81 replies to this topic

[Longhorn Engineer]

Well I was fairly bored today. Waiting on PCBs for the 2600 and 7800 mods. LCD screen for a portable still hasn't arrived yet. Raining and cold so going outside sucked.

Anyways I started working on this.

PDF

Cookie to the first one that figures it out.

[BigO]

Based on parts and placement of parts, I'd say it's a portable 2600. With TV out.

I'm guessing you'll be using an NTSC LCD module.

Edited by BigO, Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:21 PM.

[Longhorn Engineer]

BigO, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:18 PM, said:

Based on parts and placement of parts, I'd say it's a portable 2600. With TV out.

To easy? I guess it saying TIA, RIOT, 6507 on the silkscreen gave it away  

[nathanallan]

I don't know much on drafting, but I'd say it's a 2600 on a single board, a programmable one.

[BigO]

I wasn't sure if the FMS6400 was relevant with a small LCD module, and you being you, I figured it's gonna have TV out.

Edited by BigO, Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:24 PM.

[Longhorn Engineer]

BigO, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:24 PM, said:

I wasn't sure if the FMS6400 was relevant with a small LCD module, and you being you, I figured it's gonna have TV out.

Basically its going to be a build your own Atari portable. Just add battery, LCD, and case.

[BigO]

So you'll populate the board with even the original 2600 chips?


Cool project. Good luck with it . . . just get my 2600 mod kit to me before you get too involved.

[Longhorn Engineer]

BigO, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:36 PM, said:

So you'll populate the board with even the original 2600 chips?


Cool project. Good luck with it . . . just get my 2600 mod kit to me before you get too involved.

No those chips come from "donor" Ataris   I got word from Fedex that I get my parts tomorrow so I will be filling out loads of 2600 mods before I leave for a week.

[BigO]

Longhorn Engineer, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:38 PM, said:

BigO, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:36 PM, said:

So you'll populate the board with even the original 2600 chips?


Cool project. Good luck with it . . . just get my 2600 mod kit to me before you get too involved.

No those chips come from "donor" Ataris   I got word from Fedex that I get my parts tomorrow so I will be filling out loads of 2600 mods before I leave for a week.

What I meant was will you be providing the chips or do I need to hang on to one of the many spare consoles I was planning to get rid of?

[Longhorn Engineer]

BigO, on Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:12 AM, said:

Longhorn Engineer, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:38 PM, said:

BigO, on Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:36 PM, said:

So you'll populate the board with even the original 2600 chips?


Cool project. Good luck with it . . . just get my 2600 mod kit to me before you get too involved.

No those chips come from "donor" Ataris   I got word from Fedex that I get my parts tomorrow so I will be filling out loads of 2600 mods before I leave for a week.

What I meant was will you be providing the chips or do I need to hang on to one of the many spare consoles I was planning to get rid of?

Hang on to one BigO

[tetrode kink]

Ohh, that thing sets my heart all aflutter...

What really intrigues me is that Power Software box in the upper-right corner.  Is that an expansion port or is it some kind of proprietary part?  If it's the latter, will you be providing that part along with finished boards you sell?

-tet

[Longhorn Engineer]

tetrode kink, on Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:28 PM, said:

Ohh, that thing sets my heart all aflutter...

What really intrigues me is that Power Software box in the upper-right corner.  Is that an expansion port or is it some kind of proprietary part?  If it's the latter, will you be providing that part along with finished boards you sell?

-tet

Power S/W = Power Switch

sorry to give yah hopes up  . Plan is to sell the boards just like the video mods. Bare PCBs, Unassembled, Assembled, and then the whole thing in a portable. Of course I will have it set up where to buy the batteries and screens and stuff. I don't know if I will offer the cases separately or not.

[tetrode kink]

Longhorn Engineer, on Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:54 PM, said:

tetrode kink, on Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:28 PM, said:

What really intrigues me is that Power Software box in the upper-right corner...

Power S/W = Power Switch...

Heh, I figured that's what that meant.  It's just that the last time I checked (and, admittedly it's been a long time) the abbreviation for "Switch" was "SW," not "S/W."  Beyond informing you of my love of your concept, the rest of my reply was a long way of bringing your typo to your attention.     Unless the accepted abbreviation really is "S/W," in which case, eh, never mind...

Back to the topic, wow, just wow.  You know, that could be made into a home console too.  Maybe this is the updated VCS with modern(ish) video outputs people have been screaming for in other threads recently?

Wow, just wow.

-tet

[Longhorn Engineer]

tetrode kink, on Thu Dec 31, 2009 12:13 AM, said:

Longhorn Engineer, on Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:54 PM, said:

tetrode kink, on Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:28 PM, said:

What really intrigues me is that Power Software box in the upper-right corner...

Power S/W = Power Switch...

Heh, I figured that's what that meant.  It's just that the last time I checked (and, admittedly it's been a long time) the abbreviation for "Switch" was "SW," not "S/W."  Beyond informing you of my love of your concept, the rest of my reply was a long way of bringing your typo to your attention.     Unless the accepted abbreviation really is "S/W," in which case, eh, never mind...

Back to the topic, wow, just wow.  You know, that could be made into a home console too.  Maybe this is the updated VCS with modern(ish) video outputs people have been screaming for in other threads recently?

Wow, just wow.

-tet

I don't know what the real abbreviation is for switch. I kinda just rolled with what was streaming out of my head so I could get the board routed. It could become a home console. Right now it doesn't have hook ups for the S-video portion of the video mod but would be easy to add. Even though the portable design won't have Joystick ports (they are to dam big!) I left the footprints on the board so if someone wants to make a custom case they can add them in.

[Longhorn Engineer]

Look what showed up in the mail today.





I hope I got the connections right. This is the first time I have designed something this large. Videos mods are easy to separate the Digital and Analog components (resistor ladder separates them well). I should have added more ground planes on this but its a prototype so its mainly for testing purposes. The only thing I am worried about is the power converter (switching type Ti PTN4050) might be a bit to close to the clock signal for the Atari but its buffered by a couple 100uF caps so it should be ok.

[Longhorn Engineer]

[BigO]

<FreddiePrinze>Loooking good.</FreddiePrinze>

Are those soft dome switches E-Switch TL9000's?

[nathanallan]

Looking very awesome! Any ideas for the outer shell yet?

[nonner242]

Awesome indeed!

[Longhorn Engineer]

Progress will slow down a bit as the chips finally came in for the mods. Should be done by MGC.

[nathanallan]

Watched it, and it looks very awesome indeed. It's in my favorites there, now

[roland p]

Wow, finally a REAL portable atari. This is much cooler than cramming an existing atari 2600 pcb in a new case.

[Richard H.]

That's amazing  

BTW where's the screen from ?

I have a nice mini LCD screen on a old portable VCR (which I'm removing, as I'm trying to get it to output onto a normal TV). Would that work OK ?

[brojamfootball]

I also am curious about the screen, and would imagine longhornengineer will be providing some info on that as this project comes closer to being ready to sell.  

BTW, nice going longhorn!  You continue to blow my mind.

[cd-w]

Very nice work - I like the way it works together with the Harmony cart. If you are doing another prototype, you could integrate the Harmony cart directly - either with or without the cart port? This would keep it to a nice portable form factor. I suspect batari would share the schematic with you for this purpose. It only requires 3 chips (ARM, EEPROM, and FTDI232) and a few passives, although the ARM is surface-mount, which would make it a bit more complex to assemble.

Chris