RAM 320XL

[Almost Rice]

RAM 320XL uses just the upper Vcc pin (second from the left if you look from the front).

This is my 800xl mod. I put power to it waiting for something like this.

[Havok69]

Thanks for the pic - although it appears we don't need to wire up power to the pin for this upgrade. I just did mine anyways, just in case...

[Wilheim]

Just wondering how is it going. Everything OK?

[ctirad]

Yep, everything is OK. From yesterday i assembled another 10 cards and finished almost all of 30 cases. I also bought a Proxxon device to speed the mechanical things up and minimalize possibility of further injures of my fingers and thumbs

[Defender II]

RAM 320XL uses just the upper Vcc pin (second from the left if you look from the front). The other pin is leaved unconnected.

For the 5V there are a lot of possibilities on the motherboard. If you already have main shielding removed like me, the trace and cap next to the cartridge port (see picture several posts above) is a good place. If you don't want to remove the shielding, you can use one of the bigger electrolytic caps near the power switch. Howewer taking the 5V directly from the power connector is generally a bad idea. You don't be able to switch the expansion off or even reset the computer then

 

BTW, the funny thing is, that the card can work even without any dedicated power connected. I was fisrt shocked when I noticed it, but the explanation is quite simple. The CPLD chip has diodes on its inputs, which connects log "1" voltage to power rail and the log "0" to GND. This gives about 2.6V and enough current to power the card quite reliably

 

So even for the 800XL we don't need the Power Cable and don't need to run a jumper wire?

[ctirad]

So even for the 800XL we don't need the Power Cable and don't need to run a jumper wire?

 

Well, a sort of. But I would not use this kind of powering for a regular use.

[Defender II]

Can you make a photo of the standard one (with enclosure)?

I would also like to see pictures of it in the enclosure, with the enclosure opened and also some of it closed.

Thanks.

 

Also, any update on how many more have been shipped and how many are still available? Has anyone received theirs yet?

Edited July 6, 2010 by Defender II

[EightBitWitch]

Can you make a photo of the standard one (with enclosure)?

I would also like to see pictures of it in the enclosure, with the enclosure opened and also some of it closed.

Thanks.

 

Look at Post #93, then you can see the enclose ....

[Havok69]

But what we really want to see is the sticker!

 

[mimo]

will it work with an XEGS?

[Almost Rice]

I just picked up mine from the post office on my way to work. I will open the package when I get home.

[Havok69]

We want a full review with unboxing video!

 

[Almost Rice]

This is all I have right now.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Almost Rice

[+David_P]

You are a horrible, horrible tease.

Edited July 8, 2010 by David_P

[+wood_jl]

Post videos of your 800XL running the Numen demo! Uh, I guess you'd have to have a PAL machine do do that, though.

 

Still, pictures pictures video!!!!

[+Stephen]

This is all I have right now.

Looks Photoshopped to me. Big white boxes on the enevelope? I call shenanigans

[+David_P]

Woo hoo! The list (at http://www.volny.cz/c.fertr/temp/orders.txt) shows that mine have shipped!

[+wood_jl]

Woo hoo! The list (at http://www.volny.cz/c.fertr/temp/orders.txt) shows that mine have shipped!

 

For some reason your link doesn't work....although it looks right!

 

Let me try:

 

http://www.volny.cz/c.fertr/temp/orders.txt

 

anyhoo.....

 

Awww, looks like only the "1x" orders shipped. It appears none of the "2x" (or greater). And I'm on the "2x" list!

[+David_P]

Hmm - I'm 1x of each and got shipped, so I'm happy - I guess 2x 1x is still 1x.

 

And it looks like the BB code appended my closing parenthesis to the URL, thus giving the "FILE NOT FOUND" error.

[Havok69]

 

Awww, looks like only the "1x" orders shipped. It appears none of the "2x" (or greater). And I'm on the "2x" list!

 

Not all the 1x orders shipped... That's ok, I'm patient.

 

On a side note - where did you get those enclosures? I need something similar for a circuit board I hacked on my arcade machine. It's 2-5/8" x 3" x 1" Would it fit in there?

[+wood_jl]

Look at those heavy-hitters at the end of the list! 3x and 4x standard! Ha ha they better come last! :)

[Almost Rice]

Here is what I have at the moment.

 

The opening with PAL 600xl

 

 

I did some tests in SpartaDos Ramdisk,ramcheck and xram021

 

Here Numen starting and Yie Ar KungFu. They do not finish because the 800xl and 600xl I tested them on did not have a PAL Antic.

 

 

 

I did have a few problems while testing. I did not get my PAL 16k 600xl with NTSC Antic to work except for when I unjumper the upgrade, but could not test much because of the 16k.

I only got a blank screen for the 130xe and 1200xl with PBI converter I had. The 2 systems I used to test were a stock 800xl and 64k 600xl with composite mod. They worked, but 1 of the 3 had to be unjumpered to completely load Yie Ar KungFu to the last screen before the game starts. I will have to test this one more extensively.

 

i wanted to test the stock 600xl I have but they are RF only and I did not have anything setup for them. I really wanted to get the PAL 600xl to work. I will probably put the PAL Antic back in the 600xl and do some troubleshooting when I have more time.

 

I better get some sleep now.

Edited July 9, 2010 by Almost Rice

[ctirad]

I did not get my PAL 16k 600xl with NTSC Antic to work except for when I unjumper the upgrade, but could not test much because of the 16k.

 

Please could you test the 256kB in that mode?

 

 

I only got a blank screen for the 130xe and 1200xl with PBI converter I had.

 

What kind of PBI extender is it? I saw some photo of an ICD PBI expander (IIRC) and it looked as a passive piece of PCB. I'm really interested how they connected the CASINH signal, which is not present on the Cart/ECI BUS and RAM320Xl needs it.

Edited July 9, 2010 by ctirad

[Roydea6]

I did not get my PAL 16k 600xl with NTSC Antic to work except for when I unjumper the upgrade, but could not test much because of the 16k.

 

Please could you test the 256kB in that mode?

 

 

I only got a blank screen for the 130xe and 1200xl with PBI converter I had.

 

What kind of PBI extender is it? I saw some photo of an ICD PBI expander (IIRC) and it looked as a passive piece of PCB. I'm really interested how they connected the CASINH signal, which is not present on the Cart/ECI BUS and RAM320Xl needs it.

 

Look at this thread: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/137612-1200xl-pbi-extender-board-production-run-order-here/page__st__120__p__1983820__hl__PBI%20EXTENDER__fromsearch__1?do=findComment&comment=1983820

 

It has several nice pictures attached and instructions for getting signals.

[ctirad]

Look at this thread: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/137612-1200xl-pbi-extender-board-production-run-order-here/page__st__120__p__1983820__hl__PBI%20EXTENDER__fromsearch__1?do=findComment&comment=1983820

 

It has several nice pictures attached and instructions for getting signals.

 

Thanks. I originally meant the XE interface, but this is also interesting. Hmm, it looks they used D1xx signal instead of CASINH. This is probably OK for a PBI standard compliant devices, but it breaks compatibility with a generic devices connected to the PBI bus, such as RAM 320XL. However I believe that in 1200XL case it can be solved easily by changing a connection of this additional signal on the motherboard.

Edited July 9, 2010 by ctirad