Super Game Module now available for order

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

Ok! .. i just gotta say real quick, (and i know some wont like this) but please, just hang in there, you must be (a little more) patient! You have no choice but to be anyway.. if you already paid.

March is not far off, April comes after obviously... Thats when they're due to arrive (supposedly). I'd say just give it another month at least.. ({or 2 If Possible) - i know im impatient at times, I feel ya!}) and then go from there before getting into anything legally. Hate to say it but you're beating a dead horse at the moment IMHO. We dont know what is truely going on with him Or those orders, why speculate anymore? Sure, we're all worried about him, if everythings OK but we just about covered about every angle here,Think about it.

However I must state that i am somewhat neutral on the subject since I haven't pre-paid the SGM yet and am waiting to see what unfolds here. Despite all of this, I won't hesitate one second to buy one as soon as they're available again, as well as some games from OpCode. We can not afford to lose an incredibly gifted guy like that, a ColecoVision genius IMO and hopefully we haven't lost him for good. He is vital to this scene and its future, I only pray he doesnt get pissed at all these comments or any legal action and say "the hell with em!" and goodbye to the CV scene altogether after this is settled. I highly doubt it and I hope not.. hes already in too deep anyways. On the flipside, he's got to put himself in you'r shoes too! Dont get me wrong guys, I totally understand everybodys POV to a degree but anymore the ranting and raving is pretty much a waste of everyones time, you vented.. but we still haven't really gotten anywhere and already has created enuff bad vibes. I know you all want your SGM's... like yesterday, (me included) but Please Stay Positive! Its just a matter of time fellas.. One way or another I guarantee that he'll be back some time this year (probably in April).. he'd be insane not to. Theres wayyy too much on the line for him to Not follow through on your orders or to not work out a refund for everyone who paid. I believe he'll make it right.. eventually. Thats your choice to consider my advice (and plea at his point), as of now pretty much everyone has spoke their mind. Nothing further is getting accomplished until someone here (with some connections) gets in touch with him directly and/or we hear news straight from the horse's mouth. Thats my opinion, I didn't pick any sides so take it or leave it... but please think about everything already said thus far. Im just really bummed out by this whole situation and i wish everybody the best! Everything will work itself out in the end, at least thats what I always tell myself. Take care guys!

- TW

[atarilovesyou]

Speaking of beating a dead horse, here's some statements that we've been hearing for well over a year. SiliconeToad just managed to put them all together in one post:

 

"just hang in there, you must be (a little more) patient

 

I only pray he doesnt get pissed at all these comments or any legal action and say "the hell with em!" and goodbye to the CV scene altogether after this is settled.

 

Please Stay Positive! Its just a matter of time fellas.

 

I believe he'll make it right.. eventually."

 

This quote, unfortunately, speaks volumes:

 

"you must be (a little more) patient! You have no choice but to be anyway.. if you already paid."

 

These are the attitudes which have, unfortunately, gotten people nowhere in this situation. People aren't really waiting at this point...but what's another two months? Or year, for that fact? Beating a dead horse would mean taking the attitude of "wait and hope for the best", as you have. The new horse worth (very much alive and worth beating) is, "Hey, I paid my money. Where the hell is my stuff?"

 

 

PS: this comment is priceless: "the hell with em!" and goodbye to the CV scene altogether after this is settled." Why would we worry about Eduardo doing this, when his actions have merited this? It's the community who should take this stance, shouldn't they? It's only because there are so few developers out there doing projects of this magnitude that have people putting up with this kind of poor treatment. Case in point, take a look at how much work and time went into the CV Arcade Controllers. They took some time to come out, yet the developers were here ALL the time. And when some units were faulty or had issues, they did everything they could to make it right. Was it a huge project? Sure was! And yet they came through. I believe it even cost more than the SGM. In any case, those are the kinds of developers that the CV community deserves. Whatever Eduardo has done in the past or has promised to do in the future is, IMO, null and void. Fool me once, shame on you. You know how the rest goes.

 

 

I won't comment again until the end of April. I wish you luck, and should the Great Pumpkin appear before then, I applaud your patience!

Edited February 16, 2014 by atarilovesyou

[Manoau2002]

In this situation, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't (thanks Bart). If you have a gut feeling that Eduardo isn't going to return (let alone complete the orders from this project), then you're labeled a pessimist nay-sayer. If you follow what was the status quo and "be patient, hope for the best" and send well-wishes to Eduardo and whatever his life circumstances might be, you feel like you're being taken advantage of, or worse, you've been had.

 

Now would be the time for Ed to fess up, or at least leave a message. You can't say "what's $100?", because we've already heard of one fellow who bought three of the damn things. For myself, no matter what Ed's situation is, there is absolutely no excuse for him not taking the time (MAKING the time) to contact those whose money he took for undelivered product(s). Those are the people that I'm worried about, not him. They're the ones who took the risk, sent their hard earned cash and did everything right. He's the one who did wrong, and he should at the very least contact those members privately via email. That is the absolute LEAST he should do.

 

In my book, if you take someone's money in a transaction and don't live up to your end of the bargain, I might understand if they came to you with a reason and a plan on how to make things right...but if they just disappear into thin air? Well then, you can fill in the blanks. Just because he came through for some, that doesn't mean anything to those whom he stiffed.

 

The more I think about it, somebody here mentioned it and I agree: he was just in WAY over his head. Somebody with life issues (health or otherwise) obviously shouldn't be undertaking such projects in the first place. I don't think he's a complete crook because he did come through for those in the beginning....those whose orders he could fill before he realized that the money had run out. So he might be incompetant, at the least...that's no big deal either, we've all made mistakes in life, haven't we?

 

It's time the guy just came out of the woodwork and SAID something. Again, if another year passes and there's no resolution, what then? What happens when the Opcode forum vanishes from Atariage due to the operator disappearing? It'll go down as an unfortunate turn of events, for both those who paid and received and those who paid and got zip. But maybe it's a good thing for the other developers and homebrewers, and they can see by example of how NOT to do business (let alone how NOT to treat people who put their trust in you). Do the right thing, Eduardo!

This whole march/april timeline (for the second run) is coming from one person who contacted opcode via his ebay account. The only personal message I've gotten was an acknowledgement of the money I sent back in the spring. Opcode said back then that his plan was to have the sgm (second batch) out by the end of summer. In oct. when he wrote the one public statements I believe he mentioned dec. as the month they would be ready.

 

I agree with other posters that its the communication (lack there of) thats the problem. I am not rich but one hundred dollars is not that much money to me.

 

Looking at opcodes costs/money people paid for the sgm I could see him being out a significant amount of money if there were any snags: faulty parts, printing issues, increased shipping costs) Its hard admitting to other people that you can't afford to finish the project because you are out of money. (this would be my guess as to why he is absent)

[Greg2600]

I wouldn't bet on that April timeline. As others have said, unless Eduardo is in a jail cell, held hostage by terrorists, stranded on an island, or laying unconscious in a hospital, it's not difficult to give a status update. There's really no excuse to being unable to send an email. His credibility is shot, and would find it difficult to pay him for anything in the future (luckily I didn't this time). As for "losing him," he's stormed out of the hobby twice already, only to return, so I doubt his feelings could ever be hurt that badly. And no one is saying anything controversial or the least bit unfair about him, they simply want answers.

[+5-11under]

I re-read all Eduardo's posts in the main SGM thread and 2nd run thread. One thing that concerned me is that the mold is not owned by Eduardo. If he doesn't order more cases by about the middle of the year (or perhaps beg or pay a fee), then the mold could be repurposed by the manufacturer. On about Dec. 10, 2012 he received 260 cases. I doubt he ordered more for the second run (although I could be wrong).

[digress]

I re-read all Eduardo's posts in the main SGM thread and 2nd run thread. One thing that concerned me is that the mold is not owned by Eduardo. If he doesn't order more cases by about the middle of the year (or perhaps beg or pay a fee), then the mold could be repurposed by the manufacturer. On about Dec. 10, 2012 he received 260 cases. I doubt he ordered more for the second run (although I could be wrong).

 

Does the Super Game Module have any proprietary programming or all the components, other than the pcb, stock chips?

Edited February 16, 2014 by digress

[128Kgames]

 

Does the Super Game Module have any proprietary programming or all the components, other than the pcb, stock chips?

 

The "chips" used might be stock, but the case, PCB and programming is all Eduardo as far as I know. This thing was his baby.

[wileyc]

 

Does the Super Game Module have any proprietary programming or all the components, other than the pcb, stock chips?

 

No, it's all off-the-shelf. I've been working on a prototype clone off-and-on for about six months now, when it became obvious (to me, at least) that a) the new games that I wanted to play required a SGM and b) SGMs would never be commonly available (for whatever reason).

 

I'm building it with a 62256 SRAM chip, the 40-pin version of the AY-3-8910, and an AtMega328p to handle the decoding logic. Like the real SGM, it interfaces through the expansion port -- it would be much much easier to lift, socket, and intercept address/data/decoding from the Z80 and 74138s, but that wouldn't be challenging

 

I'm not ready to post a schematic or 328p code yet, but I'll post some implementation notes here. Some control lines are inverted.

 

Lines we care about:

 

A15 (if set, we disable ourselves -- if clear, disable onboard 138)

A12 (if BIOS disable, enable our RAM, if enable, ignore)

 

A00 - A06 (7 pins) (decode for i/o operations)

 

!RFSH - enable for onboard 138 pin 5 (inverted)

!MREQ - enable for onboard 138 pin 4 (not inverted?!?)

!IORQ - enable for i/o onboard 138 pin 4

 

D7 - high for BIOS, low for RAM

 

... so, total of 13 input pins.

 

outputs:

EX_DEC_EN - ground to disable onboard 138 (pin 29? 30?)

32K_CHIP_SELECT - OE for 62256

 

p-code:

 

int rom_disable = 0;

 

read !RFSH;

read !MREQ;

read !IORQ;

 

/* memory operations */

if (RFSH && MREQ) /* memory operation */

{

read ADDRESS;

if (A15) /* 0x8000 - 0xFFFF - ROM space */

continue;

if (!rom_disable && !(ADDRESS & 0x7FFe0000) ) /* ROM not us */

continue;

EX_DEC_EN = 0; /* turn off onboard memory 138 */

32K_CHIP_SELECT = 1; /* turn on memory chip select */

}

else

{ 32K_CHIP_SELECT = 0;

EX_DEC_EN = 1;

}

 

/* I/O operations */

 

if (IORQ) /* i/o -- schematic says check a7 also */

{

read ADDRESS;

if (ADDRESS == 0x7fff) /* & A7? */

{

read D7;

{

rom_disable = 1;

continue;

}

else if ( (ADDRESS == 0x50) || \

(ADDRESS == 0x51) || \

(ADDRESS == 0x52)

)

{

SOUND_ENABLE = 1;

}

else

SOUND_ENABLE = 0;

}

}

 

 

[+5-11under]

Does the Super Game Module have any proprietary programming or all the components, other than the pcb, stock chips?

Nothing proprietary. There is specific code for the CPLD, though. If the current situation remains, then I'll seriously consider making my own version based on the technical documentation provided by Eduardo. I don't want to discuss this too much right now, because I still want to give Eduardo a chance to get this done himself. I'll probably also send him an e-mail to see if he wants to sell or give away the "rights" to the project, especially the mold, PCB layout, and CPLD code.

[retroillucid]

The "chips" used might be stock, but the case, PCB and programming is all Eduardo as far as I know. This thing was his baby.

 

Case is a ADAM Auto Dialer case

Eduardo got a mold out of that case

[retroillucid]

No, it's all off-the-shelf. I've been working on a prototype clone off-and-on for about six months now, when it became obvious (to me, at least) that a) the new games that I wanted to play required a SGM and b) SGMs would never be commonly available (for whatever reason).

 

I'm building it with a 62256 SRAM chip, the 40-pin version of the AY-3-8910, and an AtMega328p to handle the decoding logic. Like the real SGM, it interfaces through the expansion port -- it would be much much easier to lift, socket, and intercept address/data/decoding from the Z80 and 74138s, but that wouldn't be challenging

 

I'm not ready to post a schematic or 328p code yet, but I'll post some implementation notes here. Some control lines are inverted.

 

Lines we care about:

A15 (if set, we disable ourselves -- if clear, disable onboard 138)

A12 (if BIOS disable, enable our RAM, if enable, ignore)

A00 - A06 (7 pins) (decode for i/o operations)

!RFSH - enable for onboard 138 pin 5 (inverted)

!MREQ - enable for onboard 138 pin 4 (not inverted?!?)

!IORQ - enable for i/o onboard 138 pin 4

D7 - high for BIOS, low for RAM

... so, total of 13 input pins.

outputs:

EX_DEC_EN - ground to disable onboard 138 (pin 29? 30?)

32K_CHIP_SELECT - OE for 62256

 

p-code:

int rom_disable = 0;

read !RFSH;

read !MREQ;

read !IORQ;

/* memory operations */

if (RFSH && MREQ) /* memory operation */

{

read ADDRESS;

if (A15) /* 0x8000 - 0xFFFF - ROM space */

continue;

if (!rom_disable && !(ADDRESS & 0x7FFe0000) ) /* ROM not us */

continue;

EX_DEC_EN = 0; /* turn off onboard memory 138 */

32K_CHIP_SELECT = 1; /* turn on memory chip select */

}

else

{ 32K_CHIP_SELECT = 0;

EX_DEC_EN = 1;

}

/* I/O operations */

if (IORQ) /* i/o -- schematic says check a7 also */

{

read ADDRESS;

if (ADDRESS == 0x7fff) /* & A7? */

{

read D7;

{

rom_disable = 1;

continue;

}

else if ( (ADDRESS == 0x50) || \

(ADDRESS == 0x51) || \

(ADDRESS == 0x52)

)

{

SOUND_ENABLE = 1;

}

else

SOUND_ENABLE = 0;

}

}

 

So you're making your own SuperGame Module?

[wileyc]

So you're making your own SuperGame Module?

 

I'm building a work-alike on a perf board, yes. I'll post a schematic and code for the decoding logic chip when I'm done -- I have no intention to mass-produce these (or build more than one, actually), but I'm very willing to share my work with others who may want to do so.

[retroillucid]

I'm building a work-alike on a perf board, yes. I'll post a schematic and code for the decoding logic chip when I'm done -- I have no intention to mass-produce these (or build more than one, actually), but I'm very willing to share my work with others who may want to do so.

Cool

 

Now someone need to make a mold so the SGM look like the unreleased Coleco one!

[wileyc]

Cool

 

Now someone need to make a mold so the SGM look like the unreleased Coleco one!

 

*chuckle* Yeah, see, that's the part I want to stay far far away from. I'm an engineer, not a marketing/sales/rabid-collector type

 

(I've got a very strong opinion about how the SGM was priced and marketed. I've got an even stronger opinion about what Eduardo has done to you folks. In the interest of harmony, I'm keeping them to myself -- and will release the full specs of what I've got soonish so that you all have options other than Eduardo ...)

[boxpressed]

I'm a lot less sanguine about the prospects of seeing the remainder of the first run and all of the second run after discovering this thread last night.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/166797-unauthorized-copies-of-colecovision-homebrew-games/

[wileyc]

I'm a lot less sanguine about the prospects of seeing the remainder of the first run and all of the second run after discovering this thread last night.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/166797-unauthorized-copies-of-colecovision-homebrew-games/

 

His behavior in that thread was a large contributing factor in my decision to clone the SGM.

 

Maybe he'll see the latest developments in this thread (5-11under going the diplomatic route before working on a clone, me already having the RAM expansion bit working), realize that he's going to lose exclusivity (legally -- I don't have a SGM, just used the technical thread and the CV schematics), and do the right thing by you all.

 

Or maybe he'll hit me with a bogus DMCA violation. Or use this to rationalize his apparent decision to take the money and run. At this point, all three options are equally possible.

 

Anyway, back to work ...

[RelliK111]

wileyc, on 16 Feb 2014 - 6:47 PM, said:

 

*chuckle* Yeah, see, that's the part I want to stay far far away from. I'm an engineer, not a marketing/sales/rabid-collector type

 

(I've got a very strong opinion about how the SGM was priced and marketed. I've got an even stronger opinion about what Eduardo has done to you folks. In the interest of harmony, I'm keeping them to myself -- and will release the full specs of what I've got soonish so that you all have options other than Eduardo ...)

Do you know if there is a Coleco Emulator that runs SGM games yet, or is that what your working on?

[wileyc]

Do you know if there is a Coleco Emulator that runs SGM games yet, or is that what your working on?

 

I'm working on a physical SGM clone for use in a real console.

 

It would be trivial to hack ColEm (or whatever) to run SGM games, I suspect From a hardware standpoint, the SGM is really just the memory portion of the Adam expansion module with an old GI sound chip bolted on (I think to make MSX ports easier). Emulating it would be simple, given that the sound chip has been re-implemented in MAME/MESS.

 

I have no interest in hacking ColEm (or whatever). My interest is in reproducing a (what appears to now be dead) hardware project, and disseminating the information for reproduction to those interested in building one. (To cheaply replace a unit that was ordered two years ago but never received, for example)

[chart45]

do you know where the 60 pin connector can be found cause i did the 24k mem upgrade by soldering all wire to the z80 and the 3 wires on the me memory decoding chip

 

for the sound chip i never been able to figure out the decoding and here i know people can do it but for respect or because they dont want eduardo to blow a fuse dont share info maybe its not the case only what i think hope you will success and share info

[wileyc]

do you know where the 60 pin connector can be found cause i did the 24k mem upgrade by soldering all wire to the z80 and the 3 wires on the me memory decoding chip

 

for the sound chip i never been able to figure out the decoding and here i know people can do it but for respect or because they dont want eduardo to blow a fuse dont share info maybe its not the case only what i think hope you will success and share info

 

I found one in a small shop in Akihabara. I'm sure Digi-key has something that will work. WIre D0-D7 into DA0-DA7, A0 and A1 into the corresponding BC, and use the logic I posted above to assert/deassert CS (only on 24-pin, which is why I haven't completed my prototype with my 40-pin chip).

 

The decoding logic that the other fellows gave you in the other thread was valid, by the way. You need to understand how programmable logic works to make use of the information; they were not witholding anything.

 

(incidentally, that's why I'm using a fast ATMega instead of a GAL. With a fast enough clock and enough inputs, *anything* can be done)

Edited February 17, 2014 by wileyc

[NIAD]

Looking at opcodes costs/money people paid for the sgm I could see him being out a significant amount of money if there were any snags: faulty parts, printing issues, increased shipping costs) Its hard admitting to other people that you can't afford to finish the project because you are out of money. (this would be my guess as to why he is absent)

I recall Eduardo talked about the cost of producing the SGM, box, manual and styrofoam packing as well as some complications that arose in production in this thread or maybe another and numerous people stated that a price increase would be alright with them... including myself. After all was said and done, I don't think he actually did increase the price and if he took a hit financially, that would be very disappointing to hear.

 

Maybe River West (current rights holders of the Coleco name/brand) has him working on a Top Secret project and won't release him from their development lab until he's finished!

[Manoau2002]

I recall Eduardo talked about the cost of producing the SGM, box, manual and styrofoam packing as well as some complications that arose in production in this thread or maybe another and numerous people stated that a price increase would be alright with them... including myself. After all was said and done, I don't think he actually did increase the price and if he took a hit financially, that would be very disappointing to hear.

I think he should have charged a lot more from the beginning. (like 150 instead of 90) If the project was on budget (or close to it) he could have included a game with it. (ex. DKA) It also would have given him money to hire some "helpers" (building, testing, shipping) if the project became to time consuming.

[128Kgames]

Case is a ADAM Auto Dialer case

Eduardo got a mold out of that case

 

But that was modified if I remember correctly for use with the SGM. So its not a stock auto dialer case anymore, correct?

[retroillucid]

But that was modified if I remember correctly for use with the SGM. So its not a stock auto dialer case anymore, correct?

Really? I was not aware

Maybe you're right

[wileyc]

 

WIre D0-D7 into DA0-DA7, A0 and A1 into the corresponding BC, and use the logic I posted above to assert/deassert CS (only on 24-pin, which is why I haven't completed my prototype with my 40-pin chip).

 

I misspoke there -- I was working off my notes, not the actual code for the 328p.

 

What you want to do is tie BC2 to logic high (so, +5VDC via pullup resister), BC1 will be an inverted A0, and BDDIR will be an inverted A1. Do not hook any of the B lines directly to the bus on the 40-pin version; you may be able to get away with running them directly from the bus via two gates of an inverter if you're using an -8913 with the appropriate CS logic.