+arcadeshopper Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Hi, all. It is still in development. Currently, Tursi is debugging a possible power issue we saw during the Faire. The ROM part of the board is working ok, and the manual is mostly complete. Tursi has also written some pretty nice software to program the ATMega. As this is a volunteer effort, it is slow going and in our spare time. If you are interested, Arcadeshopper does have 64K boards if folks are interested in those. :-) 5 left.. If there is enough interest I'll do another run. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrax27407 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I still want to test another one when they are ready. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Vorticon Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Has anyone done a CAD model of the TI cartridge by any chance? I would love to try to print one with my 3D printer. My CAD skills are non-existent although I am trying to learn Open SCAD but it will take a while... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Has anyone done a CAD model of the TI cartridge by any chance? I would love to try to print one with my 3D printer. My CAD skills are non-existent although I am trying to learn Open SCAD but it will take a while... See http://atariage.com/forums/topic/216844-3d-printed-objectscases-carts-for-the-ti/?hl=+3d%20+print Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 For those who wanted a copy of the layout for the 512K ROM-only cartridge, here is the ExpressPCB layout. To use it, you will need ExpressPCB to view/manipulate/output the file. To upload it to AtariAge, I had to change the file extension from .pcb to .txt, so you'll need to change that back. In Windows, you'll need to Hit the Organize button for your folder, select Folder and Search Options, go to the View tab, and uncheck the item Hide Extensions for Known File Types. Apply that, and you'll now see the file extensions in the folder. Change the extension to pcb and when it gives you the warning that this is a bad thing, do it anyway. Your file will now work with ExpressPCB again. Note that the two switches are not needed for using this in 128K mode--but that all of the other components are. The jumper settings are explained on the mask. ti_eprom_cart_512k_v4a.txt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 For those who wanted a copy of the layout for the 512K ROM-only cartridge, here is the ExpressPCB layout. To use it, you will need ExpressPCB to view/manipulate/output the file. To upload it to AtariAge, I had to change the file extension from .pcb to .txt, so you'll need to change that back. In Windows, you'll need to Hit the Organize button for your folder, select Folder and Search Options, go to the View tab, and uncheck the item Hide Extensions for Known File Types. Apply that, and you'll now see the file extensions in the folder. Change the extension to pcb and when it gives you the warning that this is a bad thing, do it anyway. Your file will now work with ExpressPCB again. Note that the two switches are not needed for using this in 128K mode--but that all of the other components are. The jumper settings are explained on the mask. Thank you. I don't suppose you have Gerber files as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 I didn't have Gerber files when I put that up, but I went out and bought a program that converts ExpressPCB files to Gerber/Excellon format. I figured it was worth the investment, as it cost less than the $60 to get the same conversion directly from ExpressPCB for just a single board. For anyone else needing this type of conversion, it is called Copper Connection. I'd probably still keep using ExpressPCB to build my board files though, as it also does schematics, which Copper Connection does not. Here are the Gerbers, I haven't proofed them to be sure that everything is perfect, but the general check I made didn't see any conversion errors. I would suggest a comparison check before trying to order boards. ti_eprom_cart_512k_v4a.zip 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Awesome, thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 I decided to have a small number of the 512K ROM-only boards made (20 of them) for experimentation purposes. They came out very nice, as the picture shows--and the price was very reasonable, as I paid about $7.50 each for them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+acadiel Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Woot! Are these the ones I made a while back with the switches? I'm gathering you ran them through the ExpressPCB->Gerber converter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 They're one and the same. I ran the design through the converter and did the test run just to see what would come out of it. The Gerbers are included in my post from March 2 in this thread. I paid extra to use the black mask and do gold plating on all of the exposed metal, just to see how it would come out. Even with that, the price stayed reasonable. . .and the service was quick too, as I got them in under two weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I decided to have a small number of the 512K ROM-only boards made (20 of them) for experimentation purposes. They came out very nice, as the picture shows--and the price was very reasonable, as I paid about $7.50 each for them. Did you use the gerbers? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Yes I did, Greg. I wanted to see how well the conversion routines worked, and I figured it would be best to use one of my smaller project designs. I made a few more than I will need for my experimentation too, just in case. Next up will be either a flat cable Armadillo Interface set (modeled on the original from TI), a Prototyping board (my design), an EGROM Box (modeled on the TI original), a TI-99/4A 128K board (modeled on an original prototype from TI), or a printer/joystick interface board for my Powertran Cortex. I've got completed layouts for all of them, so it is just a matter of time/cost to do them up. Ciro, is your 99/8 one with a card-edge slot or does it have the 50-pin Centronics connector? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) I seem to have found the issue with the Über-GROM board. I replaced all of the 22uF caps with .1uF caps and I fixed my own stupidity issue--I put the proper 1nF cap in the position for C1 (which is what is supposed to be there--I just built my first batch of them using .1uF caps, and that really messes up the board). I built a pair of them the new way tonight, and everything looks to be working properly electrically--and I wasn't able to crash my 99/4A with either one of them through a number of tries to do just that. Gazoo, this board should work fine to house XB2.7 (or RXB or Winfried Winkler's XB-3). I do have spares if you need one. . .you'll just have to get a programmed ATMEL1284 for the GROM side. Atrax, I'll be sending yours back to you as soon as I finish a couple more tests--but it looks like you won't have any further problems (so far), and I'll also be sending the 512K ROM only board for you to cross-test with, as it uses the same scheme for the ROM-side banking as the Über-GROM. Edited March 31, 2014 by Ksarul 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+acadiel Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Got both the black and red boards in today, Ksarul - very nice job getting them re-laid out! Thank you! Let me know what I owe you. I need to restock some more parts at Mouser that I'm missing, most notably the sockets and some of the caps. Is there a cost differential between the 379 (128Kx4) and the 378 (512K) boards at all? I'm gathering if we just inverted '379 ROMs (every 8K bank), we can probably just stick with the 378 boards, as they can take everything. BTW, For the boards with the 0.1" two pronged switches... any good ideas on switches that might fit? I was just soldering wire and putting an external switch, but if there's a through hole 0.1" two pronged switch that's right angle, that'd be awesome. Too bad I can't search by hole distance on Mouser. FYI, attached is a very high resolution two-sided scan of both the boards Ksarul sent me. Enjoy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary from OPA Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Looks great.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) I haven't found a good switch with the right spacing, Acadiel--I just found some nice small switches that I could attach to the case at the end of some wires, which also allows for all kinds of creative switch placement. On the black ones, I just did a really small batch of them as a test run to see how this vendor would work out, but even there the price per board was really good--about $7.50 each, shipped, for a group of 20. I made 50 of the red boards, to see how much of a difference a medium-sized run would make of the cost--and it cut it to under $4 per board with the enhancements I ordered. (Red solder mask and gold contacts). The red boards are a cheaper build than the black ones too--they have the same component count as the 64K boards. These make an excellent evolution for the 64K board, once the ROMs are reversed--and it gives a LOT more space. It also lets folks build and test the ROM side for one of the Über-GROMs if they want to build a massive multi-cart with an integral XB variant and a handful of other GROM carts in the other GROM slots. I'm hoping to finish my tests on the Über-GROM boards this weekend. . .so Atrax can get his test board back. And you've been part of these board projects since the beginning, along with Tursi--those were sent as gifts to recognize your contributions to the project! I would have never begun doing cart board layouts if it hadn't been for you letting me look at the original 16K boards to start playing with--and I wanted the 379 to fit in a cartridge case even when it was socketed (the engineering issue I was trying (unsuccessfully) to explain in Chicago last year). Edited March 31, 2014 by Ksarul 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Correct me if I'm misunderstanding this. There seems to be an issue with the 378 & 379 chips not always selecting the first bank upon powerup, and that's why a Gal is being tried in their place? If so, it should not be an issue as long as the Grom part of the board is in place. just use the Grom powerup to write to c>6000. Boom, no more problem. Is there a reason why this couldn't be done? Seems a real simple solution. If I were to setup one of these boards, the Rom section would only contain the two XB banks and E/A 5 program images. All the Menuing and moving of the program data in the Roms to its correct position for execution would be done in GPL as it's much simpler to do there. After using 40k of Grom for XB and 40k more Grom for the combined TI Writer/Editor assembler cart, that would leave 48k for the menus and code moving/execution from Rom - plenty of space. Last question (for now), the first bank of Rom selected by writing to c>6000 - is that at the beginning (offset >0000) or the end (offset >7E000) of the eprom? Gazoo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 Here's something that will clarify a lot of things with the Über-GROM, the WIP manual. The GAL is primarily to eliminate the issue with start-up banks exhibited by the 378 or 379 chips, as you surmised, Gazoo. Your solution would probably work quite nicely as well, it just hasn't been tried. 512K ROM-GROM Cartridge Board Manual V0.7.doc 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+acadiel Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Correct me if I'm misunderstanding this. There seems to be an issue with the 378 & 379 chips not always selecting the first bank upon powerup, and that's why a Gal is being tried in their place? If so, it should not be an issue as long as the Grom part of the board is in place. just use the Grom powerup to write to c>6000. Boom, no more problem. Is there a reason why this couldn't be done? Seems a real simple solution. If I were to setup one of these boards, the Rom section would only contain the two XB banks and E/A 5 program images. All the Menuing and moving of the program data in the Roms to its correct position for execution would be done in GPL as it's much simpler to do there. After using 40k of Grom for XB and 40k more Grom for the combined TI Writer/Editor assembler cart, that would leave 48k for the menus and code moving/execution from Rom - plenty of space. Last question (for now), the first bank of Rom selected by writing to c>6000 - is that at the beginning (offset >0000) or the end (offset >7E000) of the eprom? Gazoo Great idea if the Atmel AVR is going to be used... but if someone uses it as a ROM only cart (which it can be), then the 74LS378's I have tried are all powering up in the lowest 8K bank. This would need to be tested with new batches to make sure, but it's been pretty predictable. The same as the 74LS379's almost all powered up in the highest bank (being that we were using the inverted outputs on powerup.) For ROM only, the user would just need to make sure they verify their 378 is powering up in the lowest bank. We have a test program and EPROM image that writes to each bank to verify the correct bank contents, and we can likely also add a small section that tells you what bank it powered up in to verify operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+acadiel Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Here's something that will clarify a lot of things with the Über-GROM, the WIP manual. The GAL is primarily to eliminate the issue with start-up banks exhibited by the 378 or 379 chips, as you surmised, Gazoo. Your solution would probably work quite nicely as well, it just hasn't been tried. I remember having a headache the night after I contributed my section to that document... LOL We probably want to deprecate the GAL information since we aren't using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 That's a very good idea Acadiel--and I can always use the leftover GAL-capable boards for GROM-only multicarts. . .waste not, want not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+hloberg Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 So when we going to see the new RXB cartridge Rich? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXB Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 (edited) So when we going to see the new RXB cartridge Rich? Got me I am not a hardware guy. I released RXB as Freeware in 2000 to all in the hopes someone would do it. Now that 2012 is out there I further had hopes something would happen. Edited April 3, 2014 by RXB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+hloberg Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 OK TI community, what would it take (not that I have the skills either) to make an RXB cartridge? Is this the way to go. just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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