+karri Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 Hi guys, a few years ago we started on a project to get some easy hardware for hobby releases. I just updated the KiCad files in https://bitbucket.org/atarilynx The files available: The flash cart programmer. This device requires an RaspberryPi to work. The code for it is in lynx/contrib/blankcart/programmer. You can read and write all Lynx carts with compatible chips. The KiCad design is in lynx/contrib/blankcart/LynxProgrammer. It is possible to equip the cart with 1mm pogo-pins or with a real Lynx cart connector. The original blankcart. A typical home brew design. The PCB can be made thicker by adding a 3D printed cover. The PCB is the same size as the Lynx Cart. A nice gimmic in this cart is the block select and AUDIN pins to be available at the top of the cart for interesting Lynx controlled devices. The flash is 512k and the eeprom can be from 64 bytes to 64 kbytes. The current slim cart. This cart is currently the heart of "Shaken, not stirred", "Flappy bird Testing" and others. It has 512k flash and the eeprom can be from 64 bytes to 64 kbytes. The future massive cart. This cart may be used for some giant games in the future. It has 2M flash and the eeprom can be from 64 bytes to 64 kbytes. This is the largest cart a Lynx can access directly by using both read stobes and AUDIN as an extra chip selector. All these carts exists and can be programmed with the programmer above. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Laser Lynx Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 That's so wonderful, thanks for sharing! All the tools are out there now for easy Lynx development, we would just need to get more developers on board now. Not that things aren't more lively than ever on the dev-side of things it seems. Maybe I need to start that pixel-wow for the Lynx for 2029 after all There's a lot of room for tiny Lynx graphics and stuff on 2MB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Thanks for sharing these Karri. I'll share my cart connector designs once I verify it works with your board properly. If all goes well it should be a plug-in module so nobody has to ever take apart a Lynx to get the connector out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+karri Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 Here is a photo of the programmer. I still need to invent something better than my thumb to press the cart down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Cool. Oh you used probe style pogo pins, do they scratch the contacts on the cart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+karri Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 They should not damage the cart if you place the cart in the right position and then press the cart down. The pins move 2.5 mm up/down. It works by pressing the cart down manually. Obviously I need some nice locking mechanism. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 PCB manufacture is completed, now the wait for shipping begins. The PCB is extremely simple, the trick will be with the small pogo pins and the spacer boards to keep the cart in place. I plan to use the PCB with the tracks as both the top and bottom initially, but will try a 3D printed shell in the future. Karri have you salvaged the real cart connector from a Lynx to use in any of your boards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Laser Lynx Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 (edited) I believe some of the earliest boards had real cart connectors, but prices on broken Lynxes had already then started to become ridicculously high. I was in luck and found a broken Lynx I from Spain for 20e and sent it to Karri. Here's a picture of mine (it's made by Karri though): http://atariage.com/forums/topic/236146-programming-the-lynx-for-a-living-blank-carts/?p=3315907 Edited November 15, 2018 by Turbo Laser Lynx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Cool, also saw in that thread that Karri had a 3D printed slot at some point too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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