Getting green and amber screens from a MiniPET 40/80

In mid-2021, I built a MiniPET 40/80. It’s one of the best replica kits I’ve ever seen. Even the keyboard is wonderfully awkward to use, just like a real Chicklet PET keyboard is.

Switching between ROM versions with DIP switches has been great for learning and experimenting with internals.

My only wish is that I could occasionally get a green screen out of it. I use the composite output, which is black and white (just like many original PETs), but the 7-year-old in me just loves a Green Screen PET. So I was on Twitter one day when someone (I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten who) pointed me to a small project by a chap in Spain.  This takes a monochrome VGA signal and lets you change the colors with dip switches. AND it was only 9 bucks.

My setup here is a little more complicated than it needs to be. An LCD with a VGA input could eliminate at least one of these adapters, but it does work pretty well.

• Commodore
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• How-To
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