Atarisoft cartridges

[+mizapf]

There are a couple of Atarisoft cartridges with 16K banked ROM (two banks with 8K). If you have Atarisoft cartridges, could you tell me the type of EPROM(s) inside, or at least how many are installed on the PCB? You can e.g. achieve this banking with two separate chips or a single one.

 

(Background: I'd like to have ROM dumps that reflect the setup of the board. When there is only one chip I have to concatenate both dumps to a single one.)

 

The Defender cartridge is arguably the smallest one you can have, with a PCB that is hardly larger than the single EPROM on it.

[PeBo]

Would be happy to if you can tell me how to open these carts without destroying them. Have never risked it since the method is not as straightforward as opening the TI and Romox/Navarone carts.

[+mizapf]

Grin ... now I understand why I wrapped black insulating tape around the plastic case of my Defender cartridge. Just forgot about that. OK then, no one needs to break the cartridge. Or does someone have an xray cannon by chance?

[+save2600]

Think there's a screw smack dab in the middle of the silver label… can take a hair dryer to heat up/loosen the adhesive, remove the label, unscrew, pull apart the cart and have a peak.

[Tursi]

Think there's a screw smack dab in the middle of the silver label… can take a hair dryer to heat up/loosen the adhesive, remove the label, unscrew, pull apart the cart and have a peak.

There wasn't on my Defender cart, I had to break the shell to open it.

[sometimes99er]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/241415-how-to-open-an-atarisoft-cartridge/

 

 

 

[+save2600]

There wasn't on my Defender cart, I had to break the shell to open it.

 

 

That sucks! Well thanks Atari, for putting a faux screw hole just so people can indent those fancy labels of yours.

 

Before placing tape around the edges to re-secure secure though, I'd carefully bead some super/crazy glue around the inside of the seam and close shut. Gotta be quick to wipe the excess off the outside though as that stuff dries fast!

[Flottmann1]

here are Pics form Dig Dug and Defender

Edited May 10, 2016 by Flottmann1

[+mizapf]

OK, thanks, that means DigDug has two 8Kx8 ROMs which are selected by the latch (74LS75). The alternative would have been to have a 16K ROM where the latch sets the MSB of the address.

 

I guess there should not have been a good reason for Atarisoft to change that design.

[Flottmann1]

here Moon Patrol and Shamus

Edited May 10, 2016 by Flottmann1

[Tursi]

(Interesting, so SOME have a screw after all! )

[+mizapf]

So the ROM types are

 

DigDug: 2x 2364 (each 8 KiB)

Defender: 1x 9464 (8 KiB)

Moon Patrol: 2x 9464

Shamus: 8364 + 8332 (8 KiB + 4 KiB?)

 

Sometimes it is not easy to tell apart the ROM label and the type. Moreover, I did not find specifications for all of them.

[+Schmitzi]

(Interesting, so SOME have a screw after all! )

 

 

yes, but you can prevent from using that screw, here´s my idea for closing Atari-shells:

 

 

 

But please be careful with that PU-foam

 

[Flottmann1]

here the Rest (my Atari-shells were partially opened ever) but have also many OVP (for Schmitzi - der Rest vom Schützenfest !)

Edited May 11, 2016 by Flottmann1

[Omega-TI]

I had started collecting...

 

 

... but I have to tell ya, even though I wanted them all to play with occasionally, I was not interested in collecting them all, due to space considerations, and the hobby funds all those cartridges would divert from the hardware goodies Ksarul is coming out with. But, as you all already know, thanks to Rasmus, we can now have ALL those games in one cartridge at a reasonable price. So if you are not a collector, and you've not already looked into this option, you may want to check it out.

Oh Rasmus, in case I've not thanked you before.... THANK YOU!

 

[+mizapf]

I'm a bit confused about "Protector". In the game we find the title "Protector II", outside it is "Protector" (also in the selection list). I suppose it is actually Protector II (was there a Protector I?).

[+swlovinist]

The Atarisoft Games Collection cart is awesome. I played it quite a bit a few weeks ago

[+Schmitzi]

I'm a bit confused about "Protector". In the game we find the title "Protector II", outside it is "Protector" (also in the selection list). I suppose it is actually Protector II (was there a Protector I?).

 

 

I think (!) there was NO Protector 1, and this "labelling" 1=2 is normal (?)

[Flottmann1]

ohh... I forgot

 

unfortunately I have not JOUST, if someone has it please make a Picture and a Dump

 

Thankx

[+Schmitzi]

yes, I have one or two somewhere here around, so I can open one.

And I will check for my Missile Command.

 

Maybe we can ask Ciro for opening his new Robotron-Clone ?

 

[PeBo]

Lordy that Centipede is a small board!

 

I too was sorry that Joust was not included, but having the chance to play Robotron 2084 on my 99 was outstanding! So sad these never made it to cartridge 30 years ago.

 

It was nice to SEE Slime/Super Storm running on a TI, but while it was a good looking port, I was never a big fan of the game. It (and Picnic Paranoia), seem strange choices for ports with all the GREAT Atari 8 bit games to chose from, (like Caverns of Mars or Star Raider!!).

 

Although it's was to be a Parker Brothers' release not Atarisoft, the "existing" title I would most like to have an opportunity to play would have to be Tutankham (man, I loved that game when it was in a local tavern back in the day!) . But I've read stories in other threads that quashed any hopes of that happening any time soon. (at least we DID get Shamus - a darned fine one at that!)

[PeBo]

I had started collecting...

 

... but I have to tell ya, even though I wanted them all to play with occasionally, I was not interested in collecting them all, due to space considerations,

 

You are a stronger man than I am my friend...I didn't set out to collect cartridges, but 200+ later I think I would have an easier time breaking an opiate addiction.

 

Luckily I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find anything 'new' or to locate the few I'm actively looking for (mainly DataBioTics games), so supply is defeating my demand.

 

I just thank heaven's that my hobby-machine of choice was a TI, with it's rather small collection of cartridges, and not a Atari 800 or C64, or I would be getting myself into major trouble!

 

As far as these are concerned, I owned tge full Atarisoft collection (just missing the box for Jungle Hunt) and I still bought the Rasmus collection (just so I could get Robotron and Super Storm)...if that's not worse than narcotics, I don't know what is.