Pre-Order Page is now up for 7800 Expansion Module

[GroovyBee]

Question - the high score capability is battery backed, a guy is asking how long the battery will last?

 

With NVRAM you don't need a battery.

[carmel_andrews]

According to the news article on AA the device will include an onboard SIO connector, Does that mean that you will be able to use the various Sio2xxx products (obviously adapted for the 7800), the idea being is that you could make better software given the storage formats on some of the sio2xxx devices

 

I think it would be a better idea to support the sio2xxx products then merely supporting atari diskdrives/tape drives etc (due to it becoming incereasing harder to come by both blank cassettes and also blank 5.25 inch disks)

[JonnyBritish]

According to the news article on AA the device will include an onboard SIO connector, Does that mean that you will be able to use the various Sio2xxx products (obviously adapted for the 7800), the idea being is that you could make better software given the storage formats on some of the sio2xxx devices

 

I think it would be a better idea to support the sio2xxx products then merely supporting atari diskdrives/tape drives etc (due to it becoming incereasing harder to come by both blank cassettes and also blank 5.25 inch disks)

 

Curt left a teaser post saying maybe you could load software to the 7800 using SIO2PC. I suspect that the expansion unit is only the start of a lot of fun.

[Curt Vendel]

Absolutely, you'll see your status change from Payment Pending to Pre-Order.

 

 

 

Hi Curt,

 

Will you be notifying check and MO payers that their payment has been received?

 

Thanks!

[AtariNerd]

According to the news article on AA the device will include an onboard SIO connector, Does that mean that you will be able to use the various Sio2xxx products (obviously adapted for the 7800), the idea being is that you could make better software given the storage formats on some of the sio2xxx devices

 

I think it would be a better idea to support the sio2xxx products then merely supporting atari diskdrives/tape drives etc (due to it becoming incereasing harder to come by both blank cassettes and also blank 5.25 inch disks)

 

Curt left a teaser post saying maybe you could load software to the 7800 using SIO2PC. I suspect that the expansion unit is only the start of a lot of fun.

 

Alternatively, you can now have game saves, along with various inventory and character stats if you wish, making it a part-way bridge between more computer-like games and the console.

Edited October 1, 2010 by AtariNerd

[OldAtarian]

Ummm can I ask if there's a USB port included? It doesn't make much sense to me to try to use XEGS or Mega ST keyboard with it because you can't really get them without buying a whole system anymore. USB keyboards are much more accessible or are we going to be locked in to buying a proprietary keyboard from you later?

Edited October 1, 2010 by OldAtarian

[GroovyBee]

@carmel_andrews: - Although the SIO port is there in hardware the XM's BIOS will not communicate with any external SIO devices at boot-up. That will be left to homebrew games/application writers.

 

@OldAtarian: - There will be no USB port. The resources required to act as a host device (and thus communicate to keyboards/mice etc.) are huge with simple PC style hardware and would add unnecessary cost to the device if another support chip is added to reduce the burden on Sally.

[OldAtarian]

@carmel_andrews: - Although the SIO port is there in hardware the XM's BIOS will not communicate with any external SIO devices at boot-up. That will be left to homebrew games/application writers.

 

@OldAtarian: - There will be no USB port. The resources required to act as a host device (and thus communicate to keyboards/mice etc.) are huge with simple PC style hardware and would add unnecessary cost to the device if another support chip is added to reduce the burden on Sally.

 

So which keyboards would be compatible with it then?

[GroovyBee]

So which keyboards would be compatible with it then?

 

Homebrew ones .

[nathanallan]

There are PS/2 keyboard kits available for this type of thing, but USB would be a bit much. I am sure that some program can be written to use an SIO port. Or some other port on it.

[OldAtarian]

So which keyboards would be compatible with it then?

 

Homebrew ones .

 

Wouldn't it be easier just to support an existing standard?

[GroovyBee]

Wouldn't it be easier just to support an existing standard?

 

The XM BIOS will only do the bare minimum it needs to do. If developers want to make additional hardware that plugs into the XM they can. The BIOS won't get in their way or force things to be designed in a certain way. The XM design allows both software and hardware homebrew. To be honest, until somebody develops a game/application that needs a keyboard there is no point worrying about it in my opinion.

[+Allan]

Wouldn't it be easier just to support an existing standard?

 

The XM BIOS will only do the bare minimum it needs to do. If developers want to make additional hardware that plugs into the XM they can. The BIOS won't get in their way or force things to be designed in a certain way. The XM design allows both software and hardware homebrew. To be honest, until somebody develops a game/application that needs a keyboard there is no point worrying about it in my opinion.

Well once Curt releases the word processor, the typing program, and the BASIC language images you'll have three that do. I think there was one or two more but I forget.

 

I'm looking forward to trying the OSS developed basic. Hopefully it's not another Aquarius-like basic. Knowing OSS it's probably pretty good.

 

Allan

[GroovyBee]

Well once Curt releases the word processor, the typing program, and the BASIC language images you'll have three that do. I think there was one or two more but I forget.

 

None of those will work "out of the box" due to hardware differences between the original GCC design and the 21st century XM so they'll need patching anyway. Might as well worry about the keyboard at that point .

[JonnyBritish]

Well once Curt releases the word processor, the typing program, and the BASIC language images you'll have three that do. I think there was one or two more but I forget.

 

None of those will work "out of the box" due to hardware differences between the original GCC design and the 21st century XM so they'll need patching anyway. Might as well worry about the keyboard at that point .

 

Any thoughts yet on how the YM2151 audio chip can be programmed?

[GroovyBee]

Any thoughts yet on how the YM2151 audio chip can be programmed?

 

Yep! In software .

[Bradsco]

Pre-order placed. Thank you!

[Austin]

Hopefully a few are still available come next week. I was hit with a lot of bills this past week and can't afford to pre-order it at the moment. BUT.. no bills this upcoming payday, so I look forward to doing a full payment versus the 50/50 method!

[Lendorien]

Just out of curiosity. We have a lot of people preordering, but I don't know if it has been answered yet. Will any games that support the XM (aside from HSC compatible ones) be released in conjunction with it?

 

That is, are there any homebrew authors intending to release games at the same time so that there's games that use its functionality?

 

I intend to preorder, but it'll have to wait til mid October.

Edited October 3, 2010 by Lendorien

[Curt Vendel]

That'll be a day two project, lets focus on the Expansion box first, then the Expansions afterwards.

 

 

Curt

 

@carmel_andrews: - Although the SIO port is there in hardware the XM's BIOS will not communicate with any external SIO devices at boot-up. That will be left to homebrew games/application writers.

 

@OldAtarian: - There will be no USB port. The resources required to act as a host device (and thus communicate to keyboards/mice etc.) are huge with simple PC style hardware and would add unnecessary cost to the device if another support chip is added to reduce the burden on Sally.

 

So which keyboards would be compatible with it then?

[Allpaul]

I went ahead and paid the full price. Looking forward to this!

[mimo]

not that I can afford it right now, but I know I would kick myself forever more if I did not support Curt (and others) hard work

 

Paid in full, just need to fix my 7800 now

[Dino]

a price tag around $110 shipped is very reasonable, but it is still a lot of money. Especially when it isn't exactly clear what you can do with the module once you buy it.

 

At the very least you will be able to mount it onto your 7800. That look alone as a conversation piece is worth the $110 price tag IMO

[Curt Vendel]

Well, right off the bat you will activate the high score keeping features on all of the games that have it coded into it and growing...

 

Already Pac Man Pokey Enhanced will be ready to use it, and a little birdie has shown me a Pokey Enhanced version of Donkey Kong too, so there will be several releases right out of the gate to use with it, Groovy is already working on a Gauntlet/Dark Chambers like game with a lot more features and sound effects and several other games are in the early stages, plus a game which Pacmanplus was working on but had to put on hold due to memory constraints and sound/voice can now be done, so its safe to say the XM will have lots of company fairly quickly.

 

 

 

Curt

 

a price tag around $110 shipped is very reasonable, but it is still a lot of money. Especially when it isn't exactly clear what you can do with the module once you buy it.

 

At the very least you will be able to mount it onto your 7800. That look alone as a conversation piece is worth the $110 price tag IMO

[Dino]

 

Well, right off the bat you will activate the high score keeping features on all of the games that have it coded into it and growing...

 

Already Pac Man Pokey Enhanced will be ready to use it, and a little birdie has shown me a Pokey Enhanced version of Donkey Kong too, so there will be several releases right out of the gate to use with it, Groovy is already working on a Gauntlet/Dark Chambers like game with a lot more features and sound effects and several other games are in the early stages, plus a game which Pacmanplus was working on but had to put on hold due to memory constraints and sound/voice can now be done, so its safe to say the XM will have lots of company fairly quickly.

 

 

 

Curt

 

a price tag around $110 shipped is very reasonable, but it is still a lot of money. Especially when it isn't exactly clear what you can do with the module once you buy it.

 

At the very least you will be able to mount it onto your 7800. That look alone as a conversation piece is worth the $110 price tag IMO