Restart without powering off?

[metzger130]

Is there a way to get back to the menu without pressing the power button off and then back on on the atari itself?

[+batari]

It depends what you are asking. If you are just asking for a way to power-cycle your console without touching it, there are remote control switches. Or, plug into a smart plug and ask Alexa to do it

 

Or, if you are just wanting to stop the game running and run the menu, that may might be a possibility in the future. Even such it would not work 100% of the time, as if the 6507 crashes (and hits a JAM instruction) then there is no way to do that without a power cycle.

[metzger130]

I was looking at a way to go back to the menu while running a game.  Oh well, I'll just turn it off then back on whenever needed.

[scrummy]

I was curious about this as well. Other than my original 1981 Atari 800, I am currently using a Flashback 9 Gold with SD card for my Atari VCS gaming.

 

I'd like to purchase a Atari 7800 and use that with a HARMONY CART, but the one thing I would miss is the ability (that i have via FB9 wireless controller) to get to the menu while splayed out in my relaxation fog on the couch.  

 

How about a small stick-on button for any Atari controller, it could be battery powered and use any known wireless method to directly communicate with a altered HARMONY CART to softly and quickly return to the menu. 

 

Since I am throwing it all out there, How about WIFI connection to online, to enable Atari VCS multi-player and downloadable new levels for existing game roms. 

 

(EDIT: Just realized Al Nafuur is working on this!) Cool Al!)

 

 

The other thing that I wish we had, would be an easier way to "tip" .bin creators.  Playing on the various emulators and devices, it would be nice to facilitate easier tipping to our beloved Atari Homebrew creators. 

 

Hope you are all well, and please take this all in the spirit of brotherhood and love. 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by scrummy
added link to Al Nafur's plus cart, and added hyphen to "stick-on" button

[+batari]

2 hours ago, scrummy said:

I was curious about this as well. Other than my original 1981 Atari 800, I am currently using a Flashback 9 Gold with SD card for my Atari VCS gaming.

 

I'd like to purchase a Atari 7800 and use that with a HARMONY CART, but the one thing I would miss is the ability (that i have via FB9 wireless controller) to get to the menu while splayed out in my relaxation fog on the couch.  

 

How about a small stick-on button for any Atari controller, it could be battery powered and use any known wireless method to directly communicate with a altered HARMONY CART to softly and quickly return to the menu. 

 

Since I am throwing it all out there, How about WIFI connection to online, to enable Atari VCS multi-player and downloadable new levels for existing game roms. 

 

(EDIT: Just realized Al Nafuur is working on this!) Cool Al!)

 

 

The other thing that I wish we had, would be an easier way to "tip" .bin creators.  Playing on the various emulators and devices, it would be nice to facilitate easier tipping to our beloved Atari Homebrew creators. 

 

Hope you are all well, and please take this all in the spirit of brotherhood and love. 

 

 

The new firmware being developed will likely be able to reboot without a power cycle.

 

That said, for a Wifi connection, this is a microSD-to-ESP8266 adapter, of course intended for Harmony, but could theoretically be used with any flashcart that had firmware written to support it. It's a tiny, thin PCB:

 

 

It can be used in an SD slot with an adapter as well. I haven't had time to write a driver for it but someday, maybe.

[rhuneke]

On 5/1/2020 at 9:57 PM, metzger130 said:

I was looking at a way to go back to the menu while running a game.  Oh well, I'll just turn it off then back on whenever needed.

Supposedly there will be a way soon...just HOW soon is debatable. Wolfgang Stubig who created the Atari 2600 PlusCart (it's a cartridge that allows the Atari 2600 to connect to the internet and there is also a rom repository of all games accessible to Beta Testers like myself) allowed this function in the PlusCart. Basically you would either hold the joystick button to the RIGHT and (or hold in the paddle button) and press GAME RESET on the console and it will return you to the Harmony cart main menu WITHOUT turning the Atari on and off! ZeroPageHomebrew (check out their YouTube channel...great stuff) claims that this feature should be implemented into the Harmony cart sometime in the near future. You'd just have to flash the firmware on your Harmony cart in order to enable it. I'll be watching to see when this update comes out. If it's true it would be great. I don't like turning the old Atari on and off too much.

[infidelity]

Sorry to dig this thread up, but I'd like to know how to hard mod some sort of power cycle to my Heavy Sixer 2600? I installed Tim Worthington's rgb kit, and I installed the extra push button in my controller to select game mode, reset current game, and cycle through installed palettes. I'd like to ditch the palette selection, for a power cycle function instead. If this is not possible with Tim's kit, I'd be willing to wire up another pushbutton on my controller. Please help!