"Dragonfly" my version of the Atari 7800 SD cartridge

[Synthpopalooza]

This is a thing of beauty.  ?

[Synthpopalooza]

sega genesis adapter.

 

9V output, 1.2 amps.  I know Dragonfly requires 1.5 ... would this still do the job or not?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

36 minutes ago, Synthpopalooza said:

sega genesis adapter.

 

9V output, 1.2 amps.  I know Dragonfly requires 1.5 ... would this still do the job or not?

No as the polarity will be wrong on this. The DF cart needs a Center + polarity to operate. While a Sega Genesis adapter will physically fit, you will have to cut the wire in the mix, reverse them, to set the properly polarity. That is what I did with mine. Mine is only a 1.3A and works fine, but I also have a DC-DC regulator in my 7800 so the 7800 requires less current than a stock one to operate. A stock 7800 with a Pokey cart needs about 720 - 750ma to operate so getting on that puts out 1.5A was to make sure there was enough current to power both the DF and 7800 at the same time.

 

 

[Synthpopalooza]

I found this too, at Best Buy.  Again 1.3A but switchable voltage and polarity.  

 

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

That will likely work, but you have to make sure that the 9v setting is putting out only 9v and not something higher. I'm sure it won't as I don't think anyone is making old school transformer based adapters anymore and they are all switching type but just make sure.

 

And yes the current rating it low. What happens in a case like that usually, is that it will work, but if the console requires more amperage and the PSU can't provide it then there can be issues with glitching on the console, lockups, or it actually works fine but causes the PSU to wear out and die faster.

 

[rj1307]

I also use adjustable and it works fine: https://allegro.pl/oferta/zasilacz-uniwersalny-kemot-urz1187-1500ma-3-12v-9084166650

[Synthpopalooza]

So I tried it out and it works ... one thing tho:

 

When I load Bob's Pac Man XM, it plays only the TIA sound.  How do I get it to play the Yamaha sound?  I know there is a way to get into the BIOS of the Dragonfly and turn on the XM, but I seem to be forgetful at the moment.

 

 

[CPUWIZ]

Manual?  I haven't looked at it yet.  Only just got mine.

[Synthpopalooza]

Figured it out.   Extra RAM has to be enabled for Pac Man XM to play Yamaha sound.  This thing is a beast.

[Synthpopalooza]

Also: Went to Best Buy, dropped $20 for the PSU.  Worked like a charm.

[oakcitycomics]

5 minutes ago, Synthpopalooza said:

Also: Went to Best Buy, dropped $20 for the PSU.  Worked like a charm.

I picked this up from Amazon for $6.  I've used dozens of these on audrino projects with out issues. So they should work fine with the Dragonfly. My Dragonfly is still a few days away from delivery but I see no reason why it wont work perfectly fine with it

Amazon.com: 9V1.5A Power Adapter, Cable Length 5 feet, with Magnetic Ring Anti-Interference: Electronics

[juansolo]

Cleggy ( @marauder666 ) and my Dragonfly's have turned up and we've dropped in our Pokeys (we're possibly the only peeps to date who've dropped in real pokeys...). All is well apart from a couple of issues we've found that are reasonably consistent across both our PAL 7800's and our carts.

 

The first is that BallBlazer (PAL) has incosistent sound. The music has random beeping on one of the channels in there on the real cart, ran via the Dragonfly I either get no random beeping but all the other sound is ok, or I get a small number of random beeps that then start looping. On my machine the game itself plays ok. On Cleggy's machine he gets similar sound issues or his crashes completely at different intervals such as after the Lucasfilm logo or after he scores a goal. That's an odd one.

 

The other issue is that on Bob DeCrezcenso's Galaxian demo it comes up with Pokey not found despite others reporting that it finds one on their Dragonflys. All the other Pokey games I've tried work fine: Commando, Froggie, Super Circus AA, Donkey Kong XM.

 

It's all very odd. Certainly not a showstopper, just thought it was worth bringing up to see if anyone else is having the same issues.

[juansolo]

More interesting compatibility stuff. Bob's Space Invaders PAL boots straight into Asteroids (like the 7800 doesn't recognise the cart). The NTSC version works however with the usual on-screen corruption you get on a PAL console. The PAL version of the actual cart works just fine. That's goes for the BallBlazer oddness above also.

 

I don't want to make this sound like there's a load of issues, becuase there aren't, and it's likely down to console variance (which there appears to be a lot of in the PAL 7800 world). It's a bloody brilliant thing. Loving it, RJ has done an outstanding job.

Edited January 31, 2021 by juansolo

[+-^CrossBow^-]

6 hours ago, juansolo said:

I don't want to make this sound like there's a load of issues, becuase there aren't, and it's likely down to console variance (which there appears to be a lot of in the PAL 7800 world). It's a bloody brilliant thing. Loving it, RJ has done an outstanding job.

There are at least as many and possible more variants on the NTSC front as well. Case in point is that I can't get most of the Pokey music demos to work on any of mine and only get some odd clicking in beat with the music. While other pokey demos, especially the newer released ones, seem to work fine. I've not tested BB but have tested commando and that game worked as expected and was the game that made me realize that my pokeymax on the DF was actually too loud compared to the TIA. 

[Eagle]

@-^CrossBow^- could you send me one of not working pokey demos? I would like to have look in code. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

23 minutes ago, Eagle said:

@-^CrossBow^- could you send me one of not working pokey demos? I would like to have look in code. 

These are two right off hand I know aren't working. This was after they had the NTSC encryption added to them so they would at least try and load up. They do but again I just clicks in time with the tune that should be playing. And this was happening on the 3 consoles I tested at the time.

 

 

[Eagle]

@-^CrossBow^-They couldn't work. There was a bug in my code. I used examples from Mads assembler by @tebe and there was a wrong INPTCTRL entry.

 

	lda	#$02		; !!! 2 !!!
	sta	INPTCTRL	; Lock into 7800 mode

Should be 

	lda	#$07		
	sta	INPTCTRL	; Lock into 7800 mode

But somehow worked on emulators. 

 

edit:

I checked them two files in a hex editor and they have a valid INPTCRL

I will try make another ones with right headers and signature.

Just must finish my little project tonight first.

[CPUWIZ]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SJRF9RT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Bought one (because, power supplies), includes Ferrite core.  I have not tried any carts lately, so no DF or Concerto tests, bcause a couple of surgeries are in progress and I have limited time to focus on them.

 

On my door step in less than 24 hours.

 

Need to check if it outputs a steady 9V (why 9V?).

[CPUWIZ]

12 hours ago, Eagle said:

signature

 

You don't need that, unless you are running from a cart directly booted by the stock NTSC BIOS (other BIOS versions do not check for it), not by a "loading device".  Signatures are only required for "gold master" carts.

 

I presume emulators ignore the signature as well.

[Eagle]

@CPUWIZ thanks for info

@-^CrossBow^- try this ones. 

 

edit:

I've tested on my Pal console and is not playing. Strange ?

 

BombJack450.a78 Cybernoid450.a78 flimboquest450.a78 Parallax.a78

[oakcitycomics]

8 hours ago, CPUWIZ said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SJRF9RT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Bought one (because, power supplies), includes Ferrite core.  I have not tried any carts lately, so no DF or Concerto tests, bcause a couple of surgeries are in progress and I have limited time to focus on them.

 

On my door step in less than 24 hours.

 

Need to check if it outputs a steady 9V (why 9V?).

If this is the same as the one I linked above the ones I received a couple months back were all of good quality. Power delivery was steady with out variations and clean

[+-^CrossBow^-]

9 hours ago, CPUWIZ said:

Need to check if it outputs a steady 9V (why 9V?).

Because the hardware inside is only rated to take 9v max input from what Rafal advised me. That is why it needs to be a switching psu to ensure it is only kicking out 9v as anything over is likely to cause heatbuild up in the DF cart. This was also the reason why older 7800s I put DC-DC regulators into don't work with the power passthru from the DF cart. As the PSU on the DF is only 9v, it is only passing 9v to the 7800. But the DC-DC regulators I was using back then actually didn't kick in to +5 output mode properly unless the input voltage was more like 12v. Normal 7800 PSUs and other transformer PSUs put out over 12v without a load.

[Eagle]

@-^CrossBow^-

Working on Pal. Could you check on NTSC?

Looks like it's player issue.

 

edit: Pokey at address $4000

 

Cybernoid2fix.a78

[rj1307]

On 1/30/2021 at 7:30 PM, juansolo said:

Cleggy ( @marauder666 ) and my Dragonfly's have turned up and we've dropped in our Pokeys (we're possibly the only peeps to date who've dropped in real pokeys...). All is well apart from a couple of issues we've found that are reasonably consistent across both our PAL 7800's and our carts.

 

The first is that BallBlazer (PAL) has incosistent sound. The music has random beeping on one of the channels in there on the real cart, ran via the Dragonfly I either get no random beeping but all the other sound is ok, or I get a small number of random beeps that then start looping. On my machine the game itself plays ok. On Cleggy's machine he gets similar sound issues or his crashes completely at different intervals such as after the Lucasfilm logo or after he scores a goal. That's an odd one.

 

The other issue is that on Bob DeCrezcenso's Galaxian demo it comes up with Pokey not found despite others reporting that it finds one on their Dragonflys. All the other Pokey games I've tried work fine: Commando, Froggie, Super Circus AA, Donkey Kong XM.

 

It's all very odd. Certainly not a showstopper, just thought it was worth bringing up to see if anyone else is having the same issues.

 

I finally found some time today and decided to test the Ballblazer with the original Pokey chip. The game ran all the time on both PAL and NTSC consoles and did not freeze.
Don't you have "Force" mode set in the RAM Menu?

 

[juansolo]

5 minutes ago, rj1307 said:

 

I finally found some time today and decided to test the Ballblazer with the original Pokey chip. The game ran all the time on both PAL and NTSC consoles and did not freeze.
Don't you have "Force" mode set in the RAM Menu?

 

Tried it with and without, behaviour is the same. We're starting to think it might me something power related on Cleggy's setup. Which is odd as it's all the same as both mine and Muddyfunsters and neither of ours are crashing. I'll be going over there on Weds and taking all my kit over so we can swap each part out in turn and see which one makes the problem go away.

 

FWIW, I still get the odd music thing with BB, but I've never had it crash on mine.