Quick question about burning GX4000 Cartridge ROMs

[Badstarr]

Hi all!


I shall be soon getting an EPROM burner and will hopefully soon be burning a new Burning Rubber/ Basic Cartridge to use with my in progress GX4000 to Plus mod. Also it would be nice to convert some of the numerous Burning Rubber Carts that I have lying around into some better games. I have been gathering some ROM bins and images from various places and upon checking the size of the BIN files I see that they weigh in at 131kb. So I'm guessing that these are meant to be 128kb in reality and burned to a 128kb EPROM? Do I need to edit anything out of the bin file? Or are they in fact 131kb and meant to be burned to a bigger EPROM? 

[fano]

Check if your binaries are exactly 131072 bytes.If yes , it is just a problem of conversion , 1KB (named Kio with new standarts) is 1024 bytes not 1000 , so your binary size is correct (131072/1024=128)

[Bryce]

Hi Badstarr,
     some ROMs depending how they were saved, may vary in length. Many ROM images (depending where you downloaded them) have a header added, that you'll have to remove to use them on a standard Burner. The header is usually 128 Bytes long.

Either way, here:  http://www.cpcmania.com/index2.asp?urldest=GX4000-Games/Games.htm you'll find images of all cartridges available and the BIN version in the ZIP file are without headers.

Bryce.

[Badstarr]

Thanks guys! All seems a bit clearer now. I guess I will try burning some of the BINs from the link Bryce mentioned and cross my fingers, if no luck I will remove the first 128 bytes. If not successful at least I can just erase the EPROMs!

[Bryce]

I have a full set of "burner ready" ROM files somewhere. If you have any problems, let me know and I can post you known good versions. Have you considered making a Multi-Cartridge http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Multi_Cartridge There's only about 20 Cartridges available, so with 5x 512K EPROMs/Flashes, you can have all of them with much less plugging / unplugging and burning. You'll have to safely remove an ACID from one of your originals though. Not all that easy.

Bryce.

[beaker]

Hi, does anyone know if a TOP853 USB Universal Programmer and ST M27C1001-10 EPROM's are suitable for doing this or could recommend another? I bought them back in September (prior to the HxC) with the intention buying a cheap cartridge, desoldering the EPROM and adding a socket like Bryce's multi cartridge (it would mean one game per EPROM but that's OK).

I figured I could buy a cheap burnin' rubber cartridge for £5 but keep being outbid (bit optimistic?) so it's on hold for the moment, however reading the thread reminded me it's still on my todo list...

Edit: Actually I was trying to remember the article I saw originally and it was CPCMania website under copying GX4000 cartridges section:
http://www.cpcmania.com/index2.asp?urldest=GX4000-Games/Games.htm

[Badstarr]

@ Bryce, That would be great, I will be sure to let you know if any of the BINs don't burn properly. I'm definitely looking at making a Multi Cartridge, at the moment I don't have the gear to corrode a PCB but I'm looking into it. I have a No Exit cartridge that will be persuaded to give up its ACID chip. Lets be honest, that's all that game is good for really lol! It's almost like they knew we would need some ACID chips somewhere down the line, I do wonder though if its worth patching the game so the controller input has something to do with what's happening on screen! You never know there might be a half playable game in there somewhere!?     


@ Beaker, that EPROM Programmer looks similar to the one I'm getting, I'm not an expert at burning ROMs but I checked the IC compatibility list on mine and it seems to be just the ticket, I guess I will find out if it's suitable soon but I can't see any reason why not. Also have you tried TRADE IN POST Amstard 464/6128/464+/6128+ software & Hardware ? They have loads of carts from £7, a little more than the fiver you wanted to spend plus there is a postage fee but at least you don't have to wait for one to show up on ebay!

[Bryce]

The TOP853 and any 27C1001 is fine for making cartridges. You can also use the 28C010 (128K EEPROM) or 29F010 (128K Flash), which are both pin compatible. These have the advantage that you can re-write them without having to go through the slow UV deletion process. Very handy if you are testing several different ROMs or developing Cartridge software.

Bryce.

[Badstarr]

Ah ha! I have no idea why I didn't think of getting a few flash chips! I really shouldn't have bothered ordering that EPROM eraser that arrived all smashed up! I could have gotten a fair few flash ICs for the money I spent on it! Never mind I'll send it back and get a refund and put the cash towards the albeit, slightly more expensive but considerably more useful Flash ICs.

[MacDeath]

What about a Burnin'Romer of Burnin'Rubber... or the opposite perhaps...

[Badstarr]

What about a Burnin'Romer of Burnin'Rubber... or the opposite perhaps...

Hehe that's actually quite funny!