SpartaDOS X Original Cartridge Update?

[MEtalGuy66]

The "better solution" is don't use your vintage cart for this.. Buy one of the many available (and cheap) devices that flashable builds of SDX 4.4x are currently maintained for. But yeah, if you wanted to go through all that craziness you described (including programming a bigger GAL to extend the banking scheme by one or two bits, using a super low profile socket, and programming the damn thing with a chip-clip and wiring harness each time (youd still have to desolder/disconnect various circuits each time you programmed it)) there is no reason it couldn't be done. Ask one of the authors of the INTSDX project. They may be able to help you with appropriate GAL code..

Edited August 1, 2014 by MEtalGuy66

[BillC]

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.

The SDX Upgrade Project website also has a page, with schematics, about adding flash capability to a 128K upgraded SDX cartridge. Applying both the 128K and flash upgrades to your SDX cartridge sounds like what you want.

 

http://trub.atari8.info/index.php?ref=kartsdx128_flash

[kogden]

I think most people wanting to flash the vintage cart want the cart passthrough of the original so they can stack it. Though if you need this, it's probably just as cheap and far less effort to just buy an IDEPlus. You get a cart port, SDX, a real-time clock and an IDE controller for the price of a vintage SDX cart and the tools to modify it and burn an EPROM. An Ultimate 1MB would give you SDX and a free cart slot too.

[Dragon375]

I think most people wanting to flash the vintage cart want the cart passthrough of the original so they can stack it. Though if you need this, it's probably just as cheap and far less effort to just buy an IDEPlus. You get a cart port, SDX, a real-time clock and an IDE controller for the price of a vintage SDX cart and the tools to modify it and burn an EPROM. An Ultimate 1MB would give you SDX and a free cart slot too.

I already have 2 U1MBs, I wanted to mod this old cart for a couple reasons.. just the learning associated with it, and for the portability. I really want a SDX solution that I can move amongst my ever-growing collection of A8s. If I have to "build-it-into" the computer, it isnt what I am looking for. Thanks for the suggestion tho. I'm gonna keep researching into it, and somewhere there will be somebody that can tell me how to do it.

[kogden]

IDEPlus can be moved around between XL/130XE systems but I see your point. On XL's you have to add some wires to use the onboard SDX. Tearing up a collectors item just to get a new version of SDX might not be worth it.

 

The cheapest, easiest way to hit the ground running would be to grab a MaxFlash cart from AtariMax for $25, write the SDX ROM and go.

 

I have an old MyIDE cart w/ flashrom, I just reflashed the original ROM with an SDX image and MyIDE driver. This works on all of my machines too.

[BillC]

I already have 2 U1MBs, I wanted to mod this old cart for a couple reasons.. just the learning associated with it, and for the portability. I really want a SDX solution that I can move amongst my ever-growing collection of A8s. If I have to "build-it-into" the computer, it isnt what I am looking for. Thanks for the suggestion tho. I'm gonna keep researching into it, and somewhere there will be somebody that can tell me how to do it.

As mentioned, SDX on a flash cartridge is an option as long as no pass-thru is needed. The SIDE2 cartridge is another option with the same limitation, but it has other features including an RTC and a CF card slot for HDD type storage.

[gozar]

I'm following this thread with interest, because right now on my 800xl with an IDE+ I cannot use the built in SDX with Action! I use SDX normally, but when I want to use Action! I disable SDX and boot off of SD 3.2 that I put on the IDE plus. Such a kludge.

[Dropcheck]

As mentioned, SDX on a flash cartridge is an option as long as no pass-thru is needed. The SIDE2 cartridge is another option with the same limitation, but it has other features including an RTC and a CF card slot for HDD type storage.

 

Is the limitation simply a feature not enabled or an actual limitation?