Converting XL to 5200

[Rybags]

As I said already. The 400/800 don't have bankswitching. It's done inside the cartridge.

[Bryan]

MULE was done without any extra RAM by finding all locations in memory that are modified during play and squashing them all down to the 16K of 5200 RAM. Everything else went in bankswitched cartridge ROM. This method would probably work for a large number of games, but you have to go through the disassembled code with a fine-toothed comb then modify and reassemble it for these restrictions.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Bryan

[walter_J64bit]

You would better off making new games than to go through all that code.

[+Allan]

MULE was done without any extra RAM by finding all locations in memory that are modified during play and squashing them all down to the 16K of 5200 RAM. Everything else went in bankswitched cartridge ROM. This method would probably work for a large number of games, but you have to go through the disassembled code with a fine-toothed comb then modify and reassemble it for these restrictions.

I was just playing MULE on the 5200 this week-end. Thanks again for porting it. It's such a great game. I just wish I had more time to play it.

 

Allan

[carmel_andrews]

I guess then that the 5200 is only good for porting low end A8 games...i.e sub 32k...so i guess something like spindizzy or Rampage/gauntlet is a no no...mind you i guess that something like Dandy dungeons/Aliens might be possible

[atariksi]

I guess then that the 5200 is only good for porting low end A8 games...i.e sub 32k...so i guess something like spindizzy or Rampage/gauntlet is a no no...mind you i guess that something like Dandy dungeons/Aliens might be possible

 

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

[carmel_andrews]

I guess then that the 5200 is only good for porting low end A8 games...i.e sub 32k...so i guess something like spindizzy or Rampage/gauntlet is a no no...mind you i guess that something like Dandy dungeons/Aliens might be possible

 

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

 

 

 

 

 

That might require some hacky my friend, not for the faint hearted unless you know what your doing

 

And i think it's beyond the initial scope of this thread, there might be resources on AA or the interwhatsitsname that'll point you in the right dir.

[atariksi]

I guess then that the 5200 is only good for porting low end A8 games...i.e sub 32k...so i guess something like spindizzy or Rampage/gauntlet is a no no...mind you i guess that something like Dandy dungeons/Aliens might be possible

 

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

 

 

 

 

 

That might require some hacky my friend, not for the faint hearted unless you know what your doing

 

And i think it's beyond the initial scope of this thread, there might be resources on AA or the interwhatsitsname that'll point you in the right dir.

 

I searched "Atari 5200 ROM Pinouts" and didn't get anything useful.

[Rybags]

I was actually considering porting a couple of games... although I only have the emulator to test on.

 

Is there a list out there of what computer stuff has been ported?

[atariksi]

I was actually considering porting a couple of games... although I only have the emulator to test on.

 

Is there a list out there of what computer stuff has been ported?

 

So how would you port a 160*480*4 interlaced screen on A5200 if it required moving pixel data?

[Rybags]

Doable... but you've got the RAM constraint.

 

I was thinking Stellar Shuttle, since I got to know the code a bit. The enhanced version should fit in a 16K ROM although some shuffling around of stuff would be needed. Run the game core itself from RAM.

 

The way the character set animation's done would need a rework - on the computer version I have 8K worth of character sets that gets data moved into it... probably need to reduce that down to 4K for the 5200.

[+Allan]

I was actually considering porting a couple of games... although I only have the emulator to test on.

 

Is there a list out there of what computer stuff has been ported?

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/120084-5200-conversions/page__p__1450006__hl__atari%205200%20xl%20conversions__fromsearch__1entry1450006

 

Allan

[+Mitch]

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

 

It uses the same pinout as a 2532 EPROM but the OS ROM uses only 2K of it.

 

Mitch

[atariksi]

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

 

It uses the same pinout as a 2532 EPROM but the OS ROM uses only 2K of it.

 

Mitch

 

Does the 5200 MB use the extra address line?

[atariksi]

Doable... but you've got the RAM constraint.

 

I was thinking Stellar Shuttle, since I got to know the code a bit. The enhanced version should fit in a 16K ROM although some shuffling around of stuff would be needed. Run the game core itself from RAM.

 

The way the character set animation's done would need a rework - on the computer version I have 8K worth of character sets that gets data moved into it... probably need to reduce that down to 4K for the 5200.

 

Okay, in char mode you can do it. But linear graphics would run into RAM shortage.

[+Mitch]

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

 

It uses the same pinout as a 2532 EPROM but the OS ROM uses only 2K of it.

 

Mitch

 

Does the 5200 MB use the extra address line?

 

I don't remember for sure, I want to say yes but I would need to check the schematics to verify.

 

Mitch

[atariksi]

Speaking of ROMs, what's the pinouts for the OS ROM in the Atari 5200. Perhaps, it can be expanded to a bigger ROM or EEPROM.

 

It uses the same pinout as a 2532 EPROM but the OS ROM uses only 2K of it.

 

Mitch

 

Does the 5200 MB use the extra address line?

 

I don't remember for sure, I want to say yes but I would need to check the schematics to verify.

 

Mitch

 

Also need to know if someone sells some socket converter as there are mainly 2732 EPROMs out there and their datasheets are easily available as well:

 

1. A7 24. Vcc

2. A6 23. A8

3. A5 22. A9

4. A4 21. A11

5. A3 20. G*

6. A2 19. A10

7. A1 18. E*

8. A0 17. D7

9. D0 16. D6

10. D1 15. D5

11. D2 14. D4

12. Vss 13. D3

 

Anyone have the pinouts for 2532 or Atari 5200 ROM so we can see the difference in the signals?

[+Mitch]

OK, I checked the schematics and it does have the extra address line to support 4K.

 

Pins 18 and 21 need to be swapped to use a 2732 instead of a 2532.

 

Mitch

[atariksi]

OK, I checked the schematics and it does have the extra address line to support 4K.

 

Pins 18 and 21 need to be swapped to use a 2732 instead of a 2532.

 

Mitch

 

Thanks. I did find some unverified claims out there on the net claiming pins 18,20,21 were different. Pin 20 is chip enable on 2532 vs. output enable on 2732, but I guess either one can by done instantly so that pin can be left alone. So if I pull out pin 18 of 2732 and tie it to pin 20, that would allow me to plug in 2732 into A5200. Any idea as to what voltage is being applied at pin 21 of A5200 ROM?