beta The!Cart CPLD logic update - beta testers needed

[HiassofT]

During the last months I fixed a few bugs in the The!Cart CPLD logic and added a new feature to disable the The!Cart config registers when emulating foreign cartridge types. The new logic improves compatibility with existing cartridge images and prevents accidental flash corruption in case some program hits The!Cart config registers by mistake.

 

We've tested the logic for quite some time without any issues, but now we need your help to test it on a broader variety of systems.

 

If you know how to update the Xilinx CPLD logic via JTAG (it's the same procedure as with U1MB and incognito) here's the neccessary info:

 

Download the beta logic (140209) from here: http://www.horus.com/~hias/thecart/logic/

 

If you run into issues with the beta logic, just program the original logic (131027) and you are fine again.

 

Here are the detailled update instructions, with pictures of the PCB and the location of the JTAG pins: http://www.horus.com/~hias/thecart/jtag-update-docs/

 

Please report back here with your results or if you have questions.

 

so long & thanks for your help,

 

Hias

[venom4728a]

I updated my Cart today, everything went well, I will test over the next few weeks.

 

Best Regards

Robert

[Roydea6]

OK now that I have updated the CPLD. What should I try it out with my 800xl works with the!cart but I may not have any foreign cartridge types. The 130XE also boots the cartridge and no visible change to before the update...

[HiassofT]

OK now that I have updated the CPLD. What should I try it out with my 800xl works with the!cart but I may not have any foreign cartridge types. The 130XE also boots the cartridge and no visible change to before the update...

The expected behaviour is that The!Cart works as well as before, so I'd say this looks fine so far!

 

With "foreign" carts I meant cartridge types that are emulated by The!Cart, like 8k/16k, OSS, XEGS, Atarimax etc.

 

If you run into something that worked with the old logic but not with the new one, please tell me about it.

 

so long,

 

Hias