Pre-Order Page is now up for 7800 Expansion Module

[AtariNerd]

I admit, getting the funding necessary for the project to work, worries me some. I want this to be a success, especially for Curt; greatly due to a lot of the hell he was put through before when he really most needed peoples support. That's a great part of why I was so antsy yesterday. :/ But I'm a bit of a nervous and anxious person, anyways. Needless to say, I jumped right on board, as soon as I was able. C'mon, folks, the water is fine. Tell your friends, go viral - spread the infectious Atari spirit across the web.

[Jinks]

Paid in full dude. Now just need a H2 and some expansion module games, I think everyone should buy that new Failsafe game just for good measure. SO I will drop 400 on atari stuff before christmas but oh well.

[Brian R.]

I find this interesting, but confess I don't really understand it.

 

Put simply, what would this expansion module do/provide?

 

I'm not a programmer or anything like that. I have my 7800 and I have my cartridges, and I use them.

 

Will this module, for instance, give me better sound when I plug in my Donkey Kong cartridge (and other games)?

 

I get it will save my high scores. Nice, but not necessary.

 

What else will it do, could I do with it?

[8th lutz]

I find this interesting, but confess I don't really understand it.

 

Put simply, what would this expansion module do/provide?

 

I'm not a programmer or anything like that. I have my 7800 and I have my cartridges, and I use them.

 

Will this module, for instance, give me better sound when I plug in my Donkey Kong cartridge (and other games)?

 

I get it will save my high scores. Nice, but not necessary.

 

What else will it do, could I do with it?

The expansion Module will not your Donkey Kong Cartridge better sound. The only way Donkey Kong could have better sound is if a game developer decides hack Donkey Kong and changes the sounds in it and make it an Atari 7800 expansion module game.

 

In terms of sound, the 2nd sound chip on the expansion Module is a YM2151 sound chip. The YM2151 sound was in many arcade games in the mid and late 1980's starting with Marble Madness. The arcade companies that used that sound chip a lot in that era was Atari, Capcom, Konami, Namco and Sega.

 

The expansion module also is capable of having better arcade ports than the Atari 7800 due to memory. The memory comes to play in terms of porting arcade games from the mid and late 1980's.

Edited September 21, 2010 by 8th lutz

[Brian R.]

I find this interesting, but confess I don't really understand it.

 

Put simply, what would this expansion module do/provide?

 

I'm not a programmer or anything like that. I have my 7800 and I have my cartridges, and I use them.

 

Will this module, for instance, give me better sound when I plug in my Donkey Kong cartridge (and other games)?

 

I get it will save my high scores. Nice, but not necessary.

 

What else will it do, could I do with it?

The expansion Module will not your Donkey Kong Cartridge better sound. The only way Donkey Kong could have better sound is if a game developer decides hack Donkey Kong and changes the sounds in it and make it an Atari 7800 expansion module game.

 

The expansion module also is capable of having better arcade ports than the Atari 7800 due to memory. The memory comes to play in terms of porting arcade games from the mid and late 1980's.

 

So it won't do anything for the games I have, only new games that are made to make use of the module's features?

[Curt Vendel]

Any games that have High Score capability will immediately be enabled when using the module, new games that take advantage of all of the ram, or audio chips or both will have major enhancements.

 

Connecting new peripherals will be possible with the module like Atari 1050 disk drives for use with possible future applications/programs for the module. This would most likely also be used in concert with a future keyboard attachment that will plug into the 15pin keyboard connector on the side of the unit.

 

So it enhances the 7800's capabilities and gives it future expansion capabilities with peripherals and keyboards.

 

 

I find this interesting, but confess I don't really understand it.

 

Put simply, what would this expansion module do/provide?

 

I'm not a programmer or anything like that. I have my 7800 and I have my cartridges, and I use them.

 

Will this module, for instance, give me better sound when I plug in my Donkey Kong cartridge (and other games)?

 

I get it will save my high scores. Nice, but not necessary.

 

What else will it do, could I do with it?

The expansion Module will not your Donkey Kong Cartridge better sound. The only way Donkey Kong could have better sound is if a game developer decides hack Donkey Kong and changes the sounds in it and make it an Atari 7800 expansion module game.

 

The expansion module also is capable of having better arcade ports than the Atari 7800 due to memory. The memory comes to play in terms of porting arcade games from the mid and late 1980's.

 

So it won't do anything for the games I have, only new games that are made to make use of the module's features?

[eightbit]

I wonder if someone will work on the ability to use an SIO2PC interface to send homebrew games and apps to the 7800 via the SIO input on the expansion module...like I do with the 800XL and Steven Tucker's SIO2PC serial interface. Now THAT would be cool.

[Zoyx]

I wonder if someone will work on the ability to use an SIO2PC interface to send homebrew games and apps to the 7800 via the SIO input on the expansion module...like I do with the 800XL and Steven Tucker's SIO2PC serial interface. Now THAT would be cool.

Too much work. An Eharmony for the 7800 is the way to go. There has been some chit-chat about that. Just a matter if there is the demand.

[atomickneedrop]

paid in full yesterday. what a time to be a 7800 lifer!

[+evg2000]

payment sent

charles

[Dino]

Payment sent!

[Curt Vendel]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh that's a secret!

 

 

I wonder if someone will work on the ability to use an SIO2PC interface to send homebrew games and apps to the 7800 via the SIO input on the expansion module...like I do with the 800XL and Steven Tucker's SIO2PC serial interface. Now THAT would be cool.

[+Allan]

Curt,

What part of the original 7800 keyboard is implemented in the expansion module? Is it just the SIO port? Will it be possible now to just build an interface board and use an XL keyboard? Is it more complicated? I'm guessing it is? Just curious.

 

Do you think the SIO port could have any function without the keyboard?

 

Allan

[romeoteknik]

Ordered and paid in full, now to hunt for a 7800, haha.

[JonnyBritish]

Ordered and paid in full, now to hunt for a 7800, haha.

 

I just went the best electronics way and ordered a refurbished one.

[SpaceDice2010]

I am sold on this. Going to buy one today. Are you looking for investors btw?

 

Lloyd

 

Any games that have High Score capability will immediately be enabled when using the module, new games that take advantage of all of the ram, or audio chips or both will have major enhancements.

 

Connecting new peripherals will be possible with the module like Atari 1050 disk drives for use with possible future applications/programs for the module. This would most likely also be used in concert with a future keyboard attachment that will plug into the 15pin keyboard connector on the side of the unit.

 

So it enhances the 7800's capabilities and gives it future expansion capabilities with peripherals and keyboards.

 

 

I find this interesting, but confess I don't really understand it.

 

Put simply, what would this expansion module do/provide?

 

I'm not a programmer or anything like that. I have my 7800 and I have my cartridges, and I use them.

 

Will this module, for instance, give me better sound when I plug in my Donkey Kong cartridge (and other games)?

 

I get it will save my high scores. Nice, but not necessary.

 

What else will it do, could I do with it?

The expansion Module will not your Donkey Kong Cartridge better sound. The only way Donkey Kong could have better sound is if a game developer decides hack Donkey Kong and changes the sounds in it and make it an Atari 7800 expansion module game.

 

The expansion module also is capable of having better arcade ports than the Atari 7800 due to memory. The memory comes to play in terms of porting arcade games from the mid and late 1980's.

 

So it won't do anything for the games I have, only new games that are made to make use of the module's features?

[Harry_Dodgson]

Can I trade my original (non-upgraded) HSC cart in original packaging with the lowest (non-reserved) number (I think that is #6) for one of these?

[JonnyBritish]

I saw mention of OSS creating a BASIC for the Atari 7800..wonder if this was just a revamped BASIC XE or did it have any cool features for the 7800.

 

It never shipped of course because the 7800 never got the keyboard etc but somewhere somebody has it :-)

[Curt Vendel]

I have OSS/7800 Basic, as well as 7800 VideoWriter, 7800 StarTyper, 7800 Atarilab Light and Atarilab Temp... Those will follow later after the Exp Module...

 

 

 

I saw mention of OSS creating a BASIC for the Atari 7800..wonder if this was just a revamped BASIC XE or did it have any cool features for the 7800.

 

It never shipped of course because the 7800 never got the keyboard etc but somewhere somebody has it :-)

[Curt Vendel]

Hi Harry,

 

I don't really have anything setup for a trade-in policy to be honest, if its an early unit, you may want to consider ebaying it.

 

 

Curt

 

Can I trade my original (non-upgraded) HSC cart in original packaging with the lowest (non-reserved) number (I think that is #6) for one of these?

[GroovyBee]

I have OSS/7800 Basic, as well as 7800 VideoWriter, 7800 StarTyper, 7800 Atarilab Light and Atarilab Temp... Those will follow later after the Exp Module...

 

I suspect they'll need some work given the different memory map and method of communicating with the keyboard.

[Zonie]

OK, that makes it more interesting. What would top this thing off is an SD card slot on it that we can load the .bin files directly to it so we can play the hacks and downloadable homebrews. In other words, no have to buy another item just to load games.

 

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh that's a secret!

 

 

I wonder if someone will work on the ability to use an SIO2PC interface to send homebrew games and apps to the 7800 via the SIO input on the expansion module...like I do with the 800XL and Steven Tucker's SIO2PC serial interface. Now THAT would be cool.

[Austin]

Ah, nice.. I will be able to do a 50% payment on Friday if that method is working (end-of-the-month bills, can't do the full payment right now)!

[ntavio]

Payment sent

[Curt Vendel]

That is what the H2 will be for... its specifically why we decided NOT to do any kind of SDCARD interfacing into the design, because we knew a lot of time and work was already going into the Harmony2 cart for the 7800.

 

 

 

Curt

 

OK, that makes it more interesting. What would top this thing off is an SD card slot on it that we can load the .bin files directly to it so we can play the hacks and downloadable homebrews. In other words, no have to buy another item just to load games.

 

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh that's a secret!

 

 

I wonder if someone will work on the ability to use an SIO2PC interface to send homebrew games and apps to the 7800 via the SIO input on the expansion module...like I do with the 800XL and Steven Tucker's SIO2PC serial interface. Now THAT would be cool.