Dragon375 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I am about to get an original SpartaDOS X cart. Is there any way to reflash it with a newer version of the OS? I'm quite sure I could "pop it open" and if it contains EPROMS re-burn them with a newer version, but is there an easier possibility? Also is it possible to use the RTC from Ultimate with the cart? Dragon375 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Instructions here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/136505-spartados-x-4-42/page-4?do=findComment&comment=1680553 Did mine, and it works great. You may have issues using ULTIME.SYS when the booted version of SDX isn't the one on the Ultimate, but some changes to the driver would fix that (and I know someone who might be able to help there). However, since Ultimate has SDX anyway, you might as well use that one if you want the RTC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 The original ICD SDX cartridges use a 64KB EPROM while SDX v4.4x is 128KB, there are upgrade instructions available. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/136505-spartados-x-4-42/page-4?do=findComment&comment=1680553 http://sdx.atari8.info/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 The first link is the one I posted above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon375 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) Thanks for the replies. The deal is, I am not really interested in the option with the switch. Why preserve the original software when it does not serve what I need the cart for? I am not a museum curator that feels the need to preserve everything the way it was.. rather I am a realist who wants to actually be able to use the stuff in my personal equipment and want it to work correctly. The modern, updated SpartaDOS X is what I need.. the cartridge passthru is what is awesome about having the actual cart. So, with this in mind I will pursue a method to upgrade the cart and flash in the newest SDX, and I will have a "portable" SDX solution. I have quite a few A8s, and the internal SDX mods (U1MB, Side2, etc) are great. Except for the Side2, there is no real way to move it from machine to machine easily. And with the Side2, there is no way to run another cart with it. So, I just want a cart I can plug into an unmodified Atari, plug another cart into it, and be off and running. I have no need to switch between the original version and a modern version. I just need to upgrade it and flash in the newest version and be done with it. The ability to re-flash as newer versions come out would be awesome as well. I guess I should have been a bit clearer in my original post. And, thanks again FJC and BillC with the great suggestions, but I will have to do a bit more research into getting this thing setup the way I want it. Edit: Upon following the link provided by BillC, I believe I have found the mod instructions I need. Thanks! Edited July 11, 2014 by Dragon375 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) I didn't fit the switch. Just leave it off. Apart from that, I followed MetalGuy66's instructions. Solder pin 8 of LS175 to pin 30 of a 32 pin (E)EPROM half the size of the one shown in the guide (27C010 instead of 27C020), omitting the switch. Did it here and it works. Here's a photo in case it's useful to you: I used a flash ROM for convenience. Edited July 11, 2014 by flashjazzcat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I wonder what it would take to duplicate the pass thru aside from the connector on top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon375 Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 FJC, as usual.. you are the best. That is exactly what I was looking for. Now if there was some way to add RTC to this cart, it would be perfect. Even without, it is just what I was looking for. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Glad it helped. The RTC question is why I was glad to finally obtain an RTime-8 some years ago. I also attempted to build an ARC clock attached to my IntSDX board, but it was never very reliable. Not sure if the ARC could be built into the standard SDX cart (I imagine so, but I could not explain quite how). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon375 Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Well, I am definatly gonna tackle the upgraded SDX anyway. I'm going to try to go with a 128k flashable for the update, unless SDX is going to expand up to 256 or 512 I dont know what the possibility of that is, or could I just add programs to CAR: thru SDX Imager until I had a 256k image? That would be kinda awesome. But for starters I'm gonna build the 128k mod and go from there. I wont be able to fool with it until the end of August, when I will have a 3 week class break. Thanks for all the links so I can figure out what needs to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 The "IntSDX" build of SDX (which is the one you'll flash to the ROM in the upgraded SDX cart, since it uses the original banking) has only one "user" bank free, IIRC, but I imagine DLT won't be in a hurry to abandon the 128KB build for a while yet. Much of the cartridge is filled up with mandatory external files on the CAR: device, with only 3-4 actual cartridge "code" banks. However, the system is quite useless without some of the core device drivers installed from CAR:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon375 Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Yeah, thats pretty much what I thought. Is there anything that would stop me from filling it the rest of the way up? Or even use a 256k eprom? Costwise, it seems that price of chip is the same as 128k. Will it need more address lines, as in more than the 128k mod provides? If so, are there enough lines on the piggyback chip to run it? This is all theoretical of course. Just seems if I am going to do the work modding the cart, I should build in a bit of obsolescence protection as well. It is easier to build bigger to start, than to tear it apart again in the future to upgrade again. Does any of this sound do-able? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 You'd have to hack one of the 256KB builds with IntSDX banking (or ask DLT for a custom 256KB IntSDX ROM), and that's not taking into account the changes to the mod circuitry to handle the extra address line. It's only one line, but Ken and others will be better placed to advise you on whether that's feasible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEtalGuy66 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 problem there is that once you've soldered in the eprom with the extra address lines that hang off the end of one side of the original socket, how the hell do you plan on reprogramming that eprom in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 (edited) problem there is that once you've soldered in the eprom with the extra address lines that hang off the end of one side of the original socket, how the hell do you plan on reprogramming that eprom in the future? Clearly not something I gave much thought to when following your original how-to guide. EDIT: Actually, given that it's a flash ROM and all the banks are accessible, surely it's possible to flash the cart in-situ? Edited July 16, 2014 by flashjazzcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEtalGuy66 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 no, what Im saying is that even if he did use a bigger eprom for future "upgradeability", how would you do it? Once its soldered in, its soldered in.. And the socket footprint on the board isn't big enough to use a socket.. if you double-socket it, it gets too tall and the cart shell wont fit back on, making it an absolute bitch to use in an XL.. So basically.. Just do the damn thing and if/when you wanna upgrade to a larger image, just undo/redo the mod.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Oh I see. I completely agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Would you be able to swap a GAL 20V8 chip(programed from this code http://trub.atari8.info/index.php?ref=intsdx_128kb_en ) for the PAL chip on an original SpartaDos cart and have it work? Is it pin/program compatible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon375 Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 no, what Im saying is that even if he did use a bigger eprom for future "upgradeability", how would you do it? Once its soldered in, its soldered in.. And the socket footprint on the board isn't big enough to use a socket.. if you double-socket it, it gets too tall and the cart shell wont fit back on, making it an absolute bitch to use in an XL.. So basically.. Just do the damn thing and if/when you wanna upgrade to a larger image, just undo/redo the mod.. Well, there are zero-clearance sockets available. I'm pretty sure with enough tinkering I could make it work physically, what I really wanted to know is the actual electronics hookups to get it to work. I have a "clip-on" attachment for my Eprom burner, so I can burn "in-situ". I dont want to keep tearing something apart and rebuilding it over & over, there has to be a better solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 What I'm wondering is whether the write enable line can be made active and thus whether an in-place flasher can be written. But in any case, I might take another look at my modded cart to see if the ROM can be socketed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I didn't fit the switch. Just leave it off. Apart from that, I followed MetalGuy66's instructions. Solder pin 8 of LS175 to pin 30 of a 32 pin (E)EPROM half the size of the one shown in the guide (27C010 instead of 27C020), omitting the switch. Did it here and it works. Here's a photo in case it's useful to you: DSCF3214.JPG I used a flash ROM for convenience. How by chance did you open the case? I'm not wanting to ruin mine, but I'd like to get at the insides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 It just pulls apart if you gently separate it at the join with the edge of a guitar plectrum or similar. There are four push-fit plastic pegs holding it closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 It just pulls apart if you gently separate it at the join with the edge of a guitar plectrum or similar. There are four push-fit plastic pegs holding it closed. Couldn't have been any easier. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 ICD needed to make the case fairly easy to open as it was also used for the R-Time8 cartridge, which requires replacement of the battery occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbking67 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 (edited) ICD needed to make the case fairly easy to open as it was also used for the R-Time8 cartridge, which requires replacement of the battery occasionally. I remember buying ROM updates from ICD a couple of times... they just sent the pre-programmed chip for $15 (IIRC). The RTime8 was a bit annoying... instead of having a battery socket for the button battery, the battery is welded in. I just hacked mine out and held it in with electrical tape... one day I really need to put a proper battery holder in there. So yes they are made to take apart... Edited July 31, 2014 by bbking67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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