2600 hardware question

[AAirhart]

Is there a way to pass audio/video through to the RF out of the 2600 via the cartridge port?

 

I didn't see any obvious way from the cart pinout but I also didn't know if there was ever a perpheral that did any sort of pass through either and bypassed code running on the 2600 itself.

[Keatah]

No. You'd need hardware to monitor the bus and build up an image and sound, this could be as complex (or more) than the standard 6507/RIOT/TIA. Shit, it *would* be those ASICs in a cartridge. And you'd now have another 2600, but this time on the other end.

 

The modern day equivalent would be software (video drivers for yo'PC) that builds up an image and dumps it to the USB port for transport to an external graphics chip. Video through USB, which they do do.

 

As far as code running off board? Well, you've got Harmony ARM DPC, and Compu-Mate.

 

As far as the RF/Composite signal being available at the cart slot? No.

[AAirhart]

Ok. Looks like ill have to mod the cart slot for what I'm trying to accomplish. Got a 4 switch woody with a bad tia i can probably use.

[Keatah]

If you're trying to bring video into the cartridge slot, keep in mind you'll need to avoid interference from the digital bus. Don't know exactly how much or if any shielding would be required. Just be aware of it.

[+FujiSkunk]

Am I correct that you're asking if audio and video can be generated by the cartridge, with the Atari itself basically serving as a go-between? If so, then video is not possible, but audio is. The cartridge slot was not designed for this kind of pass-through, but Activision's engineers figured out how to make it work for the extra audio hardware they included in Pitfall II cartridges.

 

Note that the Atari 5200's cartridge slot can do both video and audio pass-through. The VCS Adapter takes advantage of this by cramming an entire Atari 2600 into something that fits into the 5200's cartridge slot, feeding it audio and video.

Edited October 5, 2012 by FujiSkunk

[AAirhart]

Yeah, quite a few other systems can do what i need..but it will just look cooler on the 2600. Thinking ill add another connector to the cart slot to handle a/v and wire it to the rf modulator, ill also need to wire up a kill switch so when this connector is active that no power makes it to the tia.

[Keatah]

What is it you're doing?

[AAirhart]

The plan is to place a raspberry pi inside an Atari cart and use the 2600 almost as a docking station...while still retaining 2600 functionality. I planned to do the same with a sega Genesis and put up a sega channel-like frontend.. The sega is looking more likely with limited mods.. The atari won't be as simple..as i need to mod it internally for the joystick ports to work via USB to the pi, wire in a way to power the pi and output a/v, and wire up all other switches so i can use them from the pi. Currently all usb wiring will come from the same hole as the existing av cable. I'm looking at potentially using one of the address lines for audio and another for video...but i need a build a circuit to detect this "cart" and cut power from everything but the modulator..and divert those address lines to the modulator. This will be interesting to make work...