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Plus2CPC. Plus cartridge slot for the CPC

Started by abalore, 09:35, 27 May 21

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abalore

Quote from: eto on 11:30, 07 June 21
Would it be an option to add a simplified Playcity compatible sound to it? I am not sure if it requires a lot of logic or would drastically increase the price but if not, maybe it's an option to add the circuit/sockets for it to the expansion board already and then (for those that care) you can buy and put in in the YM chips. Or order them as an optional item.

With ROM based games, so much more is possible, but the 3 channel sound is still so limiting. I am not a big fan of adding high quality samples sound or MP3 capabilities as imho it always sounds strange and misplaced. But 6 more YM channels would just be plain awesome and no need to add another (not available) add-on card - and it's still 100% "era correct".

I am aware that you could end up with many requests to add more features but I am specifically asking only for the Playcity YM part which seems to be me as it could be a simple but game changing (pun intended) upgrade.
Yes, I have thought a lot on that and also in adding some non-volatile memory to store the scores and configurations. That would make all the Alcon2020 features available.
The debate is whether to do it in the adapter itself or in a separate small board.

eto

Quote from: abalore on 13:21, 07 June 21The debate is whether to do it in the adapter itself or in a separate small board.

Awesome! Btw: I definitely want one. Please put me on the list ;-)

As long as it doesn't require the MX4, that's totally fine to have it on a different board. Don't get me wrong, I think the MX4 is great - for enthusiasts. But as soon as it becomes complicated for the average person who just wants to play great new games, it probably would limit the audience.

abalore

Quote from: eto on 13:28, 07 June 21
Awesome! Btw: I definitely want one. Please put me on the list ;-)

As long as it doesn't require the MX4, that's totally fine to have it on a different board. Don't get me wrong, I think the MX4 is great - for enthusiasts. But as soon as it becomes complicated for the average person who just wants to play great new games, it probably would limit the audience.
Added to the list. I must receive the PCBs very soon

Shining

Quote from: abalore on 13:21, 07 June 21
Yes, I have thought a lot on that and also in adding some non-volatile memory to store the scores and configurations. That would make all the Alcon2020 features available.
The debate is whether to do it in the adapter itself or in a separate small board.


What I'm dreaming of for quite some time now is a plus-cart- 512kB pcb which can save some data like savegame/highscore and is not that expensive. Or some adapter between the cartridge-slot and the cartridge which is capable of this (perhaps also including a playcity?). The goal will be to write (plus)-games which also run on the GX4000 and can save some data.
TGS is back

Download my productions at:
cpc.scifinet.org

Maniac

Quote from: abalore on 13:21, 07 June 21
The debate is whether to do it in the adapter itself or in a separate small board.
If it can be integrated in to the cartridge itself that would be preferable I think. For those of us with a Plus it would be great to mirror what was done in the past by the likes of Nintendo and Sega for added capability for certain games.

Shining

Problem with a solution in the cartridge itself will be the cost of producing such a cart. I for myself burn eproms for my carts and the only other components are a pcb, some resistors, condensators and one flipflop. So the cart without case costs less than 10€.


If you integrate playcity or else stuff direct on the cart, the cart will be way more expensive. If you want to release something it will be less attractive, I think.


So why not built a middleware-cart between the cart-socket and the cart with the rom-data itself.


Also a general problem on the plus will be, that you have to trick a little bit to be capable of writing something on the cart-bus. I think gerald managed this by an obscure chip-select sequence, where the mikrocontroller listens to....
TGS is back

Download my productions at:
cpc.scifinet.org

gerald

Quote from: Maniac on 14:33, 08 June 21
If it can be integrated in to the cartridge itself that would be preferable I think. For those of us with a Plus it would be great to mirror what was done in the past by the likes of Nintendo and Sega for added capability for certain games.
The Plus cartridge interface is nothing but a ROM interface. Adding anything else than read only memory is complicated and integrating a regular CPC extension is just not possible.

As Shining guessed, communication between the Plus and the C4CPC microcontroller use a specific read sequence that is detected by the PLD which then interrupt the C4CPC microcontroller. That makes the write really slow compared to read.

abalore

Quote from: gerald on 16:10, 08 June 21
The Plus cartridge interface is nothing but a ROM interface.
Will the C4CPC have a CPC compatible menu?  :D

abalore

The first units are ready for delivering. Here is the price table. Pre-orders for next batch are open.

Maniac

Quote from: abalore on 00:28, 12 June 21
The first units are ready for delivering. Here is the price table. Pre-orders for next batch are open.
Great stuff! Is this the initial version and you're looking to add the additional capabilities later such as PlayCity and memory later please?


This is a great concept that enables Amstrad owners to have a consistent cartridge format.

dragon

Quote from: gerald on 16:10, 08 June 21
The Plus cartridge interface is nothing but a ROM interface. Adding anything else than read only memory is complicated and integrating a regular CPC extension is just not possible.

As Shining guessed, communication between the Plus and the C4CPC microcontroller use a specific read sequence that is detected by the PLD which then interrupt the C4CPC microcontroller. That makes the write really slow compared to read.


You have finally implemented it?. I lost these  where is the info?.(if the info is published).

gerald

Quote from: dragon on 09:19, 12 June 21

You have finally implemented it?. I lost these  where is the info?.(if the info is published).
If you mean write to the SD cart, no  ;D

But the communication protocol between the Z80 in the CPC and the microcontroller in the C4CPC involve read and write  ;)

abalore

STL files for enclosure available in project site:
https://abalore.com/plus2cpc.html


zhulien

any chance for an MX4 variant?  making the cart go upward with a different connector on the bottom?  would anyone else like an MX4 variant for those times they want to use a cart?

zhulien

Do any commercial releases work on the Plus2CPC (on a CPC) given that some games don't use any plus features?

abalore

Quote from: zhulien on 07:24, 17 June 21
any chance for an MX4 variant?  making the cart go upward with a different connector on the bottom?  would anyone else like an MX4 variant for those times they want to use a cart?
For the MX4 I use a small IDC to edge adapter. But I can do a small batch with IDC connector if at least 5 people want it.

zhulien

Quote from: abalore on 08:48, 17 June 21
For the MX4 I use a small IDC to edge adapter. But I can do a small batch with IDC connector if at least 5 people want it.


Add me down for 2 (if you can find another 3 sales).

ajcasado

Hi,
I also want one with the IDC connector.
CPC 664

Empiezas a envejecer cuando dejas de aprender.
You start to get old when you stop learning.

abalore

Quote from: zhulien on 09:41, 17 June 21

Add me down for 2 (if you can find another 3 sales).
Sure. Just to clarify, you want the IDC connector so the board lays horizontally and the cartridge is in vertical?

ajcasado

Quote from: abalore on 11:54, 17 June 21Sure. Just to clarify, you want the IDC connector so the board lays horizontally and the cartridge is in vertical?

In my case I prefer both vertical, in fact I guess it is the most practical setup with a MX4 board.
CPC 664

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You start to get old when you stop learning.

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nivrig

Quote from: abalore on 08:48, 17 June 21
For the MX4 I use a small IDC to edge adapter. But I can do a small batch with IDC connector if at least 5 people want it.
I would be in for a PCBv4 + IDC version.

abalore

I made a quick and very dirty test soldering an IDC connector to the edge connector footprint. Just to test everything works fine, and it does.


Bryce

You must have stretched the pins to their limit to do that. Obviously the better solution would be to make a double footprint on the layout to allow both types of connector.

Bryce.

abalore

Quote from: ajcasado on 12:17, 17 June 21
In my case I prefer both vertical, in fact I guess it is the most practical setup with a MX4 board.
Yes, it's doable.
Regarding the MX4, the plus cartridge slot uses the range >=128 but also overrides the lower ROM and remaps the <128 in weird ways (like the Plus does), so any other ROM expansion you may have is unusable. Also, there is no point on having other ROMs simultaneously since you don't have access to BASIC to launch/use them.

I don't recommend to put it along with M4, ROM boxes or Dandanator and derivatives (you'd need to be enabling and disabling devices when you are using one or another).
Non-ROM expansions, like Playcity, will work without problems.


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