willbilly

I think you'll like it. That's all I can say.

Okay, I got the shell in, it works. I think it could probably use a tweak or two, but I think it's good to go. I'll post some pictures when I get back home tonight if I get home early enough. I'm also posting it on Shapeways for those of you who don't have a 3D printer. EDIT: Shapeways Link is HERE. There's no markup - it just costs a lot. I'm looking at ways to reduce the cost now.

So after a long time I finally came back to it and I fixed it...I think. I'm ordering another shell. We'll see what happens. Here's the revised file. TI 1X313 v2.zip

Hey folks, sorry for going dark. Got married last week. Here's some renderings of a 2X bottom shell. One has the 2X PCB in it, the other the 1x. It has optional stands for different length cart pcbs. You can see it in grey at the 1.5X position in the 1X PCB pic. I figure you can glue it in. Maybe I'll figure out a way to get it to snap together instead, just for added coolness.

It needs a little adjustment but for a first try it isn't half bad! I usually need to do one or two more prototypes but I think I'll have it nailed next revision.

Hi guys, Unfortunately, thanks to Presidents' Day, I won't be getting the prints until Tuesday. So I was brainstorming during my drive to work, and I started thinking about standards. Is there a standard for the sizes of homebrew cartridges? I have the dimensions from my TI cartridge. I haven't cracked open my Atari made cartridges, but since they're smaller, I don't see the point. If there isn't a standard set of sizes, should we try defining one? I had some rough ideas of how it might look... 1X = Fits a standard TI PCB (roughly 1 15/16" length and 4" width, not including connector) 1.5X = 1.5 times standard in length (so that'd be ~3" length and 4" width, since that dimension is maxed out) 2X = 4" x 4" in the same standard And then a suffix could be added for alternate heights, maybe... 250 (1/4" above PCB...standard clearance) 500 (1/2" clearance) 750 (3/4") So, I could design a case top that fits 2X750 PCBs, and you know exactly what you can jam in there. So...whaddya think?

One of the ideas I had reading these discussions was a sidecar made for super catridges like Miner 2049er. Anyway, here's a quickie Ten-Gallon Cart design... 5/8" longer and 1/8" taller. I haven't messed with the internals to hold it the pcb correctly yet though. I do like the Romox look. Very Blade Runner-esque. I'll probably incorporate some of that into a final Jumbo Cart design.

Cool! Thanks Opry, I'll check those out. Now that I've figured out the critical dimensions (well, I mean I have the first draft of them) I can iterate them fairly fast. I actually didn't realize there were already so many options. For my next project I'll try to do more research to make sure what I do is a little more helpful for the community.

Sure! Here are the STLs as they stand. Of course, no guarantees, I haven't tested these guys yet. Also, it doesn't include the sprung door yet either. ti994a_cart.zip

Hi all So, this is my first post. I recently got my TI-99/4a from my dad, who recovered it from the attic over Christmas. It was my first computer, and even though I didn't really appreciate it then (be easy on me, I was 4), I'm falling in love with it now. I've been lurking, reading all the really cool stuff that everyone's been doing, like Erik's FPGA, Jon's carts and such, and I decided that maybe I could do something with my skills as an industrial designer and machinist. So I whipped up this in my CAD program and I've ordered two prototypes to be printed. Hopefully they'll snap right together. The printing's a bit on the expensive side, so it might not be a great candidate for large number of carts, but I have always been interested in mold making...;P Enjoy, Will B.