16BIT ROM CART THOUGHTS

[Atarian Computing]

Here's the latest GB6 in a cart image I managed to squeeze under 64KB.

That is just way to cool!!!

How you manage that, and so quickly ?!

Heh, thanks

Maybe I should do a proper write-up of it someday but here's the gist of it:

1. One-Part - a ram saver program. This program will turn multi file programs into one file. It can then be compressed with one of the file compressing programs. UTL-0186.zip from http://exxosforum.co.uk/atari/PDL/FLOPPYSHOP/index.htm

Edit: One-Part does in fact utilize some clever ramdisk tricks but almost transparent. I just only realized it now when loading sets to GB6 and they were in drive D:

2. UPX to further pack the resulting file from One-Part

3. My Powershell script to make an image file (128KB)

4. Snip last 64KB with a hex editor resulting in a 64KB cart image

Easy peasy. I really should make a proper program to make cart images.

[exxos]

Heh, thanks

Maybe I should do a proper write-up of it someday but here's the gist of it:

Easy peasy. I really should make a proper program to make cart images.

Super cool! So can you still load the GB6 benchmark files like normal then ?

Now I gonna have to do a new cart-pcb, so thanks for that!

I been wanting to get GB6 onto a cart for ages, I tend to corrupt my floppies daily , be harder to corrupt a cartridge

[Atarian Computing]

Heh, thanks

Maybe I should do a proper write-up of it someday but here's the gist of it:

Easy peasy. I really should make a proper program to make cart images.

Super cool! So can you still load the GB6 benchmark files like normal then ?

Now I gonna have to do a new cart-pcb, so thanks for that!

I been wanting to get GB6 onto a cart for ages, I tend to corrupt my floppies daily , be harder to corrupt a cartridge

Thanks! No worries I also edited my previous post about the sets. Yes, you can load them from what I just realized is a ramdisk it creates.

[exxos]

Thanks! No worries I also edited my previous post about the sets. Yes, you can load them from what I just realized is a ramdisk it creates.

Probably a small request to GB6, is delete the DEFAULT.GB6 file and copy STFM1048.GB6 to a new DEFAULT.GB6 file... Its just so it loads the STFM stock reference file as default rather than the STE one which I have as default in Build 31...

Will start on splitting A15 on my board, then can have YAART running from cart directly (without going to desktop) Then the last 64K bank can have GB6...

Now all this is going to make a totally awesome test setup!

[Atarian Computing]

Thanks! No worries I also edited my previous post about the sets. Yes, you can load them from what I just realized is a ramdisk it creates.

Probably a small request to GB6, is delete the DEFAULT.GB6 file and copy STFM1048.GB6 to a new DEFAULT.GB6 file... Its just so it loads the STFM stock reference file as default rather than the STE one which I have as default in Build 31...

Sure thing. Here ya gooo

[exxos]

Sure thing. Here ya gooo

[JezC]

Wow...absolutely fantastic idea...

Over the last few weeks, I've finally managed to make time to go through my Atari collection & see what state things are in.

From memory, the hoard comprises
1 x Falcon - internal HDD failed
3 x 1040 STFs: all 3 have red LEDs, two with 1024k & TOS 1.00, other one (my original 1987 purchase) is 4096k & TOS 1.04
2 x STEs (one is 4096k with dual TOS 1.6x/2.06)
5 x STFMs in various states (including one 520 with S/S floppy): one only boots with no floppy connected, another only shows the white border & black centre

So, at least 2 need some attention so I for one would definitely be interested in the super diag cart (or whatever name we are going to give it).

Having realised quite how many working boxes I had, my first thought was to see how many could run as a MIDI Maze multiplayer game (I remember those ninjas as being absolutely lethal).

How sad am I

[exxos]

Wow...absolutely fantastic idea...
So, at least 2 need some attention so I for one would definitely be interested in the super diag cart (or whatever name we are going to give it).

These multi-carts are not anything new, theres a few people been making various types for a while now. Though I wanted to do my own version and add in the stuff which is useful for me as well. So adding in YAART and GB6 plus the Atari diagnostic ROM's make it my ultimate debugging tool.

It would have been nice to have had Diagrom on there as well, though IIRC the whole thing is pretty big, maybe 1MB mark. Though there isn't any reason a second board can't be used with that chip anyway.

[tzok]

Some time ago I was asking about possibility of preparing ROM versions of YAART and SysInfo, but with no response. I only know, that it is impossible to just put an PRG file on a ROM.

[exxos]

Version 8..

Hard to physically get it all to fit and route in just 2 layers... So its a bit messy, but its as good as it can be without spending ages on it all again.

So hacked up another jumper header which can link A15 to the ROM, or can be switched HI or LOW to select a "sub bank" for the 2 versions of YAART.

I half thought a row of DIP switches would be nice, but the ones I used in the past are not very strong , or take up a lot of space. Even so, I don't think its a good idea since with DIP switches they can only have ON/OFF, I need to isolate signals as well, So it would take more switches to isolate or break connections.. but i fear it may well end up shorting out A15 if the wrong combo is selected, so I am not going to think about it anymore..

With the jumpers, its physically impossible to short anything out with the jumper links with how they are all arranged. They may look a bit messy, but again, layout and routing is a issue, but also its done like that to prevent any mishaps.

53cfc2cf6549e45cadb3a56756aa30e0.png (143.78 KiB) Viewed 5627 times