+Larry Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 This looks like another interesting product from Jim Brain's Retro Innovations: http://store.go4retr...eplacement.html Could some of you folks that are a lot more knowledgeable about flash memory applications take a look and give your thoughts? What would it take to do a 4-in-1? Also, Jim previously expressed interest in producing items that Atari users would be interested in. The one I can think of is a cartridge expander for XL or XE systems. Maybe swappable ends? Perhaps with the ability to select from (say) 3 attached carts. Any interest or other thoughts? -Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) Nice price. It's a 5V device and looks like it can be programmed in place. Obviously for an OS application it'd need to have initial programming by other means - could be done by adapting a cartridge to do that. Atari applications... maybe something similar but with soft-selectable banking for use in a cartridge, but it'd be yet another cartridge format up against the 2-3 other popular ones. Or maybe a Basic ROM replacement with multiple selectable banks that just replaces the resident ROM. Edited December 13, 2011 by Rybags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Don't know if you noticed or not, but he also has a 24-pin, 2364-type version of this that is 1 Mb. Looks like it would do the BASIC replacement. Bankable, but no info posted about the banking. -Larry Nice price. It's a 5V device and looks like it can be programmed in place. Obviously for an OS application it'd need to have initial programming by other means - could be done by adapting a cartridge to do that. Atari applications... maybe something similar but with soft-selectable banking for use in a cartridge, but it'd be yet another cartridge format up against the 2-3 other popular ones. Or maybe a Basic ROM replacement with multiple selectable banks that just replaces the resident ROM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 How would the "overflow address lines" be employed to allow bank switching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 You could adapt a 1200XL to program the thing, since they have two OS sockets. Put a pair of switches (or a thumbwheel switch) on the upper address lines that select a bank. It looks like it is set for 8 banks of 16k. (or more?) If you were going to use an 800XL or such, you could move the OS into the BASIC ROM and program it in the OS socket. Once you have an OS in the flash, you can program the other banks by moving the OS into RAM (with a few tweaks, perhaps). Could be done... Bob Don't know if you noticed or not, but he also has a 24-pin, 2364-type version of this that is 1 Mb. Looks like it would do the BASIC replacement. Bankable, but no info posted about the banking. -Larry Nice price. It's a 5V device and looks like it can be programmed in place. Obviously for an OS application it'd need to have initial programming by other means - could be done by adapting a cartridge to do that. Atari applications... maybe something similar but with soft-selectable banking for use in a cartridge, but it'd be yet another cartridge format up against the 2-3 other popular ones. Or maybe a Basic ROM replacement with multiple selectable banks that just replaces the resident ROM. Don't know if you noticed or not, but he also has a 24-pin, 2364-type version of this that is 1 Mb. Looks like it would do the BASIC replacement. Bankable, but no info posted about the banking. -Larry Nice price. It's a 5V device and looks like it can be programmed in place. Obviously for an OS application it'd need to have initial programming by other means - could be done by adapting a cartridge to do that. Atari applications... maybe something similar but with soft-selectable banking for use in a cartridge, but it'd be yet another cartridge format up against the 2-3 other popular ones. Or maybe a Basic ROM replacement with multiple selectable banks that just replaces the resident ROM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Well, why not do both? Put 4 slots (32KB) in there for BASIC and 4 slots (64K) for the OS? If you use switches, you only need to re-program the MMU PAL - pretty simple... For some reason, the docs show an A17 and A18. Not on the chip - only goes to A16. Bob Nice price. It's a 5V device and looks like it can be programmed in place. Obviously for an OS application it'd need to have initial programming by other means - could be done by adapting a cartridge to do that. Atari applications... maybe something similar but with soft-selectable banking for use in a cartridge, but it'd be yet another cartridge format up against the 2-3 other popular ones. Or maybe a Basic ROM replacement with multiple selectable banks that just replaces the resident ROM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiassofT Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 How would the "overflow address lines" be employed to allow bank switching? It looks like WE and A14-A16 are just routed to solder-pads (the schematic also shows A17?) and the board doesn't contain any additional logic. So, basically, this is just an adapter for using 128k flash chips (which are otherwise 32-pin in DIP) in a 28-pin DIP socket. so long, Hias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brain Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Well, why not do both? Put 4 slots (32KB) in there for BASIC and 4 slots (64K) for the OS? If you use switches, you only need to re-program the MMU PAL - pretty simple... For some reason, the docs show an A17 and A18. Not on the chip - only goes to A16. Bob Because surface mount assembly requires a "stencil", and I thought later on I might need to use 256kb or 512kb ICs, I added the additional lines. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brain Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 How would the "overflow address lines" be employed to allow bank switching? It looks like WE and A14-A16 are just routed to solder-pads (the schematic also shows A17?) and the board doesn't contain any additional logic. So, basically, this is just an adapter for using 128k flash chips (which are otherwise 32-pin in DIP) in a 28-pin DIP socket. so long, Hias This is true. However, I have often been asked for a variant as you describe. It could be done by: Adding a '575 on the bottom as a bank register, hooked to the data lines. three flying leads (/reset, bank register and /W). If that would work in the environment, I can see about a unit like that. I *might* be able to put 2 '688's to refine the select line a bit further, if that helps. JIm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloopy Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 guess no one saw the pic where i showed these in a 130XE for both the OS and the BASIC rom... or the BASIC cart i turned into a multi-cart with one of these... sloopy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Nope. But if you linked/posted this again, I'm sure we would like to. I've used the regular eprom adapter, but not the flash devices. Looks like no trouble keeping busy this winter! -Larry guess no one saw the pic where i showed these in a 130XE for both the OS and the BASIC rom... or the BASIC cart i turned into a multi-cart with one of these... sloopy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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