Man-In-The_Middle (MITM) Cartridge - Possible batch.

[gerald]

MITM would probably be more interesting to GX4000 owners though?

It could be a problem to use the MITM on GX4000 . The cartridge slot has doors that may just lock the MITM !
These doors does not exist on the plus.

[mr_lou]

It could be a problem to use the MITM on GX4000 . The cartridge slot has doors that may just lock the MITM !
These doors does not exist on the plus.

Oh, mkay then.
Then there's no question. Flashable cartridge it must be. :-)
Can we have one with a tiny e-Ink display that tells us what's on the cartridge? 
Silly question. Bryce can do anything.
What I really meant to ask was, when is it all ready? 

[redbox]

One potential hurdle I've thought of with a flashable cartridge is what happens to the OS whilst you're flashing it...?

For example, if your cartridge is the 6128 OS and then you flash Pang to it, the OS can be accessed during the flashing process... 

[mr_lou]

I seem to remember from previous discussions about this topic, that it won't be flashable from the CPC.
You'll have to do the flashing part from your PC.

[Munchausen]

I seem to remember from previous discussions about this topic, that it won't be flashable from the CPC.
You'll have to do the flashing part from your PC.

Oh really? How would you do the flashing then?


I'd prefer to be able to use the CPC so you can use e.g. the symbiface or a floppy emu to store cart images and load them up from there.

[Munchausen]

One potential hurdle I've thought of with a flashable cartridge is what happens to the OS whilst you're flashing it...?

For example, if your cartridge is the 6128 OS and then you flash Pang to it, the OS can be accessed during the flashing process... 

Yeah this was similar to what I was alluding to before... I think you'd still need a separate OS cart anyway otherwise when you flash Pang over it you will not be able to boot your CPC any more. Though I guess if you program from a PC it doesn't matter.

[beaker]

Something like an Everdrive  would be cool but there's so few games and the community so small that it would be a waste.

[TFM]

Well, as soon as the hardware is there, the software will follow... 

[Bryce]

Ok, just to clear things up, this is how I intend the writeable Cartridge to work (and yes, it would be programmable from the CPC):

The Cartridge will have a 512K Flash. The lower 256K will contain BASIC and software similar to ROManager which can be started with an RSX command (much like the OS/Burning Rubber cartridge). This lower 256K part of the Flash is write-protected.
The Upper 256K is free to write what you want to it using the included ROManager software. A small physical switch decides which of the 256K portions gets booted.

So the process would be:
1 - Switch in position A - CPC starts in Basic
2 - Start |ROManager (or whatever) and write image to upper 256K.
3 - Turn off CPC and move switch to position B.
4 - Restart CPC and the computer will start Pang or whatever you just wrote to the cartridge.

The biggest issue will be getting a whole 256K image onto the CPC, you may need several disks or a RAM expansion to do it properly? But then again, even a 128K game would be nice and all existing cartridge games were 128K or less as far as I know. It will be possible to write to the Flash in 16K blocks, so you don't need to write the whole 256K each time.

This should be useful for both users and Cart software developers.

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

Oh yes indeed I want one of those.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[redbox]

I want one, where do I send the money... 

The switch to select which 256kb is a really nice and elegant solution.

Would be nice to be able to program the lower 256kb as well though so we can update the OS with patches if required, e.g. Firmware 3.12, different disc OS etc.

You could always use Exomizer to compress the images to fit them onto a 178kb 3" disc, or just use two sides if writing in 16kb chunks.

[arnoldemu]

Well, as soon as the hardware is there, the software will follow... 

Why can't software come first then hardware follow?
EDIT: There are at least 2 emulators that can play cartridge games

I made another cart game by patching Stryker and nothing changed.

I also made templates for manuals and inlays and again nothing changed.

I did also patch another game (not released yet) for cartridge. If I release this will anything change


I will continue to make cart games when I have time to do so.

[Bryce]

Would be nice to be able to program the lower 256kb as well though so we can update the OS with patches if required, e.g. Firmware 3.12, different disc OS etc.

The problem with making the lower half programmable would be that there's a chance of "bricking" it. If the lower portion got corrupted you have no way of recovering the cartridge because you'll need another cartridge to start the CPC and can't swap the cartridge after that, so you're stuck. For this reason, it would be essential to ensure that the Software works 100% correctly before any were sold.

Bryce.

[redbox]

The problem with making the lower half programmable would be that there's a chance of "bricking" it. For this reason, it would be essential to ensure that the Software works 100% correctly before any were sold.

Good point, and for this reason it's probably best to stick with the stock Plus cartridge for the OS.

But please do use the one that removes the "f1/f2" menu - I can provide you with an image (it's a tiny patch for this that works 100%) and Burnin' Rubber can still be accessed by typing |GAME.

[Bryce]

But please do use the one that removes the "f1/f2" menu - I can provide you with an image (it's a tiny patch for this that works 100%) and Burnin' Rubber can still be accessed by typing |GAME.

Burning Rubber (and F1/F2) will need to be removed, because this is where the ROManager software would be located and the |Game RSX would need to be changed to a more suitable name.

Bryce.

[redbox]

Ah ok.

The f1/f2 patch is done in the OS ROM.  The name of the RSX is in the AMSDOS ROM.

If the flashing software was under 16kb then you'd only need 64kb for the system cartridge.

Bank 0 - OS
Bank 1 - BASIC
Bank 3 - Flash software (holds Burnin' Rubber graphics in original)
Bank 4 - AMSDOS 0.7

[fatbob]

I am interested in one of these as well please

[Bryce]

The Flashing software should easily be able to fit in 16K. The ROManager for the MegaFlash fits in 16K and it has loads of additional features that the Cartridge wouldn't need (Listing ROMs, Parking, Menus etc). The Cartridge Flash routine only needs to know where the file is and what block(s) it's to be flashed to.

Bryce.

[Munchausen]

I'd love one of these


I guess you can still use FW3 anyway by putting it in the top half of the ROM. It would be nice to be able to change the lower half, but the chance of bricking it does sound too risky (I for one don't have a system cart).

[mr_lou]

I want two!

Tell me also, isn't it quite possible to make an Amstrad compatible HFE file (for HxC Floppy emulator) quite big, to hold a 256k file or even bigger?

[TFM]

@Bryce : IMHO the whole 512 KB should be freely writable. Let me explain you why...


- You intend to make such a Cartridge for Software developers
- Cartridges are very expensive (even MITM)
- A Cartridge release will most likely cover 512 KB of memory to provide some value for the high price. That may even be a collection of games or whatever.
- If the lower part of the Cartridge can not be written, no game software can be simulated (512 KB).


IMHO it would be better to have the software to write to the Cartridge on DISC (or ROM) and allow to write to ALL 512 KB.


Of course I say that from the POV of a developer.

[emuola]

I'd be very interested A possibility to flash a rom-file to the cartridge with my 6128+ is plain cool

[redbox]

I guess you can still use FW3 anyway by putting it in the top half of the ROM. It would be nice to be able to change the lower half, but the chance of bricking it does sound too risky (I for one don't have a system cart).

Now that is a good idea!

You could have the protected OS in lowest 64kb (unbrickable), but that doesn't stop you writing your own OS to the flashable higher area (and use the switch) to use instead.

[Bryce]

@Bryce : IMHO the whole 512 KB should be freely writable. Let me explain you why...


- You intend to make such a Cartridge for Software developers
- Cartridges are very expensive (even MITM)
- A Cartridge release will most likely cover 512 KB of memory to provide some value for the high price. That may even be a collection of games or whatever.
- If the lower part of the Cartridge can not be written, no game software can be simulated (512 KB).


IMHO it would be better to have the software to write to the Cartridge on DISC (or ROM) and allow to write to ALL 512 KB.


Of course I say that from the POV of a developer.

All well and good, but how do I then start the CPC+ if the cartridge is empty or corrupted? How do I start the CPC+ to write something to the 512K? What 512K game are you referring to?

Bryce.

[TFM]

In this case a security switch would be nice, to bank in a back up content. Ok, I hear you roaring, yes, this would make it very very much more complex. However, both sides should be considered. And since this is not trivial at all I rather suggest emulators for anything than the final test of software.