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CPC cartridges possible to make new ones or not worthwhile?

Started by dcdrac, 19:46, 31 March 13

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dcdrac

I have obtained a working GX4000 and a couple of games, so the question is, it is possible to create new cartridges still and if so would it be worthwhile?

steve

There are several ways of doing that but they are not easy, cheap or ideal.

1) cpcwiki see acid inside.

2) remove the rom from a burning rubber cartridge and replace it with your own rom.

3) Bryce has designed a pcb that uses a real acid chip.

4) the acid chip has been reverse engineered and details can be found in the wiki, requires a programmable chip of some sort.

The biggest hurdle to making new cartridges appears to be making the cases. ::)

dcdrac

I have the images of most of the carts, not sure what the copyright ramifications are but had most of them on a disk version back then.


Bryce

There's this too: Multi Cartridge - CPCWiki

But this also needs to "borrow" and ACID from an original cartridge.

Bryce.

radu14m

Great work !
I love this Cartridge ;)
Is there a posibility to use a bigger ROM ? ( for more apps )

dcdrac

I would certainly pay for one of these ready loaded

Bryce

I have a 16way version designed, but I've only ever built one prototype of that. I was hoping to find some very low cost replacement for the ACID, but I haven't had any time to work on it. I also planned to make the ROMs software selectable instead of having a row of DIP switches.

Bryce.

dcdrac

Mr Bryce if you pursue it further you have a willing customer

TFM

Quote from: Bryce on 08:20, 03 April 13
I have a 16way version designed, but I've only ever built one prototype of that. I was hoping to find some very low cost replacement for the ACID, but I haven't had any time to work on it. I also planned to make the ROMs software selectable instead of having a row of DIP switches.

Bryce.

That sound amazing. About the ACID, just leave the socket open, people can take one of their own carts.

If you need software for the ROM/Game selection - just let me know!  :) :) :)

Such a 16 shooter would be really cool! And it would IMHO cover all I need (4 is a bit tight).
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

fgbrain

Why not produce something like the Harmony Cartridge on Atari 2600 that uses an SD card to store the games?
This way, you only need one cartridge to play whatever exists (or will come!?!)

Besides this, new stuff can be developed - like plus only demos for cartridge only!

I believe Bryce can make this possible... ;D
_____

6128 (UK keyboard, Crtc type 0/2), 6128+ (UK keyboard), 3.5" and 5.25" drives, Reset switch and Digiblaster (selfmade), Inicron Romram box, Bryce Megaflash, SVideo & PS/2 mouse, , Magnum Lightgun, X-MEM, X4 Board, C4CPC, Multiface2 X4, RTC X4 and Gotek USB Floppy emulator.

Gryzor

Ooh, that'd be fantastic. Though I would bet Bryce may already have considered this.


You'd have to consider the interface that would allow you to 'download' an image to the cartridge's memory and then reboot with it. Maybe a modified OS version?

Bryce

I can understand the harmony being useful on an Atari 2600 because there are 100 Trazillion games available and you could easily fill the SD card with them, but the CPC has less than 20 games on cartridge. Do you really need the extra complication / expense for that?

Bryce.

Gryzor

Mm, you got a point there. Still, it'd be useful if more games were ever to be released...

TFM

As usual the hardware has to be there first, then the software will follow - no question.
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Bryce

Quote from: TFM/FS on 01:42, 08 April 13
As usual the hardware has to be there first, then the software will follow - no question.

The hardware is already there. There are several options for DIY cartridges. It doesn't have to be a multi-cart for people to release software. And still no software has arrived.

Bryce.

arnoldemu

Quote from: Bryce on 09:18, 08 April 13
The hardware is already there. There are several options for DIY cartridges. It doesn't have to be a multi-cart for people to release software. And still no software has arrived.

Bryce.
patience ;)

My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource


Bryce

Quote from: arnoldemu on 09:20, 08 April 13
patience ;)

Well according to TFM no amount of patience will help, because an SD based Multi-Cart hasn't been produced yet, so the software will never come.

Bryce.

arnoldemu

Quote from: Bryce on 13:13, 08 April 13
Well according to TFM no amount of patience will help, because an SD based Multi-Cart hasn't been produced yet, so the software will never come.

Bryce.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

TFM

Quote from: Bryce on 09:18, 08 April 13
The hardware is already there. There are several options for DIY cartridges. It doesn't have to be a multi-cart for people to release software. And still no software has arrived.

Bryce.
Sorry, but we don't even have shells for DIY Carts! In fact there is no hardware.
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

db6128

Oh good, it's another one of those threads now.

So, not having nice-looking shells means that people should ignore the existence of circuitry that can already achieve the same purpose as an original cartridge? Will you just say anything to avoid having to admit you said something incorrect?
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:04, 27 February 12
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:38, 27 February 12[The owner of one of the few existing cartridges of Chase HQ 2] mentioned to me that unless someone could find a way to guarantee the code wouldn't be duplicated to anyone else, he wouldn't be interested.
Did he also say things like "My treasureeeeee" and is he a little grey guy?

TFM

There are no shells, that's a fact. And I don't want to put a sloppy platine in my computer, which pops out once a while, because it's not secured by the on / off switch. That should be understandabe - for everyone.

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

db6128

Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:04, 27 February 12
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:38, 27 February 12[The owner of one of the few existing cartridges of Chase HQ 2] mentioned to me that unless someone could find a way to guarantee the code wouldn't be duplicated to anyone else, he wouldn't be interested.
Did he also say things like "My treasureeeeee" and is he a little grey guy?

ralferoo

Quote from: TFM/FS on 18:42, 08 April 13
There are no shells, that's a fact. And I don't want to put a sloppy platine in my computer, which pops out once a while, because it's not secured by the on / off switch. That should be understandabe - for everyone.
So use an original cart with a new EEPROM. As Bryce was saying, we already have several ways of getting code onto a plus, but still almost nobody is writing any...

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