Igor Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 You can get the usage of all the tools online at this page - https://atarigamer.com/pages/atari-lynx-cartridge-reader-writer-board-software The -vv will make it slower in some cases. I'm surprised it is taking you so long to write a cart, what Rapsberry Pi are you using? I've got a Model 2b and a Model 3+ and it only takes me a couple of minutes to write a 512k ROM... I'm going to benchmark a few different RPi models and modes for writing carts and will write up an article on it next week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 I've done some tests using various Raspberry Pi models and here are the results... https://atarigamer.com/articles/testing-the-atari-lynx-cartridge-reader-writer-with-different-raspberrypi-models 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefred Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 How do you know what block size to use if the auto option doesnt work when you try to read a cart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 you can always use 2048 and check what you get. then choose the correct one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefred Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 9 minutes ago, sage said: you can always use 2048 and check what you get. then choose the correct one. What do you mean by check what you get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 (edited) check the loader which block size it is expecting. or check if the data is repeating after 512 or 1024 bytes. Edited September 15, 2019 by sage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefred Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 4 hours ago, sage said: check the loader which block size it is expecting. or check if the data is repeating after 512 or 1024 bytes. It was saying cart is 128k with a 0b block. I did 512 and it worked. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted September 16, 2019 Author Share Posted September 16, 2019 Interesting it didn't detect it. The auto-detect reads the first 2048 bytes and then works out the block size based on the repeat pattern. What cart were you trying to read by the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tron96 Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 Put me down for a pi hat please, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 Done! Thanks for the interest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haightc Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Are you still waiting for a cartridge connector source as I have a pile of dead lynx that I could use the connector for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 I've got around 30 brand new connectors sitting at home now, I'm just waiting for some free time now ? Removing connectors from existing consoles will be difficult and annoying so I don't want to go down that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 On 8/26/2019 at 1:22 PM, Igor said: I've done some tests using various Raspberry Pi models and here are the results... https://atarigamer.com/articles/testing-the-atari-lynx-cartridge-reader-writer-with-different-raspberrypi-models Here the time for writing a 256K game: real 49m58,028s user 0m0,046s sys 0m0,077s Wonder why so long? Well, I used the Lynx to write it and the triple jump for each byte takes some time ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+karri Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Congrats! This is an amazing feat! Is this the end of the Atari Lynx Pi Programmer HAT? Now as the Lynx can program the cart by itself? This also opens up the hardware for new games like "Mission Impossible". "The mission, should you choose to take it, bla, bla, bla.. This cart will self destruct in 30 seconds" lda #30 jsr sleep jsr EraseCart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 (edited) Hen / egg problem: One needs a card with BLL on it to program the card ? Or a modified Lynx which does not switch off when switching the cards. So, I doubt it's the end of the HAT *lol* To bad FRAM chips are soooo expensive: 25USD: https://www.newark.com/cypress-semiconductor/fm28v100-tg/ic-fram-1mb-128kx8-60ns-tsop32/dp/08R5668 Or this: 4MB, but you need to buy 500 *cough* https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/fujitsu-electronics-america-inc/MB85R4001ANC-GE1/865-1254-ND/4022679 Edited September 27, 2019 by 42bs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 49 minutes?! ?? When I saw the timing at first I thought it said 4 minutes, and now I'm just sad ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 3 hours ago, Igor said: 49 minutes?! ?? When I saw the timing at first I thought it said 4 minutes, and now I'm just sad ? Yepp, nothing more than a prove of concept. Now I thought of using one of those many eval board I have and connected a Lynx connector to a STM32F7 mapping the card directly into memory. I can read the Batman card, but ? the chips has only 3V3 signals, which does not work with the SST39SF. But adding 3v3<->5V level shifters for _all_ signals is not worth the try. It could have been the quickest programmer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 Hey everyone, great news, I've finally got my office workspace set up enough to start making more of these boards. I'll be contacting people on the wait list for payments in the next day or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 I've also completed the design for the Raspberry Pi case now too. These will be available to purchase with the Pi-Hat. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42bs Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 21 minutes ago, Igor said: I've also completed the design for the Raspberry Pi case now too. These will be available to purchase with the Pi-Hat. Now someone needs to modify Handy (or the based on emulators) to directly load games from card 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 That would be cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefred Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 4 hours ago, Igor said: I've also completed the design for the Raspberry Pi case now too. These will be available to purchase with the Pi-Hat. Looks nice, Looks like it will work with the pi4 with that design. Are you able to access the sd card without opening it? Have you been working on updating the new features of the software yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bhall408 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 7 hours ago, 42bs said: Now someone needs to modify Handy (or the based on emulators) to directly load games from card Or have the card mount as USB mass storage... That would be cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 20 hours ago, thefred said: Looks nice, Looks like it will work with the pi4 with that design. Are you able to access the sd card without opening it? Have you been working on updating the new features of the software yet? Cheers. It should work with a pi4, though I don't have one so can't confirm it. I believe that the dimensions of the pi haven't changed. I played around with a design that you could access the SD card without opening the case but it didn't print very well, so decided that this design will not have an accessible SD card slot. Haven't had time for the software yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nop90 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 The 'Xmas present for my cart programmer is a 3.5'' LCD with HDMI input (the HDMI is to not have to deal with the hat connection). I want assemble it as an handheld in a Lynx II case. But at the moment my 3 broken Lynx have some hopes to come back to life, so still looking for a case at a good price. Last 4 "broken lynx for parts" I bought turned out to have only problems with the power suppy connector. What an unlucky man ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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