RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

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arkadiusz.makarenko
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

Looks good enough to include it in firmware v0.3.
Never got crash, I was running F1 Sptint for like an hour. Need to check it on other games as well.
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

I have added NEO8 and NEO16 mappers in v0.4
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

I have updated release to v0.4.2.
It renames file extensions to align with known names. So KONAMI without SCC is KO4, and KONAMI with SCC is KO5.

I have programmed 7 test PCBs and hopefully will ship them this week.
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by Higgy »

I am just thinking about tape to ROM conversions, and if they are/can be supported?

In the UK tapes were more popular, and from a download site i've seen someone has converted loads of tape images to ROM.

Only thing is the file sizes seem to be 32, 48, 64 and 128k
So could/would you need to create Mapper configurations for these other ROM sizes?
I assume (and will test) a converted tape to ROM of 32k size works same as a commercial 32k ROM Cartridge.

Thanks
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

I assume that you should be able to load 32KB as standard ROMs, and 48 or 64 AS .R48 ROMs.
Above this it has to be one of the mappers. From what you sent me I did notice that one 128KB had ASCII 16 mapper used. So at least some of them should work.
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

@Nyyrikki suggested (and provided MSX software to do it) that we could use MSX as a terminal and cartridge ch32v303 will emit all stuff needed on the computer screen.
This approach will reduce need for complex software on MSX side with like a 100 bytes software to run it.

This way I will be able to display files from the usb, and allow selecting a file to flash, and which mapper to use. It will make the process much more user friendly.

There is. Quite a lot for me to learn about managing terminal outputs and stuff...
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

I can list files (old short name format) from the flash drive, and link them to the index (still not too user-friendly).

It is just one page with fixed entries for now, but I have a way of passing data to MSX terminal via a buffer now.

Next step is to read keyboard entries sanitise them and act on input.


I will need to build whole screen state and drawing routines. This way I will be able to have menu selection and other bits like this.
To be fair it is not what I did expect to do. I may end up with crude selector with option to expand it in the future.
PXL_20250131_222904940.MP.jpg
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by Higgy »

Hi.

Cart received thanks. I've been trying some of those Tape to ROM conversions and been having good success (they won't even run using WonderTang and SofaRun!).

I am making notes, but not done enough to post anything yet.

Is there a Windows program that will read a ROM and say the Mapper used?

Also in summary, with your recent work are you investigating to have it that multiple ROM are stored on USB and you will Flash which ROM you want via the MSX?
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

Higgy wrote: Sat Feb 01, 2025 12:18 pm Hi.

Cart received thanks. I've been trying some of those Tape to ROM conversions and been having good success (they won't even run using WonderTang and SofaRun!).

I am making notes, but not done enough to post anything yet.

Is there a Windows program that will read a ROM and say the Mapper used?

Also in summary, with your recent work are you investigating to have it that multiple ROM are stored on USB and you will Flash which ROM you want via the MSX?
Unfortunately it is not that easy with mappers. I had two routines for auto detection but those are not great. I don't think there is any way to do auto detection based only on cartridge ROM.
There should be online databases that record this kind of information. After all emulators use them for the same purpose.

I am working on a more user-friendly way of selecting and flashing cartridge with MSX screen menu etc. so this would allow to use usb as a large storage device.
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Re: RISKY MSX Cart - Rev 1 (Beta Release)

Post by arkadiusz.makarenko »

I don't know if YouTube link is allowed, but this is my very crude prototype of this feature.
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