PlusCart (an inexpensive DIY WiFi multicart)

[+Andrew Davie]

1 minute ago, overgrouth said:

 

WOW! This thing chews up alot. I wonder how this might effect Davids shop as he only runs wireless. My next test is to run wireless video while the PlusCart is running to see if it reallymatters or not. A speed test is one thing but the question is weather it is practical to still use wifi with other devices alongside the PlusCart.

 

This sounds like a misconfiguration of your wireless network to me...?

The PlusCart uses very little bandwidth. Almost none.  A few KiB here and there...

 

 

[overgrouth]

A few kib sounds correct and thats what I expected. The results could be from non configuration as my setup will not let me configure anything. So it absolutly could be entirely on my end. I will do this same test at a game store (Computer Booter) and look at those results.

 

so far I am really enjoying this device.

[Prizrak]

Someone who thinks like you do@Al_Nafuur

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/09/this_nes-based_take_on_smash_bros_has_a_wi-fi_chip_in_the_cart_for_online_play

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[+Al_Nafuur]

4 hours ago, Prizrak said:

Someone who thinks like you do@Al_Nafuur

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/09/this_nes-based_take_on_smash_bros_has_a_wi-fi_chip_in_the_cart_for_online_play

A very interesting Project. I talked to the developer at Discord. They are using the RAINBOW protocol to talk to their backends and they are using the ESP8266 as WiFi module too. The RAINBOW protocol is quite similar to the PlusROM functions. But it has much more features, because they are using a custom firmware for the ESP8266 (which is unfortunately not open source).

 

So PlusROMs can not use a RAINBOW backend directly, but if a PlusROM and a RAINBOW backend are on the same server NES and VCS players can play together..

 

 

[Prizrak]

Would be cool of they would work with you to help both projects along and both of them would mutually benefit. I'm sure they don't want to and want stuff to remain closed so there are no copy cats.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[+Al_Nafuur]

4 hours ago, Prizrak said:

Would be cool of they would work with you to help both projects along and both of them would mutually benefit. I'm sure they don't want to and want stuff to remain closed so there are no copy cats.

There seems to be a competition with an other NES WiFi project I think it is NESnet:

 

[+Andrew Davie]

I've finished the redesign of the PlusCart 3D printed shell, and tested a few prototypes.  It now supports the little tabs to open-up the console protective door, if there is one. The design is also much more robust - I've thickened those areas that were likely to break, and oriented the "grain" of the pins/staples to make sure they're super-strong. In this version I've printed on a textured tape, which somewhat reduces the visibility of the diagonal print lines (but does introduce between-tape-segment lines). I think it works OK.

The new version is also a friction-fit thing, so no more "straps" to wrap around the outside. I think, overall, it's a much improved design.

I'll release the STL files shortly.

Vid to come shortly

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Andrew Davie

[+Andrew Davie]

AA didn't seem to like the super-large video so I've tried to reduce it....

 

 

[Prizrak]

Looks good@Andrew Davie

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[+Andrew Davie]

14 minutes ago, Prizrak said:

Looks good@Andrew Davie

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

I'll print yours tomorrow. PM me your address.

[vitoco]

1 hour ago, Andrew Davie said:

AA didn't seem to like the super-large video so I've tried to reduce it....

 

 

 

It's incredible! Very well done.

 

[marauder666]

Built a plus cart, and it worked first time on my PAL VCS, but not on my PAL 7800.

In fact, I'm not getting any 2600 carts to output video anymore, seems like luma is missing, the TIA isnt totally dead, as combat is definitely running when the reset is pressed, sounds as it sound.

7800 carts are all still ok.

Need to do more investigation with the scope over the next few days, it is heavily modded in the video output department, so not sure what isnt working.

So, PAL 7800 owners, I wouldn't try the plus cart until I've had a chance to check things, just in case there is an issue.

 

[+Al_Nafuur]

19 minutes ago, marauder666 said:

Built a plus cart, and it worked first time on my PAL VCS, but not on my PAL 7800.

In fact, I'm not getting any 2600 carts to output video anymore, seems like luma is missing, the TIA isnt totally dead, as combat is definitely running when the reset is pressed, sounds as it sound.

7800 carts are all still ok.

Need to do more investigation with the scope over the next few days, it is heavily modded in the video output department, so not sure what isnt working.

So, PAL 7800 owners, I wouldn't try the plus cart until I've had a chance to check things, just in case there is an issue.

Did you use the PlusCart breakout board, or did you build your own PCB or a wired prototype?

btw. @marauder666 I can send you an invitation for the PlusCart beta tester Club her on AtariAge, if you like.

[marauder666]

Had a breakout board fabbed using the gerbers.

Invite would be good for the beta test club now I've finished with the beta testing for the AVG cart with SIO firmware.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by marauder666

[+Al_Nafuur]

16 minutes ago, marauder666 said:

Invite would be good for the beta test club now I've finished with the beta testing for the AVG cart with SIO firmware.

Invitation sent

[+Al_Nafuur]

I checked the PlusStore log files today, there are a some unknown PlusCarts from all over the world using the public area.

It is totally alright, if you only want to use the public area or just peek around a bit.
But send me a PM or a post in this thread, if you are having troubles with setting up your private area, or if you like to have an invitation for the PlusCart beta tester Club.

btw. some pictures of your DIY PlusCart would be cool too ? and some feedback about your experience with the PlusCart and the download speed from your part of the world.

[Albert]

On 9/28/2020 at 8:59 AM, Andrew Davie said:

AA didn't seem to like the super-large video so I've tried to reduce it....

It's better to upload a video to YouTube (you can make it Unlisted) and embed the video in your post, instead of directly uploading to the server.  I'll probably disable video uploads, they take a huge amount of space and the forum isn't really setup for that sort of thing (it's a feature they added to the new version of the forum software when it was updated last summer).

 

 ..Al

[+Al_Nafuur]

9 minutes ago, Albert said:

It's better to upload a video to YouTube (you can make it Unlisted) and embed the video in your post, instead of directly uploading to the server.  I'll probably disable video uploads, they take a huge amount of space and the forum isn't really setup for that sort of thing (it's a feature they added to the new version of the forum software when it was updated last summer).

 

 ..Al

I have setup a PlusCart YouTube channel. If anyone wants to upload a PlusCart related video there, just let me know.

[spspspsp]

15 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

I checked the PlusStore log files today, there are a some unknown PlusCarts from all over the world using the public area.

It is totally alright, if you only want to use the public area or just peek around a bit.
But send me a PM or a post in this thread, if you are having troubles with setting up your private area, or if you like to have an invitation for the PlusCart beta tester Club.

btw. some pictures of your DIY PlusCart would be cool too ? and some feedback about your experience with the PlusCart and the download speed from your part of the world.

I just built three PlusCarts (because of PCB minimum order requirements) logged on with them yesterday/today (Tokyo). At first when I saw this thread the idea of adding wi-fi to my Atari didn't appeal to me, but the more I thought about it, the more useful and interesting it seemed. I plan to keep one and gift one to my uncle, but I need to work out how to case them first.

 

I ordered the ST chip and the wi-fi module from AliExpress, and used your PCB files to have some made. Assembly was easy, but I was confused about the boot0 and boot1 jumpers. The flashing instructions say to that "the boot0 jumper has to be removed (and boot1 has to be short!)", but the assembly instructions only mention boot1.

 

Is boot1 always to be shorted? What happens is boot1 is open? I plugged in a cart with boot0 shorted and boot1 open and it seemed to run fine. 

 

Flashing worked fine with boot0 open and boot1 shorted.

 

Personally, I like the idea of online high score tables, and having access to the most recent homebrew and hacks without having to search the AA forums is a neat bonus. Dragging and dropping files into a WebDAV folder and having them appear on the cart is handy too. I'd like to give online Combat a go with my uncle, but we are both very far from Germany, and from each other, so that may not work so well.

 

I hope the HS boards expand, but I recognize that is a lot of work, and work that is currently being done out of love for the system. Perhaps the HS boards could include games that use an AtariVox/savekey? Would there be anything preventing a program from reading AtariVox high scores and uploading them? That would be a neat feature to me--and potentially a way to expand functionality beyond ROMs that have been explicitly modified for PlusStore support.

 

Also, I really like @Andrew Davie's games, and I wanted to play Sokoboo Plus to see if that was linked to his official HS board, which I am too lazy to manually input codes too. Seems like that's only in a semi-playable state, no? The levels load in a random order for me, and once I was even placed in a start position where the puzzle could not be completed.

[spspspsp]

15 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

PlusCart beta tester Club

What is this club?

[+Andrew Davie]

13 minutes ago, spspspsp said:

Also, I really like @Andrew Davie's games, and I wanted to play Sokoboo Plus to see if that was linked to his official HS board, which I am too lazy to manually input codes too. Seems like that's only in a semi-playable state, no? The levels load in a random order for me, and once I was even placed in a start position where the puzzle could not be completed.

TY. I'm not sure about Sokoboo Plus - will have to review. But the game should be fully playable and complete. I'm just waiting (over a year now!) for the musician to do his stuff. Maybe it's time to move on.  I think Sokoboo Plus may have been a testbed for the high score system - the levels in "the real thing" actually load in sequential order.  And the start position is not random, so there's no way you could have been put in a position where the puzzle could not be completed.  Often, it can appear thus... and there's only one way to do it.  What level was it?

 

 

[+Andrew Davie]

20 minutes ago, spspspsp said:

What is this club?

The first rule of PlusCart beta testers' club is: You do not talk about PlusCart beta testers' club!

Edited September 30, 2020 by Andrew Davie

[+Al_Nafuur]

21 minutes ago, spspspsp said:

What is this club?

I can send you an invitation, if you want to check it out.

Unfortunately I set up the PlusCart beta testers club as a private club. So everyone has to be invited to see the Club.

[+Al_Nafuur]

26 minutes ago, spspspsp said:

I hope the HS boards expand, but I recognize that is a lot of work, and work that is currently being done out of love for the system. Perhaps the HS boards could include games that use an AtariVox/savekey? Would there be anything preventing a program from reading AtariVox high scores and uploading them? That would be a neat feature to me--and potentially a way to expand functionality beyond ROMs that have been explicitly modified for PlusStore support.

That would be feasible with an additional menu entry in the setup area, but all scores would be assigned to the PlusCart user who has sent them and they would have the same date, if it is the first time the user sends his score, and on subsequent transmissions the backend has to figure out which score is new..

 

35 minutes ago, spspspsp said:

Also, I really like @Andrew Davie's games, and I wanted to play Sokoboo Plus to see if that was linked to his official HS board, which I am too lazy to manually input codes too. Seems like that's only in a semi-playable state, no? The levels load in a random order for me, and once I was even placed in a start position where the puzzle could not be completed.

 

20 minutes ago, Andrew Davie said:

TY. I'm not sure about Sokoboo Plus - will have to review. But the game should be fully playable and complete. I'm just waiting (over a year now!) for the musician to do his stuff. Maybe it's time to move on.  I think Sokoboo Plus may have been a testbed for the high score system - the levels in "the real thing" actually load in sequential order.  And the start position is not random, so there's no way you could have been put in a position where the puzzle could not be completed.  Often, it can appear thus... and there's only one way to do it.  What level was it?

@Andrew Davie I can send you the Sokoboo Plus logfile, there you can figure out what the backend has sent (date in CET, user id, level ID from the database and the response-length)

[marauder666]

False alarm with my 7800, had to give the 2600 color trimmer a little turn.