BackBit cartridge on the Intellivision

[IntellivisionDude]

Got mine today. I opted for the PCB Sleeve version. 

 

 

[8bitwidgets.com]

@IntellivisionDude and tah-dah!   one sleeve to rule them all and in the darkness.. guide them! 

 

Edited April 30 by 8bitwidgets.com

[Crash7]

I think I'll be buying that for my new Sears unit as soon as it arrives. 

[8bitwidgets.com]

Pencil's down..  this is a video that explains how Version 2 will serve both use cases. 

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

7 hours ago, 8bitwidgets.com said:

Pencil's down..  this is a video that explains how Version 2 will serve both use cases. 

 

Okay now that is pretty slick and I think I might have to get one of these to keep up in the lab. Just keep my Intelly adapter in there as I wouldn't have a need to remove it from the printed housing you have made. Have you verified it on the Intellivision 2 models yet? Some of those have pretty tight slots on them where even an LTO can be problematic to insert. Not had an issue with my BBPro since the adapter is much smaller than the opening but just curious if you have tested this on the model 2?

 

[8bitwidgets.com]

16 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Have you verified it on the Intellivision 2 models yet?

I have not, but it works with 2609, Sears, and Intellivoice (brown).   That said, Casey has been kind enough to offer me one of his spare INTV II systems so I can verify for sure soon.  However, my gut would tell me it should fit fine but i can verify soon.  I've never owned one before so yes I can definitely test.  I know having the real thing to confirm is important.  

 

I recently made my Atari 2600 MCP which was tested not only with the darth vader 2600 and a light sixer.. It even worked well with some tweaking to work with the 7800..  but then i came across a Coleco Gemini and dang it.. it wouldn't fit!   So I had to fix that.  

 

Sincerely,

Caleb

[8bitwidgets.com]

Also as stated in the video, if you already bought any of the originals, I'm offering you a free version 2.  Just pay $5 shipping (tracking included) 

[genfuyung]

On the edge of my seat to see if it works with the model 2.

 

This thing is genius. Has it been tested in the 2600+?

Edited August 7 by genfuyung

[8bitwidgets.com]

3 hours ago, genfuyung said:

works with the model 2.

Hoping to get it soon from Casey.. he's been busy but i know he has the unit set aside.  So "soon" is the best i can hope for     I'm grateful for his offer.

 

3 hours ago, genfuyung said:

Has it been tested in the 2600+?

this one is INTV only..  however i dooooo now have the 2600 backbit to test against soon.. 

 

like the intv sleeve this one would be intended to be dedicated to the 2600..  will be tricky though because of all of the variations..  may have to make several flavors of them, much like the 2600 MCP which also is being revised some as I realized I made a miscalculation making the PCB the size it is where it's basically physically impossible to get it to work with heavy sixers because of the different socket depth.. 

 

it works well with most but just not all and I need to officially document which ones it doesn't which will insure I identify the ones that it doesn't so I can make a batch that i know will work with the ones it currently doesn't work well with. 

 

Regarding the 2600+ I don't have access to a 2600+ yet so it's not easy to test against it.  I know my first version of the 2600 MCP didn't socket snugly with it.  It works with it, but comes out with the cart which is a big no no.  

 

 

Also making a minor revision to the INTV backbit sleeve to insure the latest version works well with Sears, 2609 AND intellivoice..  always learning new things and finding new solutions.   

Oh and the INTV and 7800 MCPs are around the corner too!  

Edited August 8 by 8bitwidgets.com

[+fdr4prez]

head over to the 2600+ subforum and ask over there.

 

It is my understanding that the 2600+ is a cart dumper, so it will not support multi-carts, but I think there is a thread over there that discusses this.

[Crash7]

I asked Evie, it will not work in a 2600+, and neither do the 2600 homebrews released by Champ Games (who do absolutely fantastic work with that console). 

[8bitwidgets.com]

5 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

2600+ is a cart dumper, so it will not support multi-carts

yea that's right.. i wasn't thinking about that.. so in the case of the backbit sleeve no joy..  the MCP however will work and does work, it's just a matter of making an enclosure that sockets nicely..   I can't bring myself to spend $130 on a new one to test..  hoping I can find someone local to borrow / test against like I did the CV-NUC and Phoenix.. 

 

3 hours ago, Crash7 said:

and neither do the 2600 homebrews released by Champ Games (who do absolutely fantastic work with that console). 

yea the champ games use the harmony cart hardware which is why the games are so amazing, because he's leveraging acceleration on the cart hardware..  it's a shame they are a rom dumper, but in this day and age it just how things get made..  vs. making an actual reproduction of original hardware..  though in some ways (baring part sourcing issues?) it would have been easier I think to just remake the original hardware..  maybe the upscaling to HDMI could have been more RnD than the Rom dumping was..  dunno. 

[Aragorn7]

On 8/8/2024 at 1:05 AM, Crash7 said:

I asked Evie, it will not work in a 2600+, and neither do the 2600 homebrews released by Champ Games (who do absolutely fantastic work with that console). 

Yes, the problem with Champ Games on the 2600+ (as I understand) is that Champ uses an ARM processor in their games. Perhaps, if possible, Atari can fix this at some point. That's above my pay grade.

[mr_me]

On 8/7/2024 at 11:10 PM, fdr4prez said:

head over to the 2600+ subforum and ask over there.

 

It is my understanding that the 2600+ is a cart dumper, so it will not support multi-carts, but I think there is a thread over there that discusses this.

That's the nature of these software emulation devices. They run a copy of the cartridge from its own system memory rather than communicating with the cartridge hardware. So the device not only has to emulate the cartridge hardware in software it has to be able to copy all its contents. It may be possible to support multi-carts but support for that cartridge has to be specifically implemented in the emulator. Even if all known cartridge technologies have been implemented, if a new cartridge type is developed in the future it will be incompatible without out another update to the emulator.

 

On 8/8/2024 at 4:55 AM, 8bitwidgets.com said:

yea the champ games use the harmony cart hardware which is why the games are so amazing, because he's leveraging acceleration on the cart hardware..  it's a shame they are a rom dumper, but in this day and age it just how things get made..  vs. making an actual reproduction of original hardware..  though in some ways (baring part sourcing issues?) it would have been easier I think to just remake the original hardware..  maybe the upscaling to HDMI could have been more RnD than the Rom dumping was..  dunno. 

Recreating the hardware with CPLD or FPGA would be the other way to do it. It has been done but would increase the cost and price of the device.

 

[carlsson]

I have a feeling that at least 70% of the market for consoles like the 2600+ is mass market sales from warehouses, to somewhat nostalgic people who want to play the old games from their childhood once more before putting it away and collect dust. Thus homebrews, enhanced cartridges and multicarts are not really part of the market. Like mr_me writes, a device designed so it perfectly would emulate the original hardware and be able to use any form of cartridge like the original console can, would make those plug and play devices even more expensive and not be worthwhile to produce at all.