2600 flashcart simple version?

[Cupcakus]

I've been playing around with EEPROM recently and found that they can't be written to at speed like SRAM    

 

That kinda depends :-) But yes... for the most part EEPROM's are very slow... EEPROM's are ment to be written to once and then used... only to be written to again for a software update... It's not intended to be used in system for memory functions... But I suppose they could be :-)

 

Have you seen those Dallas smart sockets ? - they're very nice to use when prototyping.

 

Yes! But if you add the cost of a normal RAM chip, and the socket, it's cheaper and "smaller" to buy it all in one package.

 

Have you tried using www.pcbpool.com ?

 

No! Thanks for the link! I'll get a quote from them... I've been using 4pcb.com, Joe recommended them... they have a great deal on protos 3 for $99, but it's only for rectangular boards... and we all no a cartridge board is far from rectangular :-)

[Cupcakus]

Have you tried using www.pcbpool.com ?

 

Ha!!!! Well If I didn't live in California, I might have tried them out :-) I can't order boards from overseas :-) I want to release soon :-)

[CPUWIZ]

Try these guys, they are great for prototype runs.

 

http://www.pcbexpress.com

[Richard H.]

Ha!!!! Well If I didn't live in California, I might have tried them out  I can't order boards from overseas  I want to release soon

 

Whoops ! - I'd completely forgot they're based in Ireland

 

 

and we all no a cartridge board is far from rectangular

 

What would be great is if someone starting making dev cart PCB's.

 

Like the one in the Atariage store but with a large protyping area tacked on the end.

 

I'm sure it'd encourage more hardware developers.

 

 

BTW What did you use to write your flash-cart downloader software ?

 

 

Richard H.

[Cupcakus]

BTW What did you use to write your flash-cart downloader software ?

 

VB for windows... The problem with windows NT environments (2000/XP) is the OS does not allow access to the ports by software... So I use a cheapy VB library that runs a driver on the system so I can access the parallel port. It's frustrating to say the least... but VB allowed me to write the software in two days as opposed to other languages I'd probably still be fussing with.

 

I will write the Linux version in GCC... as Linux has no problems with port access.

[Cupcakus]

Try these guys, they are great for prototype runs.

 

http://www.pcbexpress.com

 

Thanks! I'll check them out too!

[raindog]

Ha!!!! Well If I didn't live in California, I might have tried them out :-) I can't order boards from overseas :-) I want to release soon :-)

 

Things are actually not that bad with overseas shipping anymore. My last Lik-Sang order (which came from Hong Kong to here in upstate New York) took all of 3 days from ordering to arrival. And I had a package fedexed to me from Ireland last month and it arrived the next morning! It's all amazing and totally cool to me.

 

Of course you have to deal with the PCB guys' internal turnaround time, but I don't see any reason that should be worse for overseas companies.

 

Rob

[Cupcakus]

Ha!!!! Well If I didn't live in California, I might have tried them out :-) I can't order boards from overseas :-) I want to release soon :-)

 

Things are actually not that bad with overseas shipping anymore. My last Lik-Sang order (which came from Hong Kong to here in upstate New York) took all of 3 days from ordering to arrival. And I had a package fedexed to me from Ireland last month and it arrived the next morning! It's all amazing and totally cool to me.

 

Of course you have to deal with the PCB guys' internal turnaround time, but I don't see any reason that should be worse for overseas companies.

 

Rob

 

That's actually pretty cool! When I ordered from Lik Sang a year or so ago for my GBA stuff it took weeks to arrive...