creating a real game cartridge

[zhinchliffe]

How would you go about writing a game's binary file to a real atari cartridge? Is this even possible? If it's too technical (I don't really want to get into soldering and all that, it's not my thing) is there a place where I can pay money to get it done for me?

[Wickeycolumbus]

Depending on the game, you can buy a circuit board and an EPROM from the AtariAge store (currently closed). You burn the game onto the EPROM with a eprom programmer and solder it to the circuit board, then you put the circuit board into a standard atari cartrige. Many homebrew games (in cart form) are sold through the AA store.

[zhinchliffe]

hm. I guess I'll have no choice but to learn soldering and such because I want to put my own game on a cartridge. ah well, thanks anyway.

[+atari2600land]

Where do you get an EPROM programmer?

[Wickeycolumbus]

hm. I guess I'll have no choice but to learn soldering and such because I want to put my own game on a cartridge. ah well, thanks anyway.

 

Your welcome. If you dont want to go through the hastle of making your own carts, you could always sell it through the AA store (contact Albert). You get like a $5 royalty per game sold.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Where do you get an EPROM programmer?

 

This is the one I use:

 

http://www.progshop.com/shop/programmer/BX...programmer.html

 

PS: dont get a willem, it is a waste of money. Cheep, but it does not burn eproms without a mod that is hard to do.

[mimo]

seconded the BX32, awesome product.

Use the pixels past boards from the AA shop, you can even buy them built with a socket to just slip in the EPROM

 

If you only want one or two, then I would be happy to burn the Eprom for you and post at cost, or even make the board up if you send me the parts.

[Wickeycolumbus]

seconded the BX32, awesome product.

Use the pixels past boards from the AA shop, you can even buy them built with a socket to just slip in the EPROM

 

If you only want one or two, then I would be happy to burn the Eprom for you and post at cost, or even make the board up if you send me the parts.

 

I actually discovered the bx32 because of you

[GreenDayRlz]

Where do you get an EPROM programmer?

 

This is the one I use:

 

http://www.progshop.com/shop/programmer/BX...programmer.html

 

PS: dont get a willem, it is a waste of money. Cheep, but it does not burn eproms without a mod that is hard to do.

 

 

 

Intronics Pocket Programer 1.....Awsome.....

 

But we have ME, and windows probably doesn`t work with others because it`s windows......

 

Here`s a PP3, expensive, though.....

 

http://secure.transtronics.com/osc/product...products_id/621

[yuppicide]

Thanks for the information. I am probably going to get that BX32 Batupo as well.

 

I have a question for you guys on the same subject.

 

1 - How long does it take to approx burn a chip?

 

2 - In the AtariAge store I see the following:

 

"This 8K EPROM (2764 or 27C64) is intended for use with the Pixels Past 2600 8K/16K/32K PCB, 8-bit 8K/16K PCB, and ColecoVision PCB. This is a used EPROM that has been cleaned and erased."

 

Used is what I am looking at. Does that matter at all? Do they still make them new? Should I get them new if I possibly can?

[Wickeycolumbus]

Thanks for the information. I am probably going to get that BX32 Batupo as well.

 

I have a question for you guys on the same subject.

 

1 - How long does it take to approx burn a chip?

 

2 - In the AtariAge store I see the following:

 

"This 8K EPROM (2764 or 27C64) is intended for use with the Pixels Past 2600 8K/16K/32K PCB, 8-bit 8K/16K PCB, and ColecoVision PCB. This is a used EPROM that has been cleaned and erased."

 

Used is what I am looking at. Does that matter at all? Do they still make them new? Should I get them new if I possibly can?

 

It usualy takes me 3-5 Min. for a 2732A on the BX32. The EPROMs can only be rewritten a certain number of times, so If it has been used many times, it will probably die faster than a new one would. I dont think anyone makes new ones, but if you could get them, I would buy them.

[mimo]

I'm pretty sure new ones can be found on the Batronix site (well the European one in any case)

I bought a load of different ones from http://www.epromman.com/ and only had one bad one - and that was probably down to me frying it trying to get the bloody Willans to burn a decent chip

[GreenDayRlz]

The Intronics I talked about burns them in 0-2 seconds. About 1 sec.

 

Our Tandy COCO burns them in 10 w/ the OLD intronics from the 80`s.....

 

Pocket programer is the best!

[yuppicide]

Is there any USB programmer under $100 that I could get to program 2k, 4k, and 8k (and possibly) 32k ROMS for the 2600?

 

Otherwise I'll just wait and get the BX32 Batupo.

[+Cafeman]

I have always used the Pocket Programmer too. It worked even when I had Windows M.E. It writes to the EPROM quickly, a few seconds at most I think. What takes a longer time is the ERASING of Eproms. Don't forget, to re-use Eproms you need to erase them first, which is a different piece of equipment. Erasing EPROMS usually took several minutes for me, however mine has 4 slots to erase 4 at a time, which was nice.

[newcoleco]

I use Batronix bx32 to burn 32k eeprom chip 27c256 and it takes only a few seconds... as you can see in the following video.

 

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=iTfXmCoipaw

 

The software is available in english, french, and some other languages.

[yuppicide]

I've settled on the BX32 Batupo finally. I'll be placing my order Friday.

 

Is there a cheaper eraser to get? Theirs is $99.

[yuppicide]

Do they come pre-erased? I sent him an email. I'm going to order the BX32 this Friday, but not sure I have money to buy the eraser also.

 

Weird that you his email says [email protected], but if you click the link to email him it goes to [email protected] Wonder which one is good.

 

I'm pretty sure new ones can be found on the Batronix site (well the European one in any case)

I bought a load of different ones from http://www.epromman.com/ and only had one bad one - and that was probably down to me frying it trying to get the bloody Willans to burn a decent chip

[mimo]

They are all "pulls" ie second hand so will need erasing first.

I bought a cheap eraser from evilbay (a Chinese seller)

Arrived fairly quickly and still working (came with a spare UV bulb which I have not had to use yet)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UV-EPROM-Eraser-with...id=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.com/UV-Tube-Eprom-Data-Era...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

The second link is the one I got

[yuppicide]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I talked to Epromman. He said the place he used to work built their own eraser out of plywood and UV lights. It would erase 1000 at a time.

 

That price on Evilbay is great.

[Nukey Shay]

2-chip eraser f/s:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=132911

[klokwrkblu]

hm. I guess I'll have no choice but to learn soldering and such because I want to put my own game on a cartridge. ah well, thanks anyway.

 

 

Its easier than you think, you just take a piece of the solder metal and just melt on the area you want to umm solder.

 

The only things you need to worry about is over blobbing it and make a bit of a mess and melting it too long for it could damage the board.

 

(I learned that one the hard way with that Atari Flashback 2 cart port mod).

 

But for an Atari 2600 cartridge it should be really simple.

 

By the way if there is no "tin" on the area you want to solder it WONT stick to the board.

 

 

HAPPY TINNING :)

[supercat]

Its easier than you think, you just take a piece of the solder metal and just melt on the area you want to umm solder.

 

If you use a board with plated through-holes (nearly all double-sided boards that are manufactured have them, though if you make boards yourself using resist and etchant they won't) the normal formula is to touch the solder to the leg of the component while you touch the iron simultaneously to the board and a different spot on the component leg. For best results, there should be a tiny bit of solder on the iron to start with. Avoid touching the solder directly to the iron, since the iron will grab all the solder and render it useless. A tiny bit of solder on the iron will help it heat things up quickly (instead of the iron just touching the wire at a point, the solder will form a thermal bridge between the lead and the iron) but if there's too much solder on the iron it will tend to grab more.

 

The key thing to remember about solder is that it will tend to stick to the hottest thing it can find. Any solder which is stuck to the iron will want to remain stuck to the iron, since the iron is going to be hotter than anything else. If you touch the iron to the pad on the board and the component leg, and touch the solder to a different spot on the component leg, then the component leg and the board pad/hole will be the hottest things the solder is in contact with and it will stick to those.

Edited October 19, 2008 by supercat