CHIP-8 Computers Brings Back the RCA COSMAC VIP with a Custom PCB and a 32-Bit Microcontroller

Those interested in the vintage CHIP-8 interpreted programming language, originally developed in the 1970s for the RCA COSMAC VIP microcomputer system, have a new way to get started: a dedicated computer, which offers a more physical environment than the traditional emulator route.

CHIP-8, an early interpreted programming language with a focus on education and gaming, was written by RCA Labs' Joseph Weisbecker for his COSMAC VIP gaming computer — and the games originally provided with the system came from his daughter, Joyce. While the COSMAC VIP would fade from memory, CHIP-8 remains popular even today in hardware on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and as emulators for almost every modern computing platform — though along the way some backwards-compatibility has been lost with the original COSMAC VIP implementation.

Now, US-based CHIP-8 Computers has launched a modern equivalent to the COSMAC VIP: a physical computer system programmed using interpreted CHIP-8, and with the original's focus on gaming.

The heart of the CHIP-8 Classic Computer System is a 32-bit microcontroller running at 48MHz — a considerable upgrade from the 1.76MHz RCA 1802 of the COSMAC VIP — which has the CHIP-8 interpreter loaded in flash memory. The system is capable of outputting 64x32-resolution monochrome video through a composite output, has a 30-tone sound generator, and an RS-485 serial port - "suitable for industrial control applications," CHIP-8 Computers advises, should anyone fancy controlling their factory from CHIP-8.

The kit includes an external hexadecimal keypad for data entry and control, plus an EEPROM option board to which programs can be saved and loaded. A breakout board is also bundled as standard.

The CHIP-8 Classic Computer System is available now from CHIP-8 Computers' Tindie store, priced at $99.95 as a kit or $49.95 for just the main board. A DIP-packaged microcontroller with CHIP-8 interpreter pre-loaded is also available for $9.95 as an option for anyone looking to make a custom system, while more information is available on the CHIP-8 Computers website — along with industrial-style metal enclosures and a color-capable CHIP-8 variant, neither of which have yet made it to the company's Tindie store.