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Author Topic: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?  (Read 10680 times)

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vanwatson

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Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« on: December 12, 2014, 03:55:08 am »
Why did Atari's Dig Dug have three 3 , Z80 CPU chips?

What was the reasons of having 3 , Z80's

SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2014, 10:25:34 am »
Why not 3 Z80s? Multi-CPU configurations were not unheard of, even back in those days.

My current project uses somewhere along the lines of five or six distinct CPU and MPUs. More if you count the onboard stuff. I lost track really.


Malenko

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2014, 10:34:48 am »
not for nothing, but why does it seem like every single one of your posts reads like "Why doesnt someone google this for me <insert topic> ?"

I guess the answer you want is that each CPU handled something else:
1 Z80 for the main CPU, 1 Z80 for Sound, and 1 Z80 for graphics. In layman's terms, one was the CPU, one was the GPU and one was the "sound card"
If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
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SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2014, 10:36:10 am »
I agree and I grow tired of these questions. Do we still have the ignore feature? I don't see it in the profile.

Malenko

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If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
I also need to follow this advice. Ignore or report, don't reply.

SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2014, 11:09:40 am »
the wikipedia article for the Z80 LITERALLY has an explanation why  "Bosconian, Dig Dug, Xevious, and Super Xevious" use three Z80 microprocessors.

source:
www.google.com

pbj

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2014, 12:33:38 pm »
Yeah, van, stop wasting our precious, precious idle time.


vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2014, 12:44:35 pm »
This is all what wiki said about it

Frogger used two Z80 CPUs

Bosconian, Dig Dug, Xevious, and Super Xevious use three Z80 microprocessors running in parallel for the main CPU, graphics, and sound.

I didn't understand why they used 3 Z80's , because most arcade games just use 1 Z80 chip.

When you're using 2 or 3 , Z80 CPUS, what is the advantage? runs faster but what else?


yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2014, 01:00:09 pm »
not for nothing, but why does it seem like every single one of your posts reads like "Why doesnt someone google this for me <insert topic> ?"

I guess the answer you want is that each CPU handled something else:
1 Z80 for the main CPU, 1 Z80 for Sound, and 1 Z80 for graphics. In layman's terms, one was the CPU, one was the GPU and one was the "sound card"

I feel like I'm helping someone do their homework when I read van's questions.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Malenko

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #10 on: December 12, 2014, 01:11:36 pm »
When you're using 2 or 3 , Z80 CPUS, what is the advantage? runs faster but what else?

Is this some sort of existential question?
One would venture that they used 3 Z80s because they.......... needed 3 Z80s? I know a combined 9mhz of CPU sounds like overkill but maybe it was required.
If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
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vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #11 on: December 12, 2014, 01:16:02 pm »
Quote
One would venture that they used 3 Z80s because they.......... needed 3 Z80s?

What made them need it? because of to many ROM chips and address lines , datalines?, control lines?

Most arcade games that use one Z80 had about 4 to 6 ROM chips and 4 RAM chips

So i'm guessing the arcade games that use 3 Z80's CPU chips had more ROM and RAM chips because of mode code and data

SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2014, 01:24:38 pm »
Quote
One would venture that they used 3 Z80s because they.......... needed 3 Z80s?

What made them need it? because of to many ROM chips and address lines , datalines?, control lines?

Most arcade games that use one Z80 had about 4 to 6 ROM chips and 4 RAM chips

So i'm guessing the arcade games that use 3 Z80's CPU chips had more ROM and RAM chips because of mode code and data

Did you even read any of the earlier posts? The answer was already handed to you.

yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2014, 01:32:12 pm »
They should have just used a KADE and been done with it.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2014, 01:38:58 pm »
Quote
1 Z80 for the main CPU, 1 Z80 for Sound, and 1 Z80 for graphics. In layman's terms, one was the CPU, one was the GPU and one was the "sound card"

Yes this just makes it run faster and to use more ROM and RAM chips

But there must be other advantages or reasons

Because most arcade games had the same amount of code, rom, ram chips and sound chips and they only use one Z80

Did Frogger really need 2 Z80's chips, i have seen more complicated games that only used one Z80 chip
Did Dig Dug really need to use 3 Z80 chips, i have seen more complicated games that only used on Z80 chip

IT seems like there is reasons why they did it or  it was overkill

pbj

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #15 on: December 12, 2014, 01:52:52 pm »
Z80s are cheap and games needed to be rushed out.  How many glitches are we going to document before everyone realizes that code quality control wasn't priority #1 back then...


vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2014, 02:01:59 pm »
Quote
Z80s are cheap and games needed to be rushed out.  How many glitches are we going to document before everyone realizes that code quality control wasn't priority #1 back then...

If they were cheap then why wasn't every arcade game using 3 Z80's , this can't be the reasons


Malenko

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2014, 02:03:45 pm »
they did it to piss you off. and they were right.
If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
I also need to follow this advice. Ignore or report, don't reply.

JDFan

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2014, 02:12:07 pm »
Reasons could be argued about for days but there is no way to know why they did what they did unless you can ask the people that did the layout -- so what good does it do to keep asking the question over and over and then argue about the answer you are given ??

Could be a simple as the designer had those parts sitting around when he built the thing and wanted to use up old inventory rather than buy new parts to use - In the end all that matters is that is what was used in the design and it worked for the purpose so was built that way  :cheers:

vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #19 on: December 12, 2014, 02:16:00 pm »
I'm not here to fight or argue , i'm just trying to figure out way , we are brainstorming together , maybe someone might know the answer


SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #20 on: December 12, 2014, 02:16:57 pm »
they did it to piss you off. and they were right.

No... they foresaw the existence of a group of enthusiasts building their own arcade cabinets using an emulator to run their code. It's an attempt to slow our builds down with asinine questions. Right now, those engineers are sitting in their retirement homes reading what is written here laughing their asses off.

Next thing you know the bot is going to ask why arcade boards don't have North or South bridges or why the clock speed isn't a multiple of 33.33 MHz.  :laugh2:

yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #21 on: December 12, 2014, 02:18:23 pm »
van-

I suggest you sign up for KLOV and ask these questions there as well. You might get more satisfactory answers.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Malenko

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #22 on: December 12, 2014, 02:19:35 pm »
van-

I suggest you sign up for KLOV and ask these questions there as well. You might get more satisfactory answers.

While I agree he should just go over to KLOV, he'll get pretty much the same answers over there.
If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
I also need to follow this advice. Ignore or report, don't reply.

yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #23 on: December 12, 2014, 02:21:01 pm »
van-

I suggest you sign up for KLOV and ask these questions there as well. You might get more satisfactory answers.

While I agree he should just go over to KLOV, he'll get pretty much the same answers over there.

Yeah, but 90% of the dudes here are MAMErs who don't deal with original boards. I'm just thinking there might be more chipheads there.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #24 on: December 12, 2014, 02:21:47 pm »
I'm not here to fight or argue , i'm just trying to figure out way , we are brainstorming together , maybe someone might know the answer

You're going about it wrong then. Three Z80's in Dig Dug exists. It is to be accepted. It is not ones place to ask why lest you find yourself in purgatory.

Malenko

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #25 on: December 12, 2014, 02:22:13 pm »
totes more chip guys over there, still going to be the same answer to this question.
If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
I also need to follow this advice. Ignore or report, don't reply.

SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #26 on: December 12, 2014, 02:24:19 pm »
totes more chip guys over there, still going to be the same answer to this question.

Which, under no circumstances,  will it understand or care. It will continue to bull forward with the questions, learning nothing... it must be a teenager...

vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2014, 02:27:55 pm »
i will start a new subject thread since this one isn't going well


SavannahLion

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #28 on: December 12, 2014, 02:40:55 pm »

yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2014, 03:14:50 pm »
i will start a new subject thread since this one isn't going well

Please don't. A new thread isn't going to give you a different answer.
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yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #30 on: December 12, 2014, 04:00:34 pm »
Oh, what gives....... you signed up at arcaderestoration.com to ask the same questions????  :dizzy:



Aren't there repair professionals there in Burbank that can assist you?
« Last Edit: December 12, 2014, 04:03:33 pm by yotsuya »
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yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #31 on: December 12, 2014, 04:05:09 pm »
And Aussie Arcade?



OK, what gives?
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

chopperthedog

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #32 on: December 12, 2014, 04:34:20 pm »
I'm shocked it took you guys this long to get annoyed. I was done at his 20th post.



good day.

yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #33 on: December 12, 2014, 04:40:03 pm »
I'm shocked it took you guys this long to get annoyed. I was done at his 20th post.



good day.

At first I thought it was genuine curiousity.... now it feels like someone prepping for a test...  :cheers:
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #34 on: December 12, 2014, 04:42:15 pm »
Yeah I didn't even notice his crap until just recently.


yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #35 on: December 12, 2014, 04:46:40 pm »
What's funny is on the "Reset on Logic Boards" topic, Arcadenut, who is the site owner and most knowledgeable guy I know in this hobby, is like "Well, it depends. What game?" only to get a lot of the same "Well, in general..." from van in reply. I know Arcadenut is probably going like  :banghead: right now.
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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #36 on: December 12, 2014, 04:51:38 pm »
just looking for some help on this stuff , not playing any game on you guys

yotsuya

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #37 on: December 12, 2014, 05:04:58 pm »
just looking for some help on this stuff , not playing any game on you guys

I hear you. The amount of questions and their specificity just seem... odd. Most guys are like, "Hey, I got a non-working <insert game here> and I need help.  :cheers:
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

vanwatson

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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #38 on: December 12, 2014, 05:19:55 pm »
It mostly out of arcade manuals i have read and other things I have ran across tying to fix random arcade games at friends houses.

I'm not playing any games or trying to start a fight

littleshawn and ed has been very helpful and has helped me out a lot on these things


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Re: Dig Dug had 3 three Z80 CPU's why?
« Reply #39 on: December 12, 2014, 06:06:01 pm »
If that's true then your excitement needs to be tempered just a wee bit.

You seriously can't expect to have every single one of your questions answered across so many forums without receiving any sort of backlash from the community.  Your questions will have more value if you learn to research them beforehand and learn howto ask specific questions. And no, why Dig Dug has 3 Z80's isn't what I mean.

Dig Dug is done. The engineers have moved on. The answer you seek is inside the code and schematics itself, something you can find on your own. Anything else such as why they did X instead of Y is pure conjecture.