Omega-TI Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 I dunno, the price seems kind of high to me, of course I'm thrifty or cheap depending on your definition. I'd much rather see a new device designed and built by someone in the TI community that can work with UberCarts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Yep, I saw that. Out of budget. Currently watching a much less expensive one. I don't need NOS. Just something that works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyDean Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I dunno, the price seems kind of high to me, of course I'm thrifty or cheap depending on your definition. I'd much rather see a new device designed and built by someone in the TI community that can work with UberCarts. I understand your pain about price, but unless we're just wanting something new, it would be pricier to design and build a new one. Just saying. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I'm very modest, I would just like to see a FlashROM 99 with 512K RAM. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 I understand your pain about price, but unless we're just wanting something new, it would be pricier to design and build a new one. Just saying. Yes, I totally agree, a new design would probably cost more, but if it actually worked with the UberGROM boards it would be well worth it to me. A better physical design could probably be developed as well and with 3D printer technology many new possibilities exist. I also enjoy seeing programmers and hardware guys enjoy their hobby by developing new toys for all us to play with and enjoy too. It seems like a win-win all the way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Actually, it would be relatively easy to make new cartridge expanders. Bare boards with rubber feet underneath, a three position switch, and three connectors. It would probably be doable for about $30, if I had a line on enough connectors for a reasonable price (I know one source with at least 300 of them so that may be covered). The ones I bought this morning were less than $1.50 each, shipped, so there are some reasonable prices out there. . .I may have to verify with Tursi again which lines have to be cut to completely claw each UberGROM out when the switch is thrown. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 My biggest problem with the Widget was the shitty switch. It would be nice to upgrade to a real proper switch with an open selection. I modified one my widgets to be able to go to an open setting but you still have the same crappy switch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Actually, it would be relatively easy to make new cartridge expanders. Bare boards with rubber feet underneath, a three position switch, and three connectors. It would probably be doable for about $30, if I had a line on enough connectors for a reasonable price (I know one source with at least 300 of them so that may be covered). The ones I bought this morning were less than $1.50 each, shipped, so there are some reasonable prices out there. . .I may have to verify with Tursi again which lines have to be cut to completely claw each UberGROM out when the switch is thrown. I'll take 2. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Jim, would you be interested in working with a 3D printer guy when designing the PCB for a new widget? This *might* help with the inclusion and mounting of a higher quality switch which I think most people would go for. And it would 'look cool' too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 I'm very modest, I would just like to see a FlashROM 99 with 512K RAM. Would this have anything to do with Super TI-99 Mario Brothers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Actually, it would be relatively easy to make new cartridge expanders. Bare boards with rubber feet underneath, a three position switch, and three connectors. It would probably be doable for about $30, if I had a line on enough connectors for a reasonable price (I know one source with at least 300 of them so that may be covered). The ones I bought this morning were less than $1.50 each, shipped, so there are some reasonable prices out there. . .I may have to verify with Tursi again which lines have to be cut to completely claw each UberGROM out when the switch is thrown. ROM Select and GROM Select should be enough. The problem with the Navarone Widget is it did NOT cut GROM Select. For some reason for the GROMs it cut the -5v, which the UberGROM doesn't use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 ROM Select and GROM Select should be enough. The problem with the Navarone Widget is it did NOT cut GROM Select. For some reason for the GROMs it cut the -5v, which the UberGROM doesn't use. Just out of curiosity. What kind of switch would you need to switch 2 different circuits at the same time (ROM Select and GROM Select) for 3 (or more) carts? Just because I do like a steam punky look I was thinking it would be cool to have something like 2 guitar pickup switches side by side locked together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Something like << THIS ONE >> would probably work for three cartridges, assuming that is the limit of a future design, but there is no fourth position to use as an open selection like what one person wanted... but it already comes with a TI matching knob. << THIS ONE >> has four positions and while mounting on a PCB might be easier, the required location of the switch might be problematic, especially if it's a stiff switch.. also it does not come with a knob. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Update to my last post... if you can get by with 3 poles, I did locate a four position switch that could be used as an open setting. It also comes with a TI matching knob. << CLICK HERE >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lee Stewart Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Doesn't a slide switch work better for trying to dump cartridges by loading an ALC program with the E/A cartridge, then sliding the switch to the cartridge you want to dump. I can get it to work with the rotary switch of the original Navarone Widgit [sic], but it is a crapshoot. ...lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Just out of curiosity. What kind of switch would you need to switch 2 different circuits at the same time (ROM Select and GROM Select) for 3 (or more) carts? Just because I do like a steam punky look I was thinking it would be cool to have something like 2 guitar pickup switches side by side locked together. Double pole (two contacts) 3 Throw (3 positions). DP3T Mouser seems to have quite a selection of toggle, slide, and rotary (but double-check before you buy)... http://www.mouser.com/Electromechanical/Switches/_/N-5g2h?P=1z0z28f&Keyword=DP3T&FS=True 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Would this have anything to do with Super TI-99 Mario Brothers? I hope you're not waiting around for that to be finished. I'm thinking about future projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Double pole (two contacts) 3 Throw (3 positions). DP3T Mouser seems to have quite a selection of toggle, slide, and rotary (but double-check before you buy)... http://www.mouser.com/Electromechanical/Switches/_/N-5g2h?P=1z0z28f&Keyword=DP3T&FS=True I'm seriously considering hacking one together myself just because of my personal need for one. If I can get the parts for a reasonable price I may do it. I'll just need connector sites for the grom ports and an edge connector for the grom port. Something like the grom port extension cable with multiple sockets for carts with the proper wires cut to go to the switch. Even if I mounted it all to a block of wood. Are there any other parts needed? Like resistors or capacitors? Or is it really a simple as ports, wires, edge connector and proper switch? (If I didn't want to use a pcb) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 I hope you're not waiting around for that to be finished. I'm thinking about future projects. Uh... I wuz. Buuuuuuuut I guess no more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Sinphaltimus, on 05 Jan 2017 - 11:22 AM, said: I'm seriously considering hacking one together myself just because of my personal need for one. If I can get the parts for a reasonable price I may do it. I'll just need connector sites for the grom ports and an edge connector for the grom port. Something like the grom port extension cable with multiple sockets for carts with the proper wires cut to go to the switch. Even if I mounted it all to a block of wood. Are there any other parts needed? Like resistors or capacitors? Or is it really a simple as ports, wires, edge connector and proper switch? (If I didn't want to use a pcb) I honestly couldn't say. If it was me, I'd probably just hack it together and see, and I'd expect it to work. But if it didn't work due to bus loading, capacitance, RF interference, etc... I wouldn't be able to troubleshoot it. There's not much more in the widget though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) I honestly couldn't say. If it was me, I'd probably just hack it together and see, and I'd expect it to work. But if it didn't work due to bus loading, capacitance, RF interference, etc... I wouldn't be able to troubleshoot it. There's not much more in the widget though I got in to a conversation with a friend who is not tech savvy at all. It came up when ebay alerted me to a cart exp.auction ending soon. I explained I wanted to make one.I talked about the kind of switch I would need and the I needed to control 2 lines for each cart up to 4. His response was so simple and off the wall that I don't think I can ignore it and I may go this route just for the whackiness if it. Connect up all 4 grom ports and solder an rca connector to each port +5v and grom wires. Say grom to yellow rca and +5v to red rca for each port. Then plug in those rca connectors to an old school a/v switch box. Close the circuits at the a/v out on the switch box. For expandability, use the switch box for 3 carts and the fourth to expand over to another expander. (Press button 4 to enable second daisy chained cart expander. Not sure the tolerances on how many ports we could have before we run in to issues due to signal or voltage drops. This sort of off the wall idea would go great with my steam punkish looking peb mod. I even own a silver plastic a/v switch box sitting in a bag with at least 4 other switch boxes I don't use anymore. So psyched to get on this. Basically, when done. You want to use cart 1, press button 1, cart 2, button 2, etc.. 8O Any worries? Edited January 7, 2017 by Sinphaltimus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 There was an 8-port cartridge expander made in Germany for a while, and I have two mutant homebrew six slot expanders here at the house (also from Germany). I call them mutant because all of the cartridges that work with them have been modified to replace the card edges with 36-pin Centronics connectors. The problem you get there is power management. You definitely have to cut power from the modules you aren't using, as the current draw on the cartridge port would be too high otherwise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dphirschler Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 - A FlashROM99 that fits in a standard TI cart case. - An internal soundchip mod which gives us 12 voices (like the old TI Forth card that was demoed to user groups). Darryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I have the schematics to the FORTI card (and I'm working on getting a nice high-res version of them done in Visio), which is actually a relatively easy build using one of the prototyping boards. I know at least one other person is working on doing just that. . . I'm also working on the layout for a nice cartridge (standard sized) that includes 32K of bank-switched RAM and 40K of GRAM. It should load about any module file set out there except for the large ones designed to use the newer cartridge boards. It would work much like a GRAM Kracker. I'm also waiting for the test boards for a Speech Synthesizer in the PEB board. Fabrication should be done in the next few days and I should be seeing them sometime before the next weekend. . . Now I just have to do some surgery on one of my SAMS cards to see if the 4M circuitry works properly before I send that layout in for production. . .so little time, so many worthy projects. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 I was messing around tonight and I finished about 80% of the layout for a four port cartridge expander. Now I just need to check the lines I need to break and set them up for each of the four cartridge ports. I'll have to add a reset button too. . . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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