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C256 FOENIX WIKI

Welcome to the C256 Foenix Project! The C256 Foenix is a series of brand new computers lovingly made by Stefany Allaire in the style of the early 16 and 32 bit machines of lore! This is your chance to be a participant in the development of a new platform -- to start with a brand new machine akin to a high-end Atari or Amiga, write its very first programs, see what it can do, push its limits, and experience something new!

Compare the different models,

Explore the documentation,

Join the Discord,

Order your computer at https://c256foenix.com, and

Join in the fun!

Games

Many developers are working on games for the Foenix; some projects in the works include:

  • A 2D Half-Life
  • A Bomberman clone
  • A classic graphical RPG
  • A classic variation on Hamurabi
  • Necromancer and Joust style games

To get you started, Daniel Tremblay has published two open-source games:

Finally, developers often post .hex files of "unpublished" games on the discord.

Languages

  • C: The WDC C compiler is available for the 65816, and a modern compiler for the '816 is in the works. For the additional CPUs available on the Gen-X (68k, 486, RISC-V, etc) a variety of modern and "classic" compilers are available. More on our C Compilers page.
  • FORTH: OF816 and RetroForth are both available for the '816. See our Using Forth page for details.
  • BASIC: all platforms include a brand new, clean-room BASIC for the 65816 Using Foenix BASIC816. Additionally, MMBASIC is being considered for the additional CPUs available to the Gen-X.
  • PASCAL: A Pascal compiler for all CPUs is being explored! Stay tuned!
  • Smalltalk: A full-blown Smalltalk-like environment is in development for the 65816. You can follow the work on Discord.
  • Assembler: all platforms include at least a 65816 CPU, and folks are using a variety of assemblers, tho 64tass appears to be the most popular.
  • LISP/Scheme: Yep, you might soon be able to boot to LISP just as easily as booting to BASIC!

Operating Systems

For the more adventurous, several operating systems and desktop environments are in the works:

  • FX/OS -- A Clean-Room GUI for the Foenix, written in C and presently compiling for the 65816.
  • EmuTOS -- A port of the Atari-ST OS of the same name! (For the Gen-X/68k)
  • TinyCore -- A distributed Smalltalk-like environment being ported to the 65816.

Music

The Foenix machines are an 8-bit musician's dream! All models include a TI SN76489, a Yamaha OPL3 (Sound Blaster), two Gideon FPGA SIDs, and a 16-bit CODEC. The Gen-X and FMX models further include MIDI ports, a Yamaha OPM, and a Yamaha OPN. You can also add two additional SIDs to any model. Turn your Foenix into the ultimate chip-tune machine, use it as a sound-module containing every classic FM-synth you every wanted, or directly implement your own MIDI transformations without having to wade through 30 years of operating system baggage!

Once again, Daniel Tremblay is here to get you started: https://github.com/dtremblay/c256-vgm-player

FAQ

Is this another FPGA based Retro like the MiSTer?

  • No! These machines are the real thing. You'll be running on a real 65816, 68000, 68030, i486dx2, etc. :).

Are these machines compatible with the C64? C128? Amiga? Atari-ST? IBM-PC?

  • No! This is not a MEGA65, a Vampire, or an Ultimate64. We already have those platforms. This is something new and different!

Is there an emulator?

Is the hardware "Open Source"?

  • The schematics are available for download from the Wiki. The FPGA code is presently closed-source to keep the platform from becoming fragmented.

Are there any programming tutorials for the Foenix?

Happy hacking!

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