Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: team photo from MOS Technology or a VIC-II die shot]
Overview
Al Charpentier served as MOS Technology’s chief chip architect for the VIC-II project. Tasked with building a graphics chip for Commodore’s next computer, he shepherded features like hardware sprites, smooth scrolling, and raster interrupts—everything that made the C64 a game powerhouse.
Fast facts
- Prior work: co-designed the original VIC chip used in the VIC-20.
- Team leadership: coordinated engineers to reuse proven circuits while adding sprite logic and improved colour handling.
- Later roles: participated in other Commodore chipset efforts before leaving during the late-1980s talent exodus.
Lesson connections
- BASIC Block 1’s colour POKEs stem from Charpentier’s register layout.
- Assembly lessons revisit his design when exploring raster interrupts and sprite multiplexing.
- Vault cross-links encourage learners to appreciate the human stories behind the hardware.