+OLD CS1 Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 The SuperSpace uses CRU bank switching. I am planning to use my 32k SuperSpace II for development purposes and have drop-in bank switching code for non-CRU for other cartridge types. I need to understand what the standard bank switching technique is or has become so that I can build projects suitable for these massive carts to which we will have access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkeey Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 I read this fast as, "need someone to make me a supper club". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 I read this fast as, "need someone to make me a supper club". Poof! You're a supper club. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjt Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 (edited) Do not under estimate Gazoo Edited September 21, 2014 by sjt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Vorticon Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 I still have to get some time to solder the last components and test the boards for full functionality, Vorticon. I could send you one as a test object if you want to play with one of them. . .Bare board for $8 or assembled with RAM and battery but no GROM for $18. I'll take an assembled board. Please PM me with payment details. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkeey Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Poof! You're a supper club. hahahah Nice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 The SuperSpace uses CRU bank switching. I am planning to use my 32k SuperSpace II for development purposes and have drop-in bank switching code for non-CRU for other cartridge types. I need to understand what the standard bank switching technique is or has become so that I can build projects suitable for these massive carts to which we will have access. Very simple, the lower 'x' bits of the TI address bus (excluding the least significant bit, so as not to be affected by the 16->8 bit multiplexer) are latched during a write to the cartridge space for use as the upper address bits of the ROM in the cart. The older carts use the inverted bits (so if you write to >6000 and have 4 bits of resolution, it stores 0000b and uses the inverse, 1111b. Writing to >6002 is one greater, it latches 0001b, and uses 1110b). The original cart latched 3 bits (for 8k * 8 = 64k), IIRC, but the 379 supported 4 and this was quickly added (giving 128k of space). The newer carts use the non-inverted bits, and have more available in the latch, otherwise they are the same. The current carts are using a 6 bit non-inverted latch to get 512k of space. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 I just finished testing the first completed board for a 32K Supercart using my new layout. It worked flawlessly on the first go. The bare boards will be available for sale in the near future, either alone or possibly as a kit with all parts except for the E/A GROM. I used relatively large microswitches for my test board--they fit--barely. I used these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111454530814? I would suggest using switches with even smaller bodies if you can find them, or turn these for a sideways throw as opposed to a vertical one.so as not to come too close to the resistor. I think I may have some even smaller ones than these around here somewhere--but I'm not sure where I sourced them from anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwantgames:) Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Ok I got ahold of a editor/assembler donor cart now and the TI invaders cart. So could someone build me a supercart? Thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I have an assembled board on hand with all parts in place except for the E/A GROM that I built as one of my test boards for the new Supercart layout. I can sell it to you for $18, and then all you'll need to do is carefully hollow out the spaces for the switches and the LED to come through the front of your donor case and get someone to carefully extract your E/A GROM to put it into the socket on the Supercart. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwantgames:) Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 Pm incoming 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I actually built more test articles than I really needed for this with you in mind 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwantgames:) Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 I actually built more test articles than I really needed for this with you in mind Awesome I gonna take the e/a cart to work and get one of the electricians to desolder the chip then it'll be all ready to put in the supercart just have to make holes and a label Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 One note on the holes--you want to line them up with the spaces at each end of the E/A GROM, as then the switches can't impact anything when you lock them in place. The other note on the switches--place them so the toggles move side-to-side. If the hole would let them sit properly in vertical mode completely in the upper half of the case, the holes are in the right position, then you just rotate them, tighten them down, and carefully check the fit. It is delicate work, but rewarding. Also note that the notch on the E/A GROM will be pointed towards the RAM chip (and not towards the battery holder). I'm glad that this fun project will see some use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwantgames:) Posted October 4, 2014 Author Share Posted October 4, 2014 Awesome can't wait the guys at work been to busy to help me but they told me how to do it and lent me a desoldering iron so I got the chip off the E/A cart wasn't actually all that difficult got it put up somewheres safe awaiting installation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 The cart is packed and ready for me to take to the Post Office later this morning, along with packages for about half a dozen folks who've ordered things in the last ten days or so, as I wasn't able to get to the Post Office last weekend due to a short-notice work committment. This group will have me caught up again--now I just have to build a bunch of UberGROM boards, as I'm down to zero assembled boards there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwantgames:) Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 I gots me a working Supercart now to fit it in a shell and get a label on it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwantgames:) Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 My new supercart Thx Ksarul 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I put my switches in the middle of the label area, rotated sideways to keep from impacting the components on the board, but I like your solution as well--it makes it really hard to hit the wrong switch--and it lets you put a label on the cart! :) It does require a Widget or an extender cable for the cartridge port like that though--which is not a downside either, in my opinion. Nice work--and I'm glad you like it! I'll be bringing some of the bare boards for these with me to Chicago this year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+hloberg Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 If you have any boards left after Chicago post them for sale, I, and i'm sure several other people, could use one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I have a question on the new layout. Was the re-design partially to correct the battery drain issue of the original boards? I remember reading that when the Super Cart was left in the cartridge slot over an extended period of time, while the computer was turned off, it would drain the battery. Were there any other reasons for the new boards, other than not having to waste a perfectly good game cartridge? I'm finding my current single bank cart to be tad limiting at the present time, I run dual configurations, so it would really be nice to just flip between banks. If you have any left after the Faire, I just might want to buy one too. I'd probably set it up something like this: 1) 4A DOS 2) QUICKLOAD 3) Remind Me! (Super Cart Version) 4) --- Any Suggestions? --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 They should be available for a while--I made 30 boards, and I've only used six of them so far. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Very simple, the lower 'x' bits of the TI address bus (excluding the least significant bit, so as not to be affected by the 16->8 bit multiplexer) are latched during a write to the cartridge space for use as the upper address bits of the ROM in the cart. The older carts use the inverted bits (so if you write to >6000 and have 4 bits of resolution, it stores 0000b and uses the inverse, 1111b. Writing to >6002 is one greater, it latches 0001b, and uses 1110b). The original cart latched 3 bits (for 8k * 8 = 64k), IIRC, but the 379 supported 4 and this was quickly added (giving 128k of space). The newer carts use the non-inverted bits, and have more available in the latch, otherwise they are the same. The current carts are using a 6 bit non-inverted latch to get 512k of space. In theory, could a routine be written to automatically detect the mode of bank-switching in use? By, for instance, finding an over-lapping bank in the inverted and non-inverted methods and placing expected values in areas which would not overlap, and failing those try the CRU method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Of course... in my Multicart menu and the bank switch test program I wrote, I put a unique byte in every bank in the header's second byte, which is unused by the console (you could use any fixed address). You can simply try each switch method and see which one gives you the bank you expect (best to test at least two banks just to be sure). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Of course... in my Multicart menu and the bank switch test program I wrote, I put a unique byte in every bank in the header's second byte, which is unused by the console (you could use any fixed address). You can simply try each switch method and see which one gives you the bank you expect (best to test at least two banks just to be sure). Neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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