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PlusCart (an inexpensive DIY WiFi multicart)


Al_Nafuur

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On 11/8/2019 at 12:11 AM, Shawn said:

 

 

What the hell is your problem? :?

 

A multi-cart that has to connect to wifi to play games?  This is taking 'internet of things' thinking to just a whole new level of dumb.  Network connectivity for multiplayer games from internet? OK. Makes sense and might be cool to play combat or something with folks from around the world.  But the whole 'it needs to download a rom from a server' is just ridiculous!

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34 minutes ago, christo930 said:

A multi-cart that has to connect to wifi to play games?  This is taking 'internet of things' thinking to just a whole new level of dumb.  Network connectivity for multiplayer games from internet? OK. Makes sense and might be cool to play combat or something with folks from around the world.  But the whole 'it needs to download a rom from a server' is just ridiculous!

It is a new technology... Use it or don't use it.

 

This doesn't need to replace your other multicart(s) if it is something you aren't in to. 

 

But there are advantages, such as what Sokoban is being developed into that will take advantage of the PlusCart -> automatic high score tracking and new level availability.

 

As noted in this post:

 

I am hoping to see what other new games can be developed (or revamped old games) to take advantage of the tech like @Andrew Davie is doing.

 

So don't use the PlusCart for old school roms. 

 

Use the PlusCart for games that take advantage of the new technology.

 

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3 hours ago, christo930 said:

A multi-cart that has to connect to wifi to play games?  This is taking 'internet of things' thinking to just a whole new level of dumb.  Network connectivity for multiplayer games from internet? OK. Makes sense and might be cool to play combat or something with folks from around the world.  But the whole 'it needs to download a rom from a server' is just ridiculous!

it wasn't my intention to just replace the SD-Card by an internet storage. This would have been indeed no gain. Except maybe for syncing with a local folder, but this could be done with a multicart and a WiFi-SD card as well.

 

My main goal always was to bring the internet functions to the ROM developer, and see what happens. Online high score lists are only the first step, there are now a lot more possibilities to bring interaction between Atari 2600 players..

 

And it's all in the ROM developers hands, he defines and maintains the ROM's backend.

 

By the way, i don't like most of the IoT either, but somehow we are now facing similar kind of security challenges  ?

 

 

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10 hours ago, chad5200 said:

Is it possible for this cart to connect to a local computer on the local home network and download/play games from that?

Or will this have to connect to an internet server for the games?

Yes, but no..
There is no selection or input field at the menu firmware. The PlusStore is "hardcoded" in the firmware. The firmware is GPL and can be found at gitlab. Everyone can make his own version with his private (local) PlusStore. Because of the limitations of the PlusCart the communication between the cart and the store is not a standard ftp or smb. This protocol has to be implemented at your private PlusStore, which means a lot of work for just replacing a SD-Card.The "real" PlusStore will have a maintained public area, so you don't miss new releases of ROMs, PlusCart firmware updates and news. This all will of course not be the case with your own local PlusStore..

You will have a private "My ROMs" area at the PlusStore where you can easily sync a local folder via the nextcloud app.

 

So use a SD-Card (or WiFi SD) if you want to stay local, and if you want to use the new posibilities of connecting your VCS 2600, you need the internet connection anyway..

 

Edited by Al_Nafuur
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1 hour ago, Al_Nafuur said:

his private (local) PlusStore. Because of the limitations of the PlusCart the communication between the cart and the store is not a standard ftp or smb. This protocol has to be implemented at your private PlusStore, which means a lot of work for just replacing a SD-Card.The "real" PlusStore will have a maintained public area, so you don't miss new releases of ROMs, PlusCart firmware updates and news. This all will of course not be the case with your own local PlusStore..

Do you have plans to open source the PlusStore, too?

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46 minutes ago, DirtyHairy said:

Do you have plans to open source the PlusStore, too?

The specification for the communication between the PlusCart and the store will be open of course.

The actual PlusStore is an open source nextcloud server installation, that implements this protocol. For a local approch, to just replace the SD-Card, this is not recommendable.

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4 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

The specification for the communication between the PlusCart and the store will be open of course.

The actual PlusStore is an open source nextcloud server installation, that implements this protocol. For a local approch, to just replace the SD-Card, this is not recommendable.

So I guess you developed a nextcloud plugin. Are you going to open source it? To avoid misunderstandings:  I personally wouldn‘t mind if you didn‘t, it’s your work after all, I just want to understand where you are heading.

 

Do you have any plans for generating revenue from the store?

Edited by DirtyHairy
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2 hours ago, DirtyHairy said:

So I guess you developed a nextcloud plugin. Are you going to open source it? To avoid misunderstandings:  I personally wouldn‘t mind if you didn‘t, it’s your work after all, I just want to understand where you are heading.

 

Do you have any plans for generating revenue from the store?

it's called store and there is even a "Plus" in the name, but i am sure there will be no revenue and only a big "Plus" of work for me.

 

I would like that all PlusCart users have the same collection of public ROMs available and i am trying to avoid, that the (not yet existing) PlusCart community is split up into separated stores.

 

The good thing about nextcloud server is, that sharing files across them is easy. So it should be possible to host the PlusStore's public ROMs over a federation in different parts of the world. Even if fast access and a good ping is not absolutely necessary for downloading Atari VCS ROMs (this will be more an issue that the PlusROM backends are facing), but a federation would help to save costs and give users more "My ROMs" space.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Asteroids has been modified for using the PlusROM functions and sending the score (player 1) to an internet backend. The ASM code can be found in Gitlab.

PlusCart user/tester can find the PAL and NTSC versions in the PlusStore in the directory "Public ROMs\PlusROMs\Highscore GA"

 

The NTSC and PAL version can be played online in javatari, but there will be a md5 sum instead of a user name in highscore list.

 

The ugly highscore list(s) page:
https://highscore.firmaplus.de/?game_id=1

 

 

 

 

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On 11/18/2019 at 10:41 PM, christo930 said:

A multi-cart that has to connect to wifi to play games?  This is taking 'internet of things' thinking to just a whole new level of dumb.  Network connectivity for multiplayer games from internet? OK. Makes sense and might be cool to play combat or something with folks from around the world.  But the whole 'it needs to download a rom from a server' is just ridiculous!

And if the site goes offline someday or gets shutdown.

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River Raid has been modified for the online high-score list too (only 1 player). The ASM code can be found in Gitlab.

PlusCart user/tester can find the PAL and NTSC versions in the PlusStore in the directory "Public ROMs\PlusROMs\Highscore GA"
 

The NTSC and PAL version can be played online in javatari.js, but there will be a md5 sum instead of a user name in the high-score list.

 

The ugly high-score list(s) page for River Raid:

https://highscore.firmaplus.de/?game_id=2

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

New firmware version (v0.11.0) in GIT

  • improved offline ROM downloading to max. 896kB (flash shared with BF/BFSC)
  • Offline ROMs can now be organized in directories
  • DF/DFSC and BF/BFSC support (flash space shared with offline ROMs)
  • code cleanup, bugfixes and new bugs ?

more info in the PlusCart manual

 

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22 minutes ago, keithbk said:

Honestly, this is a great way for updating ROMS by Homebrewers.

 

That way, only the latest ROM will be available for play.

 

Great for WIP's, and also opens the door for saved/updated content for the entire community.

just have to find someone, who want's to keep the public areas in the PlusStore up to date..
any support is welcome

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just have to find someone, who want's to keep the public areas in the PlusStore up to date..
any support is welcome
I can give it a whirl when I get time. I'm on here all the time, lurking mostly and always downloading new binaries and testing them out.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

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Hello there.  Probably a silly question.

I purchased a STM32F407VGT6 board as per the guide.  I have just connected it to my PC to upload the hex file but its not detecting in windows.

Do I need to use a STM-Link programmer for this or should I be able to just use the STM-Utility to program when the dev board is connected VIA a USB cable.

Just want to determine if my dev board is faulty or if I am doing something wrong.

Thanks

 

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7 minutes ago, mamejay said:

Hello there.  Probably a silly question.

I purchased a STM32F407VGT6 board as per the guide.  I have just connected it to my PC to upload the hex file but its not detecting in windows.

Do I need to use a STM-Link programmer for this or should I be able to just use the STM-Utility to program when the dev board is connected VIA a USB cable.

Just want to determine if my dev board is faulty or if I am doing something wrong.

Thanks

 

No STM-Link Programmer is needed, just a micro USB but the boot1 jumper has to be short..
Read the: Assembly Instructions and the Flashing Instructions


Just saw it's only mentioned in the assembly Instructions but not in the Flashing, will add it there too..

Edited by Al_Nafuur
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47 minutes ago, Al_Nafuur said:

No STM-Link Programmer is needed, just a micro USB but the boot1 jumper has to be short..
Read the: Assembly Instructions and the Flashing Instructions


Just saw it's only mentioneWhen d in the assembly Instructions but not in the Flashing, will add it there too..

That is exactly what I needed to know.  When I get home I will try it out.  Thank you!!!

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