The Ultimate Intellivision Flashback

[teller]

I finally got The Sinclair Spectrum ZX running with the Intellivision controller (only Player 1). It's set for the Kempston Joystick. Enter should work fine as well on the Intellivison controller.
You still need a Keyboard attached for selecting the game menu settings (mostly some numbers to choose Kempston Joystick.

In the Zipfile is the retroarch.cfg I've compiled for you. Just drag and replace it in the opt/retropie/configs/zxspectrum folder.
Hope it works for you too.

retroarch.cfg.zip

Edited April 19, 2016 by teller

[+Rick Reynolds]

Got through most of the harder bits on my Ultimate Flashback project. Just need to cut holes in the case for the connections and mount hardware internally.

 

 

[dgdgagdae]

I've checked out some documentation at https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=18874, but I'm not sure where to put ECS.BIN to make ECS games work. I've been looking around the system for EXEC.BIN and GROM.BIN using Cyberbuck, but I'm not able to find them.

[pimpmaul69]

I've checked out some documentation at https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=18874, but I'm not sure where to put ECS.BIN to make ECS games work. I've been looking around the system for EXEC.BIN and GROM.BIN using Cyberbuck, but I'm not able to find them.

the exec ecs ivoice and grom need to be added. It does not come with them. You need to download them from the internet. Then you need to place them in the /opt/RetroPie/emulators/rom folder. Then you need to set a 0777 permission to all the files in that folder. Go to intellivision.us and go to the ultimate console section and download his package to get some of them. Use the jzintv file in that package to overwrite the one on the pi but do not change its permissions Edited May 23, 2016 by pimpmaul69

[dgdgagdae]

Strange that those files don't exist, as games work, even the Intellivoice games. The directory you mention doesn't exist. After I go into /opt/retropie/emulators, my only options are jzintv-1.0-beta4 and RetroArch.

[pimpmaul69]

Strange that those files don't exist, as games work, even the Intellivoice games. The directory you mention doesn't exist. After I go into /opt/retropie/emulators, my only options are jzintv-1.0-beta4 and RetroArch.

its in the jzintv folder. Sorry i missed that folder.

[dgdgagdae]

If I go to /opt/retropie/emulators/jzintv-1.0-beta4, there is no rom folder. The only folders there are bin and src, and neither has a rom subdirectory.

[pimpmaul69]

It doesnt come on it. You need to add it. if your bin file is in a folder called jzintv1.04 or whatever put the rom folder there.

Edited May 23, 2016 by pimpmaul69

[dgdgagdae]

Thanks, I'll try that. If those files aren't there today, how does the emulation work without exec.bin and grom.bin? The emulation is excellent right now (with the exception of Beamrider's explosion sounds). Will the quality of the emulation change for the better or worse if it uses those files instead?

[mr_me]

I've checked out some documentation at https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=18874, but I'm not sure where to put ECS.BIN to make ECS games work. I've been looking around the system for EXEC.BIN and GROM.BIN using Cyberbuck, but I'm not able to find them.

Jzintv won't work without exec.bin and grom.bin so they have to be somewhere. The default location jzintv uses for system roms is where pimpmaul advised but it could be somewhere else if specified in the launching script. Here is the documentation for Retropie jzintv.

 

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Intellivision

 

For ECS games you not only need the ecs.bin file but need to use a launching script that turns ecs on in jzintv. I find that ivoice.bin isn't needed for voice to work, not sure why. And Raspbian is case sensitve so generally use lowercase.

 

Edit:

-s1 is the jzintv command switch that turns the ecs on; i think retropie includes it one of its launching scripts

Edited May 23, 2016 by mr_me

[pimpmaul69]

If you download the file from intellivision.us there is a theme for ecs and regular intellivision. Then it has two seperate configuration in that download under etc/emulationstation/ es_systems.cfg that lets the ecs and non ecs boot seperately. Then you put the ecs roms in a folder called intellivision_ecs (i believe thats the folder name)

[+Rick Reynolds]

Finished my flashback build. My goal was the have the outside of it look very much unchanged. So my build incorporated these bits:

 

1. Power comes in through the original power port, utilizing the power on switch of the flashback. I power the PI via the GPIO pins.

 

2. The DB9 ports are the originals that came with the flashback. I took a dremel to the original board to isolate the connectors from the rest of the board so there wouldn't be any goofy side-effects with resistance or capacitance.

 

3. I put the flashback video ports onto the outside edge of the unit so I could just cut holes for them. I didn't want to mess around with extenders for those.

 

4. Other than the ports on the back for video (and usb power - more on that below) the only other change I made was to put 2 usb ports on the front for other controllers, keyboard, etc.

 

5. My one minor "failure" in assembly was that the usb power port was sticking out too far off the pi board, giving me grief with getting it tight enough for the video ports, so I ended up just cutting a hole for it. I can power the unit via the original power port or the usb port on the back - although I wanted to just use the original on the side.

 

A couple of pics. The unit looks just like the original on all other sides.

 

 

[+Rick Reynolds]

So what's the community experience with running other systems' emulators in the ultimate flashback? I fired up a 2600 emulator (held down the fire button on the CX40 joystick to program the interface), and while the emulator ran fine, I didn't have controls to use for skill level A/B, reset switch, select, etc. (duh!). So what do people do for systems like the 2600 that need inputs that aren't on the controller?

[pimpmaul69]

So what's the community experience with running other systems' emulators in the ultimate flashback? I fired up a 2600 emulator (held down the fire button on the CX40 joystick to program the interface), and while the emulator ran fine, I didn't have controls to use for skill level A/B, reset switch, select, etc. (duh!). So what do people do for systems like the 2600 that need inputs that aren't on the controller?

i use stella not ir-stella since you dont get difficulty switches with ir-stella. Plus with stella i can program all the stuff to both intv keypads including emulator exit. So i use my joystick on player 1 and use player two intv controller for controls. You can also make a splitter extension cable that lets you use an original coleco controller and an atari joystick out of the same controller port giving you all the same key commands you would have with an intv controller. I play everything up to n64/ps1 to psp on the ultimate flashback. I use all original controllers for the crap ton of systems i have on it. I cant post pics as im no where near home right now but if you have questions or need help feel free to ask. I can also modify controllers to work on this with the ultimate pc interface if you need any modified. Luckily tom added some extra stuff into the sega genesis and sega master system modes that make some of these controller mods possible

[+Rick Reynolds]

Nice. Looks like I'll be digging into the configuration options for these various emulators.

[pimpmaul69]

Nice. Looks like I'll be digging into the configuration options for these various emulators.

if you want the stellarc (stella's config file) already done i can pm it to you.

[+Rick Reynolds]

sure! I'm taking any help I can get!

[pimpmaul69]

sure! I'm taking any help I can get!

pm sent

[mr_me]

Finished my flashback build. My goal was the have the outside of it look very much unchanged. So my build incorporated these bits:

 

1. Power comes in through the original power port, utilizing the power on switch of the flashback. I power the PI via the GPIO pins.

....

I've read that power through the gpio does not have the same power protection as power through the microusb. I dont know if there is any concern either way.

 

Has anyone tried wiring the reset button to generate a keyboard event like esc/f1/f12 or safe shutdown.

[Byte Knight]

Finished my flashback build. My goal was the have the outside of it look very much unchanged. So my build incorporated these bits:

Nice job! You might want to get a file set like this one that I use to make those holes a little smoother.

[Byte Knight]

I've read that power through the gpio does not have the same power protection as power through the microusb. I dont know if there is any concern either way.

 

Has anyone tried wiring the reset button to generate a keyboard event like esc/f1/f12 or safe shutdown.

 

I haven't had any issues with running power through the gpio. I run the reset button wire though the "run" hole on the Pi so you can at least reset the Pi.

[+fdr4prez]

Wiring incoming power directly to the GPIO does bypass the Pi's onboard power protection.

 

If I recall, there are some test pads, such as P5 or P6, that are available that can be used for this purpose.

 

But don't quote me on that. I am not a Pi expert. This is just something I was reading about a few weeks ago.

[pimpmaul69]

I've read that power through the gpio does not have the same power protection as power through the microusb. I dont know if there is any concern either way.

 

Has anyone tried wiring the reset button to generate a keyboard event like esc/f1/f12 or safe shutdown.

i always wire them to the reset on the pi so i havent tried looking into changing it to anything else. I dont wire power to the gpio because my tv backfeeds just enough power to the system keeping the system from powering down fully with the power button. But it works fine when i have the power going to the usb port Edited May 26, 2016 by pimpmaul69

[IMBerzerk]

For my Sears RetroPie set, I have a mausberry board on wired into my power switch, so I get a clean shutdown.

 

I'd like to know more about wiring the reset button to an input connected on to the GPIO as well. I'd like to use it for a reset in all emulators. I tried posting on the RetroPie forum, but it went unaswered.

 

Any thoughts on how this can be done? I've wired IPAC/JPAC boards from Ultimarc for my arcade cabinets, which is pretty simple, but setting this up and getting it to work with Linux programming seems to present the problem.

 

I have no clue how.

 

[+fdr4prez]

For my Sears RetroPie set, I have a mausberry board on wired into my power switch, so I get a clean shutdown.

 

I'd like to know more about wiring the reset button to an input connected on to the GPIO as well. I'd like to use it for a reset in all emulators. I tried posting on the RetroPie forum, but it went unaswered.

 

Any thoughts on how this can be done? I've wired IPAC/JPAC boards from Ultimarc for my arcade cabinets, which is pretty simple, but setting this up and getting it to work with Linux programming seems to present the problem.

 

I have no clue how.

 

 

I am not too familiar with EmulationStation, but the wiki says that you should normally be able to exit out of your game through whatever means the emulator has setup. If not then you can press Select+Start buttons to exit your emulator.

 

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/EmulationStation

 

 

Which may or may not work for Inty controllers since pressing multiple keypads may or may not be read correctly due to the matrix and the adapter used, but other controllers should not have this issue.

 

If you want to wire a button (or buttons) to the GPIO, then you'd need a script that runs during boot that runs in the background to monitor the IOs. The IOs can be mapped to a keyboard press event, so if you can map the keyboard press within the emulator for specific functions, then this will work, too.

 

I have a Python script that I have running in the background and it is monitoring three IOs and I use them for quit, reset, and pause for JZINTV since my controller adapter doesn't support these functions like the UPCI does.

 

You can even add a button to an IO that when activated it will shutdown the Pi, so you aren't arbitrarily cutting off the power. If you are interested in this shutdown function, please let me know and I can send in an updated script that has this added in to it.

 

You need to install the Python GPIO support and the Python uinput support into the Pi, then the script will run.

 

You also need to get the script to run during boot, of which I forget what method I used for that. There are quite a few different methods for this out there, but I can look into what method I used for my Pi.

 

You have to rename this file into whatever name you want, and change the extension from TXT into py

 

UCPbuttons.txt