Homemade reprogrammable cartridge, anyone?

[Mairtrus]

Some weeks ago, searching in Google for something that I don't really remember right now, I found this page, and then I started to think that there is, as far I remember, a lack of pages on Internet with instructions to make your own cartridge. So, It's so difficult make a cartridge? Or I'm missing something? Because recently I started to think in the posibility to test some code (and some comercial games, why not?) in the real hardware. Anybody knows something about this?

EDIT: Post number 100

[jlf65]

That's one of the most widely known pages on making your own Genesis cart. Most people don't have the skills needed to make such a thing, so they settle for buying a MegaCart or MD-Pro (both flashrom carts for Genesis homebrew). If you do have the skills, that's a good page for folks wanting to put those skills to the test.

[oompa loompa]

There are a lot more other flash cart projects around, but they're mostly "underground". Search through the forums, you'll probably find 1 or 2 projects . I helped some Russian guy build a minimal flash cart programmer, but I don't know if he put his stuff on the web. Making the cartridge itself is very easy and straightforward, but making the programmer is what i think challenged a lot of people that want to build flash carts.

Check this one out: devster.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dev&action=display&thread=26

broken link, but maybe you can use archive.org to just take a peek. i think that his flash cart was 64mbits , so that might interest a lot of people

i also need to build myself a flash cart reader as well. the one i currently have uses the parallel port, and is kind of flaky. i want to build a programmer using the PIC18F6585 and then put the schematics and firmware on the web. specifically using the 68 PLCC package because that's what i have in stock in my parts drawers . i have a lot of QFN packaged parts, but then those require a custom PCB, and very very precision soldering and patience. i could build one using an Atmel AVR part. I think the Microchip controller would be the way to go because samples can be ordered online for a measly $7, and their parts are available in PLCC (i could use a DIP 40 package, but then i don't want to add more latch and buffer chips to the design). to get samples from Atmel, i had to call them and hassle them , and it'd take 1-2 months to get my samples

i love to do hardware related projects . maybe i'll create a cartridge+programmer over the holiday weekend (3 day weekend, thanks to Memorial Day here in the US) and put it on the web, using a PIC18, and whatever flash memory i can dig up

[jlf65]

That would be AWESOME!

[Tiido]

awesome indeed


I built my cart+programmer device which you could use a a standard memory chip burner as long as you have an adaptor and software needed...

www.hot.ee/tmeeco/DWNLOADS/MPCPSHIT.RAR



I made it quite a few years ago, when I was 17 I think...

[jlf65]

Wow - looks like it was a lot of work.

[oompa loompa]

okay, I built my new cartridge programmer. I only got code to run on the microcontroller, and give me a "Hello World" kind of thing, so it's a WIP . I'm using the PIC16C877A microcontroller, and two 74LS373's (although I can use 74LS374's as well). The programmer is interfaced through the RS232 port of the PC, and only needs a terminal software (eg: hyperterminal, or something else with XMODEM file transfer support)

The cartridge I have uses AM29F010 flash. I thought that I should start off with AMD chips first because the 010's are very very common, cheap, and PLCC (we'll wait for TSOP packages later). I'm going to make the firmware able to use different kinds of flashes in different configurations (eg: say you have 8 AM29F010 chips on your flash cart). Users will be able to upgrade the firmware through the RS232 interface

I won't have time to work on this more this week, but I just want to give people a heads up (maybe to start collecting parts, or ripping the 64 pin cartridge connector from a POS Genesis )