Dropcheck Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Recently there was a conversation on updating the original SpartaDos Cartridge to the latest version. It got me to thinking. I know there are several other implementations of the software. I was wondering about possibly trying to recreate the cartridge. One of the things I really think is neat is the stackable nature of the original. I expect that in order to get that I would need to somehow connect a 30 pin Vertical Cart Connector C014389 to the top of a custom pcb like what the original cartridge does. I did a search for the PAL part # and came up empty, so I am guessing that is obsolete. Does anyone know if the GAL20v8 chip and code (from here http://trub.atari8.info/index.php?ref=intsdx_128kb_en) is pin/program compatible to the original PAL chip? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triads Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I'd be interested in one or two of these... Happy hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Does anyone have schematics for the board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fibrewire Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) Does anyone have schematics for the board? Or just a scan of the blank board would suffice. There is one for sale HERE Edited July 23, 2014 by fibrewire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 I've got it watched. Failing someone with schematics it is an option to buy. I'd rather not pay a hundred or so. There's two actually. One with manual and on bare cartridge. Still the question is the GAL20v8 and code from the internal version pin/program compatible to the original PAL chip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Does anyone have schematics for the board? I don't know if schematics of the original ICD circuit are available, but they are for the internal SDX upgrade @ http://trub.atari8.info Steve also has images of the bare FTe SDX cartridge board on the Atarimax website. These images should make it possible to compare with the intSDX schematic and determine whether the programmed 20V8 is pin compatible with the original PAL. These are from an archive of material about cartridges by jindroush http://www.atarimax.com/jindroush.atari.org/acarts.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 128KB (or more) software flashable SDX cart with internal clock and pass-thru = desirable bit of kit. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fibrewire Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I don't know if schematics of the original ICD circuit are available, but they are for the internal SDX upgrade @ http://trub.atari8.info Thanks for the schematics and PCB scans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 This seems to be the next project I will undertake. I need to do an original schematic first to see how everything is wired differently than the internal SDX board. Then make the 128bit upgrade. I do hope to incorporate an RTIME8 like battery backup internal to the cart and hopefully have flash capability for the SpartaDOS ROM. To that end tf_hh has graciously offered to help by writing glue code for the GAL we'll be using. I'm hopeless without that. Thank you tf_hh. Not a lot of specifics right now, we're still feeling our way around it to see what can be done. I'll update reasonably often here. I fear we will run into issues with cart cases, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I also found a page on the SDX Upgrade project website complete with information/schematics for upgrading a 128K upgraded SDX cartridge to allow flash upgrades. http://trub.atari8.info/index.php?ref=kartsdx128_flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 I've discovered a company just down the street that does reverse engineering of things that no longer have blueprints etc. Didn't know they existed before. I'll go by this next week and bring my original SpartaDOS cart shell with me. Maybe it won't take a mortgage to have them develop CAD files for it. Might take some other Atari carts as well. Just in case. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triads Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Excellent.. May the Force be with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 (edited) Update: Got an estimate on the reverse engineering of the carts. The carts I had them estimate were the ICD SpartaDOS Original Cartridge & OSS Black Cartridge since I had them. I had them also take a look at the Atari 13 pin SIO connector just for giggles. 3d Scanning $450 3d Modeling $1062.5 So total $1512.50 Now that gets me the files I can send to a manufacture to build them. I'm almost tempted to bite. At least the scanning part. I think I could cobble something together as far as modeling. I did take a cad modeling course in college a few years back. (Delusions run amok again ) Edited August 9, 2014 by Dropcheck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fibrewire Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I'm almost tempted to bite. At least the scanning part. I think I could cobble something together as far as modeling. I did take a cad modeling course in college a few years back. (Delusions run amok again ) If you're going to go the CAD route, a pair of calipers is cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I have no idea which was the base to draw this back then, but I remember two things. I had discussed the construction of something like this with Roy (rdea) here, and I had been looking in many designs here and there as to draw it. Also some conversations with "zennon" and the author of ARC. Anyway, not remember, and of course never happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Some update...... Long...... overdue. Sorry. Thread got lost in my mind. I have a prototype board coming in about a week or so from ITead. Something that tf_hh and I have been working on for about a year now off and on. It will have the original passthru capability as well as battery backup/RTC, current version of SpartaDos etc. Casing is still in flux. Right now I am trying to fit it to the KM20B cartridge cases. Heavily modified as you can image. I would like to redesign it for a more original look, but that is an area fraught with cost and missteps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) He he, I am very happy in that my last post somewhat rattled things!! Edited August 9, 2015 by santosp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 And now for another update: We have a working proto cart, but without the RTC as yet. It is still possible, but more parts have to be ordered and different programming tested. Another couple of weeks. I am working on designing 3d printable cartridge cases, much like the original ones. I plan to have them available for download from my site if you can and want to print them yourself. Otherwise modified KM20B cases will be available. The process is slow I know, but tf_hh and I are both juggling multiple projects. Stay tuned. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) And now for another update: We have a working proto cart, but without the RTC as yet. It is still possible, but more parts have to be ordered and different programming tested. Another couple of weeks. I am working on designing 3d printable cartridge cases, much like the original ones. I plan to have them available for download from my site if you can and want to print them yourself. Otherwise modified KM20B cases will be available. The process is slow I know, but tf_hh and I are both juggling multiple projects. Stay tuned. Any pictures from all that? Edited November 8, 2015 by santosp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Any pictures from all that? Mind you these are only proto pics. Subject to change. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) Bravo! Very well indeed. Keep up the good work. And if you need any extra help on design of pcb, or anything, not having problem to ask also me here or within pm. Also for a better apearance of the pcb, you can use the Miter tool as to make round all the edges. Use as radius the "1". Edited November 8, 2015 by santosp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 One more advice! Leave distance between the bottom of PCB and the start of the edge connector, about 1 mm. After that ask from your pcb maker to sand the edge connector. You will be surprised by the results. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender II Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 I'd like two when these come out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteym5 Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Did anyone look at AtariSales website? SpartaDOS X is available for $19.95. http://members.tcq.net/video61/compnew.html Not sure how many Video61 has in stock. If you looking to re-manufacture them, you may want to talk to him because he also has tons of blank cartridge boards and shells available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Did anyone look at AtariSales website? SpartaDOS X is available for $19.95. http://members.tcq.net/video61/compnew.html Not sure how many Video61 has in stock. If you looking to re-manufacture them, you may want to talk to him because he also has tons of blank cartridge boards and shells available. The Video61/AtariSales listing isn't for SpartaDOS-X but an earlier version, SpartaDOS 3.3C, presumably disk based before being converted to cartridge form. Dropchecks version appears to have been updated to 128K to be compatible with the later SDX releases, rather than the original 64K versions made by ICD/FTe. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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