AY-3-8910 PSG for sound, and so it has lots of similarities with the MSX computer standard, and several other early home computers and consoles.
 +
 
 +
The fact the it uses a TMS9918A for the VDP means that just as MSX it could be converted to PAL (and RGB output) by replacing the TMS9918A with a TMS9929A that generated PAL and could also support RGB by using its Y, R-Y and B-Y luminance and color difference signals to convert to RGB signals.

Revision as of 16:36, 19 March 2023

Project NABU conversion
350px
conversion to Euro version of the NABU PC
Status Initializing
Contact Mahjongg
Last Update 2023-03-19

The NABU Network (Natural Access to Bi-directional Utilities) was an early (1983) home computer system which was linked to a precursor of the World Wide Web, operating over cable TV. It operated from 1982 to 1985, primarily in Ottawa, Canada. Its functionality was then revolutionary, though it was not a commercial success. It has been called "The Internet — 10 years ahead of its time" (even though elements of the history of the internet predate it).

early 2023 an entrepreneur which had bought a stock of one thousand NABU systems after the company had gone bankrupt decided to try to sell this stock, which he had kept for 38 years. And as RETRO collectors discovered this fact, in the US a community quickly raised after a well known retro computer fan and YouTuber reported about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLYjZoShjy0 Adrian's Digital Basement. another YouTube DJ Sures quickly decided to help to get the NABU functioning again without the Canadian Cable system, he can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNT_tjSHIQ3lGJR_zOqh9gGeHzykR0spq but there are now many people helping out, and re-building their own NABU systems.

This peaked my interest, and I decided to buy one before they were all gone. As I don't have a credit card, or any other means to pay for one, I decided to ask my friends of the national computer games museum in Zoetermeer for help. And immediately one of the technical people (Frans Egmond) reacted, and when he discovered what I tried to buy he was hooked too, and wanted one as well. he also told the owner of the museum (Hassan Tasdemir) about the NABU, and he wanted one for the museum. So now there are three NABU owners in the Netherlands, and all of them are from this computer games museum.

The problem in getting a NABU to work in the netherlands

The NABU is a canadian system, and that means it is powered with 110 Volt 60 Hz, and has an NTSC composite video output, and neither of these two facts is ideal. Frans and me decided we would need to adapt the NABU for it to work, firstly we wanted to replace the NABU's power supply and FAN to a 220V compatible equivalent.

The NUBU is a Z80 based system that uses a TMS9918A for video, and a AY-3-8910 PSG for sound, and so it has lots of similarities with the MSX computer standard, and several other early home computers and consoles.

The fact the it uses a TMS9918A for the VDP means that just as MSX it could be converted to PAL (and RGB output) by replacing the TMS9918A with a TMS9929A that generated PAL and could also support RGB by using its Y, R-Y and B-Y luminance and color difference signals to convert to RGB signals.