How to build a superspace II cartridge?

[+retroclouds]

What would it take to build a superspace II cartridge (64 K). Would that be a complicated process?

Mind you, I'm not a hardware guy.

 

There is one up on ebay but the guy won't ship to Germany. Guess that it will go for quite some money.

Figured might build one myself, have some editor assembler carts at hand.

I'm not a collector, I want to try some stuff with it.

Edited April 20, 2013 by retroclouds

[sometimes99er]

http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/supercart/supercart_4bank.html ?

 

[+retroclouds]

Thanks. Seen that one. But dont want to switch jumpers to switch banks.

It should be software driven, I think the superspace II does that?

Edited April 20, 2013 by retroclouds

[RXB]

Yea the SS2 does do that I have one. It is software but uses memory to switch so makes it not compatible with much software.

[Gazoo]

Thanks. Seen that one. But dont want to switch jumpers to switch banks.

It should be software driven, I think the superspace II does that?

 

Superspace II uses cru bits to switch banks, not memory.

Works well, but you probably won't be able to recreate the PAL, unless someone has

been able to copy it.

[Tursi]

The switch logic is pretty simple, though, you could create something compatible.

 

Unless you are looking for something specifically designed to work on the SuperSpace though, we've been trending away from custom bank switch functions in the cartridge and sticking with the memory writes. Jon Guidry's last boards were, IIRC, 64k and with a jumper wire added could switch 128k (in software). Its just using a 74LS379 to latch the lower bits of the address bus on a write, and providing the outputs to the higher address pins of an EPROM.

 

We actually converted one SuperSpace program (I think it was TI Workshop?) to run on his cart instead of requiring CRU, since it's much easier to build.

[+retroclouds]

Oh I am not concerned about the bank switch function. I am pretty much looking for a 64K development cartridge.

Possibility to load the banks using CF7+ and try my work.

Then when I am done I just need to replace the trampoline routine and burn to EPROM and should be ready to roll.

 

EDIT: Thinking about this more: Think I read somewhere EEPROM replacement chips with RAM inside exist. Wonder if that could be an option.

Edited April 21, 2013 by retroclouds

[Tursi]

Ahhh, I see, and the SuperSpace is RAM based. That makes sense.

 

I think real RAM chips would be easier to wire up than EEPROMs with RAM inside...?

[Gazoo]

Ahhh, I see, and the SuperSpace is RAM based. That makes sense.

 

I think real RAM chips would be easier to wire up than EEPROMs with RAM inside...?

 

Superspace II can do both Ram and Eprom. 32k limit for Ram, 64k limit for Eprom.

[Tursi]

Thanks, Gazoo!

[Gazoo]

There's one on ebay now.

 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FRARE-1986-TI-99-4A-DataBioTics-Super-Space-II-Game-Cart-w-2-5-1-4-Disks-Works-%2F251264450213%3Fpt%3DUS_Vintage_Computers_Mainframes%26hash%3Ditem3a80873ea5

[+acadiel]

There's one on ebay now.

 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FRARE-1986-TI-99-4A-DataBioTics-Super-Space-II-Game-Cart-w-2-5-1-4-Disks-Works-%2F251264450213%3Fpt%3DUS_Vintage_Computers_Mainframes%26hash%3Ditem3a80873ea5

 

Heh, I'm bidding on it. Probably why the price is up.

[Opry99er]

Good luck Jon... That thing is awesome... =) I'd bid on it myself, but I believe it'll go above my price tag. =)

[Asmusr]

Has anyone tried to build a 4 Bank 8K Supercart using this particular chip?

http://www.jameco.com/1/1/25278-43256-12l-sram-5v-32k-x-8-120ns-dip-28-memory.html

[+Ksarul]

Now I know why I was outbid on that Superspace II, Jon. LOLOL

 

Though it is still a much better price than the one that the same seller sold a week or so ago. That one went for almost $150. They also sold a copy of SpotShot for $635! There is someone out there with a real need for DBT cartridges. They've bought a whole bunch of them from this seller for between $100 and $300 dollars (some Parker Brothers too). Insane, considering that the cartridges usually go for $10 to $40 each. . .at best.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Ksarul

[Mad Hatter]

I think someone mentioned this in a different thread, but do all the Databiotics games suck? The ones I have checked-out all are all pretty lame. Some even appear to be old user group developed games from the early 80's that they decided to throw on a cart 5-6 years later.

[Opry99er]

I don't know... Burger Builder wasn't terrible....

 

I have Red Baron on cart and it's okay. You won't have much luck playing it without the docs though. =)

[Opry99er]

I was always curious about Dragon Flyer.... With a name like that, it MUST be awesome, right?

[+acadiel]

Now I know why I was outbid on that Superspace II, Jon. LOLOL

 

Though it is still a much better price than the one that the same seller sold a week or so ago. That one went for almost $150. They also sold a copy of SpotShot for $635! There is someone out there with a real need for DBT cartridges. They've bought a whole bunch of them from this seller for between $100 and $300 dollars (some Parker Brothers too). Insane, considering that the cartridges usually go for $10 to $40 each. . .at best.

 

Hehe... whoops. I'll probably get outbid. I just wanted the cart to look at the circuitry and try to figure out how the PAL worked.

 

Maybe I should sell my DataBiotics carts... I have quite a few of them. SpotShot and DragonFlyer are the same thing; I wonder why they marketed multiple games under different titles.

 

There is some insane person on eBay trying to sell extremely common carts for like $49.95, though. I just look at that and shake my head.

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Oh I am not concerned about the bank switch function. I am pretty much looking for a 64K development cartridge.

Possibility to load the banks using CF7+ and try my work.

Then when I am done I just need to replace the trampoline routine and burn to EPROM and should be ready to roll.

 

EDIT: Thinking about this more: Think I read somewhere EEPROM replacement chips with RAM inside exist. Wonder if that could be an option.

For one of my old projects I used the cassette port 9901 outputs to control bank switched RAM in the cart space. In this manner a simple 8K supercart can be expanded provided you don't mind using CRU switching. I don't recall much in the way of special coding, and your trampoline idea would still work. I just built a simple 9-pin cable to go between the cassette port and the cartridge. If I recall correctly, there are three outputs, potentially 4, you could utilize giving you 128K. I don't recall installing more than 32K, possibly due to cost at the time.

 

I had also looked at using the same outputs to control flash chip programming cycles but never did follow through on the experimentation. Might be something to look into for the 512K cartridge. Just a thought.

[Bill R Sullivan]

Thanks to Gazoo's RIP post, my Super Space II is now working, almost as it should.  The RAM being limited to 8K x 4 meant the 8K x 8 wouldn't be fully functional, but I did expect they would work for banks 0-3.  Not the case for the only 1 of 5 that I tried (I will try the others when I have some free time).  I removed the 32K chip in my old CF7A+ sidecar (similar part #, not exactly the same as specified in the SSII manual), and it's fully functional for banks 0-3 using HOME AUTOMATION's code.  However, it defaults on reset/power up to bank 3.  I can live with it.

 

RetroBill (fdos)