rlindsley

Does anybody have the source code for the FPGA chip for the Flashback 2? It seems like it we had access to that somebody could complete the work to make it compatible with every title. From there we could build an Atari 2600 with a single chip.

Thanks for all the great input here! I really appreciate the feedback. Here’s the latest: The first thing I did was get one of the F-Adapters, which as you saw from my first post didn’t work. So I went ahead and modded the 2600 with the composite out. Not only did this not work at all, but I think I killed it. Like @x=usr(1536) said, I think it was the TV tuner on the big-screen that was the problem. So….I bought a 2600jr and a small CRT which works really well using the F-Adapter. I got my dev environment set up along with a Harmony Cartridge, and I think I’m going to start programming a new game in my spare time. I’d really like to try to resurrect the 4-switch with the composite mod though. For those who have the ability, could I send you the guts of my 4-switch and you could take a look at it and see if it’s beyond repair? I like the jr, but would really rather work with an original version. Sadly, the jr is not a unicorn lol. Thanks! Robert.

Hi there, I just bought a 2600 4-switch Rev 14. When I received the unit I plugged it into my 55” 4K TV via an RCA to F Adapter. You can see the picture is really wavy and completely unplayable. When I messed around with the switches I saw the switch for channel 2-3 is intermittent. You need to get it in exactly the right spot to even see the wavy picture. Otherwise my TV just displays a black screen. I plan on converting this unit to a composite output. Should I go ahead and do the mod, or should I try to fix this issue first? I suspect the mod will fix the issue but am looking to the group for guidance. Thanks! Robert.

Interesting. Thanks! I'm going to research installing Ubuntu command line (without GUI) and boot straight into a frontend. That should make startup so much quicker. If I can get that up and running I'll start putting the emulators on it -- I really think I only need MESS, MAME and Power64 (although I'm not sure they're all available on Linux but will dig in). Thanks!

A switch box would be amazing -- if it's done correctly it could accommodate all of the controller types and have the correct switches on it. Sounds like it could be a fun project in itself. I build an arcade cabinet using Windows 7 a few years and every time I turn it on it downloads all sorts of patches. I thought XP could be good because I'm not planning on connecting it to a network, plus I can download all the patches and be done with it (for the most part). DOS or a tiny Linux variant might be really interesting. Do you know of a frontend that works either in DOS or Linux? I'm using Maximus Arcade now, and it seems like it's kind of 'end-of-life' at this point. Thanks!

Very interesting! I already have 2600 controllers but your idea could be a good way to get around needing a keyboard/mouse. Most of the other consoles don't have physical buttons on them, so I think this problem is biggest with the 2600. But for ones that do have physical buttons, that could be a good solution.

Thanks for that -- XP hibernate should be pretty quick. Have you found it to be stable (i.e. is it going to introduce any weirdness)? Thanks!

It's an Intel Atom d510 system running Windows XP launching directly into Maximus Arcade using USB adaptors for each controller type. The FPGA sounds awesome but I'm not at all familiar with the architecture or how I would set it up. Although one of my big dreams would be instant-on, not needing to load 2 minutes of junk before I can play.

Hi there, I am in the process of building a computer for retro gaming. The computer will be using Maximus Arcade for the frontend, will have HDMI out and will emulate the following systems -- Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Neo Geo, Nintendo 64, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafX. The case will be a gutted NES system. I don't want to hook up a keyboard/mouse to the console, and want to use only original controllers to play each system. The first system I am setting up is the 2600. The 2600 has a few switches on the actual console, and my question is how can I emulate those switches without a keyboard/mouse? Is there anyway I can do it through the controller itself -- or is there a special panel I can get that would have those switches? Thanks! Robert.