Overview
The 6502-VCS (Video Computer System) is A.C. Wright's cartridge-based game console in the AC6502 family. A real 65C02 CPU drives VGA video through a Pico9918 and 3-voice SID sound through an ARMSID, with swappable ROM cartridges and support for classic Atari 2600-style joysticks. Slide in a cartridge, grab a joystick, and play.
History & Design
Its name and spirit nod to the 1977 Atari VCS (later the Atari 2600), the console that made swappable cartridges the standard for home gaming. This homebrew take keeps that plug-in-and-play feel but builds on the shared AC6502 architecture: the same Main Board, CPU, memory map and BIOS as its siblings, with a dedicated Output Board for TMS9918A-compatible graphics and SID audio. Cartridges hold 32KB ROM games written in 6502 assembly.
System Specifications
| CPU | WDC 65C02 @ 1 MHz |
| RAM | 32KB SRAM |
| ROM | 32KB EEPROM (BIOS) + swappable cartridges |
| Video | Pico9918 — VGA 640×480, TMS9918A-compatible |
| Audio | ARMSID (SID) — 3-voice synthesis, RCA out |
| Input | Atari 2600-compatible joysticks |
| Keyboard | PS/2 + 8×8 matrix (ATmega1284P encoder) |
| Cartridge | 28C256 EEPROM or 27C256 EPROM ROM cart |
At the machine
This VCS has a small white reset button on the Main Board near the front. Press it to restart the current cartridge — or, with no cartridge inserted, to reboot into the built-in BIOS BASIC. Plug a joystick into the front port before you start a game.
The AC6502 Family
| System | Role |
|---|
| VCS | Cartridge-based game console (this machine) |
| ACE | All-in-one single-board computer |
| COB | Modular backplane desktop |
| KIM | Keypad + LCD add-on that turns an ACE into a KIM-1 |
| DEV | Emulation-based development system |
The VCS shares its Main Board, CPU and memory map with the rest of the family — with the slot empty it is a full AC6502 computer.
Memory Map
| Range | Contents |
|---|
| $0000–$07FF | Zero page, stack, input & system variables |
| $0800–$7FFF | Program / BASIC RAM (30 KB) |
| $8000–$9FFF | I/O hardware — video, sound, joysticks |
| $A000–$B7FF | Kernal + jump table |
| $B800–$BFFF | Character set ROM |
| $C000–$FFF9 | BASIC / Monitor — or cartridge ROM |
| $FFFA–$FFFF | CPU vectors (NMI, RESET, IRQ) |
Did You Know?
Each game cartridge is just a 32 KB ROM chip — a 28C256 EEPROM or 27C256 EPROM — holding hand-written 6502 assembly.
The name honors the 1977 Atari VCS (the 2600), the console that made swappable cartridges the home-gaming standard.