# VERA 8-Bit Video Card

The Commander X16's VERA video card with enhancements

- **Seller:** [Wavicle's store](https://lectronz.com/stores/wavicle), Bothell, Washington, United States
- **Price:** $55.00 (USD, before shipping and taxes)
- **Availability:** Sold out
- **Categories:** Retrocomputing, Displays
- **HS code:** 847149
- **Product page:** https://lectronz.com/products/vera-8-bit-video-card

## Options

**Bus connector**

- 2x13 Extended Header (OtterX Style, includes I2C pins) [Add $2.00]
- None
- 2x13 Male Pin Header [Add $1.00]
- 2x12 Elevated Header (X16 style) [Add $2.00]

**Standoffs**

- None
- 18mm Hex Brass Standoffs [Add $4.00]

## Images

![VERA 8-Bit Video Card](https://lectronz-images.b-cdn.net/lectronz/active_storage/representations/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDEyOTUsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--43f4a8e267657efa0a790fec84edda004cbbad49/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6eyJmb3JtYXQiOiJKUEciLCJyZXNpemVfdG9fbGltaXQiOls5NjAsNjQwXSwic2F2ZXIiOnsic3RyaXAiOnRydWV9fSwicHVyIjoidmFyaWF0aW9uIn19--a1419a086f227676aca33a49760ac51e58b523e3/2024-12-09T17-3A48-3A39.420Z-VERA_KIT_CONTENTS.JPG)
![VERA 8-Bit Video Card](https://lectronz-images.b-cdn.net/lectronz/active_storage/representations/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDEyOTYsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--64f904446a7d53a2165fa9cce2670018cb97f130/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6eyJmb3JtYXQiOiJKUEciLCJyZXNpemVfdG9fbGltaXQiOls5NjAsNjQwXSwic2F2ZXIiOnsic3RyaXAiOnRydWV9fSwicHVyIjoidmFyaWF0aW9uIn19--a1419a086f227676aca33a49760ac51e58b523e3/2024-12-09T17-3A48-3A39.420Z-VERA_KIT_BACK.JPG)
![VERA 8-Bit Video Card](https://lectronz-images.b-cdn.net/lectronz/active_storage/representations/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NDEyOTcsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--8afdd5d5344c1a067560ba5c40efe63dc165916d/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6eyJmb3JtYXQiOiJKUEciLCJyZXNpemVfdG9fbGltaXQiOls5NjAsNjQwXSwic2F2ZXIiOnsic3RyaXAiOnRydWV9fSwicHVyIjoidmFyaWF0aW9uIn19--a1419a086f227676aca33a49760ac51e58b523e3/2024-12-09T17-3A48-3A39.420Z-VERA_KIT_CONTENTS_2.JPG)

## Description

# VERA Versatile Embedded Retro Adapter

This is the VERA video card originally by Frank van den Hoef with several improvements; ready to add to your homebrew computer, or as a backup for your Commander X16 or OtterX!

## Improvements over original VERA

* All bug fixes and new features added by the X16 project
* Improved routing for better signal integrity
* Sync levels shifted to 5V
* ESD protection on all ports
* Header with SD card port signals for a front-panel SD card
* Digital audio and video header for a future daughterboard with HDMI-compatible output

## Standard VERA functionality

### Video support
* VGA 640x480
* NTSC Composite
* NTSC S-Video
* NTSC 480i (Composite & S-Video)
* NTSC 240p ("VIC-20" style, composite & S-Video)
* 15KHz RGB ("Amiga" style)

### Basic Display
* ~128K of onboard VRAM
* 2 independent display layers
* 1, 2, 4, and 8-bit per pixel color depths
* Bitmap support up to 320x240x8
* Tilemap support for text and other tiled graphics

### Sprites:
* Up to 128 sprites
* 8, 16, 32, and 64 pixel widths
* 4- or 8-bit per pixel color depth
* Adjustable Z-depth
* Hardware collision detection

### Cool 16-bit-like graphics features

Not quite as good as many 16-bit graphics, but something in between 8-bit era graphics and 16-bit era.

* Line drawing helper
* Polygon fill helper
* Affine transform helper
* Memory fill accelerator
* General purpose 16-bit signed multiply and accumulate function

### Audio

Advanced audio that is simultaneously on par with 16-bit systems and less than some 8-bit options:

* 16-voice stereo polyphonic programmable sound generator
* Pulse, sawtooth, triangle, and noise audio waveforms
* No sine waveform
* No volume envelopes
* 8- and 16-bit stereo PCM audio
* Up to 48.8 KHz PCM sample rate

### Multiple interrupt sources:
* VSYNC
* Line match interrupt
* Audio FIFO low
* Sprite collision

### In progress

Features under development but not yet released. Will be available as a firmware once ready:

* 4-bit ADPCM

## Shipping policy

Shipping outside of the United States will be fulfilled via GlobalPost.