ROAM board - new ROM/RAM expansion!

[Gryzor]

At this point I can't get enough of these. True, it's somewhat late in the game, but this has been a side-project (and not the most exciting!) of d_kef from the Greek Retromaniax forum


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This is a ROM/RAM board, giving 512KB of static RAM and a 512KB, 32-position flash ROM. It's 100% compatible with Megaflash and ROM images can be written/manipulated with QuickCMD and Megaflash ROManager. RAM is 100% with Dk'tronics (256KB mem expansion and a 256KB Silicon disc)


I can verify it works beautifully. I just need more space...

[Munchausen]

Wow, cool.


There are so many ROM/RAM expansions available now that I'm starting to lose track. Is the main difference of this one the silicon disk? I've never really understood why a silicon disk is all that useful TBH, I'd rather have 512K RAM. Could you somehow have 512K RAM and a silicon disk as well?

[TotO]

Greek !!! (hum... great)

There are so many ROM/RAM expansions available now that I'm starting to lose track.

Only 3... The SymbiFace, the X-MEM and this board. 

Is the main difference of this one the silicon disk? I've never really understood why a silicon disk is all that useful TBH, I'd rather have 512K RAM. Could you somehow have 512K RAM and a silicon disk as well?

As I don't see any backup-battery, I suggest that it not act as Silicon Disk at all.
If 100% DK compatible, is the RAM part work on all CPC or only 6128? Witch MMR modes are supported?   

The CPC programs future is definitively 512K ROM/RAM. 

[Bryce]

The DKTronics Silicon disk didn't have a battery either. They just referred to the upper 256K of RAM pages (4 to 7) as the Silicon Disk because their silicon disk software used that area. As soon as the power was turned off the data was lost.

Bryce.

[TotO]

OK... I was sure that was a real feature and not a commercial name. 
I remembered to read that two wires was connected to it for keeping safe the content.

[Bryce]

I think you might be mixing it up with the guide to change it from a silicon disk to a RAM expansion. The DK'tronics RAM expansion was mapped to pages 0 to 3. The silicon disk was identical but mapped to pages 4 to 7. By adding wire on the PCB you could change the mapping of the device you owned to which ever you wanted. There are two further wire bridges that need to be moved to convert the RAM/Silicon disk from 64K to 256K. I've documented it all here: Upgrading a Dk'tronics RAM Expansion - CPCWiki

Bryce.

[TotO]

Not that. I have probably confused RAM Box and Silicon Disk.

[TFM]

Wow, cool.


There are so many ROM/RAM expansions available now that I'm starting to lose track. Is the main difference of this one the silicon disk? I've never really understood why a silicon disk is all that useful TBH, I'd rather have 512K RAM. Could you somehow have 512K RAM and a silicon disk as well?

Well, just use Dobbertins RDOS ROM and you can use 128 KB (Games!) and still have a 444 KB RAM disc. And if you buffer the S-RAM (like the inicron expainsion) then you have a non volatile RAM disc. Yay!

[Executioner]

Something with the full 4MB expansion + 32 (or more) ROMs would be good. Not really sure a silicon disc is all that useful either given it's incompatibility with most software and the fact that there's already an SD based floppy emulator that can use a 64GB SD card.

[TotO]

As most peoples continues to limit their programs to 64K, some use 128K, few use 256K... A 4MB board make me smile.

Is the goal to have the biggest one ?
Because, I can build a 1GB RAM expansion for CPC if you want. 


EDIT: Happy 500 posts! 

[rpalmer]

Tot0,

The CPC web browser uses every byte of a 2 Mb expansion there is.

rpalmer

[TotO]

It's not a common usage and a 4MB RAM expansion will be filled too if you own it.
Loading data always require more memory else 640K aught to be enough for everyone.

A way to not waste the RAM and display the content faster should be to use a flash mass storage for caching the web content.
Last but not lest, that will allow to browse offline and save linked files.

[TFM]

Something with the full 4MB expansion + 32 (or more) ROMs would be good.

Totally agreed! :-D

[Executioner]

The reason I mentioned 4MB is because it's what the Yarek expansion does, and is supported by SymbOS (and CPC Web Browser it seems).

[TotO]

Sure, I have understood that.

About SymbOS, I'm curious to know if the 4MB expansion is really used...
I have tested a 1MB compatible configuration and only 576K are seen.

About a Web browser, more memory you got to store web data, better it is, as they are "infinite".
I like DOSLINX and LINKS web browsers, because all is handled using standard char texts, making pages small and fast to display.

[Bryce]

About a Web browser, more memory you got to store web data, better it is, as they are "infinite".

Yeah! Then we can download the entire internet to our CPC [nb]If you don't download the Pr0n and cat pictures it already fits onto 4MB[/nb]

Bryce.

[TotO]

Yeah![nb]A flash drive should help... for cats[/nb] 

[TFM]

The reason I mentioned 4MB is because it's what the Yarek expansion does, and is supported by SymbOS (and CPC Web Browser it seems).

No, it's only supported by FutureOS. SymbOS supports supposedly 1 MB (even if I got the 1 MB version never up and running). The Web Browser makes it with up to 2 MB IIRC.

[steve]

Because, I can build a 1GB RAM expansion for CPC if you want. 

Yes please.

[TFM]

This would finally enable my Final Fantasy XIII version for the CPC to run properly without streaming from HD20 (which sadly nobody has. Else you would already be playing it).

[steve]

ROAM BOARD, ROM/RAM Expansion for Amstrad CPC home computers - YouTube

[Cédric “Foul” Monféfoul]

Where to buy this board plz?

[TotO]

Where to buy this board plz?

The video comment said that was a limited 5/10 boards batch and not sell it.
By the way, you should order for an X-MEM expansion doing the same (and more) here: CPC Boards

[TFM]

A little comment from my side. Please use the ROManager 2.14 instead of 1.45 if possible. It's now available as single 16 KB ROM (see FutureOS thread). It got a bunch of new functions.